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Re: Glenbrook Driver cleared (newspaper article)
- Subject: Re: Glenbrook Driver cleared (newspaper article)
- From: Neil Waller <nwaller@ihug.com.au>
- Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2000 17:54:39 +0930
- Newsgroups: aus.rail
- Organization: Ihug Limited (Adelaide)
- References: <39421271.CFEB760D@ozemail.com.au> <8hv69q$rqc$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <%nI05.13544$N4.495083@ozemail.com.au> <3944DDDA.2E51E64C@fastlink.com.au> <71908C33DE6410C5.CBCF641FADA19EF6.AD65CD3FAE035462@lp.airnews.net> <394b1c03@kastagir.senet.com.au>
- Xref: bclass.spectrum.com.au aus.rail:13108
T & J Jones wrote:
>
> I recall some years ago a Russian cruise ship full of Australian tourists
> sank off the South Island of NZ when the NZ pilot (and local harbour master)
> directed it into dangerous waters. The person found responsible (and I
> believe jailed) was the Russian captain as he was deemed to be the
> responsible person in charge of the ship. The pilot walked free as he
> wasn't the responsible person.
>
The Pilot knows the waters but the Captain knows the ship. It must
be a 2 way communication between the Master and the Pilot (who will
always be a qualified Ships Master).
There are a number of things here: the language of the sea is English
of which the Russian master may have a limited knowledge, and the NZ
pilot may speak with an idiom that the Russian master can not
understand.
The pilot (presumably in this case out of Picton, Nelson or Wellington)
has many ships to guide and his knowledge of each is rudimentary.
For a cruise ship he may also be a senior officer who may, or may not
be, a little rusty in the knowledge of the waters.
He may also be weary.
The Captain has a duty to protect his ship.
New Zealand is a geologically active area and things can and do change
fairly quickly.
Not all that straight forward.