THE CAPTAIN of a bulk carrier has been convicted in New Zealand over a decision to deviate from a passage plan during Cyclone Gabrielle.
Captain Yongyu Li was captain of Panama-flagged Spinnaker SW (IMO: 9580003) in February this year when the vessel was en route to the port of Tauranga to load cargo. Cyclone Gabrielle was impacting the North Island at the time and disrupted shipping.
Spinnaker SW was anchored off the Mahia Peninsula on 14 February before it departed for Tauranga. It had been sheltering from the impact of the cyclone.
Once the vessel was underway, Capatin Li altered course without further assessment and navigated the 176-metre (LOA) ship “dangerously close” to Portland Island, according to Maritime NZ, which filed a charge against the captain.
Captain Li pleaded guilty in May to one charge of operating a ship in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk. He was sentenced in the Wellington District Court on 19 July 2023 to a fine of $1875, which included a discount of 25% for his early guilty plea.
Maritime NZ investigations manager John Maxwell said the captain’ move to alter course was “an incredibly risky decision”.
“Navigating a large bulk carrier close to the island meant there was a risk it would get into dangerously shallow waters, removing the safety net of deeper water should something have gone wrong with the vessel, such as a loss of power,” he said.
“The decision of Captain Li to alter course without further assessment of whether the route was safe put the crew, vessel, and the environment at risk.
“If something went wrong, the conditions would have hampered a potential response as well.”
Maritime NZ said the original passage plan involved the vessel going around Portland Island at a safe distance, allowing for the significant swells and heavy weather anticipated by the crew.
After its departure from anchor, the vessel was recorded as encountering six to seven metre swells. The heavy weather caused the ship to roll, and the captain made the decision to navigate the ship closer to the Mahia Peninsula and Portland Island.
“This change in route took the vessel close to shallow water, passing two spots with depths of 9.4 and 10 metres,” Mr Maxwell said.
“This is very shallow for a bulk carrier of this size and would have only left it with a couple of metres of clearance between the vessel and a potential grounding.”
Maritime NZ described the captain’s decision to deviate from the agreed safe passage plan was “reckless” and dangerous for the vessel, the crew and the surrounding environment.
