MASTER EXONERATED

Evening Star, Issue 21284, 13 December 1932, Page 6

MASTER EXONERATED

THE SCOW ECHO CASE COMBINATION OF MISFORTUNES [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, December 13. The Marine Court’s finding in the scow Echo case is: In our opinion this casualty was due to a combination of circumstances for which the master cannot be held to blame. The casualty was, we think, due to misadventure, and was not contributed to by any act or default on the part of the master and crew. The judgment states that, as the vessel was nearing the point at which the leading lights of the harbour should have become visible, a particularly heavy rain squall obliterated the surroundings and made it difficult to estimate the distance the vessel was from Pencarrow Light. No sign could be seen of any light inside Wellington Harbour. In a normally powered steamer a prudent master would, under such circumstances, have headed out to sea until visibilty improved, but with this vessel, being a scow, and having low-powered engines, and there being a moderate gale blowing and a heavy sea running, such a manoeuvre was impossible. The master was compelled to make entrance. The fact that the vessel was of such a type as to be unable in the weather prevailing to turn and make to windward, and was thus compelled to carry on, and the fact that, at the critical time, the whole of the harbour lights were obscured by a squall of blinding rain, combined to make the master’s position one of extreme difficulty. It was necessary for him to carry on sufficiently far to clear Barrett’s Reef, and ,the absence of any lights other than' Pencarrow made it difficult for him to estimate exactly when he had done this. When he finally gave the order for a change of course the vessel was nearing the shore on' the Pencarrow side, and the difficulty, in the wind and weather existing, in bringing her round to this course was the final circumstance which led to her striking.