Master at fault over vessel's near grounding

The near grounding of a Cook Strait ferry could have been avoided if a helmsman had been on the wheel steering the ship, an investigation has found.

A Transport Accident Investigation Commission report found Bluebridge ferry Santa Regina had entered Cook Strait from the Tory Channel on auto-pilot when the ship left the designated course, leading it perilously close to rocks off East Head.

The ferry, with 32 crew and 57 passengers on board, did not sustain any damage, and maritime authorities were not told of the incident until four days after the June 9 incident.

The Maritime Safety Authority imposed a 14-day suspension on the master the day after it was reported.

In its report, TAIC found the master exercised "prudent judgment" in not trying to slow the ship when he realised it was not making the turn as anticipated.

Had the master tried to slow the ship, the rudders would have been less effective and the ship would have been affected by the tidal stream for longer, possibly resulting in its grounding on the northern shore, TAIC found.

But navigation was focused almost exclusively on one person - the master. And while responsible for the operation of the team, he did not "include other responsible and technically competent personnel in key aspects of operation". As a consequence, it invited "one-person error" by over-concentrating on both supervision and decision-making.

TAIC also questioned the culture of the ferry, finding that if it had a regime of "challenge and response" on the navigating bridge, the master's actions leading up to the incident would probably have been challenged.

TAIC recommended Strait Shipping, which operated Bluebridge ferries, ensure all masters and officers received training to ensure they understood the full capabilities and limitations of the navigation equipment.

TAIC also recommended a programme to encourage officers to become familiar with all the bridge equipment.

Strait Shipping told the commission it would implement the safety recommendations, with all officers "refreshed" by the end of the year.

The Santa Regina was also involved in a collision with a pleasure boat in the Marlborough Sounds last May in which a man died.

- NZPA