Stena Voyager Ferry lacked necessary equipment - inquiry

[Lysfoss]

UK marine accident investigators have found that a Belfast-bound ferry, which was stranded off the Scottish port of Stranraer for 24 hours last January, did not have the necessary equipment to secure vehicles on board.

Almost 200 passengers and crew were stranded overnight on the Stena Voyager when an articulated truck crashed through its rear door shortly after the vessel left port.

The high-speed ferry was unable to re-berth because the lorry, which was left hanging precariously off the stern, was obstructing access to the docking terminal.

Passengers were eventually lifted off the vessel after a full day by a local fire brigade appliance.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which was tasked to examine the incident, found that while the crew had made efforts to secure the vehicle the lashing straps and fixtures used were not strong enough.

It also said that chocks placed under the wheels had not been positioned correctly.

'The driver of the road tanker had not applied the vehicle's parking brakes and had left it out of gear,' the report found.

'Although the vehicle had been lashed to the deck and its rear wheels chocked, the securing arrangements were not in accordance with the vessel's securing manual, and they failed to stop the vehicle from rolling backwards when Stena Voyager became trimmed by her stern (tilted backwards) as she accelerated.

'Neither the ferry's deck securing points nor the vehicle's ferry securing points, to which the lashings were attached, accorded with the applicable international and national codes of practice.

'The lashing straps were also of insufficient strength, and tests have shown that the chocks could not have been correctly positioned.'

MAIB said Stena Line and lorry owners Turner (Soham) Ltd have since taken steps to address the problems identified by its investigation.

The agency also made recommendations to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to ensure that road hauliers are made aware of the need to make their vehicles safe to transport by sea.

It has also urged the MCA to monitor securing arrangements and practices on board all high speed craft carrying freight vehicles to make sure they comply with their cargo securing manuals and the applicable codes of practice.