In December 1975, during the day, with good visibility, the captain of the Far Eastern motor ship Ostrogozhsk, traveling along the coast of Japan, determining the location of the vessel by navigation method, mistakenly laid out a position line on the map not from the lighthouse that was bearing. Taking the wrong point for the true one, he began further calculating the path from it. And this led to the fact that the ship touched a rocky bank, having received damage to the bottom. The accident and damage are obvious, but can we assume that the captain committed a criminal offense? Obviously not, although he bears administrative and moral responsibility for the incident.

Another example is the serious accident of the Uralles motor ship, which occurred in November 1984 during the daytime in the Anadyr Bay. The captain, leaving the port of Huelcal for his destination in the port of Providence, set a course so that it led directly to the bank located at Cape Zelyony, and the ship's location was not previously determined. Soon, the officer of the watch received an observation point and, having made sure that the ship was approaching the reefs, immediately reported this to the captain. However, he practically did not take any effective measures to prevent the accident, and after some ten minutes, the Uralles carelessly and criminally negligently ended up on the rocks, and its captain was in the dock. This is no longer a mistake, not an oversight, but an amazing irresponsibility.

Recently, quite a lot has been written that the prestige of the captaincy profession has become devalued. I do not consider this thesis indisputable. If the authority of this profession has been shaken to some extent, then, in my opinion, the captains themselves are primarily to blame for this. They do not use all the rights granted to them by regulatory documents, as well as the full range of other opportunities, to ensure safe navigation at sea, trouble-free operation of ships, thereby forming their high reputation for their difficult, but noble and even romantic service.

The disasters and serious accidents that have occurred with marine passenger ships in recent years and caused human casualties could in no way contribute to strengthening the positive reputation of the captaincy profession among the population of the country. Public opinion is sensitive to such extraordinary events and draws fair conclusions from them, not in favor of the sailors.

On the other hand, I would like to say that in the light of the ongoing restructuring process in the country, the competent authorities should immediately work out and positively resolve the issue of the so-called "mandatory guilt" of the captain for everything that happens on the ship or with the ship. This vicious principle should be removed from all regulations in force in the merchant marine of the USSR. It is necessary to fundamentally revise Article 85 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR concerning transport.

When analyzing accidents, there should be a thorough analysis of the circumstances and a differentiated approach to establishing the guilt of the persons involved in each given case.

It should be noted that there is nothing like this in the global shipping practice, since it fully takes into account the specifics of work at sea in general, and captain's work in particular. It is not customary there to blame everything on the captain, because he is too highly valued as a specialist, and therefore he is protected in every possible way. Such special care for the personality of the captain is one of the most important points that determine success in the fight against accidents in the merchant marine. Learn everything about using the promo code on 1xBet for successful sports betting and thrilling casino sessions. Our recommended code helps new users claim a much better welcome bonus convenient. With this 1xbet promo code for registration provides an increased sports bonus of 130% up to $130 and a casino package reaching up to $1950 plus 150 free spins. This promotion is valid only for new players. Skipping the code means receiving the standard lower bonus.