Catastrophic Failure of High Pressure Hydraulic Anchor Windlasses

In August 2009 the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued Safety Bulletin 2009/1to raise awareness of the potentially life threatening danger caused by a series of accidents involving hydraulic windlass motors, probably as a result of excessive tension being placed on the anchor chain.

The Bulletin looks at four noteworthy cases, considers the safety issues and makes recommendations.  It can be found on the MAIB website at: www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/SB1-09.pdf