Knockdown and Capsizing of the Sail Training Yacht Concordia off the coast of Brazil

1. Knockdown and Capsizing of the Sail Training Yacht Concordia off the coast of Brazil 17 February 2010

2. Jonathan Seymour, Member of the Board Paulo Ekkebus, Investigator-in-Charge Abigail Fyfe, Naval Architect & Senior Investigator Pierre Murray, Manager of Marine Investigations, Atlantic Region

3. Sail Training Yacht Concordia

4. Occurrence Voyage • Cold front forecast • 300 nm SSE off Rio de Janeiro

5. Sail Plan

6. Handover of the Watch • Sail plan good to 40 knots • Bear off and run before any squalls • Call master if weather posed a risk

7. Animation

9. Difficulties During Abandon Ship • Launching liferafts • Exiting vessel on its side • Unable to transmit distress alert • Accounting for complement

10. Post abandonment • Emergency beacon located and verified • Difficult conditions in raft: • seasickness • high winds and waves overnight • water in the bottom of the rafts

11. Search and Rescue

12. Search and Rescue • All survivors were rescued some 41 hours following knockdown

13. Weather Analysis

14. Squall Defined

15. Probable Wind Speed • No observed wind speeds in excess of 50 knots • No observed air temperature change • Weather system weaker than a microburst (Environment Canada)

16. Stability Assessment • Initially – no obvious cause for knockdown • Required – detailed stability assessment • Good data available – ship’s plans, stability book and a video • Assessment – computer model, calculations performed & validated • Details of assessment in occurrence report

17. Vessel Stability Limits • All vessels have stability limits • Examples: • Too much cargo • Cargo stowed too high

18. Sailing Vessel Limitations Wind 27-37 knots Heel 70 degrees

19. Guidance Information • “Stability book” provides guidance for crew • Sailing vessels require safe operating limits while under sail

20. Concordia’s Stability Limits • Concordia had guidance information on board • Maximum safe heel angle in gusting conditions 24 degrees • Minutes prior to knockdown Concordia was sailing at 23 degrees

21. Squall Curves-Margin of Safety • Concordia’s “squall curves” provide safe wind speed information • Concordia’s margin of safety decreased as squall approached • Vessel was at risk and action was required • Officer of the watch not aware of this information

22. Findings as to Cause • Concordia was vulnerable to a knockdown • The officer of the watch was unaware, unfamiliar, and untrained with squall curves • Risk not recognized and no timely mitigating action taken to: • Reduce sail and/or change course • Make the vessel watertight

23. Findings as to Risk • Knockdown preparedness • Equipment familiarization • EPIRB registration • Search and rescue issues • Safety management systems

24. Safety Issues Identified • Many flag states do not require squall curves (or equivalent) on sail training vessels • Officers are not required to be knowledgeable in the use of squall curves

25. Recommendation 1 - Canada • The Department of Transport ensure those officers to whom it issues sailing vessel endorsements are trained to use the stability guidance information that it requires to be on board sailing vessels.

26. Recommendation 2 - International • The Department of Transport undertake initiatives leading to the adoption of international standards for sail training vessels on the provision of stability guidance to assist officers in assessing the risk of a knockdown and capsize, and for the training of officers in the use of this information.

27. Action Required • Squall curves (or equivalent) should be available on all sail training vessels • All officers should be trained in their use

29. Knockdown and Capsizing of the Sail Training Yacht Concordia Off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 17 February 2010