1986: Mikhail Lermontov Sinking
February 16, 2019
By AHNZ
Today in history, 16 Feb 1986, The Soviet Union cruise ship MS Mikhail Lermontov sunk on the rocks in the Marlborough Sounds. This was while the ship was, as is conventional, under the charge of the Picton Harbour pilot, Don Jamison.
Jamison assured the nervous captain it was safe but…glug glug glug.
“Former Marlborough Harbour Board harbourmaster and pilot Don Jamison was piloting the ship with more than 700 people on board and made the decision to steer the ship between Cape Jackson and the lighthouse, just 460 metres from shore. Rocks gouged a 12-metre gash in the hull at 5.37pm on February 16, 1986. The ship sank in nearby Port Gore less than five hours later with the loss of one life.” – Stuff (2011)
Yeah, I’ll take New Zealand’s Justice System over the Soviets’ any time. Jamison walked away without any charge however he voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s license. Whereas, on the other hand, the Rusky Captain, Vladislav Vorobyov, was off to the Gulag Archipelago. Or, rather, a suspended four-year jail sentence.
—
Image ref. NZGeo
2 thoughts on "1986: Mikhail Lermontov Sinking"
Leave a Reply
Like Comment Share
Mystery still surrounds the sinking. Was the pilot drunk, was he on a mission from God?
In the meantime we wait for Richard Prebble to pass so the truth might be told.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/documentary-missed-secrets-of-lermontov-sinking-says-critic/ESEV2KUE5TSNVJLNUU7RAP6C2U/
Well well well. I’ll keep that in mind when Prebs signs off. Plenty of life in him yet.