Collision between pair trawlers Devotion and Fruitful Bough resulting Devotion sinking
Location: North Sea.
Completed PE Summary: Devotion/Fruitful Bough
A short summary of the accident and action taken:
| Fishing Vessel/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel name | Devotion |
| Registered Owner/Manager | Caley Fisheries Ltd |
| Port of Registry | Peterhead |
| Flag | UK |
| Type | Fish catching/processing |
| Built | 1978 |
| Construction | Wood |
| Length Overall | 22.77m |
| Gross Tonnage | 46.88 |
| Date and Time | 24/06/02, 0123 |
| Location of Incident | High seas |
| Incident Type | Collision |
| Injuries/Fatalities | None |
| Damage/Pollution | Ship lost |
| Fishing Vessel/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel name | Fruitful Bough |
| Registered Owner/Manager | Elegance Fishing Co Ltd |
| Port of Registry | Peterhead |
| Flag | UK |
| Type | Fish Catching/processing |
| Built | 1986 |
| Construction | Wood |
| Length Overall | 21.3m |
| Gross Tonnage | 61.85 |
| Date and Time | 24/06/02, 0123 |
| Location of Incident | High seas |
| Incident Type | Collision |
| Injuries/ fatalities | None |
| Damage/ Pollution | Material damage |
Synopsis
Two pair trawlers were on passage to fishing grounds travelling on close parallel courses when one lost steering causing the vessels to collide. The collision resulted in the loss of one of the vessels.
Action taken
To prevent a similar accident occurring in the future the owners of both the vessels were recommended to ensure that:
-
a vigilant lookout is kept at all times while their vessels are at sea
-
their vessels do not make passage unnecessarily close to another vessel
-
the wheel house is not left unattended when their vessels are underway
In addition the owner of one of the vessels was recommended to ensure that:
-
he does not assume that a problem has been fixed and will not recur unless he is certain of its cause
-
he is extra cautious if there exists doubt about the reliability of any of his vessel’s key safety or navigational equipment