Just wondering if anyone is considering attending any of these Hearings?
The initial hearing, which is open to the public, is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 16-26 at Jacksonville’s Prime Osborn Convention Center.
I live about 2 hours from Jacksonville and hope that I can attend most if not all of the days.
If anyone else is going to try to attend let me know and maybe we can meet up and have a Drink to toast those lost forever.
[QUOTE=Tugs;178129]Just wondering if anyone is considering attending any of these Hearings?
The initial hearing, which is open to the public, is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 16-26 at Jacksonville’s Prime Osborn Convention Center.
I live about 2 hours from Jacksonville and hope that I can attend most if not all of the days.
If anyone else is going to try to attend let me know and maybe we can meet up and have a Drink to toast those lost forever.[/QUOTE]
Hmm. I’m heading back east around the 9th but I’ll be working and unable to attend.
Lemme see how long they need me on this next assignment. I don’t have high hopes though.
I can drive that in 12 hours. I’d really love to go…
The hearing starts today. It was on the local news last night here in Maine.
If the findings do not come up with a recommendation that all contracting governments, signatory of the international convention for the safety of life at sea (SOLAS), should / shall implement an international maritime severe weather compulsory avoidance plan, integrated with an amnesty from any legal proceedings arising from their participation, these hearings will keep going over and over again. Vessels filing sea protest would have the burden of proof that they comply with the maritime severe weather avoidance plan, if the owner or charterer does not want to be liable for damages caused and or be unable to produce in court the ship’s log as evidence of perils at sea. Act of God force majeure excluded. The severe weather no go zones would be broadcasted by authorities like NOAA and reflect their own 34 KT Rule, 1-2-3 Rule, Assessing Options, Go & No Go Decisions to Leave Port advices but now, in the form of obligatory rules.
To go, or not to go would not be a question anymore, hopefully.
Lots of ground covered. WX routing software is now being used, not prior, fitness of the captain, questions about various emails.
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;179389]Lots of ground covered. WX routing software is now being used, not prior, fitness of the captain, questions about various emails.
First Coast News live blog of the hearings.[/QUOTE]
Tote is clearly trying to pin it on the captain. Tote’s “I don’t know” answers aren’t making them look good.
I just watched only one minute or so of some TOTE ASSHAT saying how every decision concerning the voyage and the route belonged to the master only before I had to click it off. If the USCG eats this CRAP served to them by TOTE then we as mariners are all DOOMED! I really don’t know if my stomach can take watching the whole hearing. Maybe there is a transcript that I can read somewhere?
I would like to know if Mario Vittone is there? We need someone who has nothing vested on the inside to give us the real picture of the testimony
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Read the link Kennebec Captain posted. The JAX news station had reporters live tweeting the hearings. Their tweets are kinda like a transcript and are at the bottom of the article at that link. Twitter works in reverse time so keep clicking more until it goes back 11 hours and you’ll see their first tweets as hearings started.
They had the TOTE ops guy on the stand. Seems like most of the after lunch questions were centered on the masters “suitability of command”. Sounded like he wasn’t getting the new ship because he had some bad evals. Not enough “command presence” blah blah blah. They are starting quick with laying it at the captains feet. It’s like reading the transcript of a snuff film what a bunch of shit heads.
[QUOTE=c.captain;179395]I just watch only one minute or so of some TOTE ASSHAT saying how every decision concerning the voyage and the route belonged to the master only before I had to click it off. [/QUOTE]
That ASSHAT is clearly trying to cover TOTE’s assets and put the blame entirely on the captain. Mr. ASSHAT answering “I don’t know” doesn’t make Tote look so good.
Exactly and they are going for the character assassination on the master with the quickness. If they had doubts about his leadership why was he still commanding their ship?
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;179400]Exactly and they are going for the character assassination on the master with the quickness. If they had doubts about his leadership why was he still commanding their ship?[/QUOTE]
He had great evaluations. They are assassinating him with innuendo. This brings back memories of the Marine Electric.
