THE NAUTICAL COURT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2185, 8 May 1908, Page 2

THE NAUTICAL COURT.

THE TAVIUNI ENQUIRY. CAPTAIN’S CERTIFICATE SUSPENDED. Press Association. WESTPORT, Alay 7. The Nautical Court, in giving judgment in the Taviuni stranding case this morning, said it came to the con-' elusion that the cause of the casualty was the negligent navigation of the master, James Brophy. Its reasons for tho finding were:—The vessel was well found and manned. She_ was seeking anchorage with the signal against her, and practically, to put it bluntly, she was driven ashore at full speed (because the Court preferred to rely on the evidence of the second engineer hs to the time he recorded tho orders) a few hundred yards from a well-lighted port with unknown dangers on a night which, on the captain’s own admission, was not dirty but- merely dark and squally with mists hanging over the land. This, in itself, seemed. negligence of some kind, and when the circumstances were further inquired into, it.was found that the captain, kuowing 'tlie signals were against him, and' knowing the night was not clear and that a mist was hanging along the shore, runs on with the vessel with the intention of doing so until lie can pick up the red- light on the - end of Tiphead, which could only be seen a comparatively short distance off in misty weather, without taking the simplo and, as the Court held, the proper and necessary precautions of taking cross boarings from Cape Foulwind. and tlio harbor lights or using the lead. Other masters might not take these precautions, but the Court considered it to be wrong to even indirectly countenance any lowering of the standard where life and property were concerned. The captain’s certificate was suspended for three montlis, and ho was ordered to pay the costs of the enquiry, £35 11s. The Court found that after tho accident proper steps were taken to protect and preserve the passengers, crew, mails, and cargo, and that the - life-saving appliances and signalling appliances on tlio ship were in firstclass order. Tho red sector on Cape Foulwind light was a good one, but not absolutely necessary. No blame was attached to the other officers.