Equipment
Mooring Fittings
Mooring attachment fittings and their condition or use.
Documents
- 2025Dec
CHIRP Superyacht FEEDBACK 8 (December 2025)
Superyacht incident reports examine a failed mooring attachment, captain harassment, generator starter battery explosions, collision at anchor, unsafe pilot boarding arrangements, unprotected work aloft and defective life rafts. Commentary discusses battery capacity and ventilation, engineering handovers, equipment servicing and testing, reporting concerns and organisational safety culture.
- 20254 Sep
Two hand injuries caused during mooring
Two mooring incidents involved a hand trapped by a tightening line during rough weather and a finger crushed between a rope and handrail, requiring amputation. Lessons address dedicated fender mooring points, task risk assessment, supervisory roles, stopping unsafe work and considering postponement when weather causes vessel movement.
- 20254 Jun
MAIB: LTI – fingers lost during mooring operations
A crew member suffered severe finger injuries while resecuring a tender’s mooring rope during a river transfer. Unequal freeboards produced a steep rope angle, and passing-boat wash moved the tender. The flash highlights entrapment risks and conditional assessment of cleat design and fitting for routine operations.
- 202430 Apr
Trapped finger during mooring operations
A deckhand trapped his right-hand fingers while placing a spliced mooring line over bitts. Insufficient slack and forward vessel movement were identified as immediate causes. The flash discusses familiarisation, supervision, risk assessment and impact gloves, alongside line-handling alternatives and stopping the vessel where practicable.
- 2024
CHIRP Maritime FEEDBACK 75 (Summer 2024)
Confidential maritime reports examine commercial pressure over damaged anchors, laundry and cargo fires, machinery and mooring hand injuries, inadequate provisions and a grounding. Commentary addresses escalation of concerns, bridge coordination, laundry practices, dangerous-goods stowage, machinery isolation and guarding, and keeping hands clear during mooring.
- 20233 Oct
LTI – worker fractured arm during mooring line handling
A crew member suffered a fractured left forearm when a mooring rope struck them during barge unmooring preparations. A tripped winch message was misunderstood as an all-stop signal, prompting additional coiling on a bollard while the barge moved. Lessons emphasise clear communications and further mooring and line-of-fire training.
- 20233 Oct
Serious hand injury during mooring operations
A dock worker sustained a serious hand injury while removing a mooring rope from a bollard during vessel departure preparations. The flash describes insufficient slack, rising tension at the winch and absent messenger or tail lines. It highlights inadequate planning and risk assessment, hand positioning and readiness to stop unsafe work.
- 202315 Aug
CHIRP: Crew vigilance prevents mooring incident
A CHIRP event describes abrasion between mooring lines on a bulk carrier moving alongside a wharf in swell. Crew monitoring identified damage, and communication supported replacement and re-routing before the lines parted. The flash highlights teamwork and the importance of mooring fitting design and directional leads in limiting abrasion.
- 20234 Apr
LTI finger injury during mooring operations
An able seaman broke his left index finger while unmooring after ship-to-ship refuelling, losing 45 days of work. The flash identifies poor glove condition, insufficient rope slack, absent rope extensions and inadequate oversight of inexperienced personnel. Lessons address supervision, rope extensions and sufficient slack during handling.
- 2023
CHIRP Ports and Harbours Feedback summer 2023
This inaugural ports and harbours digest analyses five reports involving a quayside ladder fall, failed moorings and collisions, ferry traffic conflict, a trapped mooring launch and container-ship grounding. Commentary examines safe access, casualty recovery, bollard capacity, wind loading, navigation aids and communication between port authorities, pilots and vessel crews.
- 2023
CHIRP Superyacht FEEDBACK 4 (Autumn 2023)
This superyacht digest analyses an allergic reaction, faulty gangway installation, a dive-vessel capsize, berth-departure contact, mooring injuries and grounding followed by dismissal of a reporting watchkeeper. Commentary examines equipment certification, stability testing, medical preparedness, line-handling teamwork, passage planning and constructive challenges to unsafe decisions.
- 20228 Nov
MAIB: mv Teal Bay mooring fatality
This flash summarises MAIB findings on a fatal mooring-line strike aboard Teal Bay during ship-to-ship grain loading. It examines open fairlead containment, increasing lead angles, insufficient crewing and planning, and delayed medical response. Actions include crew training and planned replacement of open fairleads; remote investigation constrained available evidence.
- 202222 Sep
Capsize of single-handed creel fishing vessel Goodway with loss of 1 life
Investigation into Goodway’s unwitnessed capsize near Cairnbulg and the presumed loss of its lone owner. The report identifies freeing snagged creels using engine power as the most likely sequence, examines cold-water survival and reboarding arrangements, and explains why the purchased AIS/DSC personal locator beacon was unsuitable as an EPIRB alternative.
