A LEADING hire-cruiser company operating on the River Shannon has been criticised over a 2006 incident, when five people had to be rescued after one of its craft got into difficulties on Lough Derg.
An investigation by the Marine Casualty Investigations Board, sent to Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey this year has found that the firm, Emerald Star, risked the safety of its customers.
The cruiser, which was rented to five people and was not crewed by any of Emerald's staff, ran aground at Urra Point on Lough Derg on July 1st, 2006, but was towed free and allowed to continue by Emerald staff.
However, the cruiser got into more serious difficulties at 4pm later in the day, and the five had to be rescued by local search-and-rescue volunteers from Killaloe/Ballina. No one was hurt in the incident.
"Following the refloating Emerald Star did not inspect the outside of the hull bottom to check for damage. Emerald Star allowed the crew to stay aboard after refloating, thus risking their safety," the report stated.
In its report to the Minister, the board found that the cruiser had suffered a 1m (39in) tear along its bottom.
Though Emerald provides a mobile telephone to all customers for emergency calls, the board said VHF radios, and not mobiles, are the recommended communications systems for river craft.
In addition, the board criticised the company for failing to report the incident to the authorities, as it should have done under the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000.
Making recommendations for the future, the investigators said safety procedure and training of all staff working with boat rental companies on Irish waterways should be improved.
"Emerald Star, and all other boat rental companies using the inland waterways should under Section 23 of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act 2000 report all incidents immediately to the relevant authorities," it said.
In future, customers who run aground should be disembarked and not allowed to continue on with their trip until "the boat is inspected and declared safe", said the board.
However, the use of black and red buoys on the Shannon was criticised, and Waterways Ireland was urged to introduce more clearly identifiable red and green buoys.
Currently, red buoys are passed on the left when proceeding upstream and into bays and harbours. Black buoys are passed on the left when proceeding downstream and out of bays and harbours.
"On a practical level, a bright green buoy has a far higher visibility factor than a black barrel buoy against a very dark water background. Red and green are the internationally recognised colours for port and starboard respectively on every vessel and aircraft including inland waterways cruisers," noted the board.
"This is particularly important in the light of the overseas promotion of the use of the inland waterways system as a holiday destination.
"The board acknowledges that Waterways Ireland, as a North/South Implementation Body, is responsible for the inland navigable system throughout the Island but notes that two different buoyage systems of navigation are in use - one in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic."
