Rocklands - Report on Stranding - 1891

"ROCKLANDS" (S.S.) 

The Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1887. 
In the matter of a formal Investigation held at the Athenaeum, West Hartlepool, on the 14th and 15th days of August 1891, before ROBERT IRVINE and THOMAS APPLEBY, Esquires, two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Durham, assisted by Captains J. T. BRAGG and J. BAIN, into the circumstances attending the stranding of the British steamship "ROCKLANDS," of West Hartlepool, about 3 miles S. by E. 1/2 E. of Danilov Island, White Sea, on or about the 12th July 1891. 

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 of the vessel was her being steered on a course under the assumption that Cross Island had been passed at a distance of 3 miles, a deceptive mist hanging over the land. 

Dated this fifteenth day of August 1891. (Signed) THOS. APPLEBY, ROBT. IRVINE, Justices. 

We concur in the above report. (Signed) J. THRELFALL BRAGG, JOHN BAIN, Assessors. 

Annex to the Report. 
This was an inquiry into the circumstances attending the stranding of the British steamship "Rocklands," of West Hartlepool, about 3 miles S. by E. 1/2 E. of Danilov Island, White Sea, on or about the 12th July 1891. Mr. Burton, of Newcastle, represented the Board of Trade, Mr. R. H. Young, of West Hartlepool, appeared on behalf of the owners, and Mr. Bell, of Sunderland, appeared for the master. The chief officer was not represented by counsel, and appeared in person. 

The "Rocklands," official number 84,530, was an iron screw steamer, built at West Hartlepool, in the county of Durham, in the year 1881, by Messrs. Irvine & Co. She was schooner-rigged, and of the following dimensions:-Length 224.3 ft., breadth 31.55 ft., depth 12.3 ft. Her gross tonnage was 952.83 tons and deductions 350.26 tons, giving her a registered tonnage of 602.57 tons. This tonnage was, however, reduced per Leith surveys on the 16th March 1889 to 914.38 tons and deductions 341.23 tons, giving a registered tonnage of 573.15 tons. She was owned by Mr. Robert Hardy, junr., of West Hartlepool, and others, Mr. Robert Hardy, junr., being appointed managing owner on the 13th October 1881. The "Rocklands" was fitted with two compound surface-condensing direct-acting engines of 99 horse-power combined, the diameter of the cylinders being 27 and 50 inches respectively, and length of stroke 33 inches. She had three compasses, as follows:-A pole, a bridge, and a steering compass aft. They were made by Messrs. Berry & Sons, of West Hartlepool, and were last adjusted by Messrs. Wiggins & Sons, of London, at Greenhithe in November 1890. She appears to have been well found and properly fitted and equipped for the voyage on which she was engaged, and was commanded by Mr. Robert Jackson Buck, who holds a certificate of competency, numbered 07,752, and had a crew of 17 hands all told. 

The "Rocklands" left Archangel, bound for Plymouth, on the 11th of July 1891 with a cargo of deals, drawing 14 ft. aft and 13 ft. 2 in. forward. She passed the Bere Zoff Bar about 9.30 p.m. of that date, and her pilot left when off the light-vessel. From that point various courses were steered, until 2.40 a.m. of the 12th, when it was ascertained by the master, who ran a four-point bearing of the Katness Lighthouse, that the vessel was 3 miles distant from Katness. From this point a N.N.W. magnetic course was steered for 11 1/2 miles, by patent log, and at 4 a.m. the course was altered to N.N.E. magnetic. The weather had been fine, water smooth, and wind light easterly to this time. All went well until about noon of the same day, and although the weather had become hazy, Cross Island was sighted at 11.50 a.m., the officer of the watch estimating the distance from it on passing at 3 miles. The N.N.E. course was continued after passing this island, although the land was obscured by deceptive fog and haze, to seaward being moderately clear.

About 1 p.m. the master stated that he went on deck when he found the land extending ahead, and bearing N. by W., he then hauled the vessel's head more to the eastward, setting a course N.E. by N. magnetic. This course was again altered about 1.25 p.m. to N.E. magnetic. About 1.50 the vessel struck the ground. Efforts were made to get the vessel off by working the engines ahead and astern, but were futile, as the vessel had grounded on the last quarter flood. On the vessel's grounding they commenced to throw the deck cargo overboard from forward and a portion of it from aft. On the succeeding high water, about 3.30 a.m. of the 13th, the vessel, by the use of her own engines, was got off, and proceeded to Plymouth, where she arrived on the 26th July. The master stated that the vessel grounded on a shoal not marked on the chart, about 5 miles S. by W. 1/2 W. of Danilov Island, but the Court is of opinion that the vessel grounded on the shoal shown as projecting off the south side of the Pialka River. On the vessel being dry docked it was found she had sustained considerable damage. 

