Cables and Pipelines - Vessel Encroachment Alerts

There are many things that can be found on the seabed.  Besides the usual lost anchors, empty bottles and pirate treasure, there are submarine cables and pipelines.  If a ship’s anchor fouls a cable or pipeline the consequences can be extremely expensive.

Cables and pipelines are typically clearly marked on charts.  Sometimes cable and pipeline areas are marked, as well as prohibited anchorage zones, in the vicinity of the cables and pipelines.  Areas where anchoring is prohibited are also usually mentioned in Admiralty Sailing Directions.  Masters should observe these marked and mentioned restrictions carefully.

Even if no prohibited zone is marked or mentioned, as a matter of good practice Masters should not anchor in any position where the anchor or any part of its chain could interfere with the submarine cable or pipeline.  Sometimes the ship’s SMS will specify a minimum safe distance for anchorage.

Increased Monitoring

Some cable and pipeline owners are using AIS data to determine if a ship is in danger of fouling their property.  We have seen an increase in automated email messages being sent to ships and their owners that the ship is in a cable or pipeline protection zone and demanding that the ship move a safe distance away.  Sometimes the emails are also copied to the Club asking it to take urgent steps to point out the dangers to the owner.

Role of VTS

Where the Club has checked with Members, Masters have sometimes told us that the port control or Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) had instructed them to anchor at that spot.  This will not protect the Master or vessel from prosecution or claims if a cable or pipeline is damaged by the ship anchoring at that point.

Where port control or VTS issues an unsafe or inappropriate instruction, the Master is entitled to refuse.  He should respond giving the reason he refuses to comply and should request alternative instructions.  A danger of damage to marked submarine cables or pipelines is a very justifiable reason to refuse instructions.

Anchor Fouled?

If the Master finds, when raising the anchor that he has fouled a submarine cable, he should act in accordance with the guidance provided in the Mariners’ Handbook, which can be summarised as follows:

• The cable or pipeline should never be cut.
• The anchor should be carefully lowered back to the seabed and the ship should use best endeavours to maintain its position.
• Every effort should be taken to clear the anchor gear by normal methods taking care not to damage the cable.
• If this fails, the anchor and chain should be cut loose, ideally with a marking buoy attached so that the anchor and chain can be salvaged in due course.  It is obligatory that the anchor and chain be abandoned rather than risk damage to the cable or pipeline.
• Incidents involving the fouling of submarine cables or pipelines should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities, which in most cases will be the local port or Coastguard.

The cost of recovering an abandoned anchor and chain may fall within the owner’s P&I cover.

For further information, owners and Master should contact the Club’s Loss Prevention department.