SW-INC-0079SeaWise Incidents

Wahkuna - Sunk by a container ship in Channel fog: the Wahkuna

In poor visibility in the English Channel, the yacht Wahkuna was struck by the container ship P&O Nedlloyd Vespucci and sank, after a chain of radar and collision-rule failures on both vessels.

verified · 1 sourceO
Vessel
WahkunaSailing yacht
When
2003North Atlantic
Outcome
Sunk
Position
English Channel, off the south coast of England (UK)
Sea area
English Channel
Coordinates
50.30°N, -1.00°WApproximate position
Summary

What happened.

At 1100 UTC on 28 May 2003, the container ship P&O Nedlloyd Vespucci and the yacht Wahkuna collided in poor visibility in the English Channel, and the yacht sank. The MAIB found a chain of failures: the yacht's skipper misread which collision rules apply in fog, the ship's master over-trusted his radar and accepted a small passing distance, neither vessel kept an effective radar lookout, and the ship was travelling too fast for the conditions.

At 1100 UTC on 28 May 2003, the container vessel P&O Nedlloyd Vespucci collided with the sailing yacht Wahkuna in poor visibility in the English Channel off the south coast of England, and the yacht sank. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch identified a chain of contributing failures: Wahkuna's skipper misunderstood which of the collision regulations apply in fog; the container ship's master was over-confident in the accuracy of his ARPA radar and accepted a small passing distance; the yacht skipper was unable to use his radar effectively; both vessels failed to keep an effective radar lookout; the container ship was travelling at high speed for the conditions; and there was poor bridge resource management on the ship. The MAIB reiterated a recommendation to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on guidance for determining a safe speed in restricted visibility, made recommendations to the Royal Yachting Association and British Marine Federation on improving radar knowledge among yacht crews, and advised the manufacturer of a locating beacon to check for similar faults.

Conditions1100 UTC, poor visibility / fog. Rough Channel position — confirm exact location from the full report.
SeaWise noteWahkuna is the whole syllabus of a fog collision in one accident: a skipper unsure which rules now apply, two crews half-trusting radars they were not really watching, and a big ship going too fast to stop for what it could not see. None of it was exotic. The defence is just as ordinary — slow down, know the restricted-visibility rules cold, learn your radar before the fog, and stay out of the lane.
Lessons learned

What it teaches.

  • 1
    In fog there is no stand-on vessel — know the restricted-visibility rules. Wahkuna's skipper misunderstood which collision regulations applied in fog. In poor visibility every vessel must navigate by the restricted-visibility rules and a safe speed; nobody simply holds their course expecting the other to give way.
    collision on watch
  • 2
    Don't over-trust radar, and never accept a small passing distance. The ship's master was over-confident in his ARPA and accepted a tight CPA, while both vessels failed to keep an effective radar lookout. Treat radar as fallible, plot approaching contacts properly, and build in a generous passing distance.
    collision prep to sail
  • 3
    Radar is only useful if you can actually use it. Wahkuna's skipper could not use his set effectively, and the MAIB urged the RYA and British Marine Federation to improve radar knowledge among yacht crews. Learn to tune, range and plot your radar — and a target enhancer or AIS — before fog, not during it.
    collision prep to sail
  • 4
    Speed devours sea-room in fog. The container ship's high speed in poor visibility was a key factor. You cannot slow a ship down, so in restricted visibility give shipping lanes a wide berth, cross them quickly and squarely, and never assume the traffic will ease off for you.
    collision on watch
Sources

Where this comes from.

Official report· MAIB (UK)Collision between container vessel P&O Nedlloyd Vespucci and sailing yacht Wahkuna resulting in yacht sinkingVisit ↗

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From SeaWise

Procedures involved.

Procedure

Collision

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Record IDSW-INC-0079
Curated bySeaWise editorial
Confidenceverified · 1 source
Record typeIncident

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