A Gorham shipwreck hunter who’s trying to get relief supplies to Haiti on his research vessel is being held up in Miami. Authorities have told Greg Brooks of SubSea Research LLC, that he needs two licensed captains, two licensed engineers and two licensed first mates before he can proceed to Haiti.
I think their boat is an old Halter supply boat,250 GRT
http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3483/ItemId/10951/Default.aspx
[quote=Flyer69;26885]I think their boat is an old Halter supply boat,250 GRT
http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3483/ItemId/10951/Default.aspx[/quote]
I wonder why he didn’t know the manning requirements, must be uninspected vessel…
It’s documented recreational, wonder if that all changes now that they are deck loaded with releif supplies?
The article seems to say with 150 tons aboard they are 59 tons over limit.
Don’t know much about recreational documentation but it suggests the vessel is registered 91 gross tons which we all know isn’t a cargo weight but a cubic measure.
One would think since the voyage is non-commercial it would be an uninspected venture. At the very least it falls under the “Good Samaritan” clause.
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=114409&catid=2
A ship loaded with supplies from Maine headed for Haiti has run into problems with the Coast Guard. The 220 foot long M.V. Sea Hunter left Portland on January 31st with about 400,000 pounds worth of aid and stopped in Boston along the way to pick-up more donated items. The ship endured three major storms on its way to Miami, the final stop before heading to Haiti’s southern coast, but the Coast Guard in south Florida says the ships crew is not properly licensed to leave the port.
“It basically comes down to a license,” said Greg Brooks, co-manager of Sub Sea Research and an organizer of the relief effort. Brooks says the Coast Guard requires a licensed captain, first mate and engineer for his ship because it weighs more than 199 gross tons. And because his voyage to Haiti will take more than 12 hours, he also needs another stand-by crew with the same credentials.
“They called me and said, ‘that this is the regulation and you have to adhere to it,’ and I am saying that this is awful late in the game, why didn’t you tell me this up in Maine or in Boston, not when I have got the aid on the boat and I am almost in Haiti.”
Brooks says he was unaware of the need for the crew to be licensed and is asking the Coast Guard to give him a 30 day grace period to come into compliance. The grace period would give him and his crew the time to get the ship to Haiti, unload it and get home. He says he doesn’t have the money or the time to get the kind of crew together the Coast Guard requires.
“The need is still there,” said Brooks. “There are still people that are going hungry. There are still people that hurt. There are still people that are desperately waiting for this aid to get there.” He has asked members of Maine’s congressional delegation to help negotiate with the Coast Guard so the mission can continue.
“The Coast Guard boarded the boat when it was in Portland,” stated Representative Chellie Pingree. “We are saying to them, hey, it was okay when it left. This is a humanitarian mission, not a commercial mission. Can’t we just let them keep moving? And if you really need a captain, let us help get one on the boat as soon as possible.”
According to Brooks, the Coast Guard in south Florida has asked higher ranking members in Washington for guidance on the issue. He hopes to load 20 more containers onto the ship while docked in Miami and set sail as soon as possible.
“It is breaking our hearts,” said Brooks. “It is breaking mine and I am having a hard time holding this all together because it is really rough on us. It has been a long road and I am not sure what to do.”
[quote=steelbeach;26895]The article seems to say with 150 tons aboard they are 59 tons over limit.
Don’t know much about recreational documentation but it suggests the vessel is registered 91 gross tons which we all know isn’t a cargo weight but a cubic measure.
One would think since the voyage is non-commercial it would be an uninspected venture. At the very least it falls under the “Good Samaritan” clause.[/quote]
The boat is 250 GRT.
Sheesh, how hard can it be to get some unemployed sailors with the proper documentation hired on and get that thing moving again???!!!
SSR’s own website has a story too:
http://subsearesearch.com/haitieffort.html
Flyer69: we are neighbors. I’m in the Portland/Gorham area and run http://cascobayboaters.com/
[I]Their Hearts are in the right place but they were not prepared to complete the task, and accusing people of not telling them of their deficiencies before they were loaded does not help. [/I]
[I]Someone dropped the logistics ball which includes following the law, the CFR, and a multitude of safety regulations involved in such an undertaking. [/I]
[I]Just because Haitians are in need and in dire straits doesn’t mean you take actions that are half cocked, with plans that are half baked…look at what happened to the 10 Christian volunteers in a Haitian jail right now.[/I]
[I]Even the Haitians know that you have to follow the rules even in an outwardly innocent attempt to help children…[/I]
You would think that the manager of the company would have a better grasp on things maritime. ". . . because it weighs more than 199 gross tons . . " Sigh.
If that boat is being used as a treasure hunting business should it be a commercial vessel? Thus it should have a COI.
I’d be happy to volunteer as Crew if they still need the help.Anyone know how to contact them?
Is a Visa required for Haiti?
Any other gcaptain volunteers?
It’s probably not U.S. flagged.
just heard on MPBN that he has been cleared. This is why they ask people to send cash and not stuff. The CG has better things to do than be occupied with this kind of bureaucratic nonsense from people seeking accolades.
It’s US flagged and documented.