Solong’s Captain Defends Actions, Suggests Steering Problems
The manslaughter trial is continuing in England for the Russian captain of the containership Solong for the death of one seafarer after the Solong rammed the anchored fuel tanker Stena Immaculate. On trial is Vladimir Motin, who was navigating the Solong off the English coast at the time of allision on March 10, 2025, leaving Filipino seafarer Mark Angelo Pernia missing and presumed killed by the collision and subsequent fire.
On January 22, Motin had the opportunity to take the stand and tell his side of the story. Earlier, it had been reported that he was the only person on the bridge, commanding the vessel as it was sailing from the UK to the Netherlands.
Experts have testified that the Stena Immaculate was visible at a range of nine miles on radar and at three miles by sight. The reports said that Motin waited until one mile before attempting to turn the containership. Experts said he waited too long and should have reacted sooner to the collision course his vessel was on with the tanker.
Motin told the court he had been commanding the Solong since 2009, working six months at a time. He said he had been working on ships since 1985 and was familiar with the route they were on, having sailed it several times before with the ship.
He recounted a conversation with the company’s agents a few days prior in Rotterdam, where he was advised that a sister ship, Samskip Express, had experienced a sudden steering problem. He said the other ship had reported a sudden rudder blockage without alarms and was asked if he had experienced a similar problem on the Solong, which he said he had not. He said the representative told him the problem could be managed by “restarting the steering gear, stop the pump, and start it again.” He said that the problem with the other ship was still under investigation.
Motin said he assumed the watch on the morning of the incident at 0753, and that was daylight. He said there was three-mile visibility, countering the assertions from the UK Marine Accident Investigation Bureau that said there was spotty fog, and the ship should have had a lookout on the bridge. He said he was “absolutely” comfortable on a solo watch, having done it many times before.
He also told the court that when he returned to the ship from his last vacation, different stickers had been placed on the controls, including the autopilot. Motin commented that he found them confusing.
After hitting the Stena Immaculate, Motin reportedly said he believed the steering gear had not responded to his commands, even though he thought he turned off the autopilot the ship had been sailing with during his watch. He admitted to being confused and panicking as the ship neared the tanker.
Earlier testimony in the case said that the vessel’s radar had been set to a range of 9 miles while he was on watch. They also revealed that the vessel’s Bridge Navigation Watch Alert System, which monitors the bridge and requires a reset button to be pushed at set time intervals to ensure there is an active bridge watch, had been turned off by the captain.
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The captain has denied the charges of gross negligent manslaughter. The court was told that the crew of the Solong had tried to reach the bow area where the seafarer was working, but the fire started by the ruptured jet fuel tank on the Stena Immaculate was too intense.
The trial is taking place at the “Old Bailey” in London. The court is expected to resume next week, and the trial could run for several weeks.
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