Executive summary
On Friday 17 November 2000 at about 1840, the fishing charter vessel "La Nina", with 9 passengers and 2 crew on board, was on passage to an anchorage in a bay on Rakitu Island when it grounded on rocks to the north-east of the island. The passengers and crew boarded a liferaft shortly before the vessel foundered. They were later rescued by other vessels, which had answered the Mayday call sent by the skipper. The deckhand was seriously injured during the grounding.
Safety issues identified included:
• inadequate safety briefing before commencing charter
• the standard of navigation when operating close to hazards
• shortcomings in the administration of the safe ship management system.
A safety recommendation was made to the owner of Fighting Fish Charters to address the safety issues should it undertake another commercial maritime venture in the future.
Related Recommendations
ensure that for any future commercial maritime venture that he may undertake, safe ship management manuals contain appropriate policies and guidelines to address: • safety briefings for passengers and crew • navigation standards • the management of fatigue, and • the consumption of alcohol on board.