I HEARD THAT THE CRUISE SHIP LOST ELECTRICAL POWER AND WAS RE-BOOTING - EQUIPMENT RE-BOOTING WAS THE BASIS FOR BEING OFF COURSE WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. I CALL THAT HUMAN ERROR FOR NOT TAKING EARLY ACTION TO ENSURE SAFE NAVIGATION OF THE SHIP.
What if in the USA?
U.S. Navigation Rules - http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=navRulesContent
Rule 1 - Application
(a) These Rules shall apply to all vessels...
Rule 2 - Responsibility
(a) Nothing in these Rules shall exonerate any vessel, or the owner, master, or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to comply with these Rules or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case....
Rule 4 - Application
Rules in this section apply to any condition of visibility.
Rule 5 - Lookout
Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.
Rule 6 - Safe Speed
Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.
Rule 7 - Risk of Collision
(a) Every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists. If there is any doubt such risk shall be deemed to exist.
(b) Proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and operational, including long-range scanning to obtain early warning of risk of collision and radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects.
(c) Assumptions shall not be made on the basis of scanty information, especially scanty radar information.
Rule 8 - Action to Avoid Collision
(b) Proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and operational, including long-range scanning to obtain early warning of risk of collision and radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects.
(c) Assumptions shall not be made on the basis of scanty information, especially scanty radar information.
Rule 8 - Action to Avoid Collision
(a) Any action taken to avoid collision shall be taken in accordance with the Rules of this Part and [Intl] shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, be positive, made in ample time and with due regard to the observance of good seamanship.
Rule 9 - Narrow Channels
(a) (i) [Inld] A vessel proceeding along the course of a narrow channel or fairway shall keep as near to the outer limit of the channel or fairway which lies on her starboard side as is safe and practicable.
AND THE RULES GO ON... YOU GET THE IDEA - IT WAS NOT JUST ONE VIOLATION...
Typical Master's Standing Orders - http://www.northwestpassage2012.com/standingorders/MASTER'S_STANDING_ORDERS.htm
UNTIL THIS LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER IS FALT-TREE RESOLVED FOR ALL CRUISE SHIPS - THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. CAPTAINS AND MATES NAVIGATE SHIPS, ENGINEERS OPERATE THE SHIP'S MACHINERY - MIGHT THE PROBLEM REALLY BE HUMAN? TAKING THE HUMAN ERROR OUT OF THE EQUATION WOULD BE A GIANT STEP FORWARD...
- - - SNIP - - -
NOW FOR THE CRUISE INDUSTRY'S COMMENTS
Could a catastrophe similar to what happened with the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy happen in B.C.?
It’s extremely unlikely, say local authorities and industry officials, despite the province’s precarious coastline and narrow passageways that cruise ships traverse on a regular basis.
“You can never say it will never happen because things do happen,” said Kevin Obermeyer, president and CEO of the Pacific Pilotage Authority, which provides pilots for cruise ships in B.C. waters. “But the [cruise ship] crews are highly professional and the vessels are highly sophisticated and well maintained. I’ve done the Alaska trip myself and if I had any concerns you wouldn’t see me on the ship. And I’ll be doing another cruise in March.”
Obermeyer was commenting on whether B.C. could face anything similar to the grounding Friday of the Costa Concordia off Italy’s Tuscan coast. The accident, which killed at least six people, will cost parent company Carnival Corp. — the world’s biggest cruise ship operator — as much as $95 million.
Obermeyer said all ships over 350 gross tons operating within two nautical miles of the B.C. coast require a pilot at all times — two pilots if the trip is longer than eight hours.
He said in 13 years as president, there hasn’t been a serious accident involving a cruise ship, other than some “minor bumps and scrapes” while docking.
He said the narrowest passage the ships traverse is Seymour Narrows near Campbell River and they don’t sail the Inside Passage to Alaska any more.
Greg Wirtz, president of Northwest and Canada Cruise Association, which represents 10 member lines in Canada and the U.S., said in an interview that the tragedy in Italy is foremost on everyone’s mind and is being monitored closely by the industry.
“Our industry in B.C. is carefully regulated [by the International Maritime Organization], as it is worldwide. And Transport Canada requires pilots on board anywhere in coastal waters.
“Accidents can and do happen anywhere, [but] the foremost interest of our industry is to prevent accidents from happening the first time.”
Wirtz said one million passengers ply B.C.’s waters annually on cruises, and that he’s unaware of any passengers cancelling tickets or registering safety concerns.
Nevertheless, Carnival’s share price dipped Monday and Wyn Ellis, an analyst at Numis Securities in London, cautioned that “there will be negative short-term implications for bookings across the cruise sector as pictures of the stricken ship are flashed around the world.”
