A FISHING vessel travelling from Rossaveel in Galway to Howth, Co Dublin struck rocks at the north west peninsula of the island of Inish na Bró – one of the Blasket Islands – after a crew member fell asleep at the wheel, a report conducted by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board has revealed.
The incident involving the FV Dearbhla occurred at 4.10am on May 14 last but, following the impact, the vessel was able to manoeuvre to deeper water to allow the crew to investigate the extent of the damage.
The five-person crew were not hurt but there was extensive damage caused to the vessel’s bows.
Emergency services were not informed of the grounding and the vessel continued its voyage, at a reduced speed, to Howth. The vessel’s owner was informed of the incident later that morning and he arranged for the trawler to proceed to Castletownbere for an inspection of the damage.
It was found that the 23m long vessel had considerable contact damage to its stem at the waterline and was holed above the waterline under the bows.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board report revealed that the experienced relief skipper was the only qualified officer onboard the fishing vessel at the time of the incident but all others on board were permanent crew.
The vessel departed from the fishing port of Rossaveel at 6.00pm on May 13 for the journey to Howth which would take approximately 42 hours.
The skipper navigated the vessel out of Rossaveel Harbour and through Gregory Sound, off the Aran Islands, and made course south for the Blasket Islands
At approximately 3.00am the following morning, the skipper called a crew member to take over the navigation watch in the wheelhouse with the instruction to proceed through the Blasket Sound. The skipper left the wheelhouse and proceeded to his bunk for a rest.
Shortly after taking over the watch, the crew member went to make tea and, to ensure it didn’t wake the others, he switched off the watch-keeper alarm which is a timer device designed to give an audible sound in the wheelhouse every 10 minutes to ensure the watch-keeper remains alert. He forgot to switch the alarm back on when he returned to the wheelhouse and, shortly after, he fell asleep.
There was no other person on watch, steering was on autopilot and the vessel’s course and speed remained unchanged. The watch-keeper had made no course change to the Blasket Sound before the vessel grounded on rocks.
A later inspection of the damage caused found the hull plating was ruptured above the waterline and internal frames, beams, brackets and floors in the forepeak tank were deformed and buckled. The deck in the forward store was also buckled. There was evidence of hard contact along the starboard chine and on the leading edge of the bilge keel.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board analysis of the incident found that the crew member who relieved the skipper in the wheelhouse was familiar with the operation of the fishing vessel.
He stated that the was fully rested and prepared to take over watch duties and the skipper believed he was prepared to take over and take the vessel through Blasket Sound.
There was no indication that the crew member was tired and unable to take over the watch. The weather and visibility were good at the time.
The report into the incident said the facility for making beverages and other light refreshments should be available to watch-keepers at their place of duty but, on the FV Dearbhla, it was located outside one deck down in the crew mess.
When the crew member left the wheelhouse to make tea, it compromised the vessel’s safety while switching off the watch alarm significantly increased the risk level as did the crew member falling asleep.
The report further found that a voyage or passage plan had not been prepared and the times for course changes were not fixed. The skipper had assumed the relieving watch-keeper, who was a regular crew member and considered competent by the owner, was able to make course adjustments and changes.
The passage through Blasket Sound was at night and it involved a number of course changes which required certain navigation skills of the watch-keeper in the wheelhouse. The report states that crew member involved was not qualified for navigational purposes and whatever level of competence he had was unproven to the relief skipper.
“It would have been prudent for the skipper to arrange the wheelhouse watch system so that the vessel’s navigation through Blasket Sound and around the various headlands and other navigational hazards along the coastal route was given adequate oversight by a competent watch-keeper,” the report stated.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board report concluded:
· By falling asleep whilst on watch in the wheelhouse, the watch-keeper did not make the necessary course alteration to keep the vessel in safe and navigable waters.
· The incident may have been averted if the required course change to navigate Blasket Sound safely was better supervised.
· The incident may have been averted if there were adequate facilities in the wheelhouse to make beverages and therefore allow watch-keepers to take light refreshments.
· The incident may have been averted if the watch-keeper alarm panel keyed switch facility had been used as intended by its designer.
· No evidence was provided demonstrating that the crew had received adequate training to reduce the risks of endangering the health and safety of the crew or preventing accidents.
The investigation board recommended that the Minister for Transport should remind the owners and operators of fishing vessels that that their crews should receive the required training and that all accidents should be notified to the authorities as soon as practicable.
The minister should issue a notice to remind vessel owners and operators to ensure all navigation is planned in adequate detail and that all passage plans are made known to the crew and that owner/operators should develop contingency plans and procedures for a grounding event or collision incident.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board examines and investigates all types of marine casualties to, or on board, Irish registered vessels worldwide and other vessels in Irish territorial waters and inland waterways.
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