FINDING OFT THE COURT «
WE find that the British vessel "Hong Kheng" registered at the Pt of Singapore and owned by the Ho Hong Steamship Company, (1932), Lited, of Singapore left the Port of Victoria, Hongkong, at about 1830 hours on Friday the 18th. day of July, 1947, and that Captain Douglas Ronald Bannerman was Master of the vessel and had cleared her for Swatow with 1620 Asiatic passengers and a crew of 181 but carrying no cargo.
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At 2042 hours on the same day and when in a position 173 degrees distant 2.0 miles from the island known as the South Ninepin the course was set 075 degrees to pass approximately 8.0 miles off Chilang Point. The wind was E.N.E. with a foroe of from 5 to 6 on the Beaufort Scale and the visibility was fair with occasional rain storms.
No altorations in the course were made, and at 0357 hours on Saturday the 19th. day of July, 1947, the "Hong Kheng" stranded on the Reef Island rocks and subsequently became a total loss.
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From evidence adduced before the Court we are satisfied that the course set would normally allow a reasonable margin of safety, and it is the one used by shipmasters with long experience in the China Coast Trade.
5.
We are satisfied that an efficient lookout was kept at all times and that lights 3 miles distant were plainly visible, but it is the opinion of the Court that the visibility, although fairly good so far as lights were concerned, might have been of such a nature as would render the the detection of low lying islands very difficult.
6.
The evidence olearly shows that soundings are rarely taken by vessels regularly running along that stretch of the Coast, but the Court is of the firm opinion that a prudent shipmaster would have ordered at least hourly soundings which would have given some indication of an inshore set.
This is especially so in this particular case for the time of day precluded any form of observations and bearings, and navigational hazards were increased by the uncertain visibility and the fact that the important light on Chilang Point was cxtinguished.
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We are agreed that the "Hong Khong" experienced an abnormal and unpredictable set and drift which may be reasonably attributed to the tropical revolving storm which passed roughly 120 miles to the south- wards of the vessel on the 18th. July, 1947, and in this matter the Court is guided by the remarks on Page 15 of the "Sailing Directions"
China Sea Pilot, Volume III which states as follows:-
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In the vicinity of a tropical revolving storm the set of the current may be markedly different from that to be expected nor- mally.
The tropical storm produocs a set radiating outwards from the cuntre of the storm, which is probably due to a combination of the following:-
A swoll radiating from the centro.
(a)
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(b)
The piling up of water in the centre, producing a more or less radial flow.
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(c)
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The effects of the earth's rotation upon currents generated by the winds associated with the storm.
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The set of the currents actually experienced at a place in the vicinity of a tropical storm will, therefore, be a combination of the set of the current to be expected normally at that place and this additional set radiating from the centre of the tropical storm. When the first of these is relatively weak the radial set will be predominant, and in particular situations may pro- duce a resultant sot completely different from the normal. Unless, therefore, due allowance is made for this radial set, very serious errors in reckoning may arise.
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8. We have considered the faot that the "Hong Khong" was not mannad... in accordanoc with the requirements of the Marchant Shipping Aots in so far as she did not carry a duly oertificated 1st. Mate but only an
oting 1st. Mate holding a 2nd. Mato's Certificate of Competency for a Foreign-going steamship, and also a 2nd. Mate holding a lat. Mate's Home Trade Certificate, which circumstances were occasioned by the unfortunate accident to the 1st. Mate which necessitated his being landed for medical attention on the 18th. of July, 1947.
In view of the nature of the short voyage, and the prevailing shortage of oertificated officers in these difficult days, the Court is completely satisfied that the "Hong Khong", although not manned to statutory requirements, was in no way endangered by the temporary absence of the 1st. Mate.
9. We are of the opinion that the discipline on board the vessel remained consistently good at all timos, and that the Master and his Officers had full command of the situation and supervised the disemTM barkation of the passengers in a seamanlike manner,
10. We accept the evidenog of the Aoting Port Health Officer that Four of the survivors died after leaving the "Hong Khong", and also his assurances that none of these deaths could be attributed to the casualty but that all four persons had died of natural causes.
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Wo find:-
(a) That the "Hong Khong" was lost by stranding on the Reef Island
rocks having been set off her course by an unusual current.
(b) That the Master of the vessel is responsible for two omissions in
that he failed to avail himself of the advice afforded by the "Sailing Directions" and also that he failed to take soundings in circumstances which clearly indicated their necessity.
We commend the action of the Master in considering the lives of the passengers as being of prior importance to any immediate attempt to refloat the vessel which might well have resulted in the vessel founder- ing in deep water with a probable heavy loss of life.
We have carefully reviewed the evidence and considered all attendant circumstances, and we are unanimously agreed that Captain Douglas Ronald Bannerman must be censured but we do not find it necessary to cither suspund or cancel his Certificate of Competency as Master of a Foreign-going Steamship.
12. In conclusion, we wish to place on rcoord our high appreciation of the splendid and seamanlike action taken by the Commanding Officers of the U.S.S. "Hawkins" and "Fox", H. M. S. "Hart", U.S.S.R. S.S. "Nahadka", S.S. "Hunan" and the S.T. "Caroline Moller" all of whom by their mited efforts saved the entire passengers and crew totalling over 1800 persons and brought them safely to Hong Kong after minister- ing to their needs.
We also wish to express our appreciation of the good work done by the Hong Kong Medical Department who made all the necessary arrange- ments to receive the survivors and attend to their comfort.
Marine Court,
Hong Kong.
31st. July, 1947.
Signed:-
President
Member
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ames Jolly)
KNevills Towly hisut (N).
(Folix Edward Neville-Towle
Kombor, ledvene Endicott Somet
Redvers Endicott Smith)
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