Captain Paul Walton and Captain Gordon Lowe from Solis Marine were at the Nautical Institute North West Branch annual seminar, which Solis Marine co-sponsored.
The evening seminar “Where Does the Buck Stop?”, held at the INNSiDE Hotel in Liverpool on 8th October 2026, followed on from a mock trial at Fleetwood College in May, where the trial focused on the bridge team. This event looked at the shoreside chain of responsibility. Both events were built around a collision that happened in December 2022 between a ferry and a trawler off Jersey. The trawler sank immediately, with the loss of three lives.
Captain Gordon Lowe presented the shoreside perspective as a Designated Person Ashore (DPA). He explained that the DPA role grew out of the ‘HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE’ disaster in 1987, which exposed the absence of a reliable line between those on board and those controlling money and decisions ashore.
Gordon set out the DPA’s three core duties under the ISM Code:
• monitoring safety and pollution prevention across the fleet,
• ensuring ships have adequate resources and shore support, and
• providing direct access to the highest level of management.
He stressed that a no-blame culture and approachability are essential, making the point that a DPA crews don’t feel able to call results in boxes being ticked rather than acting as a real safety barrier.
Gordon also discussed more challenging issues around the DPA system, including:
• how a DPA handles conflicts when safety responsibilities cut against the business that employs them,
• whether an independent third-party DPA could reduce that bias, and
• whether near-miss reporting quotas drive genuine reporting or just paperwork.
The underlying message was that a DPA’s independence is only as strong as the company’s willingness to hear bad news.
The attendees had the opportunity to hear from other speakers as well, and we would like to thank the Nautical Institute North West Branch for providing the opportunity to contribute to this successful event.
The ISM Code and the role of the DPA can be vital to the outcome of any maritime dispute following an incident. If you would like to hear more about this role, please contact Captain Gordon Lowe on G.Lowe@solis-marine.com
