Ships passing the Panama Canal are under the risk to suffer an accident. Although the statistics are on the side of the Canal very professional Pilots, with less than 0.1% of accidents per year, vessel equipment malfunction, bad visibility during the heavy rains, heavy swells outside the Cristobal breakwater, and even human error from vessel's crew or the Pilot, cause at least 10 incidents and accidents on the Canal every year.
The following is a Guide for Ship Managers, about some steps that we recommend to follow, after more than 10 years repairing vessels at the Panama Canal.
Control
The Panama Canal is the only navigation way where a Pilot executes complete control over the ship he is transiting. As said above, the statistics are on the side of the Pilots, but the fact is that the following sections of the transit are dangerous and the Masters should take extra care.
Cristobal Breakwater, Gatun Locks North Entrance, Pedro Miguel Locks North Entrance, Miraflores Locks South Entrance and the base of the Americas Bridge.
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) takes his work seriously, and they have deploy from several years ago, the Canal EVTMS a NASA inspired, state of the art vessel control system, very efficient controlling the traffic.
A 0.1% accident rate per year, means probably that the Panama Canal is the safeties water way of the world, however it does not mean that accidents do not happen or will not happen. Every year for sure, there will be accidents on the canal, and our aim is to help you to take the right steps if one of your vessels suffer an accident in the Canal or in any part of the world.
Who is Responsible?
Be aware that under Panama Canal regulations, if your vessel has an accident during the transit of the Canal, the Pilot, and therefore the ACP is held responsible for the accident, if and only if, the accident was not caused due to a malfunction of any equipment of the vessel or a human error from any crew member of your ship.
What to Do?
1st - Your Master should follow the Panama Canal Pilots Instructions. However if the integrity of the vessel is seriously compromised, remember that the single person on board that knows better the vessel, is the Captain; that means that, the Master should follow the best seamanship and do what he has to do in order to save the lives of the people on board and the ship. Dropping both anchors is always a very good measurement. Do not worry about south or north bound traffic, as said above, the EVTM System of the ACP, has a tight control of the traffic and they will stop any dangerous traffic approaching to your vessel.
2nd - Asses your damages and vessel situation. Urgently but calm review the following areas:
a) Is there any compartment of the vessel affected and taking in water?
b) Is the safety of the vessel seriously affected? Will the vessel sunk?
c) Is there any body injured?
d) Are your vessel systems working? Propulsion, steering?
e) Call your Vessel Stations, and ask for damage reports!
f) Check your draft, is the draft is getting deeper, you are taking water!
h) Call for Tug Boats, at least two!
3rd - Either a grounding or a collision with another vessel or lock at the Panama Canal, will not have a serious "abandon ship emergency situation". During the last 10 years on the Canal performing repairs, and 5 of those as a Tug Boat Master on a part time work, I have never seen or received reports of such a serious situation. Therefore, even the strongest collision, will eventually require your vessel to be moved to safe area, in order to start the investigations. You Master should follow your company policy about information disclosure, but in any case be aware that as per Notice to Mariner 09-2010 and inspection will be done by the Board of Local Inspectors, and if you want the Canal to pay for the damages on the court, you will need your Master to await for the full investigation.
4th - Call
MEC SHIPYARDS to the 24/7 Contact Details on our web page
http://www.mecshipyards.com/ (+50766747992 or to our email:
sales@mecpanama.com ), in order to carry on immediately a professional experienced inspection of the damages. This inspection will be done by our Commercial Diving Team and by our Naval Architects, all experience on salvage, temporary and permanent underwater ship repair and top side ship repair.
MEC SHIPYARDS &
UNDERWATER SERVICES have ACP and AMP approvals to perform such inspections in Canal Waters and also UWS has approval by the following Class Societies to perform such inspections: DNV, BV, LR, ABS, GL and NKK, with Underwater Video Camera CCV Equipment with Communications.
5th - Call your DP inside your ISM System to report the damages and situation. Give your DP details of the time UNDERWATER SERVICES has confirmed the attendance to the vessel. If you have not yet call UWS, then ask permission to your DP, and proceed to call immediately. Every second passing, is affecting the safe of your vessel and the time charter of your ship owner.
6th - Follow the Instructions of the Pilot, in order to bring the vessel to a safe anchorage.
7th - Stop your engines and propeller turning. Remember that divers will be on the water soon, and is prohibited for the safe of the divers, to turn the propeller when divers are underwater.
8th - Join the Engineers on our Diving Work boat in order to view LIVE, the actual situation of your vessel shell plates and underwater hull. The divers have also communication, so you can talk to them in order to put more emphasis on any damage area you may be concerned.
9th - Once you have seen the damages, you may have a better view of the situation.
MEC SHIPYARDS will perform the best technical proposal for your vessel. Send the proposal to your ship managers, do not hesitate to call us, if you have any question about the Ship Repair.
10th - Be calm, and happy that no lives have suffer any injury, all damages are repairable and are just material costs that an insurance either from the Canal or from the vessel will pay eventually. Be sure that MEC SHIPYARDS will carry on, a very professional, cost effective and fast repair.
REMEMBER we hold the record in the area 57 TONS OF STEEL RENEWED ON 15 DAYS.
This recommendations are given without prejudice and should not be taken as a navigation instruction or safety guide. The recommendations above are result of the experience of the author as a Tug Boat Master at the Panama Canal waters and the experience of more than 10 years as a Ship Repairer.
