CIAIM Questions the Maneuver of the 'Bentago Express' in Agaete

The Permanent Commission for the Investigation of Maritime Accidents and Incidents (CIAIM) concludes, in its report on the accident suffered by the catamaran 'Bentago Express' on the night of January 7, 2021, when it was trying to dock at the port of Agaete, that the maneuver 'performed by the captain is considered less suitable for situations with bad weather than the maneuver usually performed by other captains of the company on that vessel. The ship entered at an angle relative to the dock and had to turn at the tip of the dock; it is considered safer to enter parallel to the dock, making the turn where most of the company’s captains do with the same vessel.'

The CIAIM adds that 'the port infrastructure does not provide sufficient shelter for this type of vessel' and that 'due to the presence of the shoal, the access channel to the port is very narrow and conditions the maneuver of large vessels like those operated by Fred. Olsen in safety conditions'.

The report specifies that 'although at the time of accessing the port the operational limits established by the Maritime Captaincy were not exceeded, the maximum gusts reached in the port during the day may have exceeded the maneuvering capacity of the vessel, so these operational limitations should be updated.'

It also adds that 'the shipowner, the captain, and the company ETSL did not fulfill their obligation to safeguard the data from the Voyage Data Recorder (RDT), which would have provided valuable information for the investigation and the preparation of this report and formulation of recommendations to improve the safety of the docking maneuver for this type of vessel.'

The CIAIM also makes several safety recommendations. To the company Fred. Olsen, it states 'to improve the officers' familiarity with the procedures for downloading data from the Voyage Data Recorder in their Safety Management Systems. This improvement should be reflected in the corresponding forms of the ship's training and familiarization procedures' and 'to establish, within the Operational Manual of the Voyage, a new chapter that includes standard maneuvers to be performed in all existing weather conditions, to harmonize these maneuvers among the different captains.'

And to the public entity Canarian Ports and the Maritime Captaincy of Las Palmas, it recommends 'to update the operational limits for access to the port for these vessels based on maximum wind gusts, extending these limitations to winds from all quadrants. To do this, they should request the shipowner of these vessels to conduct a study to determine the maximum wind they can withstand without compromising their maneuverability' and, finally, 'to explore possibilities to improve the accessibility of vessels of this size to the port, such as expanding the port or removing the shoal from the North Marina.'

To view the official CIAIM report, click here.

Photo: provided