Soviet inquiry describes Lermontov sinking

Press, 2 September 1986, Page 17

Soviet inquiry describes Lermontov sinking

PA Wellington The Mikhail Lermontov, which sank at Port Gore, had carried a complete collection of New Zealand charts, says a Soviet inquiry. Dealing with the circumstances of the shipwreck, the inquiry report said that the Mikhail Lermontov sailed from Picton at 3 p.m. on February 16.

The ship was fully manned by a qualified crew and the ship’s collection of navigational charts and aids, including New Zealand charts, was complete. The ship was in good repair and fully seaworthy. The report then sets out a timetable of the events as the inquiry found they happened.

At 4.30 p.m. the master went from the bridge leaving the chief navigator in command as the person responsible for the control of the ship which continued to sail along the west coast of the bay under the pilotage of Captain Don Jamison.

About 5 p.m. the chief navigator warned the master that the ship was approaching Ship Cove Bay. He did not receive any additional instructions. The ship passed within and along the coast of Ship Cove Bay and at 5.10 p.m. took a course of 40 degrees preliminary plotted and agreed with the master, who did not come to the bridge. At 5.21 p.m., at Captain Jamison’s command, the ship turned to course 30deg.

At 5.30 p.m. Captain Jamison commanded: “Helm port 10 degrees.” The command was repeated to the helmsman by the chief navigator. The second mate indicated to the chief navigator that the ship was heading towards danger. When asked by the chief navigator about the further route, the report said that he was going to sail closer to Jackson Cape so as to show the passengers. At 5.34 p.m., at the pilot’s command, the ship continued to turn port. Six and a half cables were left to Cape Jackson. The chief navigator again

asked the pilot to explain his actions.

The pilot replied that he intended to steer the ship through the passage between Cape Jackson and Jackson Head, assuring him that the depth was sufficient Two to three cables remained to the entrance of the passage and the time was lost for safe manoeuvring by heading off or stopping ship to prevent Captain Jamison’s intention to steer the ship through the dangerous passage. The chief navigator did not cancel the pilot’s command, the rudder was eased, and when the course was about 325 deg. the ship entered the passage.

The master was not warned about the course changes or the pilot’s intentions.

At 5.38 p.m., sailing at the full manoeuvring speed of about 15 knots, the ship hit submerged rocks and, suffering extensive damage to the hull, made headway through them. Immediately after the impact of the ship’s hull against rocks the master arrived on the bridge. Further actions of the crew were performed under his command.

At 5.40 p.m. the ship was worked dead slow astern and on alternating course it was steered one mile to north-east of Cape Jackson towards the area of safe depths to estimate the damage.

At 5.43 p.m. the crew was mustered in prescribed places on the alert and started the ship’s examination and damage control. At 5.54 p.m. the master having received information about the number of compartments flooded and the flooding intensity steered the ship to Port Gore Bay to continue the ship’s damage control in sheltered waters.

At 6.35 p.m. after estimating the ship’s condition the master came to the conclusion that the ship was in danger of sinking, and believing that the ship could stay afloat not more than two to three hours decided to ground the ship in shallow waters at the head of Port Gore Bay. At 7.18 p.m. the main engines stopped as a

result of water getting on to the main distribution board and the ship stopped making headway four cables before the designated bank. She drifted to the point where she sank in 33m of water.

The ship’s sinking occurred as a result of four adjacent watertight compartments being flooded by outboard water coming through the holes. The measures taken by the crew allowed the ship to be kept afloat for about five hours, enabling the rescue of the passengers and crew.

From 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. all the passengers and the crew were evacuated from the ship to the ship’s life craft with their subsequent transfer to the ferry Arahura and gas tanker Tarihiko.