In the early hours of 3 December 2016, the bulk carrier Muros ran aground on Haisborough Sand and the Master’s attempts to manoeuvre the vessel clear were unsuccessful due to a falling tide. Damage to the rudder necessitated the vessel, refloated six days later, being towed to Rotterdam for repair.
There is increasing evidence first generation ECDIS systems were designed primarily to comply with the performance standards required by the IMO, as these systems became a mandatory requirement on ships, with insufficient attention being given to the needs of the end user. As a consequence, ECDIS systems are often not intuitive to use and lack the functionality needed to accommodate accurate passage planning in confined waters, leading to seafarers using ECDIS in ways which are at variance with the instructions and guidance provided by the manufacturers and/or expected by regulators.