Trainee at helm in fogbound ferry crash

Sep 28 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

A TRAINEE captain undergoing a marine examination was steering an Isle of Man ferry in the Mersey when it was in collision with a cargo ship in thick fog, an official report revealed yesterday.

He had only joined the fast catamaran in Douglas hours before the collision and was to berth the Sea Express 1 at the Pier Head on its arrival in Liverpool.

Just minutes before the intended arrival, the ferry – with 274 passengers aboard – and the Alaska Rainbow collided off Seacombe.

A small number of ferry passengers were slightly injured and the vessel suffered a gaping hole in her side and started to list within seconds.

Crew issued lifejackets to passengers as a full-scale rescue operation was launched by emergency services following the collision just before noon on February 3.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has now issued its official report into the incident, highlighting a number of issues.

When Sea Express 1 entered the river, it contacted the local radio control centre (Mersey Radio) which failed to mention the Alaska Rainbow was present even though the position of other ships was given.

The report reveals the trainee captain focused his attention on identifying the landing stage on the radar screen to prepare for berthing.

No other member of the bridge team was allocated the task of collision avoidance support.

The Alaska Rainbow was not sounding fog signals, as required by international regulations.

“Had the cargo ship and the two accompanying tugs sounded their horns it is probable the lookouts on the ferry would have heard them in time to enable the ferry to take avoiding action,” said the report.

There was no established fog routine in place in the Mersey because fog was considered rare and it was not considered necessary.

The captains of four tugs that rushed to the rescue were praised in the report. Their swift actions prevented the drifting ferry from crashing into the Twelve Quays terminal, the investigation team said.

The Alaska Rainbow, with its cargo of steel and crew of 21, had anchored near the bar to await the final leg of her journey to Wirral docks. A pilot boarded the ship, which was then linked to two tugs.

The Sea Express continued her passage, and as visibility had reduced the speed was lowered to 10 knots.

Around the same time, the pilot of the Alaska Rainbow called the Mersey Radio to say she was “stemming the tide” by Twelve Quays. Conversations between the bridge of the Alaska Rainbow and other vessels in the river were received aboard the ferry, but were not noted by the bridge team.

The captain of the ferry was praised for keeping the passeng- ers calm, preventing risk of any panic.

larryneild