Princess Ashika leaked on its first trip - second mate

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 6:06p.m.

By Michael Morrah

The captain of the Princess Ashika warned passengers over a loudspeaker to prepare for an emergency just one minute before the vessel sank, killing 74 people.

A Royal Commission of Inquiry in Tonga has also heard that as crew members tried frantically to remove water from the ship’s cargo hold using buckets, no one was given life jackets.

Uasike Tubou worked as the second mate aboard the Princess Ashika during four of its five voyages in Tonga.

He told the Commission that even in calm conditions, the Ashika leaked. On its first trip, two inches of water came through the bow ramp into the cargo hold. Water leaked in again through the bow ramp on the third trip.

Things got worse as conditions got rougher. On its fourth trip the cargo hold filled with 1m of water.

Then, on its final voyage, up to 1.5m of water was seen below deck before the Princess Ashika sank.

Mr Tubou did not go on the ship’s second voyage because he was sick. But when it docked in Nuku’alofa he noticed a large hole in the port side of the vessel which he thought was caused by a wave.

He told the commission both sides of the vessel were heavily corroded. He even agreed a hole could be punched in its side using a ball point pen.

Photos given as evidence to the commission showed a 2m by 2m sheet of metal was welded to the side of the vessel to cover the hole.

On the night the Ashika sank, August 5, Tubou was asleep. When he woke up, the vessel was listing on its portside.

Crew were using buckets and pumps to try and drain water from the cargo hold.

The captain told everyone to "be prepared" one minute before the ship capsized.

No passengers were given lifejackets, and no one was told to move to muster stations.

Evidence from a marine officer also suggests the former Minister of Transport was aware of the ship’s poor condition prior to it sinking. The officer told the commission he was aware of a meeting in July between the minister and a surveyor in which Paul Karalus was told that the ship was “no good”.

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