Ovit Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published a detailed report following the grounding of the tanker 'Ovit' on the Varne Bank in the Dover Strait on September 18, 2013. In the early hours, the vessel, which was loaded with vegetable oil, ran aground and remained stranded for nearly three hours. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and any damage to the vessel was minimal, with no pollution incident occurring. Analyzing the incident, the report highlights that the 'Ovit' primarily navigated using an electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS). The investigation determined several key safety concerns: The passage plan was deemed unsafe as it directly traversed the Varne Bank. This plan was drafted in ECDIS by an inexperienced officer without appropriate supervision and wasn't reviewed by the master before the vessel's departure. The officer of the watch (OOW) adhered to the ECDIS route but exhibited alarmingly poor situational awareness, taking 19 minutes to recognize the grounding. Additionally, the safety settings in ECDIS were not suited to the local maritime conditions, exacerbated by the disabling of the audible alarm feature. Post-incident analysis revealed that the historical track could not be retrieved from the ECDIS. Meanwhile, the Dover Coastguard's Channel Navigation Information Service (CNIS) had a protocol meant to alert vessels approaching Varne Bank. However, due to the unqualified status, lack of supervision, and distraction of the Coastguard watch officer on duty, no warning was provided to the 'Ovit.' For further details, you can access the complete report [here](http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/OvitReport.pdf).