Faktor

The District Court in Haugaland on Apr 9, 2014, has sentenced the officer at the helm of the "Faktor" to 21 days in jail in the follow up of the grounding of the vessel in the evening of Apr 2, 2012, at Huglo, east of Stord. The police had suspected that the first officer (63) was intoxicated and took a blood sample of the man. The analysis of the blood sample taken 4,5 hours after the accident in the emergency room in Stord and about ten hours after the first officer went on the helm, showed a blood alcohol of 1.98 per thousand. He was responsible for navigating the vessel when it ran aground. The man explained to the court that he drank beer and spirits before he started his watch at midnight and also during his watch. It appeared that the first officer was so intoxicated that he fell asleep and did not wake up before the ship ran aground at 5 a.m. There was no suspicion that the rest of the crew of five was intoxicated too according to investigations of the Haugaland and Southern Hordaland police district which was notified at 8 a.m. about the accident. The remaining crew waited for the high tide so they could get off the shallows with own engine later.

When the "Faktor" ran aground on Apr 2, the first officer was still intoxicated with 1.9 per thousand over five hours later, according to police. The officer should first explained that he fell asleep on the bridge, but the police did not trust in this explanation. The blood sample was taken 5,5 hours after the accident. According to the Karmøy Ship Management Consulting, the 60-year old officer will probably get fired. Norwegian report with photo: http://www.sunnhordland.no/article/20120508/NYHENDE/120509862

The grounded "Faktor" was pulled off its grounding site at Stord right before lunch on Apr 2. The ship had been enroute to Jondal with a cargo of sand, but instead ended up on the shore on the west side of North Huglo on its way into the Hardangerfjord.