ARI SHARP
October 21, 2009

TEENAGE sailor Jessica Watson failed to detect a 64,000 tonne cargo
ship on her yacht's radar and then went to sleep less than five
minutes before the two collided, transport safety investigators say.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau yesterday released its
preliminary investigation into the September 9 incident in which the
16-year-old's 10.4-metre sloop, Ella's Pink Lady, collided with the
Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier Silver Yang.

Ms Watson was on the first night of a trip from Mooloolaba, on the
Sunshine Coast, to Sydney as a trial run for her bid to sail around
the world, which started on Sunday.

Releasing the report, the safety investigators declined to comment on
whether it was wise for her to proceed with the eight-month trip,
saying it was up to Ms Watson and her support crew to decide.

But before Ms Watson left Sydney, the safety bureau took her to visit
the bridge watch-keeper's position on a tanker ship, to help her
understand what could be seen from that vantage point.

They also suggested she visit fatigue management experts in an effort
to better manage her sleep patterns on the solo journey, and urged her
to fit radar reflectors to make her craft more easily seen.

The six-page safety report says Ms Watson checked her radar ahead of
planned sleep, at 1.46am, but did not detect the Silver Yang on her
radar despite it being only one mile from her position.

But a Silver Yang crew member had spotted the Pink Lady at 1.25am, and
23 minutes later altered the ship's direction by 10 degrees in an
effort to avoid it.

Silver Yang turned the ship's rudder hard to the right to steer out of
the path, but at 1.50am Pink Lady's bow collided with Silver Yang's
port side.

Lead investigator Peter Foley said Ms Watson had used high-quality
equipment, but improvements had been made ahead of her journey around
the world.

''She's got a very well-equipped vessel, and the radar system, no,
we're not concerned about the adequacy,'' he told reporters.

The bureau said it would take up to six months to complete the report

On Oct 22, 7:43*am, Gogarty wrote:
Strikes me the Aussie CG should have declared this an unsfae voyage and
terminated it.

Are you talking about her shakedown trip or her current trip?

If you talking about her current trip then why do you think the CG
should terminate it?

Do you think the Goverment should dictate who goes to sea?

Sheeze our CG spent 10 million each on converting 8 110 ft boats then
had to scrap them all due to them cracking. All they did was add 10 ft
to each boat. Thats 100K a foot.

Joe

On Oct 22, 7:32*am, Joe wrote:
On Oct 22, 7:43*am, Gogarty wrote:


Do you think the Goverment should dictate who goes to sea?

Joe

HELL YES ! Im damn glad the ABS, USCG, EPA are here telling us which
pice of **** OSV should go to the scrap yard.
ANd at the recreational level HELL YES I think the CG should put up
CLOSED BAR sighn when only an igonorant person would attempt to go
out. Growing up on hte oregon coast ive seen countless sailboat
people, motor bpoat and charter boats fail at vessel controll.
Bob

On Oct 22, 6:48*pm, Bob wrote:
On Oct 22, 7:32*am, Joe wrote:

On Oct 22, 7:43*am, Gogarty wrote:
Do you think the Goverment should dictate who goes to sea?
Joe

HELL YES ! Im damn glad the ABS, USCG, EPA are here telling us which
pice of **** OSV should go to the scrap yard.

We were talking private boats Bob, not commerical regulations and
inspections. If any boats meets safety standards and all applicable
laws they should be left alone IMO.

ANd at the recreational level HELL YES I think the CG should put up
CLOSED BAR sighn when only an igonorant person would attempt to go
out. Growing up on hte oregon coast ive seen countless sailboat
people, motor bpoat and charter boats fail at vessel controll.
Bob

So people should not have the option to try...right?

Thats sad you feel the need to have someone else tell you when and
what to do for your own good. So much for freedom of choice.

I'm glad Robin Graham did not have a bunch of dictators telling him
he should not go. I remember back in school nothing being cooler than
our teachers having us follow him. He was an inspiration to 1000's and
1000's of kids including me.

Joe

"Joe" wrote in message
...


I'm glad Robin Graham did not have a bunch of dictators telling him
he should not go. I remember back in school nothing being cooler than
our teachers having us follow him. He was an inspiration to 1000's and
1000's of kids including me.



You reform school children needed all the inspiration you could get . . .

Wilbur Hubbard

"Gogarty" wrote in message
...
Strikes me the Aussie CG should have declared this an unsfae voyage and
terminated it.


There is no Coast Guard in Australia as you have in the US. There are state
based marine authorities and there is a national ships register. If the
yacht has Australian registration and has the necessary safety equipment to
satisfy the relevant state marine authority (and its not a particularly
onerous list, you can, after clearing customs and immigration, sail it off
as you like. About the only way to stop someone would be for the police to
arrest them for creating a public nuisance or similar.

Stephen Cox
Canberra AUSTRALIA