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U.S. coast guard searching for ship near Bahamas

11K views 69 replies 24 participants last post by  hpeer 
#1 ·
The U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday it was searching for a 735-foot cargo ship with 33 crew aboard reported to be caught in powerful Hurricane Joaquin near Crooked Island, Bahamas.

The container ship El Faro was en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico from Jacksonville, Florida when the Coast Guard received a satellite notification that the ship had lost propulsion and was listing heavily. The crew reported flooding had been contained.
U.S. coast guard searching for ship near Bahamas
 
#5 ·
One reason for a course change might be the sea conditions. They have to take waves only in a certain way. If they had shifting cargo/leakage problem that would make even more sense. These ships are so seriously undermanned that any emergency quickly turns into a disaster.
 
#7 ·
Talk about a tough business. Marine traffic reports that she departed Jacksonville on the 29th @2100hrs -- basically sailing right into the teeth of the developing Joaquin (which intensified rapidly). They knew it was there -- they went anyway. :(
 
#9 · (Edited)
On the other hand, the Old Bahama Channel route might have been a comparative cakewalk, on the fringes of least dangerous quadrant of the storm...

I can only assume they might have been banking on the storm starting to move off to the N sooner... Their reported proximity to Crooked Island makes me wonder whether they might have been attempting to run off to the Crooked Island Passage in an effort to gain the least dangerous quadrant, and the lee of Crooked and Acklins... And, who knows, they might have been fine, until the loss of power...

Fundamental rule of seamanship: Don't forget to ask yourself "What If...???

 
#11 ·
What's puzzling is the lack of communication. They must of had multiple means not just a cruisers complement of VHF and a AIS. Hard to imagine them all going down at the same time. Most of the crew must have handhelds too. My class B AIS can send a distress message with the push of a button. I'm sure their class A unit can do the same only better. I'm hoping once the hurricane moves on they find them pretty quickly.
 
#12 ·
Its tough going when you are always on a schedule. There is a lot of pressure to maintain schedule. Around the 29th both the US and European weather models had Joaquin heading north up the US east coast. Not that the models are that accurate and hurricanes are notorious for not following what the models predict. Sounds like Jon might have nailed some of the thought process of the captain. They may have even thought of his what if but had a schedule to keep. Hard and dangerous business. Hard to judge from a cruiser/leisure sailors perspective. I really hope all souls survive.
 
#15 ·
Indeed another BOUNTY type decision that hopefully won't end as badly. I always think back to my younger days when I hear about things like this. It seemed I always got into the most trouble when I felt I was under a schedule i.e. limited vacation time, weekend etc... Once I got out of the "gotta, gotta" mindset it made for much more pleasant and less stressful/costly sailing.
 
#14 ·
That is certainly a possibility. One thing I was looking at is some recent photos of the 40 year old ship. It looks odd like it is sagging in the middle. The stern section especially looks like it is tilting down toward amidships. Articles say it was refit in 2006? Was it lengthened? Maybe catastrophic weld failure? Might explain the initial leakage too. Though I hope we will get some good news if Joaquin gets out of the way
 
#20 ·
GCaptain update:


"Coast Guard search operations were suspended overnight and resumed at first light this morning.

Search and rescue assets deployed include three C130 aircraft, a USCG Helo helicopter, a Navy P-8 aircraft, the USCG Cutter Northland, USCG Cutter Resolute and a Navy ship. Three commercial tugs are also enroute to the search location, according to an update Saturday morning from TOTE Maritime."
 
#24 ·
The ship is a roro, roll on, roll off. So that may be why she looks like she does.

And, Mike, you were right, she was extended some years ago.
A poster on gCaptain who sailed on her 20 years ago, when she was in service as the NORTHERN LIGHTS making the PNW to Alaska run, described her as "the best heavy weather ship I have ever sailed on..."

I'm a bit perplexed that she keeps getting referred to in various reports as a roll-on/roll-off vessel... While it's true she was carrying vehicles belowdecks, she certainly doesn't appear very similar to what most would consider to be a 'typical' modern ro/ro ship, with their massive transom loading doors, and incredibly boxy design...



