A
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MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 1978
THE REPORT SAYS THAT IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT, FOLLOWING THIS CASUALTY, CERTAIN PROPOSALS WERE MADE FOR SOME FORM OF MANDATORY TRAFFIC SEPARATION FOR OUTLYING ISLAND AND HONG KONG/MACAU FERRIES TO OPERATE ONLY AT THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN POOR VISIBILITY WAS TO BE EXPECTED.
+ IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THESE PROPOSALS SHOULD BE PUT BEFORE THE RELATIVE PORT COMMITTEES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION BEFORE THE NEXT SEASON DURING WHICH FOG IS NORMALLY TO BE EXPECTED,+ THE REPORT STATES.
THE COURT SAT FOR 13 DAYS LAST OCTOBER BEFORE JUDGE COLLIER WHO WAS ASSISTED BY TWO MASTER MARINERS, CAPTAIN MAURICE BURBIDGĖ AND CAPTAIN PETER GRAY, AND A NAVAL ARCHITECT, DR. BRIAN BAXTER.
IT FOUND THAT THE COLLISION WAS CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE SPEED ON THE PART OF BOTH VESSELS IN FOG, NO FAULT IN DESIGN OF EITHER VESSEL CONTRIBUTED TO THE CASUALTY +SAVE THAT THE RADAR SET IN THE BRIDGE OF THE FLYING ALBATROSS' COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SITED.
THE COURT CENSURED THE MASTERS OF BOTH VESSELS.
A TOTAL OF 92 QUESTIONS WERE ASKED, OF WHICH 31 RELATED TO THE +MAN TACK+, 33 TO THE FLYING ALBATROSS+ AND THE REMAINDER WERE GENERAL QUESTIONS.
A WOMAN OF 70 DIED AS A RESULT OF CATCHING PNEUMONIA CAUSED BY BEING IMMERSED IN THE WATER AFTER THE +MAN TACK+ CAPSIZED.
IN A +RELATIVE ASSESSMENT OF BLAME FOR THE COLLISION+, THE REPORT SAYS THAT THE FLYING ALBATROSS+ MUST TAKE A GREATER SHARE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
* IT WAS AWARE, BY RADAR,
BY RADAR, OF THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER VESSEL, BUT CONTINUED AT AN IMMODERATE SPEED+ OF SOME 34 KNOTS ON THE FOILS-
*
+FLYING ALBATROSS+ HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF KNOWING OF THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER VESSEL, BUT THERE WAS NOT A PROPER RADAR WATCH KEPT NOR WAS INTELLIGENT AND REASONABLE USE MADE OF SUCH REPORTS THAT THE RADAR WATCH PRODUCED- AND
* +FLYING ALBATROSS+ DID NOT TAKE EARLY AND SUBSTANTIAL
ACTION.
THE FLYING ALBATROSS+ IS CRITICISED FOR EXCESSIVE SPEED IN REDUCED VISIBILITY DESPITE WARNING OF APPROACHING TARGETS ON RADAR- FOR INADEQUATE RADAR WATCHKEEPING AND FOR LACK OF POSITIVE ACTION TO AVOID THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CLOSE QUARTER SITUATION.
'THE +MAN TACK+