An investigation into the sinking of a Manx-registered vessel which collided with a larger ship has found a number of safety breaches.

On the morning of October 24, 2023, the Isle of Man-registered general cargo carrier Verity collided with the Bahamas-registered bulk carrier Polesie in the North Sea off Germany. The collision resulted in the sinking of Verity with five fatalities.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) was tasked by the Isle of Man Administration to look into the collision with support from German Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation and The Bahamas Maritime Authority.

The Bahamas-registered bulk carrier Polesie departed Hamburg in Germany on October 23 bound for Spain loaded with a cargo of grain.

On the same day, the Verity sailed from Bremen in Germany bound for Immingham in England, loaded with steel coils. On board were seven crew.

Just before 5am on October 24, the bow of Polesie collided with the starboard side of Verity at a broad angle and a relative speed of around 12 knots.

Verity started to sink and, without warning, the vessel heeled severely. Fearing capsize, the second officer scrambled to the open port bridge wing door and was quickly immersed in the sea.

On the deck below the bridge an able seaman escaped through the accommodation door, grabbing a lifebuoy as the vessel sank while the second officer found and held onto a wooden pallet that floated near him.

The able seaman also recalled seeing another crew member and the chief engineer in the water. About a minute later the vessel sank in 36m of water.

As the Verity sank quickly, the crew had no time to don lifejackets or immersion suits. This limited their survival time and made their detection difficult in the prevailing sea conditions.

A rescue mission was launched and two crew members were found alive and a third body recovered.

Verity was salvaged in two sections during late August and early September 2024 and taken to a shipyard in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. During an inspection of the vessel, the chief officer’s body was found in the accommodation and an able seaman’s body was found in mud in the cargo hold. The chief engineer and cook remained unaccounted for.

Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll OBE, said: ‘The tragic loss of Verity and five crew was wholly avoidable.

‘Neither vessel applied the regulations for preventing collisions diligently, and they accepted passing close to each other when there was no need to do so.

‘Give-way vessels must take early, substantial action that is clearly visible to others and results in passing at a safe distance.

‘Vessel traffic services provide vital safety information to ships using traffic separation schemes, but operators must consider whether their interventions are timely and appropriate, particularly when the outcome might be uncertain.

‘Finally, very high frequency radio can help clarify intentions and resolve developing situations, but only if used correctly and with caution.’

The MAIB recommended that both shipping companies remind their ships’ crews to comply with the standards for keeping a safe navigational watch and that the German Directorate General for Waterways and Shipping review its use of duplex VHF radio channels.