Safety of Ships' Lifeboats in Major Storms

[seasick]

In that El Faro is a US flagged Roll on Roll off ship, her emergency gear would be inspected annually and lifeboat drills would be conducted regularly.

She lost power in a Cat 4 so she would have been beam to the wind and swells. Each lifeboat has to hold 100% of the crew. They would have launched the lee side boat in the semi-shelter of the hull. Assuming the containers stayed on deck I would think this a good probability for a happy outcome but no fun in an open boat. It appears there might be canister rafts on deck as well.

[nigel1]

With a big list and rolling in heavy sea's the likelihood of successfully launching these boats from conventional davits is low.

There will be liferafts onboard, which can be deployed manually, but they also have HRU's so should deploy automatically if the vessel sank.

Hoping for a happy ending on this one.

[Lepke]

I've been on a warship with similar davits. We launched and recovered in high seas once when a typhoon was a few hundred miles away. It's a real trick to get both davit hooks released at the same time and takes a practiced crew. If you don't, the boat hangs by one end, dropping the people into the sea.

[JPA Cate]

Thanks, guys,

still hoping/praying.

Ann

[CarstenWL]

Hopefully the crew are aware that any attempt to rescue them would probably be far more risky than riding the storm out and have decided not to trigger an EPIRB until conditions are more suitable.

Sorry - this is not how an EPIRB is intended to be used. If you are in emergency you pull the trigger! If the conditions to rescue you at that point are not suitable 'the authorities' will have to (and will) wait but know early about your distress ....

Loosing power (control) of a ship in a CAT4 hurricane probably always 'allows' to pull the trigger on the EPIRB ...

Carsten

[SaltyDawg86]

EPIRB was already activated

[CarstenWL]

EPIRB was already activated

Where did you get this information from?

I only found this:

... watchstanders at the Coast Guard Atlantic Area command center in Portsmouth, Virginia, received an Inmarsat satellite notification stating the 735-foot cargo ship El Faro was beset by Hurricane Joaquin while en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Jacksonville, Florida. The notification said that the ship had lost propulsion and had a 15-degree list.

And thought it reads more like a Inmarsat phone call?

Thanks

Carsten

[barnakiel]

They protect the crew relatively well.

They can be difficult to launch when the mother ship is out of control and the seas are very heavy. That's why many ships carry lifeboats AND inflatable liferafts.

b.

[SaltyDawg86]

I'll have to find the article, the president of TOTE said it was activated. Also the life boats are open top, no protection there.

[Moody46CC]

Forget about the lifeboats. Joachim was out there for a few days, gaining strength. Wonder why the captain kept heading right into the center of a forming hurricane? This was no secret storm. Could have reversed course for Jacksonville. Just what the Bounty captain did a few years ago--sailed right into a hurricane.

[CarstenWL]

... regarding the EPIRB ...

Just from Search for missing cargo ship continues in southern Bahamas | The Tribune

The vessel carried 685 containers and had on board an EPIRB, which transmits distress signals. An initial ping was received Thursday morning, but no new ones have followed, according to Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss. He said it gave an initial location but did not continue transmitting, possibly because of bad weather.

Carsten

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Moody46CC

Forget about the lifeboats. Joachim was out there for a few days, gaining strength. Wonder why the captain kept heading right into the center of a forming hurricane? This was no secret storm. Could have reversed course for Jacksonville. Just what the Bounty captain did a few years ago--sailed right into a hurricane.

Well, Moody, I started this thread to inquire about the ships' lifeboats, so I'd just as soon not forget about it, thanks.

If you want to armchair criticize the skipper, please be so kind as to start your own thread.

Ann

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Well, Moody, I started this thread to inquire about the ships' lifeboats, so I'd just as soon not forget about it, thanks.


Ann

Yeah, I read on the gCaptain forum the lifeboats were old and due to be changed.
An open life boat is not what's standard on ships now.

Also so aa note on that forum about trying to fix a boiler problem before sailing.

With the EPIRB just doing one ping and falling silent I am more than a little pesimistic about the outcome of this one.
Half the navy and its planes are there looking and 760 feet of container ship is not the "Hunt for Red October" you don't lose a ship for a day - from dawn today till now. I think they are looking for lifeboats and/rafts. And they sure as he'll would have had a tough time in 120 knots of wind.

Sorry. But that's my thoughts. Hope I am wrong.


Mark

[JPA Cate]

^^^Just one ping, huh? How did you discover that? Yes, it sounds a total nightmare. Still, I aminterested in the lifeboat aspect of it. Especially about the uncovered nature of them and the launching difficulties.

Ann

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Yeah, I read on the gCaptain forum the lifeboats were old and due to be changed.
An open life boat is not what's standard on ships now.

Also so aa note on that forum about trying to fix a boiler problem before sailing.

With the EPIRB just doing one ping and falling silent I am more than a little pesimistic about the outcome of this one.
Half the navy and its planes are there looking and 760 feet of container ship is not the "Hunt for Red October" you don't lose a ship for a day - from dawn today till now. I think they are looking for lifeboats and/rafts. And they sure as he'll would have had a tough time in 120 knots of wind.

Sorry. But that's my thoughts. Hope I am wrong.


Mark

Sadly, I think you may be right, but let's hope your not.