JAIC states that during the loss of the visor it opened and closed several times by the wave forces, hitting hard at the forpeek deck causing massive damage. The forpeek deck is the small deck under the lower part of the visor, directly in front of the ramp. In the middle of this forpeek deck the bottom lock (Atlantic lock) is situated. It is a fact that the bottom lock has failed, but the reason and time of the failure is not the one the one the commission states. The bottom part of the visor, with platings in corresponding size to the forpeek deck, is extremely damaged. The massive damage is in a backward and upward direction, but some of the hull platings to the side and front have been demolished in a forward direction. If the damage had been caused from hitting on the forpeek deck, this deck should have been damaged.
From the video material, ROV inspection of the bulbous bow 1994.12.04, also covering the forpeek deck, it is clear that there is almost no damage at all on the forpeek deck. This is also confirmed by the diving supervisor who says that there is no impact damages on the deck or the edges of the deck.
According to the commission a major part of the massive damages on the ramp are made from contact with the forpeek deck. This should have happened just after the visor fell from the ship, when the visor pulled the ramp to full open. The commission state that nothing held the ramp from falling down hitting the forpeek deck. The ramp however have damages that correspond to the shape of the forpeek deck, but it is more likely that this damages are from an earlier incident when the ramp fell down during loading of the cardeck.
The color picture below show the visor upside down with the front (steampost) to the left. The six other black and white pictures show the forpeek deck on the ship.
The front of the visor (to the left and blue) is damaged in a forward direction (left) while the plating (to the right) is torn towards the ship (right). As seen the damages are massive and the corresponding damage should be found where the visor bottom have been hitting.
The first two pictures below show the forpeek deck seen from some meters forward from the ship. The edges of the deck are the white line from the bottom of the picture up and then towards the upper left corner. As seen the edges are undamaged. The middle two pictures are from looking "down" to the forpeek deck. On the right picture the "pyramid" is shown that would fit in the square pocket above in the color picture. The pocket is filled with ice in the picture. The two bottom pictures below also show the pyramid and the starboard edge of the forpeek deck. As seen there are almost no damages unless some "paint damages".
Conclusion: The damages on the bottom of the visor and also the damages on the ramp can not have been caused from contact between the damages and the forpeek deck. It is also important to remember that the bottom lock (Atlantic lock) is in the middle of the place where both the visor and the ramp should have been hitting, and it is not damaged! See also: Bottom lock for the bow visor