George's last week is being investigated by the Ports Authority and Chandris Cruises.

Statements on the incident, which saw the ship nearly smash into Ordnance Island and endanger nearby yachts, are to be taken from the ship's captain, the pilot warden and pilots and other on-scene officials.

In addition, the Harbour Radio log of the drama will be called. Marine & Ports director Mr. Ron Ross yesterday confirmed his officers were collecting statements for an "internal'' report to the Ports Authority.

And Meyer Agencies revealed that Chandris itself was conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the near mishap.

"We don't want to have this sort of thing repeated,'' Mr. Ross said. "When anything happens like this we want to see why it happened so as to prevent it from happening again.'' Mr. William Douglas, whose 33-foot yacht British Steel was bashed by the 42,000-ton ship, said the Thursday evening incident should never have happened.

"The ship should not have left,'' he said yesterday. "It was too dangerous.

When you subject property to hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage plus the lives of people simply to maintain a ship's schedule, it's an act of poor seamanship.'' Mr. Douglas was aboard British Steel with his wife Alice when the Horizon was pushed by 41-knot gusts onto the boat anchored with other yachts just east of Ordnance Island.

"Visualise yourself in the path of a huge building that's moving and you can't get away,'' he said.

The ship grazed alongside the yacht wrecking its rigging and hull rails.

Insurance surveyors are due in today to assess the damage.

When the ship brushed up against British Steel Mr. Douglas tried to motor away but the powerful ship thrusters, churning full blast against the press of the wind, sucked the yacht back.

The Government tug Faithful moved to block the stern of the ship and one of her crew threw the yacht a line and pulled her to safety.

An early Marine & Ports assessment of the incident indicates that Horizon may not have been attempting to leave St. George's but merely position herself in the harbour for a possible passage of Town Cut channel, the narrow harbour exit.

"She was not committed to going through Town Cut,'' one official said. "They were trying to see how she would handle.'' Capt. John Moore of Meyer Agencies, the ship's representative, said there was an expectation the wind would subside in the early evening hours. The sudden squall was not expected.

Last night, Chandris senior vice president Mr. Al Wallach rejected statements that the ship tried to leave to avoid the high costs of missing her schedule.

"The captain is responsible for the safety of passengers and the ship,'' he said from New York. "There are no commercial pressures on him.'' CLOSE CALL -- Mr. William Douglas works feverishly to push his yacht British Steel off the closing Horizon last Thursday in St. George's. The Wisconsin resident is seen with his wife Alice in the photo inset.