Skipper ran aground after falling asleep

Published on Tuesday 11 November 2008 22:34

THE skipper of a Scottish prawn boat that ran aground fell asleep at the wheel because he had been fishing at night and spending his days in a courtroom, it was revealed yesterday.

The unnamed skipper of the 10-metre prawn trawler Oceana was managing only about two hours' sleep a day when the accident happened on 9 May, according to a preliminary report from the government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

The Peterhead-registered vessel ran aground at Mill Rock, close to the entrance of Troon harbour in Ayrshire. Although the skipper and his three-man crew were uninjured, 250 litres of diesel leaked into the sea from the badly damaged hull.

The report states: "Oceana's skipper was a witness in an on-going case and was required to attend court daily.

"To keep fishing, he attended court by day and fished by night, and was achieving about two hours sleep a day. This routine continued for four days before the skipper fell asleep at the helm as Oceana was returning to Troon at the end of an overnight trip. The autopilot was on, and the remainder of the crew were inside the shelter deck processing prawns.

"The boat steamed across the fairway to Troon – a channel used by high speed ferries – and grounded on Mill Rock, a well marked isolated rock, about half a mile off the harbour.

"Although the owners were aware of the skipper's circumstances, they had taken no action to provide additional watchkeepers or a replacement skipper to cover the period the skipper was attending court."

The report says the skipper, the owner and the management company have been contacted over the safety issues raised.