Report on foundering of the workboat 'Maya' west of Karmøy, Norway on 15 February 2024
Marine report 2025/02
On Thursday 15 February 2024, the workboat Maya sank west of Karmøy after several collisions with its own pipe tow. It was towing a 120.2-tonne and 305-metre-long pipe with a tow eye mounted at both ends. The weather and sea conditions were challenging, and the damage occurred as the vessel attempted to reconnect the tow, after a towing connection broke. The vessel sustained extensive punctures to its hulls and the water ingress was greater than its pumping capacity. The crew evacuated to the shipping company’s other vessel without sustaining any physical injury.
The investigation has shown that the equipment used during the towing operation was not fit for purpose. The endless lifting slings used as part of the towing arrangement were certified for lifts and were fastened in such a way that they chafed on the flange of the pipe and broke on two occasions. The use of such slings as part of towing arrangements was common practise on board, and it was this equipment they had available on board.
The crew lacked important information about the pipe's techical specifications before the start of the mission, and therefore lacked the prerequisites to plan a safe execution of the towing operation.
The company’s safety management system was not sufficiently adapted to the vessel’s operations and not sufficiently implemented on board. Towing operations were described at a generic level and did not provide the crew with sufficient support in planning and carrying out towing operations. The shipping company therefore lacked a well-functioning barrier for safe operation.
The investigation has revealed that the shipping company had not ensured that the skippers had the necessary qualifications to carry out towing operations. The syllabus in the towing course included several areas that were relevant to this towing operation.
The oral planning meeting before departure was, according to the NSIA's assessment, not adequate as a risk assessment. The safety management system described how a risk assessment was to be carried out, but the crew had not been trained in this by the shipping company.
The removal of towing permits from the regulations and their subsequent replacement with companies’ internal control places higher demands on the shipping companies to ensure that towing operations are performed safely.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority submits one safety recommendation to the shipping company based on this investigation.
Published 14.02.2025
Safety recommendation
Safety Recommendation Marine No 2025/01T
On 15 February 2024, the workboat Maya sank after colliding with its own pipe tow in an attempt to re-establish the towing connection that had been broken earlier during the voyage.
The investigation has shown that the shipping company’s safety management system did not act as a safety barrier, and that risks concerning towing operations were not sufficiently identified. The descriptions in the procedure related to towing operations were inadequate and did not provide the crew the necessary knowledge or understanding of how towing operations were to be carried out in accordance with applicable regulations. The safety management system did not cover that skippers must comply with a mandatory towing course.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that Karmsund Shipping AS ensure that its safety management system reflects relevant regulations, is adapted to the company’s operation of the vessel in question and is implemented on board to ensure that towing operations can be carried out in a safe and prescribed manner.
Facts
| Location | West of Karmoy, Norway |
| Occurrence date | 15.02.2024 |
| Accident category | Foundering |
| Area | Norwegian Territorial Waters |
| Name of vessel | Maya |
| Accident type | Capsize |
| Vessel type | Combination Ship |
| Register | The Norwegian Ship Register |