Discover the Muntgracht: Ratings & Maritime News

In a recent ruling, the Maritime Disciplinary Court in the Netherlands has decided to suspend the license of a Russian first officer involved in a maritime incident. This occurred aboard the 'Muntgracht' when the vessel inadvertently struck a buoy and towed it into Darwin's port in October 2022. The buoy became lodged between the ship's hull and rudder, causing significant complications. The buoy, along with its chain and concrete anchor, was only discovered more than two hours post-collision, during a stern inspection. At the time of the mishap, the 'Muntgracht' was carrying a crew of 15. The first officer, who was also the officer of the watch during this incident, came under scrutiny for failing to adhere to necessary navigational responsibilities. The representative from the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management highlighted that the officer neglected his duty of care towards crew safety, the integrity of the vessel, its cargo, the surrounding environment, and maritime traffic regulations. During the court proceedings, it was noted that the first officer participated via an online video link from Russia and did not account for the strong current affecting the vessel's trajectory. He also overlooked the substantial difference between the ship’s compass course and its course over the ground. Adding to the concern, there was a lack of lookout presence on the bridge, despite the night-time conditions, and he failed to observe that the red buoy had become obscured from sight. In light of his admission of navigation errors that contributed to the collision and considering it was his inaugural visit to Darwin, the Disciplinary Court imposed a six-week suspension on his navigation license. At that time, the first officer had been with Spliethoff for three years, and it was also his first journey aboard the 'Muntgracht'. He remains with the shipping company following this incident.