ATSB report on Pasha Bulker grounding

2 June 2008

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) have recently published a substantial report on the grounding of the Pasha Bulker during what has been described as a once-in-30-years storm at Newcastle, New South Wales in June 2007. The vessel grounded after dragging anchor while waiting for a berth to load coal.
The ATSBs recommendations cover a wide range of issues involving both shipboard and port operations. However, the finding that has attracted most immediate industry attention is that despite forecasts of imminent extreme sea conditions, the Pasha Bulker remained at anchor and maintained minimal ballast, probably because of a concern about being able to pump out all ballast in sufficient time to meet the terminals expected loading speed on berthing.
The Masters failure to ballast the ship for heavy weather is thought by the ATSB to have directly affected the ships ability to manoeuvre after the anchor dragged in the storm.
Future editions of StopLoss may well return to the themes developed by the ATSB but in the meantime the full report can be accessed by clicking here