Avoiding the hazards caused by loss of power on board ship

Tony Watson, of the UK Club, warns of the dangers resulting from a loss of power on board ships, particularly as ships increase in size


A significant number of shipping claims for third-party property damage, many of which were enormously expensive and, in some cases, amounted to millions of dollars, could be attributed, directly or indirectly, to main engine failures or electrical blackouts. Ships effectively out of control as a result of these problems have caused extensive damage to berths, locks, bridges, navigational marks, loading arms, cranes and gantries along with moored ships. Costly collision and grounding claims can similarly be caused by these failures. It is no exaggeration to suggest that main engine failures and blackouts tend to occur most regularly at the point in a voyage where the ship is at its most vulnerable. In confined waters or entering and leaving port, the stable loads which will generally prevail with the ship on passage are disturbed.