CFL Performer

Route not adequately checked; safety parameters not set

The grounding occurred when CFL Performer was on passage from Paramaribo, Suriname. The ship was carrying 6020 MT of bauxite, and grounded 29 minutes after the OOW had adjusted course to follow the passage plan shown on the vessel’s Electronic Chart Display Information System (ECDIS). The planned route took the vessel across Haisborough Sand, where the charted depth of water was considerably less than the vessel’s draught. It is clear that this route was not adequately checked for navigational hazards either when planned or when being monitored.
ECDIS was the primary means of navigation, but none of the vessel’s bridge watchkeeping officers had been trained in its use. Consequently, many of the system’s features which could have prevented this accident were not utilised.

MAIB report CFL Performer (May 2008)