ON 16 May, the containership OOCL Brisbane broke away from a berth at Port of Brisbane’s Fisherman Island.
There were no injuries reported in the incident and Maritime Safety Queensland launched an investigation.
At the time, MSQ general manager Kell Dillon confirmed the incident to DCN, saying the vessel’s mooring lines snapped and it drifted into the Koopa Swing Basin under the influence of a strong ebb current flow.
“It is not clear why the vessel broke its moorings. This will be the subject of an investigation,” Mr Dillon said at the time.
“Tugs were quickly despatched and the ship dropped anchor in the swing basin. A marine pilot boarded the ship and manoeuvred it to the inner anchorage, where it remains.”
Mr Dillon said OOCL Brisbane was the only vessel involved in the incident, and the condition of winches is being assessed.
The ship’s mooring lines had parted at around 1313, shortly after another containership, Delos Wave, passed the berth in the adjacent channel.
“The emergency response by OCCL Brisbane’s crew included using the ship’s engines and bow thruster to manage the situation until harbour tugs arrived at 1320,” the ATSB said.
“The tugs remained with the ship and its starboard anchor was lowered to prevent the ship drifting further into the channel.
“At 1420, a harbour pilot boarded the ship and, with additional tugs assisting, conducted it to a nearby anchorage where it anchored safely without further incident.”
Days later, on 20 May, CMA CGM Bellini was working cargo alongside a berth at a Fisherman Island container terminal at around 0640 when two of its mooring lines parted, according to a preliminary statement from the ATSB.
The ship’s bow drifted off the berth at the time another ship, APL Scotland, passed the berthed ship in the adjacent channel.
The ship’s crew responded by attending to moorings and, with the assistance of a harbour tug, the ship was secured safely back alongside the berth by 0800.
