'REPREHENSIBLE AMOUNT OF OVER-CONFIDENCE'.

"GLANWORTH" (S.S.) 

MARINE BOARD OF QUEENSLAND. 

STRANDING of the S.S. "GLANWORTH." 

Having heard the evidence of the master (Captain Knight), chief officer, men at the wheel and on the look-out of the "Glanworth," Captain Johnstone, Acting Deputy Marine Superintendent A.U.S.N. Company; Captain Taylor, Lloyd's Surveyor (who visited the wreck in the interest of the owners); Pilot Baillie, of Port Curtis; Lightkeeper Sudhoff, of Gatcombe Head; Captain Almond, Portmaster; and Mr. Cullen, Nautical Surveyor to the Marine Board; the Board find from the evidence adduced that the "Glanworth" was an iron screw steamer of 877 tons (gross), 160 h.p., official No. 83,698, owned by the A.U.S N. Company, Limited, and registered at Sydney, William Knight, master (No. 336, New South Wales, Foreign-going). 

The engineer on watch was subpoenaed, but did not appear. 

According to the ship's log, signed by the master and chief officer, and put in as evidence by the former, the "Glanworth" on the: 

"25th January 1896, 10.10. p.m., passed Cape Capricorn one (1) mile, altered course S.E. by E." 

"10.30 p.m., Rocky Islet abeam one (1) mile, altered course S.E. by S., wind N.E., force two (2), cloudy, speed eight (8) knots." 

"26th January, 1.5 a.m., altered course S.W. by W. 1/4 W., the bearing of the red sector Gatcombe Head Light being S. W. by W. 3/4 W." 

The words in italics have been inserted in the log as an interlineation. 

The log further states: 

"1.25 a.m., altered course to S.W. 1/4 S., and immediately after the ship struck heavily; the vessel this time being in the white sector." 

The vessel struck the rocks about 800 ft. off Settlement Point, 120 ft. inside the buoy, and became a total wreck; the crew and passengers being safely landed on Gatcombe Head. 

When the vessel struck she is said to have been heading S.W. 1/4 S., but shortly afterwards slewed round with her head to the northward. 

The chief officer, at the master's request, relieved the second officer (whose watch it was) about 1 a.m. for the purpose of assisting the master in the navigation of the ship into Port Curtis. 

The speed of the ship was not reduced, nor was the lead used.

The Sailing Directions for entering the North Channel at night are as follow: "A vessel approaching the North Channel at night from the southward will be clear of the East banks while Bustard Head Light does not bear to the eastward of E.S.E., and should not be in less than 8 fathoms. When opening the red light at Gatcombe Head bring it to bear W S.W., and keep it so until East Point bears N.W. by N., or until it shuts out the land forming the north-east shore of Facing Island, and shows clear against the horizon; then steer with the Apparent Light a point on the starboard bow changing the colour of the Gatcombe Head Light from red to white before reaching Settlement Point and pass the Oyster Rock within one cable's distance. 

"A vessel making for the North entrance at night from the northward will clear the rocks lying off Facing Island by not bringing Bustard Head Light to the eastward of S.E. by E.; and, on entering, should bring the red light shown from Gatcombe Head to bear W.S.W., and then proceed as before directed." 

The evidence of the master and chief officer of the steamer is to the effect that the Sailing Directions were not followed, the chart only being utilised. 

Gatcombe Head Light was not brought to bear W.S.W. 

East Point was not made out distinctly. 

The master and the chief officer say they saw the Apparent Light when the course was altered to S.W. 1/4 S. The man at the wheel states that he never saw it at all. The man on the look-out says that he saw a slight light ahead or a little on the starboard bow just previous to the ship striking. 

Pilot Baillie, on boarding the "Glanworth" on the night of the wreck, states that he drew Captain Knight's attention to the fact that the Apparent Light was not visible. 

The evidence adduced as to the interval which elapsed between the time East Point is supposed to have shown clearly against the horizon, i.e., when the course was altered to S.W. 1/4 S., and the time the ship struck is variously given as from a few seconds to three minutes. 

All the witnesses state in effect that the Gatcombe Head Light had only just changed from red to white when the ship struck. A fact which is amply borne out by the present position of the ship, as, according to the evidence of the master, chief officer, man at the wheel, Mr. Cullen, and Pilot Baillie, the red sector shows clearly from her stem to the foremast, where an arc of 1 1/2 degrees of white light appears as far aft as the mainmast, where the red light again appears over an are slightly in excess of the small white light, and extends to beyond the buoy where the full white light appears. 

The Board find that the "Glanworth" was lost through the default of the master. 

It is evident that the vessel was hauled up too soon. as, according to the log, at 1.5 a m., when the course was altered to S.W by W. 1/4 W. she had not run, by 1 3/4 miles, the distance (23 miles) which would have brought Gatcombe Head Light on a S.W. by W. 3/4 W. bearing. 

The failure of the master to clearly locate East Point, so essential to safety according to the Sailing Directions, should have made him exceedingly careful. The Board find, however, that the same rate of speed was maintained, with the flood-tide assisting. and the master failed to take ordinary precautions to verify his position, thus displaying a reprehensible amount of over-confidence. 

