Wreck Report for 'Chatterbox', 1888

(No. S6.)

"CHATTERBOX."

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1876.

IN the matter of a formal Investigation held at the Town Hall, Great Yarmouth, on the 3rd and 4th days of February 1888, before E. C. TWISS, Esquire, Stipendiary Magistrate, Hull, and RICHARD MAR- TINS, Esquire, Mayor of Yarmouth, assisted by Captain PARFITT and Captain COSENS, into the circumstances attending the casualty which happened to a boat belonging to the British fishing vessel "CHATTERBOX," of Yarmouth, in the North Sea, on the 24th of October last, whereby two out of her crew of three hands were drowned.

Report of Court.

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 casualty was caused by the swamping of the boat by a heavy sea whilst returning from the steam cutter to the smack, after having discharged her load of fish. Every effort was made to save the lives of the crew, and no blame can be attributed to any one concerned.

The Court is not asked to make any order as to costs.

Dated this 1st day of March 1888.

 

(Signed)

E. C. TWISS,

RD. MARTINS,

Judges.

We concur in the above report.

 

(Signed)

WM. PARFITT,

WILLIAM COSENS,

Assessors.

Annex to the Report.

This inquiry was held at the Town Hall, Yarmouth, on the 3rd and 4th days of February 1888, when Mr. Howard Smith appeared as counsel on behalf of the Board of Trade. Mr. Boggis, the master of the "Chatterbox," appeared in person, but was not represented by counsel or solicitor.

The "Chatterbox," official number 74,729, is a dandy-rigged fishing vessel, built of wood at Gorleston, Suffolk, in 1877, and she is owned by Messrs. Hewett and Company, Limited, London, and her managing owner is Mr. David W. Wise, also of London. Yarmouth is her port of registry.

The dimensions of the "Chatterbox" are as follows:-length 77 9/10 ft., breadth 17 7/10 ft., and depth of hold 8 4/10 ft., and her registered tonnage 62.58 tons.

On the 17th of September last the vessel left Yarmouth, bound for a fishing cruise with Messrs. Hewett's fleet in the North Sea, under the command of Mr. William Boggis, who holds a certificate of service as skipper, and with the ordinary crew for smacks sailing out of Yarmouth of six hands all told.

She carried one boat of the usual build and dimensions of boats generally supplied to the Yarmouth fishing vessels, being in length about 16 ft., breadth 7 ft., and depth, from keel to gunwale, about 2 ft. 8 ins. It was built of oak, the timbers being of American elm, and with four thwarts fastened with iron knees.

There were also supplied to the vessel one life-buoy and three cork life-jackets.

Having reached the fleet the vessel fished in company with it until the morning of the 24th of October last, upon which date, at about 9.30 a.m., they were a little to the eastward of the Silver Pits. There was at the time a fresh breeze from the northward, the weather being at times squally and the sea rather rough.

The steam cutter at this time was in attendance upon the fleet, and prepared to take in fish. The crew of the "Chatterbox" were engaged in packing their fish boxes, when the skipper observed to his men, "The Admiral has delivered," which elicited from the fourth hand the remark, "The sooner we get delivered the better." It may be presumed that in saying this he had reference to the state of the weather, but none of the witnesses were able to speak positively on the point.

The fish boxes having been packed, the skipper directed the third, fourth, and fifth hands to go off in the boat to the cutter, but before doing so he said, "Other men have their life belts on," meaning by that, as he stated to us, that his own men should follow their example; he appears however to have received no reply, and the belts were not brought on deck out of the cabin.

The three hands went off in the boat laden with twelve boxes of fish without wearing their life belts. Upon leaving their vessel the cutter was some 300 or 400 yards on their lee quarter. When the boat had taken its departure the "Chatterbox" was sailed ahead of the cutter, and then turned round, sailing under the lee quarter of the cutter, where she lay to at a distance of about 400 yards awaiting the return of her boat.

The fish having been duly boarded, the boat was on her passage back to the smack, the third and fourth hands rowing, with the fifth hand sitting in the stern, the wind and sea being right aft, and when at some two vessels' lengths from their smack the boat's head was veered to starboard, with a view of rounding her to under the lee of their vessel; but so soon as this had been carried out a heavy sea was observed to be coming up, and endeavours were at once made to bring the boat before the sea again, but before this could be effected the sea caught the boat on the starboard quarter and hove her over, causing her to fill on the port side. When she righted again she was completely filled with water, sinking under the three hands, who were all launched into the water. The fourth hand, George Walden, grasped an oar at the suggestion of the second hand, who saw the catastrophe from the smack, but almost immediately cast it aside, and turned on his back, and attempted to paddle towards his vessel. The fifth hand then seized the relinquished oar, whilst the third hand, Edward Bickers, appeared to be endeavouring to reach a smack which was to leeward.

The fourth and fifth hands floated close up to the starboard side of the "Chatterbox," and a life buoy was thrown by the second hand immediately over the former, but he seemed to take no notice whatever of it, whether from exhaustion or not it is impossible to say. Then both the skipper and second hands threw ropes to him when about 10 yards only in the wake of the vessel, but unhappily he was unable to grasp them, and was seen to place his hands by his side and to sink.

At this time the fifth hand was floating on the oar close to the smack, and calling out for a rope, but before this could be done he managed to seize the quarter strap and was safely hauled on board.

Nothing further than has been described was seen of the third hand, who no doubt sank shortly after the swamping of the boat; nor was it noticed what became of the boat, but drifting away in her swamped condition she might easily have escaped observation from the smack's deck.

The skipper stated that the third hand had not sailed with him before, but that he, as well as the fourth and fifth hands, were perfectly competent to handle a boat in the process of boarding a cutter.

Both the skipper and the second hand informed us that, though the sea was somewhat rough, still in their opinion it was fit to board, and that they had frequently done so in worse weather.

This was the narrative of the case as elicited from the witnesses, and at the conclusion of their evidence, Mr. Howard Smith, on behalf of the Board of Trade, submitted for our opinion several questions, which, together with our replies, are as follows:-

1. Whether on the morning of the 24th of October last the weather was fit for ferrying fish with safety, and whether the master of the "Chatterbox" was justified in sending his boat to the cutter?

Ans.-On the morning in question the wind was blowing a fresh breeze from the northward, and the sea was rather rough, but there was nothing to prevent the transhipment of fish, and the master of the "Chatterbox" therefore was justified in sending off his boat to the steam carrier.

2. Whether, when the boat left the "Chatterbox," she was properly manned, and whether the hands had sufficient experience for the purpose of navigating her?

Ans.-When the boat left the "Chatterbox" she was efficiently manned, and the hands in her were sufficiently experienced for the purposes of navigating her.

3. What was the cause of the casualty?

Ans.-The casualty was caused by a heavy sea striking the boat on her starboard quarter, and swamping her just as she was on the point of rounding to with a view of dropping alongside her own smack.

4. Whether every possible effort was made to save life

Ans.-Every effort undoubtedly was made to save life.

5. Whether blame attaches to the master of the "Chatterbox?"

Ans.-In the judgment of the Court no blame whatever attaches to the master of the "Chatterbox."

 

(Signed)

E. C. TWISS,

RD. MARTINS,

Mayor of the Borough

of Great Yarmouth,

Judges.

We concur.

 

(Signed)

WM. PARFITT,

WILLIAM COSENS,

Assessors.

53728-1. 50.-3/88. Wt. 25051. E. & S.