The probable cause of the Ro-Pax ferry Ray Stoker, Jr. striking a floating dock in Galveston, Texas, was likely a wheelhouse window shade chain clip inadvertently activating the "station freeze" function on a propulsion control touch panel, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined.
The incident resulted in a temporary loss of propulsion control.
The contact occurred on September 10, 2024, as the ferry was underway in the Galveston Channel with six crew members and seven passengers on board.
As the captain was manoeuvring the vessel, it began turning to port and did not respond to joystick inputs. The vessel subsequently struck a floating dock at the US Coast Guard Base Galveston and grounded in shallow water.
There were no injuries or pollution reported, but the damage to the vessel and dock was estimated at $373,800.
Post-casualty troubleshooting by the propulsion system manufacturer found no alarms or system faults. However, technicians discovered that the plastic clip on a window shade chain could activate functions on the control touch panel if it came into contact with the screen.
The "station freeze" function, when activated, would lock the joysticks in their last position without generating an alarm.
Following the accident, the ferry's operator, the Texas Department of Transportation, mounted clips to hold the window shade chains in place and later installed transparent covers over the control touch panels on the Ray Stoker, Jr. and other similar vessels in its fleet.