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CASE 20<br />
The Lessons<br />
1. A vessel that is seen can be avoided. A<br />
vessel that isn’t seen is an accident waiting<br />
to happen. Wheelhouse watchkeepers<br />
need to be well rested, alert and use all<br />
means available to keep a proper lookout.<br />
If you have never seen the guidance<br />
in MGN 313 (M) on keeping a safe<br />
navigational watch it is worth reading.<br />
2. Leaving the wheelhouse unattended is<br />
fraught with danger. It is not only the best<br />
place from which to navigate, but it also<br />
houses safety-critical alarms to warn of<br />
fire and flood. No matter how quiet it is,<br />
wheelhouse watchkeeping is a full-time<br />
task. Other jobs can wait or can be done by<br />
somebody else.<br />
3. Older wooden fishing vessels that do<br />
not have collision or other watertight<br />
bulkheads are susceptible to rapid flooding<br />
and foundering if damaged. Therefore, it<br />
is reassuring to know that if a crew cannot<br />
abandon before a vessel sinks, its EPIRB<br />
will alert the coastguard and its liferaft will<br />
provide temporary shelter – providing they<br />
are well maintained and correctly stowed.<br />
46<br />
MAIB Safety Digest 1/2017
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