D 17
Cameron Road, Kowloon, the number of whose certificate of competency as pilot was 25 of Hongkong.
The Court found as under: —
We find that the Steamship Uncas, Official No. 135326 of which Edward Crump, certificate, extra master, No. 007861, left Lai Chi Kok at 4.30 p.m. on 16th September, with Philip Going, pilot, on board, and that all went well until about 750 yards from the Steamship St. Albans which ship was lying at her buoy loading. At this moment the speed of the Steamship Uncas would be some 9 knots and her helm was ported slightly so as to avoid two junks passing from starboard to port across her bow. The time would be about 5.12 p.m.
The speed of the ship was reduced as necessary. The pilot then gave an order to starboard the helm, so as to get the ship away from the St. Albans, but finding the ship did not answer helm, at once gave the order to put the helm hard aport and then hard astarboard. The ship would then be about 200 yards from the St. Albans, going at 4 knots. The engines were then stopped, but the ship was swinging towards the St. Albans. The pilot then ordered full speed astern but the master seeing a collision was unavoidable, ordered the engines to be put full ahead to minimise the force of the blow, and the collision occurred at 5.16 p.m. It is the opinion of the Court that the helm was never put hard astarboard owing to the conflicting orders given by the pilot, and we are of opinion that, when the pilot saw the ship swinging to starboard with a strong easterly wind on the port bow of the Uncas he should have put the helm hard aport and his engines full speed astern and come round under the stern of the St. Albans which he had plenty of room to do. We therefore hold the pilot to be guilty of an error of judgment and to blame for the collision, but taking into consideration his previous good record as a pilot in this port, we consider that a severe reprimand meets the case and we strongly recommend him in future to use the Central Fairway which is specially set apart for the passage of ocean ships, and we hold the master to be exonerated from all blame, and we consider that his action at the time when a collision was seen to be inevitable in going full speed ahead was good seamanship and minimised the effect of the blow.
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