A collision between a bulk carrier and a general cargo ship which killed five crew members could have been avoided if those on watch had complied with basic collision regulations, a report has found.
The Isle of Man registered Verity sank within five minutes of being struck by the Bahamas registered Polesie in the early hours of October 24 2023.
The vessel’s master, chief officer, chief engineer and two able seamen lost their lives, while two crew survived.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch report, published on behalf of the Isle of Man Ship Registry, identified significant shortcomings in how both vessels’ officers applied the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
“Specifically, both watchkeepers were willing to accept inappropriately close passing distances given that their room for manoeuvre was not overly constrained by navigational hazards or limited by other traffic,” the report said.
The investigation was hampered because Verity was not fitted with a voyage data recorder.
In response, the Isle of Man Ship Registry has been recommended to propose extending mandatory VDR carriage to vessels of 500 gross tonnage and above.