MO-1996-211

On Monday, 11 November 1996, at about 0820 hours, the charter launch "Toroa" collided with a rock off Castle Head near the entrance to Port Hardy, D'Urville Island. Five of the nine passengers on board received slight to moderate injuries in the collision. Visibility was good and the sea conditions calm. The collision was caused by the inadvertent moving of the second steering wheel fitted to the boat, at a time when the progress of the "Toroa" was not being monitored adequately. A safety issue was the accessibility of the second steering wheel to unauthorised persons. It was recommended that a securing device be placed on the second steering wheel when it is not in use.