The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released their initial findings into a shipping container spill off the coast of Port Stephens last month.
The Liberian-flagged ship, YM Efficiency was around 16 nautical miles ESE of Newcastle on the 1st of June, when 81 containers were lost overboard.
The report found that the ship had been battered by six metre seas and had experienced heavy rolling at the time of the incident.
Estimations suggest the ship’s rolling reached angles of up to 30 degrees to port and starboard.
A further 62 containers were damaged, while the ship’s superstructure, gangway and lashing bridges also suffered damage.
The report also states that crew members on the ship carried out heavy weather checks at least twice prior to the incident.
The ATSB’s Executive Director of Transport Safety, Nat Nagy says the investigation is still ongoing.
“The next steps of the ATSB investigation will include analysis of the ship’s container stow and lashing arrangements, the actions of the crew immediately following the incident as well as analysis of the weather conditions at the time,” he says.
The full report can be viewed here.
Image: ATSB