MAIB report into ship grounding in River Nene near Wisbech

Timber vessel the Baltic Arrow ran aground in the River Nene near Wisbech on June  25.

It echoed an incident in 2019, when a giant cargo ship called the Ever Given drifted across the entire width of the Suez Canal and became lodged for several days.

The Baltic Arrow ended up stuck across the river (Image: Chris Bishop) A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report into the Wisbech incident says a pilot had been at the helm for two hours before the vessel veered off course.

"It is therefore possible that the requirement to sustain a high level of attention to complete the pilotage safely within the confined channel resulted in a lapse of concentration," it concludes.

The report says the 80m vessel had sailed from Riga, in Latvia, on June 19, with a crew of six on board and a cargo of timber.

A passer-by stops to take a picture of the grounded ship (Image: Chris Bishop) At 5.40am on June 25, she proceeded to the pilot station at Sutton Bridge, where two pilots boarded to help steer her up the Nene towards Wisbech.

"The master and the two pilots completed a brief exchange before Pilot A, who was under assessment by the senior pilot, Pilot B, took the helm," the MAIB report says.

The report says the ship grounded after she began to reduce speed as she approached her berth.

The ship's bow wedged in the mud (Image: Chris Bishop) Pilot A noticed that the vessel was slightly off course and applied starboard helm and "kicked" the main engine ahead to correct the vessel’s position in the narrow channel.

"Baltic Arrow’s bow quickly swung to starboard," the report adds. "Before the bridge team could take effective avoiding action, the vessel’s bows grounded on the western bank of the river at a speed over the ground of six knots.

"Baltic Arrow’s stern was then pushed onto the eastern bank by the flood tide, wedging the vessel across the river."

The grounded Baltic Arrow seen across the fields (Image: Chris Bishop)

The report adds no-one recognised the developing situation in time to prevent the grounding.

No-one was injured in the incident and the ship was re-floated on the next high tide.

Wisbech Harbour Authority has completed a survey of the river channel and started simulator training of its pilots.