FISHING VESSEL SKIPPER FINED AFTER RUNNING AGROUND ON LIZARD PENINSULA


The skipper of a French fishing vessel has been ordered to pay £11,155 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to endangering his vessel and crew together with failing to keep a proper look-out after falling asleep.
 
On the afternoon of Wednesday 28 August 2013 the fishing vessel ‘Scuderia’ sailed from Roscoff in northern France towards fishing grounds off the Lizard Peninsula. At about 10.30pm the vessel ran aground at Lankidden Cove between Cadgwith and Coverack.
 
 
 
Falmouth Coastguard was contacted at 11.01pm and an emergency response activated, with the Lizard RNLI lifeboat attending together with the Porthoustock Coastguard Rescue Team. None of the 5 crew was injured but the forward fuel tank had been ruptured, with the loss of approximately 10 tonnes of diesel. An anti-pollution and salvage operation was put in place and the vessel was refloated on Monday 2 September 2013. Pollution was minimal with no longer term problems anticipated.
 
The 38-year-old skipper, Gilles Lemaitre, stated the grounding had been caused by him falling asleep on the bridge after having had little sleep when off-watch and self prescribing Codeine tablets.
 
Mr. Lemaitre appeared before Truro Magistrates' Court today where he pleaded guilty to both offences. In sentencing, the court took into consideration his full cooperation with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in this matter as well as his early guilty plea.
 
Tony Heslop, the MCA's Area Operations Manager (Survey and Inspection) for the South West said:
 
"There are no excuses for the person responsible for navigating the vessel to fall asleep on the job. More so when that person is the skipper who has taken medication that could impact on him staying awake and alert. He could have called one of the other crew members to come to the wheelhouse and take over.

"This was a serious incident which could have had much more severe consequences."
 
Break down of the fines and costs:
 
£2,800 for conduct endangering ships structures and individuals
£2,800 for failing to keep a proper lookout
£5,435 in costs to the MCA
£120 victim surcharge


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