The Ouzo Report

"I strongly recommend that every Practical Boat Owner reader gets hold of a copy of the Ouzo report." 

Sarah Norbury - Editor PBO.

After months of speculation, we now know some of the facts surrounding the disappearance of the Sailfish 25, Ouzo, and the loss of her three crew, south of the Isle of Wight on an August night last year.

Ouzo's crew (right), Jason Downer, Rupert Saunders and James Meaby, did not survive.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) published its report into the incident, involving the P&O ferry Pride of Bilbao, earlier this month.

And although most people will already have read in the newspapers about the lookout wearing 'the wrong glasses', there is much more in the report that will shock every yachtsman. 

Ouzo did not show up on the ship's radar, despite the fact that she had almost undoubtedly hoisted her octahedral radar reflector. 

According to the report, on the ship, an officer harmed his and others' night vision by taking the red filter off the chart-table light. 

The ship was turned without the lookout being told. 

And when the lookout saw Ouzo's lights at the last minute, and told the officer, the officer 'had no concerns that the light was anything other than from a distant vessel.'

Even more shocking, after the collision, or near miss, the two men saw Ouzo's lights astern, but decided she was safe, and did not call her, or stop to check, and without waking the captain steamed on towards Spain, leaving Ouzo and her three crew to their fate.

Important advice

PBO were surprised that the MAIB released the report before the trial of an officer for manslaughter by gross negligence later this year, but a spokesman told PBO that their findings and recommendations for the merchant shipping industry, and for yachtsmen, are so important that they need to be publicised quickly, and widely.

How do I get a copy?

PBO give a brief summary of the report in their news section, but they would strongly advise all coastal and offshore sailors to read the full 49-page document. A full copy of the report is available from the MAIB website, or they will send you one in the post, tel: 023 8039 5500 or email maib@dft.gsi.gov.uk.

The recommendations for yachtsmen are summarised in the MAIB's 'Flyer to the Leisure Industry' (Adobe pdf format). 

Practical Boat Owner 486 June 2007 www.pbo.co.uk

Marine Accident Investigation Branch

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) examines and investigates all types of marine accidents to or on board UK ships worldwide, and other ships in UK territorial waters. The sole objective of MAIB accident investigations is to determine the circumstances and causes of the accident with a view to preserve life and avoid accidents in the future, not to apportion blame or liability.

To find out what you need to do to report an accident look at their 'reporting an accident' section.