Wreck of the Lady Mary

[CalebD]

Most fatal boating accidents are covered by local newspaper reporters who don't know much, if anything, about boating. This series of articles in the NJ Star Ledger shows that a good reporter who has time to research their subject can do a much better job then is usually the case.
The Wreck of the Lady Mary: Chapter 1 - Mystery shrouds fatal scallop boat sinking | NJ.com

Also of interest is this website which is how I found the Star Ledger article: Panbo: The Marine Electronics Weblog: Wreck of the Lady Mary, so many lessons

Forget about running over a few channel markers or crab pots. It is the big shipping that will make a bad day worse, quickly.

[sailingdog]

Unfortunately, the USCG doesn't seem to be very interested in finding out the real truth.

[Plumbean]

I also found that series of articles through Panbo (thanks Ben!).

An awful tragedy and well written. The thing I find odd is that there was a survivor who was on the bridge with most of the other crew members, and yet no discussion of "what happened?" was reported. Could it really be that in the few minutes they had nobody was asking that question?

[therapy23]

Panbo is a great source of info.

[souljour2000]

Thanks for posting these articles...Caleb D...very sad that this situation exists in this day in waters this close to USA...Does anyone in here have real-world experience in the field of largeTanker/container ship traffic either as crew or admin-type experience.? If so..please chime in andmaybe tell us what you can of your impressions of a credible story like the one baleb D posted. These guys were out 200 miles trying to make an honest paycheck at the outer limits or at the commercial edge of US waters ...they were mowed down like wheat under a farmer's thresher...ain't right...but I know the answers aren't easy here for ways to prevent this from happening as often as it does now..

[hellosailor]

"Unfortunately, the USCG doesn't seem to be very interested in finding out the real truth."
Foreign flag vessel. What are the going to do, fast enough to get an arrest warrant for what? manslaughter? before the ship is at sea again?
As a practical matter I doubt they have the resources to do it, even if someone was motivated to try.

It just goes to prove, the commercial traffic does NOT always keep an adequate watch, and that appears to sadly apply to the victims as well.

This is in many ways the same problem as cargo cubes that have gone overboard: Everyone knows what's going on, but no legislature or treaty organization is going to fight the industry and do something about it.

And the USCG simply doesn't have the budget for even basic competent staffing in many places. Given this economy...the only way that will happen is if they charge "user fees" to mariners and we all know what happens once that camel gets a nose in the tent.

[sailingdog]

HS—

The fact that the USCG is claiming that the damage to the boat was due to the boat's impact with the bottom is pretty bogus.

[CalebD]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Unfortunately, the USCG doesn't seem to be very interested in finding out the real truth.

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today. The rank and file CG helo pilot and team did find 3 bodies, 1 alive. If anything it is perhaps the CG brass that may appear to be unconcerned.
At least these Star Ledger reporters did their homework in tying the details and characters together. Perhaps it is better that some civilian reporters have taken the time to research this then a top secret CG review that we would never see.

Originally Posted by sailingfrog

The fact that the USCG is claiming that the damage to the boat was due to the boat's impact with the bottom is pretty bogus.

SD, I did not see in the article where the CG made this claim. The reporters certainly made it clear that it was most likely the cargo ship that rammed them from astern at 20 knots. They of course have the benefit of hind sight as the Lady Mary was not dived on and photographed until at least a month after the container ship left for down under from Philly. The Search and Rescue arm of the CG did their job pretty well; it is the investigations arm that seems to be uninterested or unaware of the complexities involving this sinking.

A sad story but well told.

[tommays]

Sadly there is long and current history of this on Long island Sound between pleasure and work boats

I would guess because its smaller to keep and eye on they seem to have assessed blame in the vast majority of incendents BUT other than the last boat anchored in the channel there was plenty done wrong by both vessels

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by CalebD

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today. The rank and file CG helo pilot and team did find 3 bodies, 1 alive. If anything it is perhaps the CG brass that may appear to be unconcerned.
At least these Star Ledger reporters did their homework in tying the details and characters together. Perhaps it is better that some civilian reporters have taken the time to research this then a top secret CG review that we would never see.

I'm not casting any aspersions on the rescue side, which has always been an admirable group IMHO....it is the bureaucratic side of the USCG I'm talking about.

SD, I did not see in the article where the CG made this claim. The reporters certainly made it clear that it was most likely the cargo ship that rammed them from astern at 20 knots. They of course have the benefit of hind sight as the Lady Mary was not dived on and photographed until at least a month after the container ship left for down under from Philly. The Search and Rescue arm of the CG did their job pretty well; it is the investigations arm that seems to be uninterested or unaware of the complexities involving this sinking.

A sad story but well told.

In the story's last chapter, it says:

As late as September, McAvoy said the agency was leaning away from the idea that the Lady Mary was the victim of a high-seas hit and run. Instead, the agency was considering the theory that the boat was swamped and the damage to her stern was the result of its impact with the sea floor. He has declined any comment since.

McAvoy was the USCG marine forensics investigator for the panel's report. That pretty much means that he's concluded it was NOT A HIT AND RUN. Clearly, the evidence says otherwise.