Scuttle butt is that Tote chewed out the Captain for going around Tropical Storm Erika, adding two days to the voyage. Hope this email shows up somewhere…
KG
[QUOTE=Kona Guy;179402]Scuttle butt is that Tote chewed out the Captain for going around Tropical Storm Erika, adding two days to the voyage. Hope this email shows up somewhere…
KG[/QUOTE]
Funny how there was a ton of emails about Erika but only a few about Joaquin. When the Tote ops guy gets asked about it, his answer is “I don’t know”.
I also saw that “Melissa Clark, crewing manager for Tote Services, wrote in an email about “dwindling confidence” in El Faro Captain Michael Davidson as a leader.” Who did she write that email to? What are her qualifications to judge a ship’s master? I have “dwindling confidence” in Tote as an upstanding company. This shows how much they will stand by their people when the chips are down.
[QUOTE=RespectMyAuthority;179404]I have “dwindling confidence” in Tote as an upstanding company. This shows how much they will stand by their people when the chips are down.[/QUOTE]
you know that I had the my eyes opened immediately after the EL FARO was declared lost about TOTE and Saltchuk Resources. I once held them in high esteem as being better than all the rest and with true professionals top to bottom. Suddenly they became just another SCUMBAG operator owned by SHYSTER lawyers only interested in PROFITS without any regard for PEOPLE. I am still sickened today at the horrible revelation. They are right here in my city, I always envisioned that someday I would work in their management. I called for Foss to be the leader in Arctic energy. Today, I have come to think of them with contempt.
Today, I must wonder…is there any company in the US worth of our respect?
Ah, the old-school Jeff Spicoli-defense deployed once again in a tight spot. It’s a brilliant legal maneuver, if the individual testifying is a good enough actor, because it usually works, unless contradictory evidence turns up on a server somewhere. If that happens then they “Better Call Saul!”
[QUOTE=Topsail;179385]If the findings do not come up with a recommendation that all contracting governments, signatory of the international convention for the safety of life at sea (SOLAS), should / shall implement an international maritime severe weather compulsory avoidance plan, integrated with an amnesty from any legal proceedings arising from their participation, [/QUOTE]
Put a requirement on US flag vessdels that doesn’t apply to foreign flag and give more ammo to the anti-Jomnes Act crowd?
[QUOTE=Topsail;179385]The severe weather no go zones would be broadcasted by authorities like NOAA…[/QUOTE]
What if these “no go” zones are in foreign waters?
One possibility for the different number of emails is if in Erika they were going to miss the ETA. That would tend to fill up the inbox. I wouldn’t think there would necessarily be much discussion if the ship is going to stay on schedule.
Good line of questioning, if the captain alone had the authority to route why is he asking the company if it’s ok? Is the captain’s authority real or is it a legal fiction to protect the bean counters who really run the show?
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;179426]
One possibility for the different number of emails is if in Erika they were going to miss the ETA. That would tend to fill up the inbox. I wouldn’t think there would necessarily be much discussion if the ship is going to stay on schedule.
Good line of questioning, if the captain alone had the authority to route why is he asking the company if it’s ok? Is the captain’s authority real or is it a legal fiction to protect the bean counters who really run the show?[/QUOTE]
You wouldn’t think with a vessel steaming into a heavy weather impact possibility that there wouldn’t be interest and checking to make sure schedules were holding firm? I would think regardless there would be heightened concern to verify schedule instead of assuming no problems until advised. Any such communications for ‘concerns’ to ensure schedule should vary little from Erika to Joaquin.
[QUOTE=Kona Guy;179402]Scuttle butt is that Tote chewed out the Captain for going around Tropical Storm Erika, adding two days to the voyage. Hope this email shows up somewhere…[/QUOTE]
is there one member of the crew who was not aboard on the fated voyage who was aboard on the voyage when the ship went down the Old Bahamas Channel to avoid Erika who can testify as to the veracity of this? Someone must know how TOTE felt about that voyage and Davidson’s decision that time?
The port agent’s emails would be very telling whether between the ship or the office, too.