Pernambuco - Wreck Report 1908

(No. 7147.) 
"PERNAMBUCO" (S.S.). 
The Merchant Shipping Act, 1894. 

IN the matter of a Formal Investigation held at the Municipal Buildings, West Hartlepool, on the 4th and 5th days of March, 1908, before ROBERT LAUDER and WILLIAM RICHARD OWEN, Esquires, two of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County Borough of West Hartlepool, assisted by Captain A. WOOD and Lieutenant LEFTWICH, R.N.R., Nautical Assessors, into the circumstances attending the loss of the British steamship "PERNAMBUCO," of West Hartlepool, through stranding near Lodbierg Light, Denmark, on or about the 17th January, 1908. 

Report of Court. 
The Court, having carefully inquired into the circumstances attending the above-mentioned shipping casualty, finds, for the reasons stated in the Annex hereto, that the cause of the stranding and loss of the steamship "Pernambuco" was too great an allowance having been made for a set to the northward by currents and leeway, and to the vessel having overrun her distance, and that the loss of the vessel was caused by the default of the master, but considering his previous record of service and his personal attention to his duties at the time, the Court refrains from dealing with his certificate. 

Dated this 5th day of March, 1908. 

W. R. OWEN, R. LAUDER, Justices. We concur in the above Report, 
A. WOOD, J. S. LEFTWICH, Assessors. 

Annex to the Report. 

This Inquiry was held in the Municipal Buildings, West Hartlepool, on the 4th and 5th days of March, 1908. Mr. Corder appeared for the Board of Trade, and Mr. Dixon for the master and owners. 

The "Pernambuco," Official Number 65966, was a British screw steamship, schooner rigged, built of iron at Hartlepool in the year 1872 by Messrs. Withy, Alexander, and Company, Hartlepool She was propelled by two compound direct acting engines of 98 horse power combined and was of the following dimensions: ”Length 225 feet, breadth 29.6 feet, depth 16.9 feet. Her registered tonnage as amended after deducting 375.30 tons for propelling power and crew space was 622.03 tons net. She was registered in the Port of Liverpool, and was owned by the Fortuna Steamship Company, Limited, of whom Mr. Jacob Hessler, of Albion Chambers, George Street, West Hartlepool, was designated manager in the transcript of register produced in Court. 

After loading a full cargo of 1250 tons of coke the "Pernambuco" left the Tyne bound to Aalborg in Denmark. She was under command of Mr. Herbert Denyer, who holds a certificate of competency as master No. 040725, and the crew consisted of 16 hands all told. There were no passengers. Her draught of water was about 17 feet 2 inches fore and aft. She was in good condition and well found, having passed her periodical survey in February last. She was supplied with the latest edition of Imray's Blue Back Chart of the North Sea corrected up to date with the accompanying sailing directions. About 1 a.m. of the 16th January last she passed the Tyne pier heads, and a course E. 1/2 N. was set by the pole compass on the bridge, which was also magnetic, for Hantsholm Light on the coast of Denmark. The wind at this time was fresh and the weather slightly hazy. The vessel proceeded on her course at full speed, making about 8 knots through the water. In passing the Tyne pier heads a Walker's patent taffrail log was streamed from the stern. The above course was continued till 8 a.m., when as the wind had increased from S.W. it was altered to E. 3/4 S. by the pole compass, being about E. 1/2 S. magnetic. This alteration was made to compensate for leeway and for the northerly set of the current which the master anticipated from the direction and strength of the wind. 

The course E. 1/2 S. magnetic was continued till 7 p.m. of the 16th, when as the wind had fallen the course E. 1/2 N. magnetic was resumed. At 5 a.m. of the 17th, owing to the weather having become thick with fog, the engines were put at half-speed. At 8 a.m. the fog cleared away and full speed was resumed. The sky, however, remained overcast and no observations could be obtained for finding the vessel's position. At 4 p.m. of the 17th the patent log was found to have registered a distance of 316 miles from the Tyne. At 5 p.m. the course was altered to E.N.E. magnetic, and as the weather had again become thick the engines were reduced to half-speed. Although the course was altered at this time no note was taken of the distance registered by the patent log. In fact none of the witnesses knew what it registered at any time subsequent to 4 p.m. 

At 6.30 p.m. the master ordered the mate to get the deep-sea lead ready for heaving, which was done. At this time the course was altered 1/2 point more to the northward. At 7 p.m. the master had a conversation with the mate, and intimated to him his intention to turn the vessel's head round to the westward and take a cast of the lead. At this time the master and mate were on the bridge, while an A.B. seaman was on the forecastle head forward on the look-out. About 7.10 p.m. the master went below to the chart-room to consult the chart with regard to what depth of water he might expect to find. While he was there the man on the look-out first noticed the weather clearing up suddenly ahead, then he noticed a white streak in the water which he took for breakers and reported it to the bridge. Another seaman who was forward by the ship's side fancied he heard the sea breaking on the beach, which he reported to the mate. Not getting an answer, he proceeded to the bridge. The mate appears to have seen breakers himself immediately before they were reported to him, and rang the telegraph at once for the engines to go full speed astern. The master hearing the telegraph proceeded from the chart-room with all despatch to the bridge which was immediately above the chart-room, but before he got on the bridge the vessel took the ground. He found the engines going full speed astern and the vessel's head fast among the breakers. 