 
#26 ·
That's a car carrier you have pictured, not a cargo RoRo vessel (which is designed primarily to carry cargo trailers). El Faro and her sisterships were designed as RoRo ships about 40 years ago and have sailed many, many safe and swift miles under load. None of us know the whys and wherefores, but it would seem at this point to be another poor choice/wrong decision to try to sneak around a hurricane based on a projected path, and then getting caught when the storm takes a different course than expected. Still hoping for a miraculous recovery, but every hour the USCG doesn't report spotting a 730' ship the worse it looks.
 
#46 ·
That's a car carrier you have pictured, not a cargo RoRo vessel (which is designed primarily to carry cargo trailers). El Faro and her sisterships were designed as RoRo ships about 40 years ago and have sailed many, many safe and swift miles under load.
Thanks for that correction...

A poster on gCaptain served on LURLINE of the Matson Line, a near sister to EL FARO... He suspects that the side loading ramp might have been stove in or compromised, but in the pics I've seen of the ship, the exact location or height of such a door or ramp is not immediately apparent to me...
 
#27 · (Edited)
Here's an interesting story about the ship when it was called the Northern Lights.
http://www.ndtahq.com/images/pdf/northernlights.pdf

This all brings back memories of my time as an engineering officer on cargo ships during the Vietnam War. We carried full ship loads of munitions (500lb bombs, napalm) into various ports in South Vietnam. A classmate of mine on a similar ship during the same period lost his life when the ship he was on sank after the cargo shifted in heavy weather.
 
#34 ·
Here's an interesting story about the ship when it was called the Norhern Lights.
http://www.ndtahq.com/images/pdf/northernlights.pdf

This all brings back memories of my time as an engineering officer on cargo ships during the Vietnam War. We carried full ship loads of munitions (500lb bombs, napalm) in various ports in South Vietnam. A classmate of mine on a similar ship during the same period lost his life when the ship he was on sank after the cargo shifted in heavy weather.
Thank you for posting the link.

I hope the crew is safe though it does not look good.
 
#28 ·
Life ring found 70nms north of last reported position.
Reference given is USCG via Fox News via gCaptain.com forum.

Some think this is good news... I think it devastating news but I don't know the actual conditions in the search area. Also must remember if a life ring gets airborne or rolls on its edge, it cod get along way from the ship or other debris.
 
#30 ·
#32 ·
No EPIRB signal sent could mean things went from bad to worse very fast. Though it would seem to make sense to have at least one breakaway water activated EPIRB somewhere outside on the bridge deck. In case a ship goes down before anyone can activate a manual one. Would have be real helpful in a situation like this. I traveled on a freighter back 2005 as a passenger and am not sure if I saw one outside the bridge or not. I thought there might have been something there but, it was a long time ago and the memory fades. :)
 
#33 ·
Mike, an EPIRB signal was received by the USCG but it was one, isolated epirb signal. (There needs to be better clarification on what 'first' signal means, the one with just carrier wave or the first with GPS.)

That was when the ship was first in distress onThursday . No signal since Thursday.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Yeah that's a strange thing why it would stop transmitting or if it was a real EPIRB not some other type of signaling device. If they did activate an EPIRB I doubt they would have turned it off. Especially if all there other comms were non functioning. As I posted earlier another cargo ship north of Haiti the same day had all their crew rescued after taking to the life rafts. The mystery of what happened to El Faro is very puzzling. Still hoping for the best outcome. Hopefully today will bring some better news.

As for the life ring being found. I tip my hat to the U.S. Coast Guard searchers who spotted the life ring as coming from the El Faro. Must have good optics and good eyes to do that! I know I probably could never do it.
Real pros IMO.
 
#37 ·
Indeed but, jeez you would think an 800 foot commercial cargo ship would have at least one with a hydro static release. Maybe a life raft or two if it's not too much to ask. Hell I bet some cruisers even have them on their boats. A modern day 800 foot cargo ship should not just disappear for three days with only life ring left on the surface.
 
#39 ·
Interesting bit: (unconfirmed officially)

"3 life rings , life jacket and a container were found floating . The tug couldn't get a container number to verify it was of the El faro"

Only one life ring was confirmed from El Faro. So the others could be, or could have just been gloating out there.
 
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