Diligent Pilotage: Lessons Learned from the Jolly Nero

On 7 May 2013 at 22:59 the cargo ship Jolly Nero, following a failure of its main engine, hit the Pilots’ Tower of the port of Genoa at a speed of about 3 knots, causing it to collapse. The accident cost the lives of nine people and resulted in the criminal conviction of the Jolly Nero’s Captain, Chief Engineer and First Officer. It is one of those rare events that, because of its catastrophic consequences, lay bare the operations of the entire sociotechnical system in which it occurs, creating a window of opportunity for improving safety. This book is written in the hope that the lessons learned from the Jolly Nero will lead pilotage organisations, shipping companies and port authorities to exercise due diligence with the aim of preventing accidents and withstanding the increasing level of scrutiny of courts of law. The tragic loss of lives in the rubble of the Genoa Pilots’ Tower will have been in vain if what happened on that evening does not result in improvements to safety of navigation in confined waters. We all have a duty and need to learn from the Jolly Nero accident, and work towards a diligent pilotage.