Two years after a kayaking tour boat sank in Carpenter Bay, Haida Gwaii, the Transportation Safety Board has concluded the forces of wind, waves, and the tide coupled with instability from vessel modifications, caused the boat to capsize.
On September 10, 2022, Archipelago Adventures' 42-foot Island Bay was headed for the sheltered waters within Carpenter Bay to avoid heavy weather when conditions caused it to heel significantly and start taking on water, a Sept. 11 TSB press release stated.
Two crew members and five passengers on board abandoned ship and were rescued from shore later that afternoon. The Island Bay partially sank, drifted aground, and was later salvaged and transported to Prince Rupert.
Modifications to the Island Bay also contributed to the incident, according to the TSB report.
These included an extension at the stern and to the deckhouse, and additions of permanent storage, equipment, and gear.
"The cumulative effects from these modifications raised the vessel’s centre of gravity, compromising its ability to right itself when heeled by the external forces, making it susceptible to downflooding and capsizing," the report stated.
The TSB also concluded documentation about a previous owner’s modifications had not been passed to Archipelago Adventures nor were the modifications reported to Transport Canada and no stability assessment had ever been conducted.
"Consequently, the authorized representatives, in this case the operators, were unaware of the extent of the modifications, did not understand how these affected the vessel’s initial stability, and were making operational decisions without knowledge of the Island Bay’s stability limits," the report stated.
The report found no fault with Archipelago Adventures, nor its previous owners noting that "the Island Bay was not required to be certified by TC (Transport Canada), and was therefore not required to be periodically inspected for certification.
The report did not make any new recommendations to Transport Canada, but reiterated the recommendation from the investigation of the 2021 sinking of the tugboat Ingenika, which claimed the lives of the tug's captain Troy Pearson, and 25-year-old deckhand, Charley Cragg.
In that case, the TSB recommended that Transport Canada expand its surveillance program to include regular inspections of tugs of 15 gross tonnage or less to verify these vessels comply with regulatory requirements.
Golam Morshed, the investigator in the Island Bay incident, told Black Press Media the TSB accepts Transport Canada may not have the capacity to certify all small vessels, but short of certification, the department should be doing more to ensure operators are complying with the small vessel safety regulations.
"If Transport Canada’s oversight and programs for commercial vessels that are not required to be certified continue to be insufficient to support authorized representatives in understanding their responsibilities, there is a risk that they will operate without an adequate level of safety," the Sept. 11 press release stated.
