Norwegian captain of ship that hit the Nab Tower 'failed in his duty to navigate his ship properly'

The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has prosecuted the captain of a banana boat that hit the Nab Tower three weeks ago. The Liberian-registered reefer ship hit the structure in the Eastern Solent and was saved only by the action of tugs which kept the vessel beached.

Captain Alf Aas, from Norway, was charged under Section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 for endangering his ship by failing in his duty to navigate his ship properly. He was ordered to pay costs of UK480.

The collision was followed by a massive salvage operation. The cargo of bananas and pineapples was unloaded, but a quantity of lubricating oil was lost through three 10m gashes in the hull.

After an investigation into the circumstances, the MCA state that the collision occurred as a result of misjudging a manoeuvre to avoid other vessels after the ship left Portsmouth.