AN investigation to find out why the Tarifa Jet hit the ramp when berthing at the Harbour in March has found it was caused by sudden hydraulic failure on the fast ferry.
The vessel hit and damaged the linkspan section of the Elizabeth Harbour’s east berth on 29 March. The DFDS ferry was also damaged and out of action for a month.
The Danish firm was forced to cancel, reroute and revise sailings just ahead of the busy Easter holidays, disrupting thousands of passengers’ travel plans.
Tarifa Jet was taken away to be repaired, and the Levante Jet brought out of dry dock early. Tarifa Jet returned to service on 30 April.
No one was injured in the incident, and the vessel was able to leave under its own power.
Outlining what happened next, Harbourmaster Captain Bill Sadler said: “The Marine Accident Investigation Branch was notified as the appropriate marine safety investigation authority for a UK-flagged vessel, but they were content for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to undertake the investigation and we followed their lead.
“The MCA subsequently shared its report with the Jersey Maritime Administration [the Island’s maritime regulator], which concluded that the incident resulted from a sudden hydraulic failure affecting the starboard propulsion system.
“The incident occurred at low speed, there were no injuries, minor pollution was reported to the relevant environmental authorities, and there was some damage to the linkspan.”
Capt Sadler said that all recommendations arising from the investigation had been implemented, including more frequent scheduled hydraulic inspections on board Tarifa Jet; the replacement of its rigid external hydraulic pipework associated with the ship’s steering thrusters with flexible piping; and conducting a review of similar systems across the wider fleet.
He said: “These measures are now in place. During the vessel’s next routine joint ‘Flag State and Port State Control’ inspection with the MCA, we will review their effectiveness and any lessons identified.”
