Just before midnight on March 20, 2016, the bulk carrier Sparna was transiting outbound on the Columbia River when it departed the navigation channel and struck a rocky shallow area. The pilot ordered starboard 20 degrees. The helmsman acknowledged with “starboard twenty.” However, the rudder, which was still moving from the previous hard-to-port position toward midship, then began moving back to port, ultimately reaching port 20 degrees. Next, at 2335, the pilot requested slow-ahead speed. Immediately thereafter, the helmsman replied, “Rudder starboard twenty, sir.” However, the rudder was still at port 20 degrees. Neither the pilot nor the bridge team noticed the helmsman’s error. Seconds later, the pilot shouted, “Hard to starboard! Hard to starboard!” and ordered full-ahead speed. The helmsman replied, “Rudder coming hard to starboard now, sir.” At 2337, the Sparna VDR recorded a series of bangs, vibration noise, and the water speed decreasing from 8.5 knots to 3.5 knots as the vessel struck a charted shallow rock area just off the wood chip dock.
