COELLEIRA

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Report: Skipper was confused ahead of grounding

The skipper of the 'Coelleira' was confused when the fishing vessel grounded on rocks on Ve Skerries, an investigation has found. The 15 crew members, none of whom were injured, were airlifted to safety by a Castguard rescue helicopter. Attempts to salvage the vessel were unsuccessful and it broke up and sank. Along with its catch of fish, the ship was carrying around 15 tonnes of diesel oil but the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found there was no significant pollution. The MAIB report found the 56-year-old Spanish skipper, an experienced fisherman, was confused when the vessel hit the reef at 1.24 a.m. on Aug 4 and the impact woke the crew. Around one hour earlier, he had adjusted course as the vessel headed from fishing grounds to the harbour at Scrabster, Caithness, sending the vessel straight for the rocks. His route was based on following the coast rather than plotted points, and when he saw a light he believed it was on the mainland and not the lighthouse on the reef he later grounded on. He was keeping watch alone and was not in the wheelhouse when the boat ran aground. The report found several safety issues following the incident, including the route not being properly planned, the position of the boat not being closely monitored and that the electronic navigation equipment in use affected the skipper’s ability to monitor the vessel’s position and identify navigational hazards. Investigators found no one maintained an effective lookout and the bridge was unmanned at the time of grounding. The performance of the skipper may have “been adversely affected by fatigue” as he had only been able to rest for less than nine hours across two periods in the 24 hours before the grounding – and was due to carry on working for another 13 hours, against regulations. The report states: “When Coelleira’s heading was adjusted to 206° at 00.23…the skipper did not realise he was turning Coelleira directly towards Ve Skerries. During the following hour, in which the vessel made good a course of 206° at a speed of 9-10kts, the skipper did not recognise the impending danger ahead. Although he saw a light off the vessel’s port bow during the transit, he did not associate it with the lighthouse on Ormal (Ve Skerries). Such omissions reflect a combination of an absence of passage planning, ineffective lookout and position monitoring, and possibly inaccurate or incomplete electronic chart data.” The MAIB has made recommendations to the owner of the vessel to adhere to guidelines on safe watch keeping and on rest requirements.

Volunteers removed debris

Debris at west side beaches thought to have come from the grounded "Coelleira" was cleared up by volunteers at the weekend of Sep 29/30. A group of around 10 local volunteers removed rubbish from beaches on Papa Little as well as Vementry and Muckle Roe. Around four tonnes of debris, the equivalent of 20 cubic metres, was collected in total. The clean-up was overseen by Jimmy Smith, whose marine surveying business has been involved in the insurance proceedings. There was no doubt that the bruck came from the "Coelleira". The clean-up came after numerous pieces of debris had washed up on the island of Papa Little. Among the items were pieces of wood, pieces of insulation, lumps of hard nylon and rubber boots. Report with photos: https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2019/10/01/fishing-boat-debris-cleared-from-west-side-beaches/

Debris at Papa Little may come from grounded trawler

Concerns have been raised over the amount of debris washed on beaches on the west side which may have come from the "Coelleira" after it ran aground off Shetland in August. A west-facing beach at Papa Little, an uninhabited island north of Aith, strewn with items like wood, pieces of insulation and lumps of hard nylon on Sep 21. Also included in the bruck were four new looking rubber boots – further increasing the belief that the items were from the "Coelleira". Bits of sheet plastic in among pebbles were also washed ashore on nearby island Vementry. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), however, started monthly monitoring of the vessel and her surroundings on Sep 7. There will also be a surface visual survey after significant storms. This was most recently completed after Storm Dorian passed through the area and there was no noticeable degradation. Marine Scotland has agreed in principle to allow their Watchdog aircraft to have a look on an opportunity basis. Recovering debris is only the vessel owner’s responsibility if it is proven to be from the boat. If the source of the debris cannot be proven, debris which ends up on land becomes the landowner’s responsibility for disposal. Report with photos: https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2019/09/25/debris-from-grounded-boat-causing-concern-on-the-west-side/