Wreck report for 'Epine', 1948

THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 1894

REPORT OF COURT

(No. S. 409)

s.t. "Epine" O.N. 160860

In the matter of a Formal Investigation held at the Guildhall, Kingston-upon-Hull, on the 15th and 16th days of September, 1948, before J. V. Naisby, Esq., K.C., assisted by Captain J. W. Grimston, R.D., R.N.R., Lieutenant Commander C. V. Groves, R.N.R., and Mr. G. H. Nicholson, M.I.M.E., into the circumstances attending the stranding and total loss of the steam trawler "Epine" on the 13th of March, 1948, to the westward of Malariff Light, Iceland, with the loss of fourteen members of her crew.

The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances attending the above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons stated in the Annex hereto, that the said loss was due to the fault or default of the skipper, Alfred Loftis.

Dated this 17th day of September, 1948.

J. V. NAISBY, Judge.

We concur in the above Report,

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

The Court's answers to the questions submitted by the Ministry of Transport are as follows:-

ANNEX TO THE REPORT.

At this Inquiry, Mr. S. E. Pitts appeared for the Minister of Transport, Mr. H. S. Bloomer (Messrs. H. K. and H. S. Bloomer, of Grimsby), appeared for the owners and underwriters of the "Epine.' Mr. Edward Terrell, instructed by Messrs. Arthur Pyke and Company, of 24, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.2, appeared for the widows of two deceased members of the crew, Mrs. M. Birch and Mrs. Dracup.

The steam trawler "Epine" was a single screw single deck vessel built of steel in 1929 She was owned by the Premier Steam Fishing Company, Limited, of Grimsby. Gross tonnage 357.55. Length 140.3 feet.

She carried the necessary lifesaving appliances including a life boat, all of which were appropriate to a vessel of her size and class and were in good order, and in accordance with the regulations.

She was fitted with wireless telephony and telegraphy, including a direction finder, and was equipped with a Marconi echometer.

She sailed from Grimsby on the 1st March, 1948, for a fishing voyage to the Icelandic fishing grounds, manned by a crew of nineteen hands all told. Her fishing voyage had been somewhat interrupted by weather, but on the 13th March she was fishing some forty miles or more to the westward of Hvalsnes, on the West coast of Iceland, in about 90 fathoms. Fishing was bad, and her skipper decided to put into Keflavik Bay, and accordingly about 5.30 p.m. a course of East South East was set, and the vessel proceeded towards the land at easy full speed making about nine knots. About 6.50 p.m. the engines were stopped, and the skipper had a conversation by radio telephone with the skipper of the steam trawler "Hargood'. The "Hargood", which was fishing off Adalvik, reported better weather and good fishing.

The skipper of the "Epine" accordingly decided to proceed to the fishing grounds off Adalvik, and about 7.25 p.m. set a course of North by East half East by steering compass, and the vessel proceeded at easy full speed ahead making nine to nine and a half knots through the water.

The watch on duty at this time consisted of the mate and one deck hand. There was a fresh South-West wind, and visibility was about five miles. Shortly afterwards the skipper told the mate that he was going to turn in, and gave the mate instructions that he was to be called if the weather deteriorated, if there were any snow storms, if any vessels or lights were seen, or when the log reading was 40. The log had been streamed and set at zero, about 7.25 p.m.

The mate reminded the skipper that he was due to go off watch at 8.30 p.m., and the skipper instructed the mate to let him know when he (the mate) went off watch. At 8.30 p.m. the watch was relieved, the new watch on deck consisting of two deck hands- Yates and Maul. The instructions as to calling the skipper were in substance passed on, except that Yates was told to call the skipper when the log read 39, and not 40. The mate had a reading taken of the log about 8.45 p.m., and it was ascertained that eleven and a half miles had been covered in the last hour and twenty minutes. The mate told Yates that he estimated that the log would be reading 39 some-where about 11.30 p.m. The mate told the skipper that the watch had been changed, and the skipper told him to go below and said that he would be coming up in a few minutes. Before going off watch, the mate had twice taken a sounding by echometer and on each occasion got a depth of slightly over seventy fathoms.

The mate turned in about 9.10 p.m., but the skipper did not come on to the bridge and the vessel was left in charge of two deckhands. The mate stated in evidence that when he reported to the skipper the latter was seated on the settee in his berth reading a book. Shortly after 9.30 p.m. the skipper shouted up to the wheelhouse and asked what the weather was like and was told it was clear. Yates also reported that he had seen a ship on the port bow. He stated in evidence that he had also seen a vessel on the starboard quarter. According to Yates the course of North by East half East was steered and the only other incident of note during the earlier part of the watch was an attempt by Yates to take an echometer sounding. Yates stated in evidence that he switched on the echometer and got no reading. He was not perturbed by this as he thought that the echometer had been put on charge.

The evidence seems to negative the echometer having been put on charge, and whether the instrument really failed seems to the Court to be a matter of doubt. We accept the evidence that the echometer had worked well up to 8.30 p.m. that night.

