The German Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (Bundesstelle für Seeunfalluntersuchung; BSU) has published its investigation report dealing with the serious marine casualty involving the Ro-Ro vessel Endurance at the Port of Bremerhaven.
On March 13, 2021, the ship's mooring lines broke in Bremerhaven. As a result, the ship drifted through the harbour basin and collided with a drydock, among other things.
The mooring lines broke at a time when offshore wind gusts in the area reached 50 knots.
Due to the prevailing wind conditions, Endurance's captain had requested tug assistance. However, the mooring lines broke before the tugs arrived.
The ship drifted across the wind to the opposite side of the harbour, heading towards Lloyd Werft.
The tugs reached the scene before the main engine could be started. Nevertheless, a collision with the dry dock and two pontoons of the shipyard could not be prevented.
The line breakage resulted in material damage to the ship, the berth, and the shipyard.
The BSU said the main cause of the line breakage was the worn mooring lines on Endurance. These were not replaced in good time due to an inadequate safety management system.
New guidelines on the inspection and maintenance of mooring equipment, including the lines, came into force on January 1, 2024. These guidelines are binding under international law, meaning that no further safety recommendations are required from the BSU to the ship operator.
As part of the casualty investigation, further incidents involving mooring lines in Bremerhaven were examined to develop measures to prevent future accidents at the port.
Following the interim investigation report published on March 16, 2022, the port captain of Bremerhaven took measures that, if implemented consistently, appear suitable to the BSU to further reduce the number of line breakages by port users in future.