Chief officer caught with his trousers down over why Mulheim hit rocks!

A report in the shipping publication Lloyds List has finally confirmed the reason why the RMS Mulheim ended up on rocks in Gamper Bay, Lands End in March. With no second crewman on watch, nor no navigational positions plotted on charts, the Chief Officer managed to get his trousers caught whilst getting up from his seat and subsequently knocked himself out. Whilst he remained unconscious the remaining crew slept. There was no alarm system set so the vessel was virtually on the rocks by the time the rest of the crew awoke.

For the Chief Officer of the ship to knock himself unconscious from catching his trousers on his chair it shows just how easy it is for a shipping disaster to occur with devastating consequences.

The Mulheim was sailing under an Antigua and Barbuda flag of convenience and not unlike many other shipping disasters of recent times flags of convenience have been involved. SAS have long learnt that companies using flags of convenience are often accompanied by poorly trained incompetent crews and badly maintained vessels that flout shipping rules.

The Marine Accident Investigation branch found the Chief Officer of the Mulheim was alone on watch and that no navigational positions had been plotted on the chart after the vessel left port when he bizarrely knocked himself unconscious.

Richard Hardy, SAS Campaigns Assistant says: "SAS hope that the German owners of the Mulheim will be prosecuted but also learn from these mistakes. Rather than be known as the "Carry on Shippers" we urge them to drop the use of flags of convenience, employ only well trained and competent crew and put in working practices that ensure the navigational positions plotted on the chart are maintained at all times by the crew.

There are potentially thousands of other Mulheims' waiting to happen unless governments across the globe bring in tougher legislation to stop the routine use of flags of convenience".

For further information please contact Richard on Tel: 01872 553001 / Mobile: 07817 401480.

The Story so far...

"Mulheim continues to break up"

"CARRY ON MULHEIM"

" CONCERN OVER DECISION TO LEAVE THE MULHEIM TO BREAK UP."

"A LUCKY ESCAPE FOR THE BEACHES"

"TOXIC CARGO FAR FROM SAFE SAY SURFERS AGAINST SEWAGE"

"MULHEIM UPDATE - DAY 17"

"3 WEEKS ON AND THE MULHEIM CONTINUES TO PUT ENVIRONMENT AT RISK."

"SAS express disappointment at decision to leave Mulheim on the rocks"

"COCKTAIL OF NASTIES!"

"MULHEIM PLASTIC FOUND ON NEWQUAY'S GOLDEN SANDS"

"MULHEIMS 'DIRTY' CARGO SPREADING FAR AND WIDE"

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