A pleasure craft which capsized close to the Saltee islands in Co Wexford last August with the loss of one life was overloaded at the time, according to the official inquiry by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board.
A 72-year-old man, Francis Smith, from Salisbury in England, died in the incident involving the 6m dory craft, Jillian, on August 29th.
A group of 10 family members and relatives were on a sea angling expedition from Kilmore Quay.
The vessel was swamped after it was hit by waves in the Saltee Sound.
The skipper-owner had ensured all on board were wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs), a move which was instrumental in the survival of nine of the 10, the report noted.
The skipper-owner was initially trapped under the vessel when his own PFD inflated automatically on contact with water and blocked his exit from the wheelhouse. He managed to remove it and swim out.
The report said that when it became clear one person was still missing, one of the group swam back underneath and pulled him clear.
The group had been five hours in the water, and in darkness, when located by the Saltee island ferry, An Crossan.
The ferry crew heard shouting and whistling after the skipper put its engine into neutral to fix a search light.
Its search light then picked up reflective strips on the PFDs from some of the group, all of whom had stayed together on the upturned hull.
Favourable conditions
Weather conditions were favourable at the time, but the area is known for its choppy seas due to uneven ground and strong tidal streams, especially during a full moon.
The alarm was raised by a relative at about 11.15pm, when the dory had not returned to port. The lifeboat and island ferry launched at 11.30pm, and the RNLI Fethard-on-Sea and Rosslare lifeboats were also tasked to assist, along with an Irish Coast Guard helicopter.
The MCIB noted that there was no hand-held VHF radio or emergency position indicating radio beacon (Epirb) on board, and none of the group knew how to use a flare to alert rescue services.
It noted the vessel was built before compliance with a recreational craft directive became mandatory, and so there was no requirement for the boatmaker’s name plate to show the maximum load the boat could safely carry. However, it said all boatowners should be familiar with this information.
The reportsaid the Minister for Transport should consider use of Epirbs for a wider range of craft.
