The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report on the loss of scalloper JMT (M-99) which sank off Rame Head on the 9th of July last year.
The report concludes that the vessel’s stability had been severely compromised and a combination of circumstances with structural modifications that affected its stability that resulted in JMT having only 25% of the reserve stability required for larger fishing vessels. The capsize in good weather conditions may have been triggered as the starboard dredges were emptied at the same time as the port side gear was suspended.
Like almost all <15m fishing vessels in the UK fleet, JMT had no stability information and according to the MAIB report, the loss of the boat was one of many fatal accidents involving small fishing vessels that have capsized because their crews did not understand the fundamental principles of stability.
No alert was received when JMT is believed to have capsized at approximately 1500 on the 9th of July last year. The EPIRB on board was stored inside the wheelhouse and was not a float-free unit. The alarm was no raised until the following morning, when a search was started, with the wreck located off Rame Head. None of the crew survived. The liferaft failed to surface after being released and neither of the crew wore lifejackets.
The MAIB report contains key recommendations that the Wolfson Mark should be used on all existing <15m fishing vessels as an aid to assessing stability.
‘The difficulties of providing existing small fishing vessels with comprehensive stability criteria are understood. However, the Wolfson mark, provides a practical and relatively inexpensive method of giving fishermen some indication about how to operate their vessels within safe limits,’ stated the MAIB, which made the further recommendation for a requirement that all skippers should attend the Seafish stability awareness course.
‘If taken forward, these measures should help prevent the sudden capsize of small fishing vessels in the future and the tragic loss of life that such events will often cause.’
The MAIB has issued a flyer setting out the circumstances of JMT’s loss.
