UK 165 LUMMETJE

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Report: Wrong indication of wreck on chart did not cause fatal sinking

The wreck of the cargo m/v 'Ruth', which played a role in the sinking of the 'Lummetje', was not correctly indicated on the nautical chart prepared by the navy. But according to the Dutch Safety Board, the incorrect entry on the chart had no influence on the course of events. Of course, the position of the cargo ship, which sank in World War 2, has been adjusted, but other sea charts have also been examined. After that, certain changes were made. The Hydrographic Service has identified a number of such deviations and corrected them in the maps. However, on the map used in the wheelhouse of the 'Lummetje', the position of the wreck was different from the reality on the seabed. The Dutch Safety Board stated that the shallowest point of the wreck protruding above the seabed was about 70 meters more to the northwest than indicated on the map. On Nov 28, 2019, the trawler headed towards the Razende Bol. The sinking happened around 6:30 a.m. Electronic sailing data showed the vessel right on the wreck, but changing course at the last minute to prevent the nets from getting stuck. Currents and wind prevented this from going fast enough, the Dutch Safety Board noted. 'At the same time, with the nets submerged, the ship could not turn further to port and clear the wreckage of the 'Ruth' more quickly.' The helmsman's correction came too late; the ship capsized and immediately sank. A paper nautical chart with number 1801.10 from the 1800 series was found in the wheelhouse kater. These maps are compiled by the Navy Hydrography Service. According to an internal investigation by the Royal Netherlands Navy, several factors appeared to have played a role in the wrong marking. The wreck of the 'Ruth' was last examined in 2008. There was a slight difference from the position as it was on the chart at the time, but no reason for a Notice to Mariners. The correct position of the wreck should have been included in the current nautical charts which did not happen because the most recent data were not included in the right place in the Hydrographic Service's system. The Dutch Safety Board has investigated whether the wrong position of the wreck was a relevant factor in the accident. It was believed that the wreck symbol on the map should have deterred the fishermen: 'The 'Ruth' wreck symbol would cover a circular area with a radius of 75 meters, accurate to a few meters. That circle shows that the symbol on the map did not overlap the entire wreckage. However, it overlapped the part of the 'Ruth' that the trawler was heading for and where the fishing net got stuck. The conclusion was that the incorrect position of the wreck in the nautical chart did not influence the course of events during the incident with the 'Lummetje'. The wreck was taken to the Damen Shipyards after the salvage, which has been investigating the vessel for some time. Then the 'Lummetje' was returned to the home port Urk.

Investigation: Too much weight on one side caused ship loss

Not the wreck of the steamship 'Ruth', which sunk in the Second World War, but too much weight on one side of the 'Lummetje' was the cause of its sinkingon Nov 28, 2019. After a fishing net got caught on the wreckage, the crew tried to free the nets, but the actions put too much weight on one side, and the ship capsized. The two Urk fishermen did not survive. This was the conclusion of the Dutch Safety Board, which on May 26, 2021, published the results of the investigation into the sinking of the vessel. The council recommended paying more attention to the stability of the ships when approving new fishing cutters, especially at times when there is more weight on one side. The ship had run into trouble in the early morning of Nov 28, 2019, in stormy weather off the coast of Texel. A distress signal was sent at 5:45 a.m., after which an SAR operation was launched. The ship was found at the bottom of the North Sea, but there was no trace of the crew members. A few days later, the bodies of the two fishermen were found inside the wheelhouse. The KNRM had feared that the accident had been initiated by the wreck on the seabed. In fact, at least one of the two nets got caught on the wreck of the steamship, the investigation board wrote in the report. It just didn't cause the capsizing. 'On board, in accordance with the set procedures, the port boom was first set up a bit and the port rig was hoisted up to the boom. The aim was to prevent the port fishing net from ending up in the propeller. The result was that too much weight was placed on one side of the ship, a so-called asymmetrical loading condition. 'The investigation showed that the stability of the ship deteriorated dangerously, so that there was almost no margin left to deal with an unexpected turning moment. In the end, the sudden release of the starboard rig and then the folding up of the starboard boom caused the fatal turning moment.' Incidentally, the wreckage of the steamship Ruth, which was shot down and sunk in 1942, turned out not to have been properly listed on the ship's chart. It has been investigated whether this contributed to the sinking of the vessel, but that turned out not to be the case, according to the investigation council. The SAR operation could not have saved the crew. The Dutch Safety Board was therefore not making a decision about the evaluation of the Coastguard's actions and any measures taken as a result. The report does state that the Coast Guard has learned 'relevant lessons' that have been included.

Investigation in Den Helder has commenced

The relatives of the crew members of the 'Lummetje - UK-165' will be visiting the wreck in Den Helder this week after the inspection by the Dutch Safety Board has been completed. The family hope to keep the anchor of the ship as a memory. Personal belongings of the two fishermen have almost all been washed away by the waves of the North Sea. After the salvage on June 10, the ship was taken to Den Helder where water and mud first had to be pumped out before the inspectors of the Dutch Safety Board started conducting investigations for a number of days. Everything that could be indicative of determining the exact cause of the accident was being looked at as for example at which side levers were in the wheelhouse and on which side of the cutter a net was dropped into the water. The final investigation report may take several months. The cutter's final destination is likely to be scrapped. Report with photos: https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/182368/nabestaanden-vissers-bezoeken-scheepswrak-na-schouw-onderzoeksraad