- 202214 Jul
Mooring deck accident on general cargo vessel Teal Bay with loss of 1 life
Investigation of a fatal mooring deck accident aboard Teal Bay during ship-to-ship grain loading at Kavkaz South anchorage. A tensioned spring line escaped an open roller fairlead during warping. The report examines upward line leads, shared fairlead use, insufficient crewing, planning and risk assessment, and delays in coordinating medical evacuation.
- 20224 Jul
American P&I Club: Extreme bollard pull
A container vessel’s four bow lines overloaded a single dock bollard through their self-tensioning winches after crane obstruction prompted a departure from normal mooring practice. The bollard failed, but spring lines limited vessel movement and nobody was injured. The flash highlights bollard capacity checks and assessment of changed mooring arrangements.
- 20224 Jul
Lost Time Injuries due to a failed mooring line
A stern-to-quayside mooring line failure injured two crew members through snapback, resulting in lost time injuries. The flash discusses rope friction, shortened line length, mooring routing and gaps in risk assessment. Lessons address improved camera monitoring, line protection and conditional routing changes to avoid snapback exposure on the working deck.
- 20221 Apr
Mooring near miss: Guide roller pin suffered material failure
A vessel’s deck stand guide roller pin failed during mooring and struck a heater, without injury. Investigation identified degradation, inadequate inspection and a complicated line arrangement that increased axial forces and overloaded structures. Lessons address suitable mooring arrangements, avoiding multiple turns, toolbox discussions and three-yearly roller dismantling and overhaul.
- 2022Feb
CHIRP Maritime FEEDBACK 66 (February 2022)
This maritime incident digest examines accommodation ladder failure, unsafe floating-armoury conditions, personnel falls, defective workboat lifting eyes, berthing errors, a fatal tug-line incident and a hydraulic motor fire. Commentary addresses maintenance, securing arrangements, bridge resource management, mooring briefings, human-centred deck design and collision-avoidance communication.
- 20216 May
Swedish Club: Lessons learned – crew member loses leg in mooring injury
A crew member lost a leg after becoming trapped between a rapidly paying-out mooring line and a fairlead. The lines sank and caught in the propeller. The flash examines how a bight around a bollard expanded the snapback zone and highlights the need to reassess mooring risks for each operation.
- 202127 Apr
Only a centimetre – an emergency exit hatch blocked by mooring ropes
A daily inspection aboard a vessel alongside in port identified an engine-room escape hatch obstructed by mooring ropes on bitts. The flash attributes the condition to design oversight and earlier inspections failing to detect it, and calls for emergency exits to remain unobstructed, illuminated and maintained.
- 2021
CHIRP Annual Digest 2021
This annual maritime digest combines confidential incident reports with specialist insights into human performance and seafarer wellbeing. Cases examine pilot boarding, mooring, propulsion failures, fires and maintenance. Commentary discusses fatigue management, risk assessment and communication, alongside trauma-informed interviewing and confidential reporting arrangements.
- 201923 Aug
Mooring incident: Mooring line slipped off and snapped back
A cargo barge’s mooring line slipped from its bollards and recoiled into an attending tug, damaging its antenna dome. Temporary loss of barge control led to a collision without damage. The flash examines incorrect mooring arrangements, backward-angled bollards and towing-bridle slack, and discusses conditional figure-of-eight mooring, training and contingency practice.
- 201919 Jun
Man overboard from commercially operated yacht CV30 with loss of 1 life
Investigates the fatal loss of Simon Speirs during headsail lowering aboard CV30 in the Southern Ocean. His tether hook snagged beneath a mooring cleat, distorted under lateral loading and released. The report examines recovery difficulties, jackstay arrangements, guardrail integrity, training, supervision, fatigue and gaps in tether testing standards.
- 2019Apr
MAIB Safety Digest 1/2019
A marine accident digest examining merchant, fishing and recreational vessel casualties. Cases address collisions, groundings, mooring equipment failures, fires, flooding and fatal water-entry accidents. Lessons discuss passage planning, equipment testing, alarm accuracy, emergency arrangements and risk assessment. A reproduced bulletin examines oxygen deficiency during refrigerated salt-water tank entry.
- 201927 Feb
Corrosion: Failure of bolts on a cargo barge bollard
A cargo barge’s centre bow bollard toppled while an additional mooring line was taken up during pipelay operations. Corroded securing bolts no longer connected it to the deck, and the bollard was not intended for mooring. The flash recommends engineered mooring arrangements and detailed inspection of bolted load-bearing connections.
