43 years ago, on 12FEB1983, the S.S. Marine Electric went down. Out of a crew of thirty four on three were saved.
In 1983 gumby suits were not required on ships, and companies didn’t wish to spend money to buy them.
It was the sinking of the S.S. Marine Electric that changed that, the 31 merchant mariners who died that night in 1983 was the price paid for survival suits to be required on our ships.
There’s a very good book on the loss of the Marine Electric by Robert Frump.
From Amazon:
In 1983 the Marine Electric, a reconditioned World War II vessel, was on a routine voyage thirty miles off the East Coast of the United States when disaster struck: The old coal carrier sank in the frigid forty-foot waves and subzero winds of the Atlantic, and of the thirty-four men aboard, only three survived. Until the Sea Shall Free Them recounts in compelling detail the wreck of the Marine Electric and the legal drama that unfolded in its wake–a lawsuit that led to vital reforms in the laws regarding the safety of ships.
@Bob_Frump is a forum member, he discussed his book on the loss of the El Faro on this forum.
This YouTube channel does a great breakdown of marine tragedies, including the Marine Electric. It’s a bit lengthy but definitely worth the watch.
Yeah, don’t have time to watch it now but the first few minutes hit hard.
Thanks for the kind words!
Just another tragic loss of an American ship with so many Mariners due to an owner too cheap to do proper maintenance and just pushing the ship to continue making money
Bob, did you ever think about a book on the EL FARO? In so many ways just a repeat of the MARINE ELECTRIC
If only the crew had the sense to remain on the superstructure as long as it was above water which it was for quite some time after the hull sank
Was it the captain’s fault, as many said? Or did the company, the Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping all have a hand on the helm of the SS El Faro as she steered too close to Hurricane Joaquin? This is an examination of a tragedy that has been well-researched and investigated — heroically so at times — by the United States Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. Three very well-done books have been published. All of these efforts produced detailed recommendations and observations and all are publicly available. I commend them to you. My effort touches on the broad sweep and events of the tragedy and investigation, but if you want the detailed story of the final voyage of the ship, you’re better off with the other books. My main goal here is to show how the SS El Faro fit into a larger system and culture — one that I have been covering off and on as a journalist and author for 38 years. It’s this system, I feel, that will result in another SS El Faro someday unless it is reformed. Another note on style. My preference in non-fiction is “narrative.” In other words, whenever I can, I tell a story and show what is happening; I prefer that to “telling” the reader, because I think “showing” is more readily absorbed. Humans learn through stories. Story telling rather than a lecture better illustrates the emotions at play here, as well as the moods, culture and vibe of the ship and the industry. This does not mean I take a pure poetic license. The dialogue quoted here is real, not made up. The material is factual.
I’ll second the sentiment, Until The Sea Shall Free Them is a fantastic book. I can’t tell you how many times I walked past the Marine Electric memorial at Mass Maritime as a cadet and never truly understood the significance until I read that book. It should be required reading for the academies.
I wasn’t aware of the El Faro book either, will have to add that to the reading list!
I attended most hearings and actually wrote a short book online in serial installments back in 2019 and self-published it later. “The Captains of Thor” is available free on Frumpblog.com —or on Amazon. You are correct on similarities!
Bob.
The S.S. Marine Electric triggered more than regulatory changes, it’s also when Congress forced the USCG to start a helicopter rescue swimmer program which has served the nation well since in ways that were never anticipated.
The order from the captain to abandon ship was given at 0414 hrs. and the Marine Electric capsized and sank at 0415 hrs.
The hull did capsize and the bow submerged however due to the shallow water depth, the bow grounded with the stern still afloat when daylight arrived confirming to the adage that your own ship is your best lifeboat.
Thank you Bob…I wasn’t aware of you writing these.
I give a copy of *Until the Sea Shall Free Them” to mates entering the training program for Master and have refered it numerous times to other mariners and shore staff. An excellent book and cautionary tale for those who work in our industry.
There were three conventionally published books in 2018, I think, so there was.a pretty crowded field!
