What Happened
What Happened
On July 24, 2021, about 0326 local time, the fishing vessel Tenacious grounded at the entrance to Wells Passage, 14 miles east of Whittier, Alaska, while transiting to fishing grounds in Prince William Sound. All five crewmembers abandoned the vessel and were rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel. The Tenacious later sank. Two thousand gallons of diesel fuel were on board and not recovered. One minor injury was reported. Loss of the vessel and fishing gear totaled an estimated $660,000.
What We Found
What We Found
We determined that the probable cause of the grounding of the fishing vessel Tenacious was the captain’s decision to get under way while fatigued. Contributing to the casualty was the decision not to use the navigation system’s cross track error alarm and to operate with a non-functioning bridge watch alarm.
What We Recommended
Fatigue
In this casualty, and as the NTSB has previously noted in numerous commercial fishing vessel casualties, crew fatigue is a significant causal factor. Owners/operators should ensure that crewmembers receive enough rest to adequately perform duties.
Watch Alarm
A watch alarm, when used as intended, is an effective tool that can help ensure that a crewmember remains awake and vigilant while on duty. However, a watch alarm is not a substitute for the management and mitigation of fatigue. Owners/operators of vessels equipped with a watch alarm should establish procedures for its operation and use, especially when only one crewmember is responsible for navigation and lookout.
