The charter schooner Cabin Fever from the reality television show of the same name had insufficient experienced crew on board when it ran aground off the Donegal coast two years ago, according to the official investigation into the incident.
The vessel also violated its passenger boat licence by sailing from Rathlin Island for Tory in adverse weather conditions and the command structure was not clear to the nine contestants on board, the Marine Casualty Investigation Board has found.
The report says the ship ran aground off Tory because there was a lack of effective watchkeeping on deck and the crew of 11 were suffering from fatigue exacerbated by a late night out.
All 11 - two experienced hired crew and nine contestants - were rescued after the grounding on June 13th, 2003, but the vessel was a total loss. The television series was suspended pending acquisition of a replacement vessel.
The investigation's work was made more difficult by the disappearance of the vessel's global positioning system after the incident, the report notes. Skipper and owner Rodger Barton maintains he took the system ashore after the grounding and lost it before the investigation team arrived. It would have yielded a precise record of the vessel's positions and track in the lead-up to the incident.
Tributes to the leadership shown by one of the contestants, Andrew Fowler, and to the rescue efforts of Tory islanders, the Air Corps and the Aranmore lifeboat, are highlighted in the 62-page report.
Coast Guard area officer Patsy Dan Rodgers was among islanders who waded out in dangerous surf to assist, while an Air Corps helicopter played a key role under the command of Comdt Seán Clancy.
The RNLI Aranmore lifeboat and crew and a fishing vessel owned by James Sweeney also stood by, as did Customs personnel. When the 11 crew were taken ashore, the islanders gave them food and accommodation.
Cabin Fever, registered as Carrie of Camaret, had been chartered by Coco Television for the reality television series from Mr Barton. Two other professional crew were hired. These included Peter Culleton, a qualified shipwright with no formal qualifications in sailing or sea training, but with experience in sailing over 50,000 miles, who was designated "skipper" for the filming; and Warren Gunn, ship's mate.
The schooner set sail on a circumnavigation of Ireland on June 3rd with 16 people - 10 contestants, three crew and three camera staff. Early on in the voyage, differences appeared to emerge between the contestants and Mr Gunn, and Mr Barton asked him to leave the vessel in Ballycastle, Co Antrim.
The absence of a third crew member emerged as a contributory factor, given that both Mr Barton and Mr Culleton were below deck and the vessel was on auto-pilot when it struck rocks.
The passage to Tory from Rathlin had been undertaken in heavy weather conditions, and a "special feast" was laid on for the contestants that night.
In a statement to the investigation board, Coco Television says that the meal included a nominal two glasses of wine per contestant and crew.
