marked the 5th anniversary since EL FARO was lost.
Remembering SS El Faro’s Legacy
shame on all of us (including myself) for not remembering this day.
now, can anyone here say how much has actually changed in how US flagged ships are operated and inspected?
not everyone
Here in Maine the Lewiston Sun Journal and the Portland Press Herald. carried the same story.
The disaster kills all 33 crew members, including ship master Capt. Michael Davidson, of Windham, and three other Maine residents – Michael Holland, of Wilton; and Danielle Randolph and Dylan Meklin, both of Rockland.
The Penobscot Pilot carried this article.
I’d be interested to hear some replies from those sailing US flag.
All I can offer is that in the 10 years following Deepwater Horizon certainly things changed initially, but presently on a Zero to Could This Happen Again scale I’d posit that industry is now closer to Happen Again.
I’ve not seen any substantive news to suggest meaningful change in US flag ship operations/inspection but I sincerely hope I missed it.
I’m not sure what’s really changed shoreside but mariners certainly have to submit a lot more paperwork and do a lot more training.
But that’s ok because that “ Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities” course will prevent the next incident, right?
Silly response I know but we all know the answer to preventing future disasters is don’t put anything in an email.
That was me, scolding Jim C about a cartoon involving a shipwreck…it appears that the Goddess of Irony hadn’t paid him a visit. I never forget.
Initially there seemed to be additional scrutiny by ABS in regards to watertight integrity…but not having dealt with them much lately, I don’t know if that uptick in diligence has lasted.
And we are still operating some very old ships, some 50 years old or more. Deep sea. Grandfathering is still a thing
Several old steamers have made the one way trip to Brownsville since then, most have been replaced by new hulls. Those new, modern ships should be much safer.