Image: Mobilisation Nationale Wakaship
The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has launched some preliminary findings from the continued investigation of the grounding of the Panama-registered bulker Wakashio on a Mauritius reef.
A delegation of specialists from Panama is in Mauritius collaborating within the investigation and AMP says that, whereas the inquiry remains to be within the information assortment section, the competent authorities have been capable of affirm that on July 25, the Wakashio ship, owned by the Japanese firm Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd. (Nagashiki Kisen KK), diverted from its navigation plan, which had been accredited on the time of crusing from Singapore certain for Brazil. The course modification, says AMP, might have been be associated to the celebration of the birthday of one of many crew members.
So far, primarily based on crew statements, the change after all adopted directions from Wakashio’s captain to method to about 5 miles off the coast of Mauritius, wanting in search of a phone and web sign, in order that the crew members might talk with their households.
AMP says that the captain of the ship, the chief engineer and the primary officer have been on the navigation bridge when this improper method passed off, which induced a harmful scenario. alerted, within the first occasion, by the Mauritian authorities.
The final place taken within the ECDIS (Integrated Nautical Charts and Navigation Equipment System) was at 1802 LT, and the ship grounding was recorded at 1925 LT.
AMP says that an acceptable evaluation of the scenario would have allowed the mandatory actions to be taken to appropriate the course and keep away from the accident.
While there have been individuals on the navigation bridge with enough expertise in assessing the issue, AMP says, it appears the incorrect Electronic Nautical Chart was getting used and with the incorrect scale, which made it not possible to correctly confirm the method to the coast and shallower waters.
AMP cites a scarcity of supervision and monitoring of the navigation gear and an “excess of confidence” throughout the watch, as among the many components that might have induced the grounding.
AMP says it awaits the results of an interview with the captain and the primary officer, who’re in detention, and has requested entry to the VDR (voyage information recorder and and different important ship navigation paperwork within the investigation, that are within the custody of the Mauritius police.
