Fullers ferry skipper fined after collision on Waitematā harbour

Wednesday, 16 May 2018

An Auckland ferry skipper has been fined after pleading guilty to causing a collision in the Waitematā harbour. 

Maritime NZ prosecuted Alan Schofield for colliding with a recreational boat on September 11, 2016.

Schofield, master of one of Fullers Group Auckland ferries, pleaded guilty and was fined $2,000 in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday.

This is the second, unrelated, case in less than a week where a skipper has admitted not keeping proper look-out and has been fined.

**READ MORE:

* Lady Sarah captain 'gutted' after boat runs aground near Lake Ellesmere**

'The skipper is legally responsible to ensure a vessel has a proper look-out at all times by all available means in the conditions,' Maritime NZ Northern Regional Manager Neil Rowarth said.

'In this case it was a still night with a lot of light reflection on the water.'

Rowarth said a ships' lights and lights from land can reflect on the water and appear to be in more than one place.

'Skippers must be aware of this and keep proper look-out for the conditions.'

On the night of the collision, Schofield left on Seaflyte, with two crew and two passengers on board. 

They left Auckland Basin at 8.10pm bound for Bayswater Marina. The collision happened a few minutes later at about 8.13pm.

Schofield said he did not see the recreational boat until the vessels were 15 metres apart.

He put Seaflyte's engines into full reverse in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid collision.

No one was injured on either vessel. There was extensive damage to the recreational boat and less serious damage to Seaflyte.

Immediately after the collision Schofield helped the two people on board the recreational boat and contacted Auckland Harbour Control to report the incident.

In the previous case, on Friday last week, the skipper of fishing boat Lady Sarah was fined $2,000 by the Christchurch District Court.

Lady Sarah ran aground at night on Kaitorete Spit near the entrance to Lake Ellesmere because no one was keeping proper look-out and no one was in the wheelhouse.

Lady Sarah's insurers subsequently declared the vessel a total loss.