Whilst steaming westwards at night along the coast of South Africa, echoes were received on the radar screen that gave the impression the vessel was about twelve miles off the coast. At the time, the vessel was about thirty miles S. by W. of Seal Point.

The radar set, a Decca Mk. 12, was operating on the twenty-five mile range. It was receiving strong echoes from a sighted ship seven miles away on the port quarter. The set had been switched on to clear an unlit buoy fitted with a radar reflector. The position of the buoy was about ten miles WSW. of the vessel's position.