The tragic sinking of the Swanland cargo ship in the Irish Sea off Gwynedd, Wales, with the loss of six crew members, shares notable similarities with past cases of Alaskan fishing boat disasters. The Swanland, though a Russian-crewed vessel, was managed by a British operator, and the investigation is being conducted by the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency, much like how the U.S. Coast Guard investigates maritime casualties.
A Troubled History of Safety Failings
The Swanland had a documented history of safety issues, according to records from maritime safety inspections. The BBC reported that the ship, which was 34 years old at the time of its sinking, had been subject to numerous safety concerns over the years. Safety inspection records revealed that the ship had accumulated 85 deficiencies over the past five years, including serious structural problems such as cracks in its decks and defective life-saving equipment. These deficiencies were especially concerning for a vessel operating in rough seas.
Dr. Phil Anderson, a maritime safety management expert, expressed surprise at the high number of safety violations, noting, “You wouldn’t expect to see that number of deficiencies. It’s quite serious. It could indicate a systemic breakdown of safety systems.” This aligns with similar cases in the Alaska fishing industry, where a failure to address safety concerns often leads to disastrous consequences.
Loading Practices: A Critical Issue
Former crew members and safety experts raised significant concerns about the loading practices on the Swanland. According to Alexander Tsybin, a former Russian captain who served on the vessel for 11 years, the ship’s hull had been weakened over time by improper loading techniques. Instead of distributing the cargo evenly, it was often loaded in the middle to save time, which placed disproportionate pressure on the ship’s structure. Tsybin described how the ship’s hull would “cave in” during loading and “bulge out” when unloaded, weakening the vessel over time.
This issue of improper loading is reminiscent of past Alaska fishing vessel cases, where heavy deck cargo, such as crab pots, and uneven weight distribution contributed to instability and capsizing. In both cases, the structural integrity of the vessels was compromised, making them vulnerable to failure in rough conditions.
Structural Integrity and Weather Conditions
The Swanland was caught in a Force 8 gale off the Lleyn Peninsula, Wales, at the end of November. According to one of the two survivors, Vitaliy Karpenko, the ship’s hull suddenly cracked in half during the storm, a catastrophic failure that sealed the vessel’s fate. “It broke in half right across the middle,” Karpenko recounted. “We saw through the porthole that it was hopeless trying to save her.”
While gales and heavy seas are inherent risks in maritime operations, oceangoing ships are expected to withstand such conditions. The fact that the Swanland broke apart under Force 8 winds—a weather event not uncommon for cargo ships—raises serious questions about the vessel’s seaworthiness. Maritime experts have suggested that the combination of improper loading practices and historical structural deficiencies, including cracks in the decks, may have contributed to the ship’s failure.
Vessel Management and Flagging Concerns
The ship’s operator, Torbulk Limited, has defended its management practices, stating that the Swanland was regularly inspected and that any deficiencies identified were “promptly rectified.” However, the vessel’s inspection history and the catastrophic nature of its sinking suggest that these issues were not adequately addressed. The operator’s statement is consistent with responses seen in other maritime disasters, where shipowners often claim compliance with safety regulations despite mounting evidence of negligence.
Adding to the complexity of the case is the fact that the Swanland was flagged to the Cook Islands, a small Pacific island nation with a reputation for being a “flag of convenience” for vessels with safety problems. Ships flagged under jurisdictions like the Cook Islands are often scrutinized by international shipping authorities due to their higher rates of safety violations compared to vessels registered with European maritime regulators. This practice of using flags of convenience is another common thread in many vessel-related tragedies, including those in Alaska.
The Legal and Regulatory Fallout
As investigations continue, the focus will be on whether the ship’s operators exercised due diligence in ensuring the Swanland‘s seaworthiness before its departure. Under maritime law, shipowners are obligated to maintain their vessels in a condition fit for safe operation, particularly when navigating potentially dangerous waters. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Swanland‘s structural issues, improper loading practices, and failure to adequately address safety deficiencies played a role in its sinking.
Given the mounting evidence, it seems unlikely that the vessel’s operators will be able to prove that they exercised due diligence. An oceangoing ship should be able to withstand Force 8 winds without breaking in half, especially if it is properly maintained and loaded in accordance with best practices. The combination of longstanding structural issues and potentially reckless loading practices points to a broader failure of oversight and safety management, both of which will be critical points in the ongoing British maritime investigation and any subsequent civil litigation.
Conclusion
The sinking of the Swanland highlights many of the same safety issues seen in Alaska fishing vessel cases, where poor maintenance, improper loading, and structural deficiencies lead to tragic outcomes. As the investigation progresses, it will be crucial to determine the extent to which the vessel’s operators failed to address known safety concerns and whether this negligence contributed to the disaster. The loss of six crew members in this preventable tragedy underscores the importance of strict adherence to safety regulations and the need for robust oversight in the maritime industry.
