ON 20 SEPTEMBER 2021, A GENERAL CARGO SHIP RAN AGROUND ON THE ROCKY COAST OF THE YAILATA PROTECTED AREA IN BULGARIA. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE SHIP, TRAVELING FROM YUZHNIY, UKRAINE, TO VARNA, BULGARIA, DEVIATED FROM ITS PLANNED COURSE BECAUSE THE SECOND OFFICER (2/O) ON WATCH FELL ASLEEP. THE BRIDGE NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ALARM SYSTEM (BNWAS) WAS FOUND DEACTIVATED, REMOVING A CRITICAL SAFETY NET. THE INVESTIGATION BY THE BULGARIAN NATIONAL AIR, MARITIME, AND RAIL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD (NAMRAIB) CONCLUDED THAT FATIGUE, INSUFFICIENT LOOKOUT ARRANGEMENTS, AND LAPSES IN THE SHIPS SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SMS) CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE INCIDENT. THIS CASE STUDY EXAMINES THE EVENT, THE DAMAGE INCURRED, AND THE LESSONS LEARNED TO IMPROVE SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND PREVENT SIMILAR ACCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE. britanniapandi.com INCIDENT OVERVIEW CREW FATIGUE CAUSED GROUNDING OF SHIP ON THE BULGARIAN COAST © BRITANNIA P&I CLUB 2025 | AGENTS TO THE MANAGERS: TINDALL RILEY (BRITANNIA) LIMITED | REGIS HOUSE, 45 KING WILLIAM STREET, LONDON EC4R 9AN, UK No.26 | FEBRUARY 2025 INCIDENT CASE STUDY 1 1 FIGURE 1 GROUNDED SHIP SOURCE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA NAMRAIB BACKGROUND OF SHIP AND VOYAGE DETAILS The 1,984 gt ship, built in 1989, is registered under the Panamanian flag and has an overall length of 89.21m. The ship departed from Yuzhniy, Ukraine, on 18 September 2021, carrying a cargo of 2,837 metric tons of urea fertiliser. As the ship proceeded towards its destination in Varna, Bulgaria, it was expected to follow a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in Bulgarian waters, designed to enhance navigational safety in congested areas near the shore. britanniapandi.com © BRITANNIA P&I CLUB 2025 | AGENTS TO THE MANAGERS: TINDALL RILEY (BRITANNIA) LIMITED | REGIS HOUSE, 45 KING WILLIAM STREET, LONDON EC4R 9AN, UK No.26 | FEBRUARY 2025 INCIDENT CASE STUDY 2 SUMMARY OF THE INCIDENT At midnight on 20 September 2021, the 2/O relieved the master to take over the 0000 to 0400 navigational watch. However, contrary to the SMS and international regulations, no additional lookout was assigned for the night watch. The BNWAS, designed to alert the crew if the officer on watch becomes incapacitated, was turned off. During the night, the ship proceeded on autopilot. The 2/O conducted his watch normally. However, between 0345 and 0355, he briefly sat on the bridge’s couch and fell asleep. This lapse proved critical. At 0353, the ship failed to execute a planned turn to join the TSS and continued a straight course towards the shoreline. Coastal authorities monitoring the ship attempted to call on Very High Frequency (VHF) radio when it did not alter course, but the 2/O failed to respond. FIGURE 2 PART OF THE PASSAGE PLAN AROUND THE STRANDING DRAWN BY 2ND OFFICER ON A NAVIGATIONAL CHART AND AIS PLOTS SHOWING FINAL STAGES OF THE SHIP’S PASSAGE SOURCE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA NAMRAIB 2 At around 0413, the ship ran aground at a speed of 7.8 knots in the Yailata Protected Area, causing extensive hull damage. Water entered several ballast tanks through breaches in the hull, but there was no immediate fuel leakage. The impact rendered the ship immobile, and the rocky bottom complicated subsequent refloating efforts. FIGURE 3 PLACES OF CONTACT OF THE HULL WITH THE BOTTOM, AT THE TIME THE SHIP’S GROUNDING SOURCE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA NAMRAIB 3 britanniapandi.com © BRITANNIA P&I CLUB 2025 | AGENTS TO THE MANAGERS: TINDALL RILEY (BRITANNIA) LIMITED | REGIS HOUSE, 45 KING WILLIAM STREET, LO