Collision between Offshore Supply Vessel Cheramie Bo Truc No 22 and Articulated Tug and Barge Mariya Moran/Texas

What Happened

​​​On November 14, 2019, the offshore supply vessel Cheramie Bo Truc No 22 was outbound for sea transiting Sabine Pass with a crew of five, when it collided with the inbound articulated tug and barge (ATB) Mariya Moran/Texas, with a pilot and nine crew aboard, in the vicinity of Texas Point. About 6,641 gallons of diesel oil were released, and the waterway was closed for 12 hours. No injuries were reported. The Cheramie Bo Truc No 22, valued at $1.2 million, was declared a total loss. The Mariya Moran and Texas sustained $654,572 in damages.

What We Found

​​The probable cause of the collision between the offshore supply vessel Cheramie Bo Truc No 22 and ATB Mariya Moran/Texas​ was the offshore supply vessel mate’s turn across the path of the ATB during a meeting situation. Contributing to the accident was a lack of early communication from both vessels.

Lessons Learned

​​Teamwork

Safe and effective navigation is not one person’s job. Bridge resource management includes the concept of teamwork, which is an essential defense against human error. A good team should anticipate dangerous situations and recognize the development of an error chain. If in doubt, team members should speak up or notify a higher authority. Vessel operators should ​train their crews on and enforce their safety policies.

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