The total loss of the New Zealand Navy survey vessel Manawanui under the command of a clearly DEI appointed Captain was The subject of a “Court of Inquiry”.
I have only just caught up with the disaster outcome after the Reef striking and subsequent sinking of the >NZ$100 000 000 boat
At the time of the wreck there was much rumour and discussion often involving “Armchair Admirals” some who may have had experience of runabouts in sheltered waters, concerning the Captain of the ill fated vessel, ex Royal Navy, Commander Yvonne Gray who it was suggested had been appointed Skipper while in a Mobile Home tripping across the Nullarbor with her partner Sharron in 2022.
They had moved country after an earlier camper van tripping around New Zealand ten years earlier.
Now the Court were skipping on the head of a pin to avoid suggesting DEI might have contributed but they did find the Boat on departure did not have all systems go, there was a thruster problem.
Of the 40 actual crew the court discovered that there were 20 deficiencies listed, perhaps that included the problem with disengaging the Auto pilot that continued to drive the boat onto the Reef?
Much was made of the successful disembarking of the 75 on board with only one injury but little disclosure the clear possibility that number included “Passengers”
Any way there were some pretty obvious Human errors involved in the wrecking but a superficial read does little to actually sheet home who, what and why. Lots of redactions of the released decisions.
The Royal Navy were not so woke in 1757 when they shot Admiral Byng to death for “Failing to do his Utmost” in the early days of the “seven Years war”. Commander Gray may feel a little fortunate indeed.
The Court of Inquiry admitted that the CO and other staff were NOT Platform Endorsed, Navy speak for unqualified.
If that had been a Commercial Vessel the Flag State authorities would have been all over the Company and staff like a rash, the insurers would not have paid up and the Company would never again have a place in the offshore industry.
I have been Chief Officer (2i/c) of two similar vessels.
Exactly the Commanding Office wasn’t platform certified and didn’t do a simple checklist run through of why the vessel wasn’t responding to helm inputs when summoned to the bridge….starting with is the Autopilot disengaged!!!
The Office in charge on the bridge when incident started, the person on the helm and the CO should all have the book thrown at them, with the CO who is accountable getting an absolute rocket… she after all is incharge of ensuring that the crew are properly trained to cope with emergencies…
Lets not forget that no disciplinary action has yet been taken. Cdr Gray will be court-martialled, but I don’t know when. The convention in cases of loss of a ship is to court martial the Commanding Officer and Officer of the Watch as a minimum.
Whilst on full pay as it drags on…
En cette pays, temps a temp, il a tue un admiral pour encourager les autres
Voltaire in Candide..