The Transport Accident Investigation Commission has assessed the reported grounding and loss of the fishing vessel Mako on the West Coast yesterday (eds: Thursday 19 March) and has decided not to open an inquiry at this stage.

TAIC prioritises inquiries where there is potential to identify new systemic safety issues. The reported circumstances of this occurrence are consistent with risks already well established in recent investigations.

The safety message is consistent: when a vessel is underway, someone must be actively keeping watch, monitoring position and surroundings, and ready to act early if the situation changes.

The Commission was advised the crew chose to drift overnight and were later woken by unusual noises, after which it became clear the vessel had run aground. The crew reportedly activated emergency beacons, transmitted a mayday, and used a life raft to reach shore safely.

Recent TAIC reports into vessel groundings and near misses have consistently identified the same safety issues around the adequacy of watchkeeping and use of all available means for safe navigation.

In one recent report, a vessel grounded near Bluff after the crew did not maintain an effective navigational watch and did not detect their proximity to land in time. In another report into a grounding in the Hauraki Gulf, loss of situational awareness meant the vessel’s position and track were not being actively monitored.

Other Commission inquiries have found watchkeepers failing to keep a proper lookout or make effective use of radar and other navigation aids. In one case, the wheelhouse was left unattended while the vessel was underway near banks Peninsula and a watchkeeping alarm had been disabled. In others in the Bay of Islands and Bay of Plenty, crews did not recognise developing hazards in time to avoid grounding or collision.

TAIC has also highlighted the risks of fatigue and sole-charge operations in small fishing vessels, where the demands of the role can reduce the effectiveness of watchkeeping.

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