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A CREWMAN of a Scottish fishing vessel has been fined for his role in a grounding incident that occurred last spring.
On March 17 the vessel Reliant, BCK101, grounded on Sule Skerry to the South West of the Orkney Islands. It had been heading home to Buckie after a trip dogged by bad weather, and the skipper decided to have one last haul on the way. They sailed from Kinlochbervie in the early hours of the day and the skipper handed over to one of the crew at around 0830am once they were clear of Cape Wrath. He went below to have a few hours rest before shooting the gear.
David Smith was not a regular member of the crew, standing in occasionally. He admitted watching the unfolding tale of the Tsunami in Japan while not on duty. This meant that he was not getting enough sleep and as a consequence he fell asleep for a short period during which time the boat was set onto the small outcrop of Sule Skerry.
At the Sheriff Court in Kirkwall yesterday, Smith pleaded guilty of failing to keep a proper lookout and was fined £1,600.
On summing up the Sheriff, Graham Napier, said: “The penalty cannot compensate the owner for the cost of the loss of his boat. The statutory maximum fine for a summary offence is £10,000. I will deal with it is a first offender as it is very straightforward. I believe the appropriate level is £2,000, discounted for an early plea of guilty to £1,600.
Thomas Robinson, Area Operations Manager (Survey and Inspection), Scotland East for the MCA stated : “This was a serious breach of the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea and once again reminds all fishermen of the need to ensure everyone onboard is properly rested and able to maintain a lookout at all times.”
On March 17 the vessel Reliant, BCK101, grounded on Sule Skerry to the South West of the Orkney Islands. It had been heading home to Buckie after a trip dogged by bad weather, and the skipper decided to have one last haul on the way. They sailed from Kinlochbervie in the early hours of the day and the skipper handed over to one of the crew at around 0830am once they were clear of Cape Wrath. He went below to have a few hours rest before shooting the gear.
David Smith was not a regular member of the crew, standing in occasionally. He admitted watching the unfolding tale of the Tsunami in Japan while not on duty. This meant that he was not getting enough sleep and as a consequence he fell asleep for a short period during which time the boat was set onto the small outcrop of Sule Skerry.
At the Sheriff Court in Kirkwall yesterday, Smith pleaded guilty of failing to keep a proper lookout and was fined £1,600.
On summing up the Sheriff, Graham Napier, said: “The penalty cannot compensate the owner for the cost of the loss of his boat. The statutory maximum fine for a summary offence is £10,000. I will deal with it is a first offender as it is very straightforward. I believe the appropriate level is £2,000, discounted for an early plea of guilty to £1,600.
Thomas Robinson, Area Operations Manager (Survey and Inspection), Scotland East for the MCA stated : “This was a serious breach of the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea and once again reminds all fishermen of the need to ensure everyone onboard is properly rested and able to maintain a lookout at all times.”
