The Challenger tipping over after striking an immersed rock off the coastline ofAlaska [Image: NTSB/Alward Fisheries]
A captain’s choice to browse near to coast in a location with undiscovered rocks brought about an angling vessel grounding and also tipping over in Alaska in 2014, the National Transportation Safety Board states
The 52.5-foot-long, shaped FRP hulled handbag seiner Challenger struck an immersed rock while angling for salmon along the coast of Kodiak Island, Alaska on August 7, 2022. The Challenger started handling much more water than the onboard pumps might manage. The captain and also 3 crewmembers deserted ship and also were saved by a neighboring Good Samaritan angling vessel, and also the vessel tipped over not long after. Another Good Samaritan vessel pulled the angling vessel toLarsen Bay No injuries were reported.
The Challenger, constructed in 1989 and also possessed and also run by Alward Fisheries given that 2007, was stated a failure, with problems going beyond $600,000.
The captain informed NTSB private investigators he recognized there was an undiscovered rock in the location he was browsing, yet he thought it was better to coast. He stated on previous fishing expedition, throughout a “really low-minus tide,” he saw the rock, yet did not note it on his charting software program.
“In addition to marking hazards on their own charts and charting software, mariners can report issues (errors or omissions) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s nautical charts and/or Coast Pilot through the Office of Coast Survey’s ASSIST tool,” the NTSB record states. “To report an issue such as an uncharted rock, a user can enter the rock’s position manually or drop a pin on the electronic navigation chart incorporated into the ASSIST tool. Users can access ASSIST from a computer or mobile device. Coast Survey aims to follow up with all inquiries within 2 business days. Mariners should contact their regional navigation manager if they have questions about how to report a discrepancy.”
The Challenger was running 220 lawns from the coast, which is a lot closer than the a minimum of 1-mile berth required in the Coast Pilot for the location where the vessel based. According to the record, the captain presumed the threat of running near to the coast so he might be in the location with much better weather condition and also angling, which inevitably caused the grounding and also capsizing.
The NTSB additionally figured out that the absence of a leak-proof accident bulkhead and also neighborhood or compartmentalization listed below the major deck, which enabled dynamic flooding, added to the capsizing. Had the Challenge r’s accessibility hatch in between the forepeak and also space listed below it been water tight, the flooding right into deep space would certainly have been included, and also the resulting dynamic flooding that brought about the vessel’s tipping over would likely have actually been stopped.
The record keeps in mind that security policies, consisting of demands to fight unintended flooding and also the requirement for a leak-proof accident bulkhead, did not relate to this vessel as a result of its age and also size.