At the conclusion of the evidence Mr. Burton submitted the following questions to the Court:- 

1. What number of compasses had the vessel on board, where were they placed, and were they in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the ship? 

2. When and by whom were they made, and when and by whom were they last adjusted? 

3. Did the master ascertain the deviation of his compasses by observation from time to time; were the errors of the compasses correctly ascertained and the proper corrections to the courses applied? 

4. Whether the vessel was supplied with proper and sufficient charts? 

5. Whether proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel at 4 a.m. on the 12th July and from time to time thereafter? 

6. Whether safe and proper courses were set and steered after passing Katness Light, and whether due and proper allowances were made for tide and currents? 

7. Whether at noon on the 12th July the chief officer was in a fit condition to properly perform his duties, whether the master was justified in leaving the navigation of the vessel in his charge, and whether he gave him proper and sufficient instructions with regard to it? 

8. Whether safe and proper alterations were made in the course by the chief officer at and after 12.30 p.m. on the 12th July, and were those alterations made with the knowledge and consent of the master? 

9. Whether a good and proper look-out was kept? 

10. Whether the rock upon which the vessel struck is marked on the Admiralty Chart? 

11. Whether, having regard to the hazy state of the weather, the vessel was navigated at too great a rate of speed? 

12. What was the cause of the stranding of the vessel? 

13. Whether she was navigated with proper and seamanlike care? 

14. Whether the master and officers are, or either of them is, in default? 

In the opinion of the Board of Trade, the certificate of Robert Jackson Buck, the master, and John Huggitt, the chief officer, should be dealt with. 

Mr. Young did not address the Court on behalf of the owners. Mr. Bell addressed the Court on behalf of the master; and the chief officer, John Huggitt, also addressed the Court. Mr. Burton having replied on behalf of the Board of Trade, the Court replied to the questions as follows:- 

1. The vessel was provided with three compasses, namely, a pole, a bridge, and a steering compass aft. They were in good order and sufficient for the safe navigation of the vessel. 

2. The compasses were made by Messrs. Berry & Sons, of West Hartlepool, but there was no evidence to show when they were made. They were last adjusted by Messrs. Wiggins & Sons, of London, at Greenhithe, in November 1890. 

3. The master stated he ascertained the deviations of his compasses by observations from time to time, and that the proper corrections were applied to the courses. 

4. The vessel was supplied with proper and sufficient charts. 

5. The position of the vessel at 4 a.m. on the 12th July last was fixed by dead reckoning, the vessel having run from abeam of Katness Lighthouse, 11 miles and a half on a N.N.W. course. After passing Cross Island no proper measures were taken to ascertain and verify the position of the vessel beyond a single bearing and the distance off the land estimated by the eye. 

6. The courses set from 2.40 a.m. on the 12th July were safe and proper as far as Cross Island, but not afterwards. Proper allowance was made for tide up to Cross Island, but not afterwards. 

7. The chief officer, according to the evidence of the master, was in a fit condition to properly perform his duties at noon on the 12th July. The master was justified in leaving the navigation of the vessel in charge of the chief officer, and his instructions appear to have been sufficient. 

8. The alterations made in the course by the chief officer at and after 12.30 p.m. on the 12th July, being more off the land, were in the right direction, but there was a conflict of evidence as to whether the master did or did not know that these alterations were being made. 

9. It cannot be said that the look-out was not sufficient while the second officer was in charge on the bridge, but after the chief officer went on duty at noon on the 12th July the matter of a good look-out is somewhat doubtful. 

10. The rock upon which the vessel struck is marked on the Admiralty Chart, and also upon the chart by which she was navigated. 

11. According to the evidence, the speed of the vessel does not appear to have been too great. 

12. The cause of the stranding of the vessel was her being steered on a course under the assumption that Cross Island had been passed at a distance of three miles, a deceptive mist hanging over the land. 

13. It cannot be said that the vessel was navigated with proper and seamanlike care after passing Cross Island. 

14. The Court considers that the master, Robert Jackson Buck, committed a grave error of judgment in not hauling the vessel further off the land after passing Cross Island, but in this matter he was evidently misled by a report given him by the second officer, that the vessel had passed three miles seaward of that island. The Court severely reprimands the master, but does not deal with his certificate. 

The conduct of the chief officer, John Huggitt, on the evening of the 11th July and subsequently, is deserving of the severest censure, but as there is no direct evidence in this case that his conduct conduced to the actual casualty, the Court refrains from dealing with his certificate. 

No blame attaches to the second officer. 

(Signed) ROBT. IRVINE, THOS. APPLEBY, Justices. 
We concur. (Signed) J. THRELFALL BRAGG, JOHN BAIN Assessors. 

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