Executive summary
On Saturday 18 December 2004, at about 1510 the restricted limit passenger vessel "Tiger III," while on a cruise to the Hole in the Rock with 59 passengers and 3 crew on board, grounded in the small bay under the Cape Brett lighthouse. The boat was pushed into a narrow gut and came to rest alongside the rocks on the shore.
All the passengers were able to get ashore and congregated at the old lighthouse keeper’s cottage, from where they were flown by a fleet of helicopters back to Paihia. No major injuries were sustained.
The boat was unsalvageable and was declared a constructive total loss.
Safety issues identified were:
- the absence of operating limitations and guidelines
- the distraction of the Master from his primary function of navigating the boat.
Safety recommendations were made to the Chief Executive of Fullers Bay of Islands and the Executive Officer of the Marine Transport Association to address these issues.
Related Recommendations
Carry out a comprehensive risk assessment of the company’s marine operations and develop operating limitations and contingency plans to assist the Masters. Such plans should be included in the safe ship management documentation.
Promote the findings of this report through an article in Association’s in-house magazine Seabiz. The article should advise Association members that under certain conditions a Master giving a tour commentary may pose a potential hazard to the safe navigation of the vessel and that this should be identified in the hazard register and safe ship management documentation.
Ensure that the provision of a tour commentary by the Master is properly identified as a possible hazard and noted in the hazard register of each vessel. A suitable section should be inserted into the safe ship management documentation noting the potential hazard of a Master giving a tour commentary. Masters should be directed in the operations manual that if a situation arises where giving a tour commentary poses a risk to the vessel, then the commentary should be stopped or delegated to one of the crew.