Equipment Care, Inspection, and Degradation
Why mooring equipment rarely fails without warning — and why the warnings are usually ignored Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Equipment Does Not Deteriorate Evenly Mooring equipment does not age like paint. Some components lose strength rapidly while appearing unchanged. Others degrade slowly but fail suddenly once […]
Mooring Under Environmental Load
Why lines part hours after berthing — and why “it was fine earlier” means nothing Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – The Quiet Phase Where Mooring Kills Some of the deadliest mooring failures occur when nothing appears to be happening. The ship is alongside.The lines are fast.The operation […]
Mooring Operations
How “normal” mooring evolutions quietly become fatal Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Why Most Mooring Accidents Happen During “Routine” Jobs Most serious mooring accidents do not happen during extreme conditions. They happen during arrivals that were expected to be straightforward. Crews relax too early.Pressure builds quietly.Loads increase […]
Mooring Equipment
Why mooring gear fails quietly — and why limits matter more than strength Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Equipment Does Not Fail Suddenly Most mooring equipment failures are described after the event as “sudden” or “unexpected”. In reality, almost none of them are. Mooring gear fails because […]
Legal Consequences
When Snap-Back Becomes Criminal Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Why Snap-Back Is Still a Leading Cause of Death Snap-back fatalities continue to occur on modern ships with modern training, markings, and procedures. This persistence tells us something uncomfortable but essential: Snap-back is not a knowledge problem.It is […]
Snap-Back Zones
Why people die standing where they were told was “safe” Physics, Not Paint. Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Why Snap-Back Is Still Killing Seafarers Snap-back fatalities continue to occur on modern ships with modern equipment, training videos, and painted deck markings. This alone should tell you something […]
Safe Systems of Work on Deck
Why deck work kills experienced seafarers — and how systems, not bravado, prevent it Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Why Deck Work Is Still the Deadliest Work Deck operations kill more seafarers than almost any other shipboard activity. What makes this uncomfortable is not what the work […]
Shore-Side Perspective
What investigators see, what companies learn, and why hindsight is brutally precise Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – When the Ship Is No Longer the Classroom Once a stability accident occurs, learning shifts ashore. There is no motion, no fatigue, no time pressure — only records, data, and […]
Master’s Responsibility for Stability
Authority, accountability, and the moment when “no” is the only correct answer Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Why Stability Ultimately Stops at One Desk Stability calculations may be prepared by officers.Loading plans may be produced by software.Cargo sequences may be designed by terminals. But responsibility for stability […]
Human Error in Cargo & Stability
Why ships fail with “correct” calculations — and why people, not physics, are usually the trigger Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Introduction – Stability Accidents Rarely Start With Physics Stability failures are often described using technical language: GM too low, cargo shifted, free surface underestimated. But when investigations dig […]