Questions raised about safety of sunken WA trawler

A friend involved in the search to find three missing fishermen, says he was frustrated police withheld information from him and their families, who were trying to help find their sunken trawler.

Mason Carter, 26, Chad Fairley, 30, and 57-year-old skipper Murray Turner failed to return to Point Samson, WA, in their 13-metre trawler, named Returner, as scheduled on July 15, 2015.

At an inquest today, friend Michael Tozer said authorities delayed a privately commissioned charter plane fitted with sonar equipment from searching Nickol Bay near Karratha, the boat's last known location off Western Australia's northwest coast.

Captain Murray Turner, 57, drowned when the Returner capsized in July 2015. The wreck was discovered on August 2 with the body of the skipper on board.

His deckhands, 30-year-old Chad Fairley and 26-year-old Mason Carter, were never found.

The coronial inquest into their deaths has revealed the Department of Fisheries didn't raise the alarm for five days after losing contact with the 13-metre commercial prawn trawler.

Questions have also been raised about the safety of the boat which underwent significant modifications prior to the fishing trip.

The court has heard the Department of Transport approved the refit, carried out by Mr Turner, without requiring a stability test.

Experts told the Coroner today the vessel's stability could have been reduced by nearly 35 percent.

Mr Tozer said Nickol Bay was prone to heavy squalls and waves up to five metres, and Mr Murray, although an experienced fisherman was not familiar with the area.

He also said the wire fixing of the boat's trawling booms may have caused it to capsize.