On December 15, 2019, the liquefied petroleum gas carrier Levant was shifting 0.7 miles from its anchorage to the Petrogas Ferndale Wharf in Ferndale, Washington, when it struck the wharf's south mooring dolphin. The mooring dolphin and catwalk connecting it to the wharf were destroyed, and the Levant's forward ballast tank was penetrated and flooded. There were no injuries to the vessel's crew or persons on the wharf. There was no release of pollutants or the ship's liquified cargo of propane and butane. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $1.5 million. Damage to the south mooring dolphin and adjoining catwalk was estimated at $6.75 million.

​​The probable cause of the contact of the liquid petroleum gas carrier Levant​ with a mooring dolphin at the Petrogas Ferndale Wharf was the pilot’s approach with excessive speed and at too steep an angle, resulting from the pilot’s and bridge team’s poor bridge resource management.

​​Passage Planning for Short Transits

​Regardless of the length of the transit or maneuver, the master/pilot exchange is a critical opportunity for a pilot and bridge team to establish and share necessary information (shared mental model) for the task ahead.