Lifejackets were lacking in Francie sinking that killed eight people

Only three people were wearing lifejackets when charter boat Francie capsized killing eight people in 2016, an investigation has found.

The commercial fishing charter capsized and sunk in rough conditions on the Kaipara Harbour Bar in November 2016, leaving behind just three survivors.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) said if everyone on board had worn life jackets, and specifically life jackets with crotch straps, they would have had a far greater chance of survival.

Chief investigator captain Tim Burfoot said: "It's very likely that only three of the eleven on board were wearing lifejackets at the time, and no-one was wearing a lifejacket provided on board in accordance with the Maritime Rules."

The three people who were wearing lifejackets had brought their own onboard, the report said, and according to survivors the skipper did not require passengers to wear lifejackets while crossing the bar and was not wearing one himself.

The investigation found that the skipper of the boat, who drowned in the accident, had "a propensity to accept a high level of risk when deciding whether to cross the Kaipara Harbour Bar".

A number of people in the industry and community were aware of the skipper's risk-taking, the report said, but did not flag this with authorities.

The TAIC report said skippers "should always exercise extreme caution when crossing bars because sea conditions can change for the worse in a very short time".

At the time of the accident on the afternoon of November 26, Francie was returning to Kaipara Harbour where it encountered waves that survivors described as "monsters".

Captain Burfoot said the waves were "high, steep, and breaking in several directions, and one of them struck the Francie from behind, causing it to roll heavily and capsize."

Maritime New Zealand director Keith Manch said the sinking "provides a tragic illustration of the importance of lifejackets and the crucial decisions a skipper has to make".

He noted that the report "describes Francie as carefully maintained, with a qualified skipper who had written the vessel's operational plan, including an 'exemplary' section about bar crossing".

TAIC has made four recommendations to Maritime New Zealand in the report:

  • Develop, implement and advertise a process where members of the public and the maritime community can submit reports on maritime safety-related concerns.
  • Review the requirements for lifejackets on commercial restricted-limit vessels to ensure the lifejackets are of the appropriate type for the type and place of operation.
  • Make crotch straps mandatory for lifejackets on commercial vessels that operate out of harbours and off exposed coasts.
  • Continue to emphasise to recreational boaties the benefits of having crotch straps fitted to their lifejackets.

Maritime NZ says it will act on all of the recommendations.

Francie has not been recovered after the sinking, and its location is currently unknown.

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