It is impossible that the Apparent Light could have been seen at all, as the vessel was never far enough to the southward to bring her within range of its arc of visibility. The light stated to have been seen on the starboard bow when the ship was steering S.W. 1/4 S., was, in all probability, that shown from the Junction Buoy to the southward of Oyster Rock. 

The Board attach no weight to the statements of the master and chief officer that they navigated the ship by the chart, as, according to the evidence, the chart was not consulted. 

A point 1620 ft. in a N.E. 1/4 N. direction from the wreck would, on the master's evidence, have placed the "Glanworth," two minutes before she struck (travelling at the rate of 8 knots), two cables' lengths to the northward of the bearing of the change of colour in the Gatcombe Head Light, and a third of a mile nearer Settlement Point than she would have been had she altered her course when East Point was on a N.W. by N. bearing, as required by the Sailing Directions. 

The Board have decided to suspend for a period of six months from the date of the casualty William Knight's foreign-going master's certificate of competency, No. 336, issued by the Marine Board of New South Wales, also to cancel his pilotage exemption certificate for the Port of Gladstone. They have also decided to cancel the pilotage exemption certificate for the Port of Gladstone of Karl A. Berg, the chief officer. 

Captain Almond, the Chairman of the Marine Board, at his own request was allowed to withdraw from the deliberations of the Board in connection with this report and decision. 

During the inquiry, a question having arisen as to the definition and characteristics of the Gatcombe Head Light, the Portmaster and Nautical Surveyor at the request of the Board have since made a personal inspection, the result of which is given in the annexed report. 

By direction of the Marine Board, at Brisbane, this 24th March 1896. 

SAML. A. PETHEBRIDGE, Secretary. 

Annex to Report. 

Marine Board Office, Brisbane, 20th March 1896. 

MEMORANDUM: ”At the request of the members of the Marine Board, I visited the scene of the wreck of the "Glanworth" off Settlement Point, accompanied by the Nautical Surveyor; and on the evenings of the 9th, 10th, and 11th instant examined the Gatcombe Head and Oyster Rock Lights in the locality and from the bridge and forecastle of the wreck as she now lies. 

Gatcombe Head Light. 

I found this light striking the vessel precisely as described by the Nautical Surveyor and Pilot Baillie in their evidence, viz., red from immediately from before the foremast to the stem head; this portion of the sector is of uniform colour except when nearing the foremast where its intensity is slightly diminished. Abaft the foremast to the after portion of the bridge there is a small sector of white light over an arc of 1 1/2 degrees, which subtends the chord of 90 to 100 ft. on the vessel as she now lies. South of this there is an arc or over 1 1/2 degrees of dull red, unmistakable in colour, and which is not correctly described by calling it merely "a gleam of light," as it is continuous from the edge of the small white sector until it disappears outside the buoy. 

The apparatus was closely inspected, and impressions of the effect of the light taken on the outside, from which I gather that the small are of white light is a purely optical distortion to which the edges of sectors, and especially when intensified by vertical prisms, are subject, and of which mariners are advised to take note of in the list of lights published by the Marine Department of this colony, and the Hydrographer to the Admiralty, which reads as follows: 

Cuts of Sectors. 

"In some conditions of the atmosphere white lights may have a reddish hue; the mariner, therefore, should not trust solely to colour where there are sectors, but verify the position by taking a bearing of the light. On either side of the line of demarcation of the line between white and red, and also between white and green, there is always a small arc of uncertain colour." 

Where, according to the Sailing Directions, vessels should cross the small white sector would be about 200 ft., or scarcely the length of the "Glanworth," which would hardly be noticed, and could not possibly mislead a vessel if entering the port according to the Directions. 

Oyster Rock Apparent Light. 

This light does not extend beyond the limits assigned to it in the Sailing Directions, but a dim reflection from the tripod and stand on which the apparatus is erected is under certain conditions of the atmosphere visible from the wreck of the "Glanworth." This appearance cannot, however, be taken for the Apparent Light, especially by those who have seen it before. 

I found by sailing across the channel several times on each of the three nights on which I visited the wreck that the light only became visible when south of the buoy, as indicated by the Directions, and verified by Mr. Cullen in his evidence and examination. 

The sky during my inspections was on the first two nights unclouded but hazy, with strong south-east wind; on the last night the wind was moderate and the sky about half clouded. The appearance of the Apparent Light on the three nights did not vary. 

Tides. 

I found the set of the tides to be exactly as described on the chart. During my nightly inspections the tide was running ebb. 

The position of the wreck does not appear to have altered materially since the vessel first settled down; Mr. Cullen is, however, of opinion that she is a slight distance further from the shore since he first fixed her position. There is only about 7 or 8 ft. of water ahead of the ship and 24 ft. under her stern; it is quite impossible, therefore, that she could have moved towards the shore since she struck. 

  

(Signed) 

T. M. ALMOND, 

Portmaster. 

The Vice-Chairman, Marine Board, Brisbane. 

(Issued in London by the Board of Trade on the 18th day of June 1896.) 

After reading through this lengthy Inquiry transcript I am left with the impression that Captain Knight was a risk-taker. Whether the light in question was accurately charted is moot. There were specific sailing instructions for gaining access to this port. Cutting across the southern aspect of Face Island smacks of risky navigation - see image below.

2 miles breadth - Whitsunday passage via Dent Island.