NANTUCKET – Steamship Authority General Manager Wayne Lamson has shed additional light on the events immediately prior to the grounding of the M/V Iyanough in Hyannis Harbor on June 16.
At the regular monthly meeting of the Steamship Authority Board on Nantucket Tuesday, Lamson indicated that the Captain misinterpreted a metal pole on the Hyannis breakwater for a buoy. The vessel collided with the breakwater around 9:35 p.m. that evening.
According to Lamson, the Iyanough approached the “HH” navigation buoy, which is about 2,500 yards south from the entrance to the main channel in Hyannis harbor. At that point, the Captain asked the Pilot to deploy the boat’s searchlight to illuminate Buoy 4, the next aid to navigation on the normal route for the vessel.
“When the Captain returned to the RADAR, he recognized the familiar pattern of Buoys 4, 5, and 6 and began adjusting the vessel’s course to accommodate its entrance into the main Hyannis channel,” Lamson said. “The Pilot was unable to locate any navigational aids with the searchlight.”
“But what the Captain has interpreted on the RADAR as Buoy number 4 was in fact the metal pole at the ending of the breakwater, which is about 800 yards north of Buoy number 4 and also north of the channel entrance,” Lamson added.
The breakwater was not visible to the officers, due to waves that are estimated to have been 8 feet high at the time. Lamson said that obscured the breakwater’s RADAR image, but the pole was picked up because it remained higher than the waves. What the captain believed to be buoys 5 and 6 were actually sailboats, according to Lamson.
The Steamship Authority had previously stated that inclement weather, strong winds, and choppy seas played complicating factors in the grounding of the vessel.
“The distances and positions of the pole and the sailboats matched identically to the pattern normally associated with buoys 4, 5, and 6,” Lamson said. “Therefore, the Captain did not detect anything unusual about the vessel’s approach into Hyannis channel until after adjusting the vessel’s course to begin its entrance into the channel, he saw the breakwater in front of the vessel.”
The Captain tried to administer the panic stop, but was not able to halt the vessel before the collision.
Both the captain and the pilot tested negative for alcohol and drugs. They are described as seasoned mariners, with over 60 years of experience combined. They have not been identified.
According to the Steamship Authority, all of the navigation and mechanical systems were properly functioning on the Iyanough on the evening of the crash.
Lamson described the initial available information as preliminary in nature. The Coast Guard continues to investigate the incident and is expected to issue their findings on the matter. The Steamship Authority is also conducting an internal review.
There were 48 passengers onboard when the vessel grounded. There were also 6 crew members and 3 food service workers. 15 people were taken to Cape Cod Hospital with various injuries, according to the Hyannis Fire Department.
The following are the initial findings released Tuesday by Lamson:
- The Iyanough departed from Nantucket at 8:45 that evening bound for Hyannis. The winds were reported to be strong from the SSE at approximately 30-35 knots and visibility was diminished by intermittent rain and fog. The crossing itself was uneventful.
- As the vessel approached the “HH” navigation buoy – which is located about 2,500 yards south of from the entrance to the main channel for Hyannis Harbor – security calls were made and the buoy was logged. At that point, the next navigation buoy the vessel would pass by on its way into the channel would be Buoy No. 4, which is located a few hundred yards south of the channel entrance, and after passing by Buoy No. 4, the vessel would turn starboard to go between Buoys 5 and 6, which mark the 240-foot wide entrance into the channel, at its usual operating speed of more than 32 knots.
- After logging the HH buoy, the Captain asked the Pilot to use the vessel’s searchlight and light up Buoy No. 4 for him. The Captain then reached across the console and engaged the searchlight for the Pilot.
- When the Captain returned to the RADAR, he recognized the familiar pattern of Buoys 4, 5 and 6 and began adjusting the vessel’s course to accommodate its entrance into the main Hyannis channel. The Pilot was unable to locate any navigational aids with the searchlight.
- But what the Captain had interpreted on the RADAR as Buoy No. 4 was in fact the metal pole at the end of the breakwater, which is about 800 yards north of Buoy No. 4 and also north of the channel entrance. At that time, the breakwater itself was not visible on RADAR because the waves, which were estimated to be 8 feet high at the time, obscured the breakwater’s RADAR image, while the pole was visible because of its greater height above the waves. In addition, what the Captain had interpreted as Buoys 5 and 6 were actually sailboats located on the other side of the jetty. The distances and positions of the pole and the sailboats matched identically to the pattern normally associated with Buoys 4, 5 and 6.
- Therefore, the Captain did not detect anything unusual about the vessel’s approach into Hyannis channel until, after adjusting the vessel’s course to begin its entrance into the channel, he saw the breakwater in front of the vessel and administered the “panic stop” as trained.
- As far as we have been able to determine, all of the vessel’s navigation and mechanical systems were properly functioning that evening. In addition, the Captain and the Pilot tested negative for alcohol and drugs.
By MATT McCARTHY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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