U.K. court fines ship captain for wrong-way passage

U.K. court fines ship captain for wrong-way passage    The Folkestone Channel Magistrates Court in the United Kingdom has fined the master of a cargo ship '14,000, plus '6,042 pounds in costs (about $30,000), for sailing in the wrong direction in the Dover Straits Traffic Separation Scheme.
   The U.K.’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency had prosecuted Capt. Paulo Ravalico, 47, master of the cargo vessel “Storman Asia,” for crossing shipping lanes against the general direction of traffic flow for a 14.5 miles on Sept. 6, 2003.
   When the “Storman Asia” began crossing the southwest-bound lane, it was 'responsible for six close-quarter situations with ships proceeding in the southwest lane,” the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said in a statement.
   “This was a serious breach of the collision regulations. This was also the first time newly available electronic technology from Norcontrol IT Systems has been used as evidence in court, and will hopefully serve as a reminder to any other would-be offenders that their actions are being monitored,” the agency said.