A report has found there could have been far more serious consequences, when a boat sank minutes after carrying passengers to Skellig Michael last year.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board published its report into the incident whereby the passenger vessel Sea Breeze III sank near Skellig Michael on 7th July 2024.
There were no passengers onboard when the boat sank, and the Skipper was rescued by the ship’s owner just before it went under.
12 passengers and one crew successfully disembarked from the MV Sea Breeze III at approximately 9am on to Skellig Michael, leaving the highly experienced Skipper alone onboard.
About ten minutes later, the engine compartment bilge alarm sounded, and when the Skipper inspected the compartment, he saw water at the base of the engine.
He started the engine and steering compartment bilge pumps and telephoned the owner, who agreed the vessel would go back to Portmagee and the owner would meet him with a separate boat.
The report said no Very-High-Frequency radio or mobile telephone call was made to the Coast Guard, and the Skipper did not respond to calls onboard.
When the owner reached the vessel at 9:35, the stern was lower in the water, and within minutes the vessel sank about 2.9 nautical miles north of Little Skellig; the Skipper had moved to the owner’s boat by this stage, and no passengers or crew went down with the vessel.
The report said it’s not possible to provide a definitive cause of the water ingress into the hull, but based on the evidence, a failure of a skin fitting or associated hose is the most probable cause.
It said had the water ingress started earlier while all were onboard, there may have been a very serious outcome, as the water would have ingressed faster with the added weight, possibly before either the harbour was able to be reached, or, before the Owner could reach the vessel.
The report found the Skipper should have issued an urgency announcement, and an upgrade to a MAYDAY distress call was appropriate as the situation escalated.
It recommended refresher training to all skippers and crew in the correct use of VHF, and that the Minister for the OPW should consider installing a solar-powered CCTV system to monitor the landing dock on Great Skellig.
