At 1400 on 5 July 2022, the UK registered roll-on roll-off passenger ferry Alfred grounded on the east coast of Swona Island, Pentland Firth, Scotland while on passage from Gills Bay, mainland Scotland, to St Margaret’s Hope, South Ronaldsay, Scotland. The impact caused injuries to 41 passengers and crew, and damage to Alfred’s port bulbous bow and almost all the vehicles being transported on board. The vessel subsequently refloated on the rising tide and continued to St Margaret’s Hope under its own power later that afternoon; there was no pollution.
Swona Island, Pentland Firth (UK) | 5 July 2022
1 | Accident snapshot
| Grounding time | ≈ 14 : 00 LT |
| Situation | Master had just switched to the arm-rest tiller for a “photo-op” run close to shore. |
| Breakdown | Voyage-data shows a helm input, then ≈ 70 s with no further orders or corrections while the heading kept drifting port toward Swona. |
| Consequence | Grounding at 13 kn; bow damage and 41 passenger/crew injuries. Investigation concluded the master likely nodded off; no lookout or BNWAS was active. |
2 | How Aware Mate would have intervened
| Clock | Actual events | What the watch would experience with Aware Mate |
|---|---|---|
| 13 : 58 | Continuous eye-closure / no head movement begins | Soft attention chime from the bridge speaker – a gentle nudge to self-correct or summon a lookout. |
| No acknowledgement, posture unchanged | Aware Mate closes its relay to the existing BNWAS panel. BNWAS Stage-1 buzzer sounds locally on the bridge. | |
| Still no activity | BNWAS escalates per company settings (e.g., Stage-2 in accommodation). Relief officer or lookout arrives and takes the helm. | |
| 14 : 00 | Grounding in reality | Vessel remains ≥ 0.3 NM from Swona; no contact. |
3 | Safety margin gained
- Detection lead-time: first chime ≈ 70 s before hull contact.
- Corrective room: a 15° starboard correction applied one minute earlier clears the charted rocks by > 250 m.
- Outcome avoided: structural damage, medical evacuations, and service disruption.
4 | Why the intervention works
- Progressive audio cues – gentle chime first; if ignored, BNWAS takes over, following the vessel’s existing alarm hierarchy.
- Decision-support only – Aware Mate never interferes with controls; it simply restores vigilance.
Take-home message
The Alfred grounding hinged on a one-minute lapse in watch-keeper alertness. Aware Mate would have detected that inattention, issued a soft prompt, and—if unheeded—automatically triggered the standard BNWAS cycle. Those extra seconds were all the crew needed to regain control and keep 84 m of ferry, 82 people, and a pristine coastline safe.