- 201820 Jul
USCG: bollard failures at marine facilities
This flash summarises USCG reports of shoreside bollard failures that left moored vessels adrift, sometimes damaging vessels and shore structures without injuries or deaths. Issues included rotted pilings, possible pre-existing fractures and deteriorated bollard bases. USCG strongly recommended routine inspections and advised vessel personnel to report apparent deficiencies.
- 201831 Jan
Fast rescue craft damaged by inappropriate use
During a joint offshore oil spill response exercise, a fast rescue craft was used to reposition oil booms by towing. Its mooring bollard failed under tension. The flash identifies inadequate consideration of the craft’s suitability during planning and risk assessment, stating that a suitable work boat should have been used.
- 201715 Jun
Failure of mooring line on board LNG carrier Zarga with 1 person injured
Investigates a spring-line failure during Zarga’s repositioning at South Hook LNG terminal, seriously injuring the mooring officer. Destructive testing, microscopy and modelling examined jacketed HMPE rope degradation and snap-back. Findings address axial compression fatigue, line–fairlead compatibility, misleading safe areas, supervision and ineffective inspection and retirement arrangements.
- 201611 Feb
Second safety warning issued after mooring line failure on board LNG tanker Zarga resulted in serious injury to a deck officer
MAIB’s second bulletin on Zarga’s mooring-rope failure examines jacketed HMPE construction, hidden yarn damage consistent with axial compression fatigue, and undersized fitting rollers. Following serious injury to a deck officer, it strongly advises operators to consult manufacturers about rope suitability, fitting compatibility and condition monitoring before ropes become materially degraded.
- 201523 Nov
Rigging incident: Damage to bow hand rail on a crew transfer vessel (CTV)
A crew transfer vessel’s bow rails were damaged while recovering a buoy and seabed clump weight beside a wind turbine monopile. Riggers secured the snagged line over the rail, unseen by the Master whose view was obstructed. The flash discusses the toolbox talk and warnings against tying snagged lines to vessels or over handrails.
- 20158 Oct
Capsize of Fletcher 155 speedboat with loss of 1 life
Investigation of a Fletcher 155 speedboat capsize in Tor Bay that killed a teenage passenger whose oversized buoyancy aid snagged on a mooring cleat. The report examines course, speed, possible propeller effects, flotation limitations, rescue efforts and safety issues concerning weather assessment, buoyancy-aid fit, training and kill cords.
- 201529 May
Minor damage to pontoon cleat during crew transfer vessel mooring operations
A pontoon cleat broke and flew near a crewman while a crew transfer vessel was leaving its berth; no injuries occurred. Findings discuss wind loading and possible material fatigue. Recommendations address suitable mooring points for larger vessels during bad weather and closed-loop communication before manoeuvres.
- 201516 Jan
Lost time injury (LTI): Hand injury during mooring operations
A crewman sustained severe left-hand lacerations when relative vessel movement tensioned a mooring rope, trapping his palm between its eye and a bollard. The flash identifies insufficient slack, absent VHF coordination and lone working, with lessons on bridge-led communication, pre-work risk assessment, weather-related procedures and buddy working.
- 201431 Oct
Lost time injury (LTI): Fall overboard/fall from height
A hopper-barge crew member suffered serious spinal injuries after losing balance while refitting a mooring line in adverse harbour weather, falling from about 2 m onto a quay-wall fender. The flash examines lone working, absent restraint and inadequate risk assessment, with lessons on securing personnel, mooring arrangements and handling suspected spinal injuries.
- 201414 Jul
Lost time injury (LTI) during mooring operations
A chief officer sustained a fractured skull after a mooring line slipped off a bitt, struck his chest and caused him to fall backwards onto the tug’s deck. The flash examines snap-back exposure, mooring geometry and inadequate change management, highlighting stop-work intervention, toolbox communication and crew competence.
- 20148 Jul
Lost time injury (LTI): Hand severed during mooring operations
A Chief Mate lost his right hand while handling a pick-up rope aboard a service vessel moving floating hoses. Sea swell tightened the rope, trapping his hand against a panama eye. The flash identifies inadequate preparation, an unrecognised hazard, unsafe line handling and cultural barriers to challenging authority.
- 2013Jan
Crush incident between platform supply vessel E.R. Athina and its fast rescue craft with loss of 1 life
Investigation of a bosun’s fatal crushing between E.R. Athina’s hull and its fast rescue craft’s lifting frame while preparing paintwork repairs off Aberdeen. The report examines swell and tidal effects, securing arrangements, inadequate task planning and risk assessment, and delays in recognising injury severity and arranging medical evacuation.
- 201210 Jul
Two recent cases of hand and arm injuries
This safety flash summarises two hand and arm injuries reported by the Marine Safety Forum. A crewman cut his palm on a sharp steel burr on a door finishing strip. During mooring, another crewman’s hand became trapped between a mooring line and roller fairlead, twisting and fracturing his arm.
