Stranding of Ivor Jenny

Second Mate Suspended

AMARINE COURT sat in Suva, in January, to inquire into the circum stances of the fire that broke out in a hold of the freighter Ivor Jenny, when that vessel was between Balboa and Suva, on December 4, 1950; and the stranding of the same vessel on Horse shoe Reef, near Wakaya Island, Fiji, on December 26.

As a result of the Court’s inquiries into the stranding, the certificate of Ivor Jeimy’s second mate was suspended for six months. It was agreed that the question of the fire was probably outside the jurisdiction of that Court, but that in the Court’s opinion steps taken to con trol the fire were without fault.

The Court found that the stranding of the vessel was not due to any miscon duct or incompetence on the part of the Master, although he had failed to use or cause to be used large-scale charts in the navigation of the vessel on December 25 and 26.

The second-mate had been on watch at the time of the vessel’s stranding. The Court found that he had not carried out the Master’s instructions to call him once Wakaya light was sighted; and that on sighting the Wakaya light on a point dangerous to the vessel, had failed to take immediate steps to safeguard Ivor Jenny by altering course or going astern or stopping. He had been at fault on several other counts, and in the opinion of the Court this constituted misconduct.