Practical Boat Owner - June 2018

NEWS

B

oaters are being reminded

to always keep a proper

lookout at sea following the

fatal sinking of the Norman

18.5 motor cruiser James 2 off

Shoreham harbour.

The boat’s owner Mircea Ilie,

40, and Irinel Popovici, 41, both

from Brighton, along with

Traiam Dumitrache, 50, from

London, all died when the

James 2 collided with the steel

hulled, mean rigged scallop

dredger, Vertouwen, in Sussex

Bay in the early hours of 6

August 2017.

One man, who had used a

fender as a float, survived.

None of the sea anglers were

wearing lifejackets, although

four were found stowed on

board the wreck.

An investigation by the

Marine Accident Investigation

Branch (MAIB) found the

Vertouwen’s lone watchman

was distracted by his mobile

phone and laptop computer

and did not see the motor

cruiser, which was drifting with

the wind and the tide while the

four men aboard were rod

Ocean plastic is being turned

into luxury garden furniture.

Interior designer, Claire

Rendall, from BBC 1’s DIY

SOS, has collaborated with

Van De Sant to upcycle plastic

rubbish from the world’s seas

into a new range of

eco-friendly chairs, sofas and

sun loungers, aimed for the

UK and yacht markets.

MAIB lookout warning after fatal sinking

BOW PRO

ELECTRIC THRUSTERS

REVOLUTIONARY NEW

• Proportional control


• Unlimited runtime


• Brushless motor


• 3-year warranty
  (subject to T&Cs)

ENGINES | STERN GEAR | FUEL | INSTRUMENTS | FRESH WATER | WASTE WATER | MANOEUVRING | ELECTRICAL | STEERING | HATCHES | VENTILATION

FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.VETUS.COM

[email protected] | 023 8045 4507

NOW IN

STOCK

fishing for mackerel and

drinking whisky. The sea

anglers were also not keeping

a proper look out. Neither of

the boats were damaged when

Vertrouwen hit the starboard

quarter of the James 2 with a

glancing blow, but its bow

wave washed over the motor

cruiser’s stern and the James 2

started sinking.

The anglers tried to bail the

boat out and attract the

attention of Vertrouwen’s

crew but the fishing boat didn’t

stop, and the James 2 sank in

two minutes.

The four men quickly became

separated in the water, and the

alarm was only raised when a

passing fishing vessel rescued

the survivor five hours later.

MAIB investigators concluded

the James 2 had not been

sufficiently prepared or

equipped to go to sea, and it

was likely the boat was not

visible from Vertrouwen’s

wheelhouse, although it should

have been identifiable on the

fishing vessel’s radar screens.

‘James 2 had inadequate

freeboard, its navigation lights

did not meet the standards

required, and basic safety

equipment was either not

carried or not worn,’ stated

the report.

‘If the sea anglers had been

able to raise the alarm and

been wearing lifejackets or

buoyancy aids, all four of them

would almost certainly have

survived,’ it added.

The MAIB also found the

brightness of Vertrouwen’s

illuminated deck floodlights

diminished the level of night

vision from the vessel’s

wheelhouse and made its

navigation lights less

distinguishable to other

vessels, increasing the

likelihood of a collision.

A safety message has now

been issued by the MAIB to the

fishing industry, sea angling

community and recreational

boat users.

Recommendations aimed at

improving standards of

watchkeeping have also been

made to the owners of

Vertrouwen.

Fighting ocean plastic... with furniture

LEFT/ABOVE

Investigators

found the James

2 had not been

sufficiently

equipped or

prepared for the

angling trip

RIGHT The

scallop dredger

Vertouwen was

not damaged in

the collision

MAIB

MAIB MAIB