Red Funnel ferry captain crashed into yacht after becoming confused and losing control of his ship in Cowes Harbour

Still from Red Falcon's CCTV showing moment of impact

The sailor had been in charge of the Red Funnel ship Red Falcon on October 21, 2018, when it smashed into a moored yacht in Cowes Harbour.

A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, released today, claimed the sailor had become ‘fixated’ upon information on his electronic chart when he ‘lost orientation’ in the ‘severely-reduced visibility’ of the harbour.

Investigators found the sailor had ‘swung out of control’, departing for the navigable channel and was ‘spun around through 220 degrees’.

‘In his confusion the master drove the ferry in the wrong direction resulting in a collision with the moored yacht Greylag which was sunk on its mooring as a result,’ the report said.

Investigators claimed the sailor became ‘cognitively overloaded due to high stress’ and had relied too heavily on his electronic instruments.

The report also criticised the bridge team for becoming ‘disengaged’ from the situation due to a ‘lack of clear communications and emergency training’.

The hazard to people sleeping on yachts in Cowes Harbour had not been ‘sufficiently mitigated within risk assessments, the investigation added.

Andrew Moll, chief Inspector of marine accidents, said: ‘It was very fortunate that nobody was on board yacht Greylag when it was struck and overrun by Red Falcon.

‘In this respect, the family on a yacht on a nearby swinging mooring had a lucky escape. When Red Falcon swung around it narrowly missed Cowes Yacht Haven marina wall, and had yachts been rafted there the consequences of this accident could also have been much more severe.

‘Our investigation has highlighted that commercial vessels can pose a danger to people sleeping on yachts in some areas of Cowes Harbour, and recommendations have been made to Cowes Harbour Commissioners and Cowes Yacht Haven to review their risk assessments.’

Investigations also made a series of recommendations to ‘address many of the shortcomings’ identified in the report.

These included conducting regular assessment of ship-handling capabilities and navigational skills, and a review of the shipboard method of determining orientation on the ship’s electronic charting system.