| "To blame me - somebody with no nagivational training nor experience - because I had seen how the anchor chain was secured looks incorrect to me just as holding the captain financially responsible for the loss is incorrect. "
This statement goes directly to the heart of the problem you have onboard that vessel and will continue to have until you find a professional crew and remove yourself from the project.
You stated that you noticed a condition that did not appear to be correct. You did not pass that information along to the captain whom you have catergorized as lacking experience. You claim no responsibility because you have "no navigational training nor experience." By your own description of the operation, that voyage was made in an unseaworthy vessel. The Captain was unqualified if he did not recognize the vessel was not ready for sea. Did the captain have sufficient time and authority to inspect the vessel before departure? Was the storm unforecast and came up with no warning before the vessel was secured for heavy weather?
If the chain of command was so fractured by your presence aboard that the captain did not feel he had time or authority to take command of the vessel, and you did not feel it was necessary to inform him of an issue which you felt uncomfortable then the chain of command was broken long before the anchor was lost.
Were you afraid to mention what you thought might be a problem because you didn't want to look foolish in case you were wrong? Do you have the attitude that it wasn't in your department so it isn't your business? There is something very very wrong on that vessel.
This thread could be used as a case study for the failure of crew resource management. The only people with the information that might have prevented an accident didn't think it was their job to tell anyone else. Don't take this as a personal attack, it is just a very clear illustration of how an inexperienced and untrained owner can lead an inexperience and untrained captain into shoal waters.
Based on this incident and the other thread regarding liferaft launching, I suggest that you hire a professional and retreat from this project. The money you save will more than pay for training for yourself and your crew. It may save your business.
"**** happens. Move on."
No, it doesn't just happen. We only step in **** when we don't recoginze the smell and do something to clean it up.
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