Asleep at the Helm: Fatigue Blamed in Prawn Boat Sinking

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its investigation report into the November 2023 grounding and subsequent total loss of the prawn trawler Sustain (UL 45) at Loch Broom, Scotland.

According to the report, at approximately 1946 on November 16, 2023, the vessel ran aground on rocks at the entrance to Loch Broom after the skipper fell asleep in the wheelhouse. Despite rescue attempts involving the vessel’s crew, other fishing vessels, and a Royal National Lifeboat Institution all-weather lifeboat, Sustain could not be refloated.

The investigation revealed that the skipper had accumulated significant sleep debt during normal fishing operations and had made the decision to sail early at around 0230 on the day of the accident after staying awake overnight to repair the vessel’s deck wash pump.

During the return passage to Ullapool after a day’s fishing west of the Summer Isles, the skipper, who was alone on watch while two crew members sorted the catch on deck, attempted to combat fatigue by drinking coffee and opening windows for fresh air. Unfortunately, these measures proved ineffective, and approximately 15 minutes later, the skipper awoke to the vessel grounding.

The MAIB report stressed that “the power of fatigue and the risk of falling asleep it creates cannot be underestimated.” It further noted that “sleep debt built up from normal fishing routines increases the likelihood of fatigue-related symptoms, such as impaired decision-making and reduced resilience to extended wakefulness.”

Investigators found that while the hazard of ineffective watchkeeping due to fatigue was recognized in the vessel’s risk assessments, the established control measures were not implemented. No additional crew member was called to assist with watchkeeping, and no watchkeeping alarm was installed.

The report also highlighted that the skipper was not compliant with the requirements of Merchant Shipping Notice 1884 (F) regarding working time regulations in the days before the accident.

By the end of November 2023, the vessel’s hull had sustained significant damage and was declared a constructive total loss.

The MAIB has issued a safety flyer to the fishing industry highlighting the dangers of fatigue and sleep debt accumulation in normal fishing operations, though no formal safety recommendations were made in the report.

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