"TOWER FIELD" (OWNERS) v. WORKINGTON HARBOUR AND DOCK BOARD.

(1946) 80 Ll.L.Rep. 488

ADMIRALTY DIVISION.

Before Mr. Justice Willmer, sitting with Captain W. E. Crumplin and Captain G. C. H. Noakes, Elder Brethren of Trinity House.

Docks, Harbours, etc. - Approaches to port - Duty of harbour authority to maintain in safe condition or to give warning of obstructions - Ship in charge of pilot - Negligence of pilot - Grounding of plaintiffs' steamship Tower Field on bank of silt in entrance channel to Workington Harbour - Damage to ship - Claim by plaintiffs - Counterclaim by defendant harbour authority for damages resulting from obstruction - Inaccurate and misleading inset on Admiralty Chart of Solway Firth - Inset based on plan supplied by defendant harbour authority - Statement on inset that certain depth and width were maintained by dredging - Evidence that such depth and width of entrance channel were not maintained - Leading beacons indicating centre of channel inaccurately placed - Harbour authority aware of serious encroachments into entrance channel caused by development of banks of silt on each side - Evidence of periodical personal inspections of channel by local pilots - Pilot aware of encroachments into channel and of misleading character of leading beacons - Reliance upon own judgment - Attempt to bring in ship without reference to the line of leading beacons, but using a beacon on the northern side of the channel as a guide.