# Pasha Bulker Report



## Mike S (Dec 27, 2005)

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2007/MAIR/mair243.aspx 

Above is the report on the stranding last year of the Pasha Bulker off Newcastle New South Wales. This was one that got away due to the superlative seamanship and skill of the local Salvage Team. 

Makes interesting bed time reading this one!

Regards


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Thanks for that Mike, very interesting. As an engine room man I cannot comment with any full appreciation of the situation but it seems to boil down to complacency and lack of preparedness on the part of both the Port Authority and the ship's master when parked in a crowded anchorage on a sometimes hostile shore . 
I can imagine the difficulties in getting sufficient way on in strong winds, adverse tides with a light ship, a high profile and a lack of engine power.


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## Mike S (Dec 27, 2005)

Nasty bit of county around there Bob. Bad holding ground and onshore weather can be very violent. 
I see that the shore authorities have deservedly had their respective ears pinned back in the report. How a port can exist in this day and age without a controlled anchorage amazes me. 
As for the Master, poor fellow never had a chance. That thing was a Panamax and by any ones terms that is a lot of ship. I could use the phrase "Out of his depth" but it might be construed as being a bit facetious under the cir***stances.


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Mike, I also read recently that the ship's master was exhausted from lack of sleep after many hours of drama and without adequate back up from his officers.
There must come a time of reckoning when all the negatives pile up against you, it's lucky that he found a friendly sandy beach rather than a rocky shore.


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

Yes , very interesting reading , like a Greek comedy unfolding.

Also explains why both anchors were still stowed in the pipes which was
my first reaction on seeing photos just after the grounding.


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## Mike S (Dec 27, 2005)

Very very true Bob.........I reckon the poor feller was a cot case by the time things got out of hand. Just goes to show how far things have slipped when you go on board a ship like that as Master and have no idea what kind of officers you have.
It is the total opposite to the way things were done all those years ago in the companies like NZS, Port, Shaw Saville, Blue Flue, BI and so on..........
Sad........very very sad however one thing that does come through loud and clear to me is that it was not just one single cause. 
It was as always a set of events and cir***stances that had only one inevitable ending.
By the way only part of the beach was sandy. There were patches of reef all around her and the salvors did an incredible job getting her off. I am very proud of the fact that I served 30 years on the Australian tugs in Fremantle where others like the guys in Newcastle did amazing things. 
We had one tug in Freo called Wongara in the 70's and 80's that did many outside tows and one Master who did over 30 on her in addition to a lot more on her replacement Wambiri. 
As usual.....sailor men just doing what they do best..........


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## oceangoer (Jan 3, 2008)

Mike S said:


> I reckon the poor feller was a cot case by the time things got out of hand. Just goes to show how far things have slipped when you go on board a ship like that as Master and have no idea what kind of officers you have.


The Master made one very serious mistake .... he didn't up anchor and try to get out to sea early enough. The problem was he didn't realise how dangerous the situation was, he even went down to breakfast when they were trying to claw her off the coast.

Pure lack of (strong wind) manoeuvring experience caused the rest.

As the report notes, there are 40 sets of anchors and cables lying on the bottom in that anchorage. That tells a story of many previous problems.

Most halfway qualified officers can get a ship from A to B in good conditions, but it takes experience to handle a ship in heavy weather, fog, dense traffic and so on. Fellows who become Master with only their ticket sea-time plus 20 minutes are bound to come unstuck when things don't go to plan.


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