Blackout and Emergency Generator Failure During Port Approach

Treat this as a blackout in pilotage waters. First confirm the bridge has control of the situation and establish communication with the master. The duty engineer should not attempt restart procedures alone; call the chief engineer and ETO immediately.

Priority actions:

1. Confirm main engine has tripped and the propeller is stopped. The bridge should announce the blackout and keep the ship clear of hazards.
2. Attempt a manual start of the emergency generator. Check the battery voltage and, if a parallel battery or hand-start facility is available, use it. If the emergency generator cannot be started, the emergency battery must be conserved for steering and emergency lighting.
3. Start the standby main generator using the emergency starting air or battery, but first shed non-essential loads: bow thruster, cargo pumps, accommodation air conditioning, galley, and deck machinery.
4. Close the generator breaker only after voltage and frequency are stable. Restore the main switchboard in sequence: steering gear, navigation equipment, main engine auxiliaries, then other loads.
5. Restore main engine control and ensure the steering gear is on main power. Confirm radar and ECDIS are back on.
6. Keep the bow thruster isolated until the electrical load is stable.

The immediate cause was the bow thruster load tripping the only running generator, but the underlying failures are the battery and the standby/load-shedding arrangement.

The emergency generator failed because its starting battery was at 19 V and the charger breaker was open. This is a maintenance and inspection failure: the battery should have been on charge, and the auto-start should have been tested weekly. The battery charger breaker should be labelled and included in the maintenance checklist.

The main generator trip may also reflect a load-shedding or bow-thruster interlock problem. Starting a large thruster with one generator online should either be blocked or preceded by automatic load shedding and a second generator online. The standby generator auto-start may not have had enough time or may have failed because the breaker was not in auto.

Preventive actions:

• Test the emergency generator weekly on load and record battery voltage and charger current.
• Fit an alarm for battery charger failure and low battery voltage.
• Review the blackout recovery procedure and conduct a drill with the bridge team.
• Check the load-shedding schedule and bow-thruster interlock.
• Require two generators online before thruster use in confined waters.
• Investigate why the charger breaker was left open and correct the permit-to-work closure.

After the ship is safe, report the blackout and the emergency generator failure to the company and the designated person ashore. Record the time, sequence, alarms, and actions in the engine log, deck log, and official logbook. The failure of the emergency generator is a deficiency affecting emergency power, so it should be reported to the flag State or recognised organisation as required by the safety management system, and it may need class attendance before the next port.

If the ship is in port or at anchor, expect port State control to examine the emergency generator, battery, charger, and blackout recovery procedure. The chief engineer should prepare a factual statement, retain the alarm printout, and show the maintenance records and test log. Do not alter or reset the alarm history before it is downloaded.

Conduct an internal investigation under the ISM code: why the charger breaker was open, why the battery was not checked, why the weekly test did not detect the fault, and why the load-shedding system did not prevent the trip. Raise a non-conformity and near-miss report, assign corrective actions with deadlines, and verify them at the next safety meeting. If the emergency generator cannot be restored to automatic operation, the ship should not proceed without the flag State's agreement and suitable compensatory measures.