RIBs– Seating Detachment Risk
The risk
Seating detachment may occur during manoeuvring, particularly at high speed, as a result of structural degradation (e.g. due to moisture, wear and tear, or delamination), especially where seating forms part of the load-bearing structure.
Potential consequences include:
- People being thrown overboard and injured.
- Loss of control or the need for an emergency stop.
- Collision or grounding, and damage to the vessel.
Recommendations
Be familiar with the construction and condition of the seating structure and ensure it is checked regularly.
Inspect:
- Seat bases and foundations.
- Mountings and fastening points.
- Integrity of bolts, backing plates, and reinforcements.
Look for signs of cracking, movement or looseness, moisture ingress, delamination.
Where there is uncertainty, inspection by a qualified professional may be appropriate.
Consider what cannot be seen
- Internal structures (e.g. plywood/composites) may degrade over time, and damage may not be visible externally.
Insurance implications
Changes to vessel configuration (e.g. replacing or modifying the engine) may increase structural loads and affect vessel behaviour, which can increase the risk of failure where seating forms part of the load-bearing structure.
Engine replacement or modification can also affect the insurance cover. The equipment on board may no longer correspond to what is currently declared under the policy. Such changes must therefore be communicated to the insurer to confirm that cover remains aligned.
Further reading– accident investigations
Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK):
- https://shk.se/maritime-transport/2026-04-28-serious-marine-causality-with-a-rib-boat-off-tjorn-vastra-gotaland-county
- https://shk.se/maritime-transport/2023-12-01-incident-with-a-rib-outside-skutskar-gavleborgs-uppsala-lan
UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB):
