Wreck report for 'Gundiah' and 'Shannon', 1928

FOR OFFICIAL USE

No. 7862.

"GUJNDIAH" (S.S.) AND

"SHANNON" (Motor ketch).

TASMANIA MARINE ACT, 1921.

Report of a Court of Inquiry, consisting of ERNEST WILLIAM TURNER, Esq., Police Magistrate, Hobart, and Captains GEORGE HENRY GOLDIE and HENRY I. BLACK, two assessors of nautical skill and experience, concerning a collision between the s.s. "Gundiah" and motor-ketch "Shannon," and the sinking of the latter vessel off Roberts Point, D'Entrecasteaux Channel, on the 17th April, 1928.

This inquiry was held at the Police Court, Hobart, on the 5th day of July instant, when Mr. L. L. DOBSON appeared for the master of the "Shannon" (Captain G. H. Quinn), and Mr. C. S. PAGE for the master of the "Gundiah" (Captain H. Heather). From the evidence adduced before us we find the circumstances of the collision as follows:-About 5 a.m. on the 17th April last the "Gundiah" (193 tons) left the "Shepherds," north of Oyster Cove, in D'Entrecasteaux Channel, for Recherche Bay, in fine weather, the wind being about west-north-west. Dawn was beginning to lighten the sky above the surrounding hills, but the water still lay in darkness. The "Gundiah" had been at anchor at the "Shepherds," and carried a headlight, but no sidelights. At this time the "Shannon" (50 tons), having left Kermandie River the previous night, was proceeding up the Channel under sail only, and with sidelights burning. On the "Gundiah" a deckhand (Nicholls) had relieved Captain HEATHER at the wheel, and was steering to clear Roberts Point, the captain being in his room on deck and within call. No other person was on the lookout on the steamer, the entire navigation of which at the material time was left to NICHOLLS. The "Shannon's" master was beside the wheel, a deckhand (Price) steering; these two had kept watch all night, and were about to change watch with the other members of the crew (Tatnell and Bloomfield), Tatnell having already arrived beside them and Bloomfield being still below. All lower sails were set. The three men on deck on the "Shannon " saw the solitary light of the " Gundiah " some 300 yards away on the port bow, but were unable to distinguish the steamer itself. At about 200 yards the hull became visible, and Captain QUINN expected her to pass safely, but when she was about a length off, he ordered PRICE to put his helm hard aport. NICHOLLS, on the "Gundiah," had failed to see the "Shannon" or its lights until close up to it, and then he put his helm hard to starboard, and the steamer's stem struck the port bow of the ketch, damaging her below the water-line. Both vessels kept on going round, bumped together again on the quarter, and turned away from each other. The "Gundiah's" sidelights were then lighted, and a little later she returned towards the "Shannon," to find that the ketch was sinking and the crew had taken to the boat from which they were received on board the steamer and brought to Hobart. The "Shannon" with her cargo of 1,200 cases of apples sank in about 20 fathoms of water, and has not been salvaged. The collision occurred at about 5.20 a.m.

Captain HEATHER contends that the "Shannon" was lying becalmed across his course; and that the "Gundiah" approached her from the sector whence her lights were invisible. There is no direct evidence to support this assumption. NICHOLLS, the deckhand at the wheel, merely states that he did not see anything until he hit the "Shannon," which then seemed to be across the steamer's bow, and then "paid off." We can only regard Captain. HEATHER'S theory as an ingenious conjecture, and accept the evidence of Captain QUINN that in fact, the "Shannon" was on her course, doing about 3 knots just before the collision, while the "Gundiah" was doing about 6 or 7 knots. We consider the "Gundiah" was entirely at fault, and that the chief cause of the collision was that NICHOLLS failed to keep a proper lookout. In this Captain HEATHER must share the responsibility; he admits that he would not trust Nicholls where ships are about, and he lightly assumed that he had the Channel to himself that morning. The starting out before daylight without sidelights, a contributing factor in the collision, was most reprehensible on his part. We recommend that his certificate be suspended for six months from the date of this report, and that he be required to pay the expenses of the Treasury in connection with this inquiry and the sum of Ten Guineas towards the expenses of Captain QUINN in the matter.

Dated this 16th day of July, 1928.

E. W. TURNER, P.M., Chairman.

The expenses of the Treasury are as follows:-

(Issued by the Board of Trade in London

on Thursday, the 1st day of November, 1928.)

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