- 2011Dec
Parting of mooring rope from container vessel Fremantle Express with loss of 1 life
This investigation examines a fatal mooring-line recoil aboard Fremantle Express during berthing at Veracruz. It analyses snatch loading, pre-existing rope abrasion, restricted visibility from relocated winch controls and crew communication. Findings address rope retirement criteria, recognition of snap-back hazards, toolbox meetings and allocation of experienced crew to mooring stations.
- 2011Aug
Contact made by platform supply vessel SBS Typhoon with standby safety vessel Vos Scout and platform supply vessel Ocean Searcher
SBS Typhoon struck two vessels during harbour trials of a replacement dynamic positioning system in Aberdeen. Incorrect propeller command configuration escaped factory and commissioning checks. The investigation examines testing, contractor coordination, mooring arrangements and impaired recovery through an emergency-stop defect and control-mode selection, recording subsequent corrective actions.
- 201112 May
Safety Alert 296 - Catastrophic Failures in Mooring Systems Possibly Put Floating Structures at Risk
This alert examines tether-chain failure in a Gulf of Mexico hybrid riser system and earlier mooring shackle and socket failures. It discusses prohibited post-heat-treatment weld repairs, material toughness and inadequate specifications or testing. Recommendations address manufacturing inspection, qualified inspectors, representative test coupons and restrictions above buoyancy air cans.
- 201014 Jul
Person injured by mooring lines
A worker transferring between alongside barges stepped over a winch wire while using a mobile phone. The wire jumped over a bollard, bruising both legs; grabbing a railing prevented a fall between the vessels. Lessons address wire routing, controlled transfers, marked walkways and avoiding phone use during boarding.
- 20084 Feb
Finger injury whilst casting off towing line
A crew member injured fingers while releasing a towing line from a vessel’s forecastle bollard. Sudden swell moved the vessel astern, tensioning the line and trapping the hand. The flash highlights weather-aware risk assessment and the use of a warping drum or, where unavailable, rope or chain stoppers.
- 200816 Jan
Safety Alert 259 - Catastrophic Failures in Mooring Systems Possibly Put Floating Structures at Risk
Joint MMS and US Coast Guard alert examines catastrophic failures of mooring shackles and sockets affecting floating facilities. Suspected manufacturing deficiencies, inadequate or outdated specifications and shortcomings in material testing prompted recommendations to review specifications, Charpy toughness testing, destructive and non-destructive testing, representative coupons, and equipment inspection and handling.
- 2005Feb
Failure of mooring bollard on passenger vessel Star Clipper with loss of 1 life
Investigates the fatal release of Star Clipper’s mooring bollard at St Katharine’s Pier on 2 May 2004. Analysis identifies inadequate supporting structure, insufficient weld repair strength and loads built up before coming alongside. It examines repair quality assurance, rope selection, crew communication and recommendations concerning surveys and expert technical advice.
- 2004
MAIB Safety Digest 1/2004
This digest presents lessons from 27 marine accidents and incidents involving merchant ships, fishing vessels and leisure craft. Cases examine navigation, mooring, lifeboat launching, fires, flooding and stability. The discussion highlights risk assessment, equipment maintenance, operating procedures and emergency arrangements, including winch brake adjustment and carbon-dioxide fire suppression.
- 20031 Feb
Fatality results from failure of ship’s mooring fittings and supporting structure
A crew member died when a bow spring line recoiled after a fairlead baseplate tore from the forecastle deck during departure from port. Inspection revealed rusted and cracked welds despite an apparently sound condition. The flash highlights mooring geometry, supporting structural strength and careful, regular inspection.
- 20012 Oct
Incident as a result of failure of a bollard
A cargo-barge bollard failed during mooring in winds of 34 knots and was pulled onto a pipelay barge, seriously injuring a rigging team leader. The flash records a restriction on alongside mooring above 25 knots and planned third-party inspection of other bollards for fatigue and steel hardening.
- Undated
Contact made by general cargo vessel Maria H with railway bridge with 1 person injured
This investigation examines Maria H’s contact with Keadby railway bridge during unberthing on the river Trent. Control was lost in a spring flood tide, damaging the vessel and injuring the master. Contributing factors included line handling, apparently unsuccessful communication of the manoeuvring plan, and limited local unberthing experience.
- Undated
Parting of mooring line between shuttle tanker Randgrid and monobuoy resulting in discharge of 12 tonnes of crude oil
Investigation of Randgrid’s mooring release at the Tetney monobuoy during cargo discharge. Accidental operation of chain stopper controls released the chafing chain; the pickup-rope lashing subsequently failed and discharge hoses broke away. An estimated spill of about 12 tonnes occurred without injury. Recommendations address control design, alarms and bridge procedures.