Incident and accident reporting
As detailed in MGN 564, there is no statutory requirement for "pleasure vessels" to report accidents, however voluntary reporting is encouraged
The following three organisations accept reports of incidents and accidents at sea
Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP)
This is an independent confidential reporting programme for people employed or having an active interest in the maritime industry. Pleasure boaters can use CHIRP to highlight safety related issues or dangerous situations which are then analysed and the lessons learnt are distributed for the benefit of others in the maritime sector.
CHIRP is an independent charity. This status allows it to be impartial in dealing with reports received, no matter what the source of the information. Although the information provided to CHIRP is circulated to a Maritime Advisory Board who are professionals from the industry, all personal details are removed from the report before it is passed on, to ensure the only people who have access to this information are the staff at CHIRP directly dealing with the report. Absolute confidentiality of personal details is assured.
Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)
The MAIB investigates marine incidents involving UK vessels worldwide and vessels of any flag in UK waters to help prevent further avoidable accidents from recurring. MGN 564 provides guidance on what must be reported and how to report.
The guidance notes that although there is no requirement for the master/skipper or owner of a pleasure vessel to notify the MAIB of a marine casualty or incident, the MAIB welcomes voluntary notifications to help analyse trends in the pleasure vessel sector.
The MAIB publishes accident reports and regular safety digests, which share the findings and safety lessons arising from marine accidents and incidents.
Marine Accident Reporting Scheme (MARS)
This scheme allows you to report near miss situations with commercial ships. The form, which is submitted direct to MARS, guides you step by step, through the information needed to report a near collision.