About 10.45 p.m. the two deckhands got a glimpse of a light about 21/2 points on the starboard bow, but were unable to ascertain whether it was a ship's light, a buoy light, or a shore light. The visibility was restricted. There were snow showers at times, and the light was not reported at the time because the deckhands did not know what it was. About 11.35 p.m. the log reading was 39 and this was reported to the skipper who came on the bridge very shortly afterwards.

Upon the arrival of the skipper on the bridge he was told about the light on the starboard bow, and the skipper endeavoured to locate it with the aid of glasses but apparently without success. About 11.50 p.m. the "Epine" struck the rocks a little to the westward of Malariff Light without anyone on board of her realising that she was in dangerous proximity to the land.

At the time of the stranding the wind was a moderate gale with a rough sea and the vessel pounded heavily and took a heavy list to starboard. Water began to enter the vessel in large quantities and in less than ten minutes after she struck the water in the engine room reached the dynamo and extinguished the lights. The crew came out on deck and with one exception were wearing their life-jackets. The skipper gave this man his own life-jacket. Seas were sweeping the deck and the lifeboat was found to be stove in. In the opinion of the Court it is almost certain that had it been possible to launch the lifeboat it would immediately have been dashed to pieces on the rocks, and no attempt at rescue from seaward was feasible. Some of the crew were washed overboard but others managed to climb into the rigging after firing six distress rockets, and lighting one fire on top of the wheelhouse and another on the whaleback. The wireless operator who seems to have stuck to his post and done his duty with commendable fortitude got into touch by radio telephone with the steam trawler "Spurs", and also sent out a distress message. Shortly after the ship struck, Malariff Light was seen at times about on the starboard beam. The place where the vessel stranded was rocky with high cliffs but with a small beach at their foot. After some time a light was seen ashore first on the top of the cliffs and later on the beach. Attempts to establish communication with the shore by Morse lamp were unsuccessful and it seems that those on board the "Epine" decided that the best thing to do was to await daylight. Meantime, the wind increased to about Force 9 with a corresponding increase in the sea and some of those in the rigging of the trawler were overcome by exhaustion. Shortly after day-light the Icelandic rescue party ashore succeeded in getting a rocket with line attached on to the wreck which was finally secured by those on board the trawler and four members of the crew were taken ashore in the breeches buoy. One other member of the crew of the "Epine" got ashore by jumping overboard and swimming or being washed ashore, but the remaining 14 hands had already perished either by drowning or exposure.

The evidence establishes that the whole of the navigation of the "Epine" was in the hands of her skipper and that he alone had access to the charts/carried by the vessel. In these circumstances no one other than the skipper was normally able to say where the vessel was, and as the skipper unfortunately lost his life the Court is unable to find where the vessel was when the course of N. by E. half E. was set. This attitude on the part of the skipper, which it is feared is far too frequent in trawlers, is one which the Court feels is to be deprecated and cannot be too strongly condemned. However many certificated officers a trawler may carry, and however competent and attentive to their duties they may be, they cannot be in a position properly to undertake the navigation of a vessel during their watch unless they are provided with the necessary information and facilities.

The practice of leaving the watch in charge of a deck hand is one which has already incurred the strongest disapprobation of a Court of Inquiry, and in the opinion of this Court is a serious breach of duty. It is high time that the fishing community recognised the serious jeopardy in which lives and property are placed in consequence of the continuance of this practice. This case is an unfortunate instance which only too clearly emphasises the necessity for a qualified officer provided with full information and facilities being in charge of the navigation.

The skipper was unfortunately one of those who lost their lives as a result of the casualty and the Court is naturally loath to impute blame to him when he has had no opportunity either of giving evidence as to the facts or offering any explanations in his own defence. We are, however, reluctantly driven to the conclusion that the cause of the stranding was an error in the navigation of the vessel for which the skipper was alone responsible, and that this error was most probably in the fixing of his point of departure.

The area around the place of the stranding is one in which it is well-known that there may be abnormal magnetic disturbance. How far, if at all, the compasses of the "Epine" were affected the Court is unable to say, but the known possibility of this magnetic disturbance made it even more necessary that navigatiou should not be left to a deckhand even had be been instructed as to his position and supplied with a chart.

The "Epine" was supplied with a pair of glasses of the type usually supplied to trawlers and often to merchant vessels. It was pressed by Mr. Terrell that the vessel ought to have been supplied with a pair of prismatic might glasses, and that the failure to do so was negligence on the part of the owners. He also submitted that the provision of such night glasses might have avoided the casualty. The glasses supplied were for day and night work and, in the opinion of the Court though no doubt night glasses are better suited for night work it cannot be said that it was negligent not to provide them. Moreover, in the opinion of the Court the visibility was much less than those on the "Epine" realised, and the use of night glasses would not have aboided this casualty. In the opinion of the Court the "Epine" was well found in every respect and the failure of one member of the crew to appear on deck without a life-jacket was not due to a shortage. There were on board more life-jackets than crew.

This was another stranding of a British vessel where yeoman service was rendered by an Icelandic rescue party. The Court also feels that it is proper to say that all the witnesses as to the facts of the stranding gave their evidence well, and that that evidence established that the conduct of not only the skipper and wireless operator but of all members of the crew was in accord with the high traditions of their calling.

J.V. NAISBY, Judge.

(Issued by the Ministry of Transport

in London, in November, 1948)

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