Collision between a container ship and a linkspan

The report concludes that although the engineers on board were experienced and held appropriate STCW certificates, they were unable to correctly diagnose the reason for the engine faults. They did not have a sufficiently good knowledge of the main engine control system or specific system engineering training to successfully diagnose faults. The chief engineer was not the designated chief engineer for the ship but was transferred at short notice. He had not received any specific training in the operation of the Electronic Control System (ECS) components of the engine, apart from what could be conveyed during a 3-day handover with the former chief engineer. None of the ship’s technical staff had received any formal training in the operation, testing, maintenance or fault finding of the complex ECS. They were also not aware of a 24-hour telephone hotline to the engine manufacturer, to give additional technical support.