National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators identified communication failures and poor coordination between the master and pilot while docking the 1,080-foot ship. As a result, the maneuver itself, conducted with two tugboats, went badly awry.
“There was a point in the maneuver when both the tugboats and the (ship’s) thrusters were in opposition to each other’s actions, demonstrating the lack of coordination between the master and the pilot, beginning with the master/ pilot exchange and continuing throughout the docking evolution,” the NTSB said in its accident report.
The allision happened Feb. 12, 2019, at about 1730 as the ship approached Pier 3 in San Juan. There were 6,023 passengers and crew aboard. No injuries were reported, and there was no pollution.
Norwegian Epic diverted to San Juan after suffering problems with its hybrid propulsion system while en route to Tortola. The system consists of diesel engines generating electricity for 32,184-hp electric shaft motors turning the port and starboard propellers. The motor driving the port propeller lost half its power two days before the pier strike, and a day before it lost all power. Crew locked it at sea to avoid damage to the turning gear, the NTSB said.
This story is from the June/July 2020 edition of Professional Mariner.
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This story is from the June/July 2020 edition of Professional Mariner.
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