MO-2004-207

On Thursday 15 April 2004 at about 0215, the fishing vessel "Poseidon" grounded on a beach north of Manukau Heads while on passage from fishing grounds off Kawhia to Onehunga. The skipper was able to transmit a mayday call and the crew were winched off the vessel by rescue helicopter. On the evening of 16 April 2004 a salvage team refloated the "Poseidon". There were no injuries. The vessel suffered extensive damage to its hull and fitments.

Safety issues identified included:

• the lack of a watchkeeping monitor alarm for a single-handed wheelhouse operation
• the undertaking of navigational watchkeeping and helmsman tasks whilst impaired by the effects of fatigue.

Safety recommendations were made to the Managing Director of Poseidon Fishing Company Limited, and the General Manager, Trade and Education of the Seafood Industry Council.

[The report also found that safety recommendations 042/04 and 043/04 to the Manager of SGS M&I Ships Management Systems and 052/04 to the Director of Maritime Safety which arose from investigation 04-205 (fishing vessel "Bronny G", grounding, Steep Head, Banks Peninsula, 26 March 2004), addressed the above safety issues and were equally applicable to this collision.]