It follows that the state of provision of access doors cannot be found to have formed part of the cause.
4] Of the 48 passengers and crew members on board the "Fuji Maru No. 1", 12 passengers and seven crew members were rescued and these persons were all on deck before the collision. The major portion of the dead bodies were recovered from inside the boat and this fact means that the rescue measures taken by the "Nadashio" are not considered to have formed part of the cause.
(Cause)
The collision in this case is attributable to the following: When the "Nadashio" bound westward to Yokosuka after departing from the Uraga Suido Traffic Route, the southbound "Fuji Maru No.1" and the northbound yacht "Eve I" were developing a close quarters situation in waters to the west of the route, the "Nadashio" did not keep full track of the "Fuji Maru No.1" after the risk of collision with the "Eve I" disappeared nor take action to avoid collision with the "Fuji Maru No.1" and, furthermore, her action to swing to starboard was delayed since the helm order given after having developed a close quarters situation was not delivered accurately. On the part of the "Fuji Maru No.1", she failed to take evasive action in time as a result of poor assessment of the movement of the "Nadashio", which was closing the distance to her while crossing ahead of the yacht "Eve I", and she made a port swing only after she had developed a close quarters situation.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force, Submarine Flotilla 2 did not provide crew members of the "Nadashio" with sufficient instruction and guidance in the basic matters on safe navigation on the sea surface; and Fuji Shoji failed to exercise due diligence in the administration of the "Fuji Maru No.1" by booking passengers in excess of the complement of the boat and entrusting the operation to the crew members who were unfamiliar with the safety of passengers on board this type of boat. These factors are found to have contributed to the occurrence of the accident.
The fact that a large number of persons killed or injured is ascribed to: when both vessels collided almost in parallel, the "Nadashio" had still slight head way and the "Fuji Maru No.1" considerable headway and, as a result, the latter ran onto the bow of the former and turned turtle on her side and sank within a short time.
