Cement carrier Goliath: ATSB releases report into tugs’ sinking

Third time unlucky: Authorities say cement carrier had recorded two close calls in the Port of Devonport before it smashed into a wharf last year, sinking two tugs.

The cement carrier Goliath had been involved in two near misses in the Port of Devonport before it smashed into a wharf last year, sinking two tugs, a new report says.

In its final report into the January 28, 2022 incident, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the Goliath had previously been involved in another two incidents involving its steering system.

In one incident the ship made contact with the shore or wharf, and in another it narrowly avoided colliding with a tugboat.

“While acknowledging that Goliath’s current managers were not the ship’s managers at the time, these earlier incidents, and the potential lessons learned, offered valuable opportunities to prevent future incidents,” the report said.

The report also said neither the ship’s master nor the second mate had undertaken bridge resource management training before the collision.

The operator of the vessel has since taken action to remedy safety issues identified by ATSB.

It was just before noon on January 28 last year when the Goliath collided with the moored tugs York Cove and Campbell Cove in Devonport.

The cement ship the Goliath just before it collided with the wharf and sunk two tugs. Picture: File

The tugs, which were unmanned at the time, sustained significant damage and subsequently sank.

Goliath sustained minor damage to its bow while the tugs were both subsequently declared a constructive total loss. Expensive environmental management was then conducted to keep as much oil and diesel out of the river as possible.

The ATSB found that, in the process of a transfer of manoeuvring controls from Goliath’s bridge to the bridge wing, the correct steering mode was not selected.

Consequently, control of the ship’s rudders remained at the wheel, inside the ship’s wheelhouse, while the master attempted to manoeuvre the ship in the swing basin using a VecTwin joystick panel.

“The master’s manoeuvring orders, issued in the belief that the ship was in joystick steering mode, had the effect of increasing the ship’s speed as it closed on the tugs before colliding with them,” the report said.

The ATSB said the design of the ship’s joystick system increased the risk as it did not provide a positive visual confirmation that the correct steering mode had been selected.

The bureau also found that while TasPorts’ risk assessment for Devonport had considered the potential for collisions between ships manoeuvring in the swing basin and smaller vessels in the vicinity, the risk of injury to personnel on board those smaller vessels was not specifically considered.

“On this occasion, it was largely fortuitous that there were no personnel on board the tugs at the time of the collision,” the report said.

The port’s own investigation into the accident resulted in several recommendations for proposed safety action including that Goliath not use its VecTwin steering system when berthing in Devonport nor swing on arrival if vessels are alongside at berth number Three West.