I went on this ship in 1979 and in 1982. We sailed from Tilbury (London) and cruised around the Canaries . She was a lovely ship and I have wonderful memories of her..🚢😢💔
Thank you for sharing your dive on this tragic wreck. I've just watched the 1.5 hour long documentary on how it sank and that the pilot responsible was protected from being thoroughly investigated and prosecuted for his recklessly negligent judgment.
Yes, it was a travesty that the pilot was able to walk away scot free.But the convention is “To Masters Orders and Pilots Advice”. That is what is entered in the ships deck log, and that is the law. The pilot never takes command of the ship, except in the Panama Canal. The Master should never have left the bridge until the ship was in open waters. The route planned should have been more precisely agreed between the pilot and Master, and kept to, and any deviation agreed upon beforehand. The Chief Officer was in a terrible predicament. It is obvious the Master didn’t hand over properly to him before he left the bridge. That is why he had to question the pilot as to the route he was taking. He would have taken the con away from the pilot immediately if he’d known the course was wrong. In my career l have on several occasions taken the con away from a pilot. They are not gods, and must be closely watched. I’m afraid “Pilot on Board” is often a signal for everyone to relax. That said, Jamieson should never have commanded a ship again. His ego was piloting that ship that day, not a vigilant mind. It is also clear Cold War politics saved his arrogant bacon. Capt Colin Smith, M.Sc.(retired). former Canadian Government Ship Safety Surveyor and Accident Investigator.
