CO129-619-3 Marine Court of Inquiry to investigate stranding of S.S. HONG KHENG- proceedings 1-7-1947 - 31-7-1947 — Page 5

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The tropical storm produces a set radiating outwards from the centre of the storm, which is probably due to a combination of the following: -

A swell radiating from the centre. The piling up of water in the centre, producing a more or less radial flow. (a) 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 produce a resultant set com→→ pletely different from the normal.

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Unless, therefore, due allowance is made for this radial set, very serious errors in reck- " oning may arise.

We have considered the fact that the "Hong Kheng"

was not manned in accordance with the requirements of the

Merchant Shipping Acts in so far as she did not carry a

duly certificated 1st Mate but only an acting lat Kate

holding a 2nd Mate's Certificate of Competency for a

Foreign-going steamship, and also a 2nd Mate holding a

1st 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 certificated officers in these

difficult day,s the Court is completely satisfied that the "Hong Kheng", although not manned to statubry 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 times,

and that the Master and his officers had full command of

the situation and supervised the disembarkation of the passengers in a seamanlike manner.