What happened
On April 1, 2019, a collision occurred on the Western Scheldt River between the river cruise ship Viking Idun and the chemical tanker Chemical Marketer. The Viking Idun was traveling from a Flemish port to another, carrying 171 passengers and 49 crew members. The Chemical Marketer was sailing towards Antwerp with a cargo of chemicals. At the time of the incident, there was a tidal current of approximately 1.5 knots. The two vessels collided near Terneuzen, resulting in damage to both ships. No fatalities were reported, but the incident posed a significant risk to the safety of those on board and potential environmental hazards due to the chemical cargo.
The investigation
The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) examined the sequence of events leading up to the collision, focusing on communication between the vessels and traffic control. The investigation looked at the roles of the pilot on the Chemical Marketer, the traffic controller in Terneuzen, and the crew of the Viking Idun. It assessed whether clear agreements were made regarding the passing maneuver (red-to-red vs. green-to-green) and whether these were understood and executed correctly. The Board also reviewed the competence of the Viking Idun's crew, particularly their knowledge of the local navigation rules and their proficiency in English, which is the compulsory working language for this route.
Findings
The direct cause of the collision was the failure of the Viking Idun to maintain the specified shipping route as required by the Scheldt River Regulations (SRW). This deviation placed the cruise ship directly into the path of the Chemical Marketer. A key contributing factor was a breakdown in communication and understanding. The crew of the Viking Idun had limited knowledge of the specific navigation zone and insufficient command of nautical English. Consequently, they did not fully grasp the instructions from the traffic controller or the pilot regarding the correct passing maneuver. Although an agreement for a red-to-red passage was reached, it was not effectively complied with by the Viking Idun due to these underlying competency gaps.
Safety action
The investigation highlighted that the crew of the Viking Idun did not meet the required standards for working language and local knowledge necessary for safe navigation on the Western Scheldt. The Board concluded that given the staffing and competence levels, the journey should not have been undertaken as planned. Recommendations focused on ensuring that operators guarantee their crews possess the necessary language skills and local area knowledge to comply with traffic regulations and maintain safe passage in complex waterways.