UK ferry's owner, operator and master fined for carrying too many passengers
Carrying numbers of passengers, including schoolchildren, far in excess of its license, has cost representatives of a Hampshire ferry company fines and costs totalling £12,340, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said in a press release.
At Portsmouth Magistrates Court on September 22, the master, operator and owner of the ferry, Tina Maria, were each charged with four counts of sailing without a valid passenger certificate, and two charges of sailing with insufficient liferafts onboard. All three pleaded guilty to all charges, which were brought by MCA.
Tina Maria is an 11-metre long, single-engined boat used as a ferry between Hayling Island and Eastney, across the entrance to Langstone Harbour. The vessel is certified to carry 12 passengers and two crew. On four occasions in January and February of this year the boat, which is operated by Hayling Ferry Ltd, landed between 16 and 27 passengers at Hayling Island; in all cases the majority of passengers were children returning home from schools in Portsmouth.
The Master of the Tina Maria, Geoffrey Oliver (age 58) was today fined £900 plus costs of £400. He has to pay a victim surcharge of £20. The owner of the vessel, Frida Edwards (age 54) was fined £600, plus costs of £300. She also has to pay a victim surcharge of £20. The operator of the Tina Maria, Hayling Ferry Ltd, was fined £6,000, plus costs of £4,000. The company will have to pay a victim surcharge of £100.
On all the occasions listed in court, the vessel had inadequate lifesaving equipment for all the adults and children on board: Tina Maria carried 14 adult lifejackets; 12 child lifejackets and had liferaft capacity for 18 passengers and crew.
