A FISHING boat captain who was twice caught flouting sea safety rules has been jailed over a crash with another vessel. Craig Petre was skippering the Olivia Jean off the coast of Shoreham when it crashed into the smaller Peter Paul II, skippered by Paul Messenger. The 32-year-old was going too fast for the conditions, where visibility had dropped to 100 metres. On board the Olivia Jean heavy steel beams were not stowed properly and one beam struck the Peter Paul II. Hove Crown Court heard how Petre was accused of putting profit ahead of safety on board, a claim he denied.
UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency Targets Uncoded Race Yachts
3rd February 2021
The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) says it wants “to send a clear message” to owners and operators of commercially operated yachts that their vessels including those engaged in racing must be coded.
The message comes after the MCA agreed to discontinue prosecution against the owners of two yachts, Scarlet Oyster and Playing Around, under the condition that both enter into a written agreement to ensure their vessels are coded when engaged in any commercial activity.
Small, commercially operated yachts must hold a valid code certificate when being used for any commercial purposes, including racing and training, while vessels must also only operate within the category of water for which they have been authorised.