Capsize after beaching on sandbar

A hire vessel capsized after it was beached on a sandbank in a designated no-go area. The incident shows why hirers and participants must follow safety briefings and emergency plans.

Key safety lessons

Remain in designated cruising areas at all times
Ensure participants understand and comply with the information given during the safety briefing
Follow the emergency safety procedures supplied by the vessel owner
Wear lifejackets during periods of heightened risk and as directed by the vessel owner through the safety briefing

What happened

A group hired a pontoon vessel and left the marina after a safety briefing. The group had limited boating experience.

The group decided to beach the vessel on a sandbank in a marked no-go area, while they had lunch.

The group stayed on the sandbank for 1.5 hours, as the tide rose, water was seen lapping onto the aft deck, filling the vessel.

The hirer decided to move the vessel off the sandbank before the bilge had removed the water from the hull. The vessel listed, then capsized and sank.

The hirer and participants reached the sandbank safely. No one was wearing a lifejacket.

Why it happened

Once beached, the bow of the vessel sat higher while the stern stayed in the water. As the tide rose, water may have reached a downflooding point, filling the hull.

Other contributing factors were:

the vessel was taken into a designated no-go area and was beached on a sandbank, contrary to the owner’s participant briefing
the flooding procedure was not followed when the hirer noticed water lapping on the aft deck
the hirer had limited practical boating experience

Your responsibilities

Under the National Law, owners of hire and drive vessels must:

ensure that the hirer and any participant have the skills and abilities necessary to operate the vessel safely, including holding a current recreational boating licence, where applicable
provide each hirer and participant with a briefing, including matters identified by the risk assessment, before they take control of the vessel
ensure the risk assessment identifies boundaries of designed cruising areas, any navigation hazards where vessel activity is likely to occur and any restrictions on speed and direction to be observed by the hirer.