A tragedy was narrowly avoided last year when an Irish trawler ran into the side of a large oil tanker in the Irish Sea around 90km off the Waterford coast, according to an official investigation into the collision.
A report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board found that the standard of look-out on both vessels was “wholly inadequate” and the “root cause” of the incident.
The MCIB said the collective failure of both vessels to keep a proper look-out had led to a loss of situational awareness which made a collision inevitable.
“Tragedy was only avoided by the very narrowest of margins,” the MCIB observed.
The incident occurred at 10.22pm on August 6th, 2023, between the trawler, Excel, and the Singapore-registered tanker, Petrel Pacific, within UK territorial waters.
The MCIB noted that the trawler might have crossed the bow of the oil tanker if the skipper of Excel had increased its speed about one minute earlier.
In such circumstances, the MCIB said it was unlikely the trawler would have remained afloat if it had been struck by the tanker’s bow.
A mayday alert was raised following the collision.
After it was determined that there were no injuries or water ingress, the trawler – which suffered serious damage to its bow – returned to Dunmore East, Co Waterford while Petrel Pacific proceeded to anchor off the Welsh coast at St Bride’s Bay for a further survey.
The trawler, which is owned by McCarthy Fishing Limited, had been fishing with a crew of four in the Smalls fishing grounds, while the oil tanker was on a sailing from Milford Haven in Wales to Fort Lauderdale in the US.
The report revealed that the officer of the watch (OOW) on the tanker was called by the master to attend to some paperwork about 17 minutes before the collision but three minutes after a collision alarm on the vessel’s navigation system had already been activated.
Data shows the “closest point of approach” – the shortest distance between the two vessels if neither changed course or speed – was estimated at just 0.06 nautical miles a short time later.
Around the same time, the skipper of the trawler, who had first noticed the tanker at 10pm, increased the vessel’s speed to commence shooting nets.
The report noted his attention was focused on this task and that he was “oblivious to the impending risk of collision.”
It stated the skipper had “gravely erred” with what was a “potentially fatal manoeuvre” as it placed the trawler on a converging course with the oil tanker.
The MCIB said his conduct was “inexplicable” and “certainly does not evidence that the skipper was competent irrespective of his certification.”
The report said compliance with statutory notices issued by the MCIB and co-operation with the investigation by the owner of Excel was “very limited” and “non-existent” from its skipper.
The trawler’s owner said it would not take part in the investigation due to a pending prosecution.
The MCIB said the failure to provide certificates of competence and other documentation indicated possible non-compliance with regulations relating to crew training and qualifications for those working on the trawler.
Marine investigators said the actions of the skipper of Excel “do not reflect what would be expected at the most basic level from a person having the mandated training, experience and certification.”
In relation to Petrel Pacific, the MCIB reported that a sailor on the bridge of the tanker did not alert the OOW to various alarms that had been sounded to warn of a potential collision.
The OOW returned to the bridge just seconds before the collision but took no avoiding action.
A recording from the ship’s bridge heard someone remark: “Sir fishing boat dead ahead”
The master replied: “Where did he come from? Oh [expletive]”.
The MCIB concluded that the master of the oil tanker had prioritised completing documents over and above maintaining a proper look-out, while the crew of the trawler were giving their full attention to fishing operations.
An 80-page report on the collision said the skipper of Excel had set up a collision by increasing his speed when otherwise there would have potentially been a near miss.
The MCIB noted: “Whilst it is only possible to speculate on the potential consequences, analysis of similar incidents is persuasive evidence that the outcomes for the fishing vessel crew would have been extremely serious, with potentially fatal consequences.”
It also observed that leaving an unqualified seaman alone on the bridge onboard a laden oil tanker, at night, while it navigates through established fishing grounds at full speed was “contrary to all nautical good practice.”
The report said the OOW had left the bridge when a risk of collision already existed which was “contrary to all watch-keeping principles.”
The report noted that the owners of Petrel Pacific had implemented a number of proactive measures following the collision to prevent a recurrence.
The MCIB issued a safety recommendation for the owner of the trawler that risk assessments and safe working procedures should be completed for all onboard operations.
It said they should include a review of arrangements to ensure a proper look-out can be maintained at all times during fishing operations.
The MCIB said all crew, and particularly the skipper, must hold the relevant certificates of competency.
It also recommended that the Minister for Transport should issue a marine notice to raise awareness about the incident and of the requirement to ensure a proper look-out is maintained at all times.
The minister was also asked to consider issuing a reminder about a notice that had been issued in April 2023 about the great importance of carrying out safety and risk assessments as the MCIB said it had effectively been ignored by the owner and skipper of the Irish trawler.
