Room for improvement in the Pilotage Exemption Certificate training, qualification requirements and voyage planning

The Dutch cargo ves­sel M/​S Timca was grounded off Rauma on 16 Feb­ru­ary 2021. The ves­sel drifted out­side the fair­way area and over the shal­lows lo­cated nearby, sus­tain­ing se­vere dam­age. Even­tu­ally the mas­ter was able to pi­lot the ves­sel to the Port of Rauma.

When approaching an ice area, the master, who was acting as a pilot with a Pilotage Exemption Certificate, switched from radar navigation to optical navigation due to the vessel’s unclear radar screen. During this process, situational awareness of the exact location of the vessel was lost momentarily. The loss of situational awareness was also affected by the deficiencies in the voyage plan used for piloting.

“The vessel’s voyage plan did not support the turns, which affect the safe handling, navigation and pilotage of the vessel. In addition, the vessel’s speed in the fairway segment of the channel was higher than recommended. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency has issued instructions on voyage planning for Finnish flagged ships, but unfortunately these instructions are not easily available in English, which naturally makes it more difficult to comply with these regulations for vessels under foreign flags”, says Risto Haimila, Investigator-in-charge.

M/S Timca was exempted from compulsory pilotage because the master had a Pilotage Exemption Certificate for the fairway in question. The master had only completed the simulator test required for the Hanko fairway. A test conducted in a ship simulator is intended to assess the candidate’s capability to navigate the ship in accordance with the voyage plan the applicant has compiled, both optically and with radar. The training and qualification requirements of a Pilotage Exemption Certificate do not specifically emphasise the effect of ice conditions on navigation in the archipelago, which means that in practice, experience of different weather conditions remains applicant-specific.

The Safety Investigation Authority issues three out of five safety recommendations to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, as well as one to the Ministry of Transport and Communications and one to the shipping company.

“The safety recommendations we have issued are related to the Pilotage Exemption Certificate qualifications and qualification requirements. It should be possible to set conditions based on the applicant’s experience for granting a Pilotage Exemption Certificate – weather-related conditions included. The importance of voyage planning should be highlighted, and the quality control of pilotage training as a whole should also be monitored more effectively. This investigation also demonstrated clearly how important it is to take the regulations issued by coastal states into account – currently some of them are difficult to access,” says Administrative Director Hannamari Helke.

Further information:

Mr. Risto Haimila, Investigator-in-charge, tel. +358 2951 50730

Acting Executive Director, Administrative Director Hannamari Helke, tel. +358 2951 50713