At the end of the 2004 RFI, the wreck commissioner opined:
“[…] it is important to note that although both chutes were found on the wreck to be open both in way of the non-return flap and the internal top cover, there is no known mechanical reason why this was so.” [1]
This viewpoint has recently been echoed by the the Treasury Solicitor who said:
“there was no evidence that the chutes had been forced open by wave or water action so this was not advanced as a loss scenario by the experts”
Having enjoyed the benefits of a sunny weekend, we decided to construct a small-scale (and cheap) model of the chutes and test them with a hose. The results of this simple experiment provide a clear illustration of the SCENARIO whereby the design fault in the duff and offal chutes on the Gaul caused the flooding and loss of the vessel.
Simple mechanics!
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[1] Report of the Re-opened Formal Investigation into the Loss of the FV Gaul
(The video file can be dowloaded from this SITE (2.9 Mb))
