Executive summary
On Saturday 14 April 2007 at about 0300, the tug Nautilus III was towing the barge Kimihia, which was loaded with a cargo of rock, through the Wellington Harbour entrance channel when the barge unexpectedly capsized and deposited its cargo onto the seabed of the main entrance channel to the port. The master and crew of the tug, after advising Wellington Harbour Radio of the accident, towed the barge in its inverted state to Miramar wharf where salvage experts were able to right the barge on the 18 April 2007.
Safety issues identified included:
the assignment of an inappropriate load line to the barge
the need for stability standards for unmanned dumb barges in the Maritime Rules
the poor standard of surveying and the apparent lack of understanding of Maritime Rules by safe ship management providers
the minimal standard of stability knowledge required for the Inshore Launch Master certificate of competency
the incorrect manning of the tug
the difficulty and confusion surrounding the regulatory certificate, survey, load line, design and seagoing limit structure.
Safety recommendations were made to the Director of Maritime New Zealand to address some of these issues.
Related Recommendations
Take the steps necessary to ensure masters of tugs, barges and other craft where stability is critical to their operation are provided with sufficient training in how to apply the provided stability information to ensure their vessels remain compliant with appropriate stability criteria.
Take the steps necessary to ensure that all dumb barges with no persons on board that are used commercially for the carriage of cargo are brought within the safety framework of the Maritime Rules with regard to the issuance of load lines and the provision of stability information.