Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Sten-Arnold

The German Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) has released a comprehensive report detailing an incident involving the 'Sten Arnold', which was transporting 13,925 tons of petrol from Amsterdam to Hamburg when it ran aground on August 21, 2022. The vessel was under the command of a Lithuanian master and was attended by a crew consisting of a Filipino chief mate and a watchkeeper helming the ship. A River Elbe pilot initially boarded the vessel at 10:50 AM, facilitating navigation through the channel. By 2:40 PM, after a successful pilot transfer near Brunsbüttel, the vessel was navigating safely at a speed of approximately 9.4 knots with favorable visibility and an ebb current of about 2 knots. However, at 3:04 PM, the ship unexpectedly lost momentum and grounded on an undisclosed shoal within the fairway, tilting 2-3° to port and situated roughly 120 meters off the virtual connecting line between green buoys. The accompanying vessel, 'Judith', passed by shortly thereafter without incident. The Brunsbüttel water-level gauge registered at +1.08 m based on Chart Datum, indicating low tide was approaching. As soon as the grounding was confirmed, the pilot immediately notified the Vessel Traffic Service at 3:12 PM, leading to an alert for other maritime traffic in the vicinity. By 3:28 PM, the Ship Safety Division (BG Verkehr) granted permission for the 'Sten Arnold' to proceed once it was confirmed that there was no hull damage and the machinery was functioning normally. Rescue efforts included the involvement of an escort tug. Subsequently, the WSA Elbe-Nordsee repositioned buoy 63 back to its intended location on September 2, after a successful sounding operation on August 31. The GDWS later confirmed that dredging capacity in the area would be enhanced through additional tender calls, and the HPA took temporary control over dredging and sounding operations for the first 15 kilometers downstream from the port boundary for the years 2023 and 2024. This segment is crucial, accounting for 20-25% of the dredging efforts conducted by the WSA Elbe-Nordsee. To boost resource management and navigate the repeated sediment shifts, the sounding frequency was increased to intervals of up to 14 days in the areas presenting transfer sites. Despite the sudden grounding of the 'Sten Arnold', inquiries revealed that the invisible shoal was unexpected and uncharted, leaving both the crew and pilot to face an unforeseen situation. The report also pointed out the influence of reduced headwater inflow and recent storm surges on sediment dynamics, attributing the development of the shoal partially to tidal movements. The grounding incident prompted a significant review of operational protocols, with the GDWS now confident that implemented measures would enhance the safety of navigational operations moving forward, thus no additional recommendations have been issued.