The engines failed to take the vessel off the strand, but canted her stern round towards the north till she lay broadside to the beach with her port side towards the land. In this position the vessel took a heavy list to starboard. The sea breaking heavily over her prevented any attempt from being made by means of the ship's boats to lay out anchors. 

In response to distress signals, the Agger life-boat went off to render assistance, and as the vessel was striking heavily and fast filling with water the master and crew left in this life-boat about 11.40 p.m., leaving all their effects behind them. The master returned to the beach where the vessel lay at 9 o'clock the following morning the 18th January, and found her broken in two, the after part having entirely disappeared. 

As all documents relating to the navigation of the vessel were lost, the courses and distances given are merely a matter of memory. As none of the witnesses could tell what was on the patent log after 4 p.m. of the 17th, the actual distance the ship had steamed from the Tyne to the point of stranding is not precisely known, but from the distance registered on the patent log at 4 p.m. and the time that elapsed till the vessel was ashore it appears that she had overrun her distance by about 10 or 12 miles. The courses set and steered provided no currents were running would bring the vessel practically to the place where she stranded. 

The sailing directions accompanying the North Sea Chart, by which the master navigated his vessel, has the following caution at page 56: "In approaching the Skagerrak in thick weather regard must be had to the current which, in strong southerly wind sets from the south towards Norway and sometimes will make a difference of 20 miles in 24 hours." In setting his courses across the North Sea, the master depended upon the current setting his vessel to the northward as the wind was south-westerly. In view of the instructions contained in the sailing directions already quoted and also from the information contained in the North Sea Pilot, Part IV., the Court do not blame him for this, but consider he made an error in judgment in making too great an allowance for the condition of wind and weather existing at the time. The Court blame him for having approached too near the land in thick weather without first having verified his position by means of the lead, seeing that he had navigated his vessel across the North Sea, through uncertain currents, in weather that prevented him from obtaining his position by observation. It is true the master had cause to consider his vessel to be further from land than she really was; but, nevertheless, the Court is of opinion that he did not act with sufficient caution. 

At the conclusion of the evidence, Mr. Corder submitted the following questions for the opinion of the Court: 

(1) What number of compasses had the vessel, were they in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the vessel, and when and by whom were they last adjusted? 
(2) Did the master ascertain the deviation of his compasses by observation from time to time, were the errors correctly ascertained and the proper corrections to the courses applied?
(3) Was the vessel supplied with proper and sufficient charts and sailing directions? 
(4) On leaving the River Tyne at or about 1 a.m. of the 16th January last, was a safe and proper course set and thereafter steered, and was due and proper allowance made for tide and currents? 
(5) Were safe and proper alterations made in the course at or about 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. of the 16th January and 5.15 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. of the 17th January last, and was due and proper allowance made for tide and currents? 
(6) Having regard to the state of the weather after 5 p.m. of the 17th January last: 
(a) Was the vessel navigated at too great a rate of speed? 
(b) Was the lead used - if not, should it have been used? 
(7) Was a good and proper look-out kept? 
(8) What was the cause of the stranding and loss of the vessel? 
(9) Was the vessel navigated with proper and seamanlike care? 
(10) How was it that the log book and ship's papers were not saved? 
(11) Was the loss of the steamship "Pernambuco" caused by the wrongful act or default of the master? 

Mr. Dixon having addressed the Court on behalf of the owners and master, the Court replied to the questions as follows: 

Answers. 
(1) The vessel had two compasses placed in position on the bridge, one being a pole compass by which the course was set, while the other by which the vessel was steered was placed in front of the wheel. There was also a spare compass below in the cabin. They were in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the vessel, and were last adjusted on the 28th February, 1907, by Alfred Willings of West Hartlepool.
(2) The master had ascertained the deviation of his compasses by observation from time to time on previous voyages, but on the voyage in question there was no opportunity as the sky was continuously obscured. The proper corrections seem to have been applied to the courses. 
(3) The vessel was supplied with proper and sufficient charts and sailing directions. 
(4) On leaving the River Tyne at or about 1 a.m. of the 16th January last a safe and proper course was set and thereafter steered until 8 a.m. of the 16th January last. Up to that time due and proper allowance was made for tide and currents. 
(5) Had the vessel been in the position assumed by the master, the alterations made in the courses after 8 a.m. of the 16th January last up to 6 p.m. of the 17th January last would have been safe and proper, but as the vessel's position by observation had not been obtained during the passage and the weather was thick with fog after 6 p.m. of the 17th January last, the position should have been verified by soundings and the course altered to avoid danger in approaching the Danish coast. 
(6) Having regard to the state of the weather after 5 p.m. of the 17th January last: 
(a) The vessel was not navigated at too great a rate of speed. 
(b) The lead was not used, but it should have been used. 
(7) A good and proper look-out was kept. 
(8) The cause of the stranding and loss of the vessel was too great an allowance having been made for a set to the northward by currents and leeway, and to the ship having overrun her distance. 
(9) After 6 p.m. of the 17th January last the vessel was not navigated with proper and seamanlike care. 
(10) The crew left the vessel under such urgent circumstances that none of their effects were saved, the documents relating to the navigation of the vessel being also left on board. 
(11) The loss of the steamship "Pernambuco" was caused by the default of the master, but considering his previous record of service and his personal attention to his duties at the time, the Court refrains from dealing with his certificate. 

W. R. OWEN, R. LAUDER, Justices. We concur. 
A. WOOD, J. S. LEFTWICH, Assessors. 
(Issued in London by the Board of Trade on the 31st day of March, 1908.) 

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