Carmen Ortega, manager of cruises for Port Metro Vancouver, said home-ported ships will make 191 calls this year, with 670,000 passengers with each call resulting in $2 million of direct economic activity locally.
“It’s probably too early to tell, but [the Costa Concordia grounding] shouldn’t have an impact on business.”
Harbourmaster Capt. Yoss Leclerc also said he doesn’t have any safety concerns.
Carnival is the parent company of Holland America and Princess Cruises, which account for most of the ships home-ported in Vancouver.
bmorton@vancouversun.comWith files from Bloomberg
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Cruise+ship+catastrophe+unlikely+experts/6005221/story.html#ixzz1jjOVwcx8
Rule 9 - Narrow Channels
(a) (i) [Inld] A vessel proceeding along the course of a narrow channel or fairway shall keep as near to the outer limit of the channel or fairway which lies on her starboard side as is safe and practicable.
AND THE RULES GO ON... YOU GET THE IDEA - IT WAS NOT JUST ONE VIOLATION...
Typical Master's Standing Orders - http://www.northwestpassage2012.com/standingorders/MASTER'S_STANDING_ORDERS.htm
UNTIL THIS LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER IS FALT-TREE RESOLVED FOR ALL CRUISE SHIPS - THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. CAPTAINS AND MATES NAVIGATE SHIPS, ENGINEERS OPERATE THE SHIP'S MACHINERY - MIGHT THE PROBLEM REALLY BE HUMAN? TAKING THE HUMAN ERROR OUT OF THE EQUATION WOULD BE A GIANT STEP FORWARD...
- - - SNIP - - -
NOW FOR THE CRUISE INDUSTRY'S COMMENTS
Could a catastrophe similar to what happened with the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy happen in B.C.?
It’s extremely unlikely, say local authorities and industry officials, despite the province’s precarious coastline and narrow passageways that cruise ships traverse on a regular basis.
“You can never say it will never happen because things do happen,” said Kevin Obermeyer, president and CEO of the Pacific Pilotage Authority, which provides pilots for cruise ships in B.C. waters. “But the [cruise ship] crews are highly professional and the vessels are highly sophisticated and well maintained. I’ve done the Alaska trip myself and if I had any concerns you wouldn’t see me on the ship. And I’ll be doing another cruise in March.”
Obermeyer was commenting on whether B.C. could face anything similar to the grounding Friday of the Costa Concordia off Italy’s Tuscan coast. The accident, which killed at least six people, will cost parent company Carnival Corp. — the world’s biggest cruise ship operator — as much as $95 million.
Obermeyer said all ships over 350 gross tons operating within two nautical miles of the B.C. coast require a pilot at all times — two pilots if the trip is longer than eight hours.
He said in 13 years as president, there hasn’t been a serious accident involving a cruise ship, other than some “minor bumps and scrapes” while docking.
He said the narrowest passage the ships traverse is Seymour Narrows near Campbell River and they don’t sail the Inside Passage to Alaska any more.
Greg Wirtz, president of Northwest and Canada Cruise Association, which represents 10 member lines in Canada and the U.S., said in an interview that the tragedy in Italy is foremost on everyone’s mind and is being monitored closely by the industry.
“Our industry in B.C. is carefully regulated [by the International Maritime Organization], as it is worldwide. And Transport Canada requires pilots on board anywhere in coastal waters.
“Accidents can and do happen anywhere, [but] the foremost interest of our industry is to prevent accidents from happening the first time.”
Wirtz said one million passengers ply B.C.’s waters annually on cruises, and that he’s unaware of any passengers cancelling tickets or registering safety concerns.
Nevertheless, Carnival’s share price dipped Monday and Wyn Ellis, an analyst at Numis Securities in London, cautioned that “there will be negative short-term implications for bookings across the cruise sector as pictures of the stricken ship are flashed around the world.”
Carmen Ortega, manager of cruises for Port Metro Vancouver, said home-ported ships will make 191 calls this year, with 670,000 passengers with each call resulting in $2 million of direct economic activity locally.
“It’s probably too early to tell, but [the Costa Concordia grounding] shouldn’t have an impact on business.”
Harbourmaster Capt. Yoss Leclerc also said he doesn’t have any safety concerns.
Carnival is the parent company of Holland America and Princess Cruises, which account for most of the ships home-ported in Vancouver.
bmorton@vancouversun.comWith files from Bloomberg
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Cruise+ship+catastrophe+unlikely+experts/6005221/story.html#ixzz1jjOVwcx8
Hello Captain,
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm lucky....I've been on 10 successful and exciting cruises. 3gt