A vessel became unpowered and was swept to within “a breath’s distance” from land in New South Wales on July 30, 2025.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating an incident where the bulk carrier Basic Victory suffered a failure of its main engine, became unpowered, and was dangerously swept close to the coast north of Newcastle, New South Wales, on July 30, 2025.
Around 8:00 a.m. local time, the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was waiting approximately 20 miles off the port of Newcastle to berth when its main engine suddenly failed. The ship began to drift towards the coastline while unpowered.
Around 5:30 p.m., the vessel had approached to within three miles of the coast. At that point, the ship’s master informed Newcastle Vessel Traffic Services of the engine failure and requested permission to anchor.
A short time later, the crew managed to restart the main engine, allowing the vessel to move away from the coastline.
The Basic Victory berthed at Newcastle on August 7. Once berthed, ATSB investigators boarded the vessel to collect evidence; they interviewed the master and crew members, collected recorded data, and examined evidence related to both the failure and the emergency response.
Following repairs, the vessel departed Newcastle on August 9 and is currently sailing to Japan, where it is expected to arrive next week.
The ATSB confirmed that its investigation will examine the cause of the engine failure, as well as the response measures taken by the vessel and by the company on shore.
The authorities added that if they identify any critical safety issues that arose during the incident, they will immediately inform the vessel’s managing company, the port, and other relevant authorities to ensure the timely implementation of safety measures.
