Executive summary
On Friday 26 March 2004 at about 0215, the fishing boat "Bronny G" grounded on rocks at Steep Head on the Banks Peninsula while on passage from fishing grounds to Lyttelton Harbour. Before abandoning the boat the skipper was unable to transmit a mayday call but was able to use his cellphone to contact his partner ashore, who raised the alarm.
The crew of the "Bronny G" were uninjured, and able to make it to the beach from where they were airlifted to safety by a rescue helicopter at daybreak. The "Bronny G" was unsalvageable and suffered extensive damage from the continual action of the sea. The boat was subsequently declared a constructive total loss.
The safety issues identified included:
* the lack of a working watchkeeping alarm for a single handed wheelhouseoperation
* the undertaking of navigational watchkeeping and helmsman tasks whilst impaired by the
effects of fatigue
Safety recommendations were made to: the Managing Director of Pegasus Fishing Limited, the General Manager of SGS Ships Management Systems, the General Manager, Trade and Education of the Seafood Industry Council and the Director of Maritime Safety.
Related Recommendations
Fit watchkeeping alarms independent of all other equipment in the wheelhouse of all vessels operated by his company and put in place a procedure to ensure that the watchkeeping alarms are operated whenever a navigational watch is undertaken.
In conjunction with the Safe Ship Management Company include a section in the Safe Ship Management manual on the signs, symptoms and effects of fatigue and practical methods of managing fatigue.
Develop with industry a communication and education strategy to implement fatigue management guidelines taking into account the outcomes and recommendations from the fatigue management study currently being conducted by the MSA. [This safety recommendation was subsequently found to be equally applicable to two other occurrences. Refer to reports 04-207 (grounding of fishing vessel "Poseidon" on 15 April 2004) and 04-209 (collision of fishing vessel "Joanne" with motor tanker "Hellas Constellation" on 19 May 2004).]
Include a section in the SGS M&I Safe Ship Management manual on the signs, symptoms and effects of fatigue and practical methods of managing fatigue. [This safety recommendation was subsequently found to be equally applicable to two other occurrences. Refer to reports 04-207 (grounding of fishing vessel "Poseidon" on 15 April 2004) and 04-209 (collision of fishing vessel "Joanne" with motor tanker "Hellas Constellation" on 19 May 2004).]
Implement the requirements of Maritime Rule Part 31C [Crewing and Watchkeeping - Fishing Vessels] Section 4 [Watchkeeping] for all vessels under the SGS M&I Safe Ship Management system. [This safety recommendation was subsequently found to be equally applicable to two other occurrences. Refer to reports 04-207 (grounding of fishing vessel "Poseidon" on 15 April 2004) and 04-209 (collision of fishing vessel "Joanne" with motor tanker "Hellas Constellation" on 19 May 2004).]
Include an article in the Seafood New Zealand magazine featuring this report, the intent of Maritime Rule Part 31C [Crewing and Watchkeeping - Fishing Vessels] together with its advisory circular and the work of the Maritime Safety Authority convened FISHgroup and fishSAFE initiatives.
In conjunction with the Safe Ship Management Company implement the requirements of Maritime Rule Part 31C Section 4 [Crewing and Watchkeeping - Fishing Vessels] for all vessels operated by his company and update the safe ship management manuals as necessary.