Posted on Oct 2, 2015
US-Flagged Merchant Vessel, the SS EL Faro with 28 Americans and 5 others on board, goes missing. Have you seen this? ***Update #1/2****
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Thoughts and hopes go out to my fellow Merchant Marines and hope that their ship is just dark, and not visiting Davey Jones. If they've gone down...well. I'll wait for more news. They issued a distress call to the CG, who is searching for them, but I've not heard whether or not their EPIRBs activated -- which would indicate a high probability of sinking.
Having said that, it's HIGHLY unusual for an American ship to lose contact like this, but losing propulsion in a storm is bad news for ANY kind of ship...
For the record, even if the El Faro sank, modern Merchant vessels have VERY good lifeboats, and Sailors are required to train on them at least once a week (just like their Navy counterparts). So there's a good chance that they're still alive, out there. If so, the CG will find them.
"At approximately 7:30 a.m. on Oct 1, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Atlantic Area command center in Portsmouth, Virginia, received an Inmarsat satellite notification stating the "El Faro" was beset by Hurricane Joaquin, had lost propulsion and had a 15-degree list. The crew reported the ship had previously taken on water, but that all flooding had been contained. "
********Update #1********
Sunday the CG found a life ring, life jackets, shipping containers, and an oil slick. It's confirmed that the ring and containers are from the SS El Faro. At this point, it's not looking good. No definite confirmation that she's gone down, but....It might be time to move expectations to, hopefully, locating some life boats.
*******Update 2******
It saddens me to say that the El Faro is now assumed lost at sea. The CG has found a large debris field containing many items one expects to see from such an incident. They have recovered one lifeboat that was empty. They found one crewman in a survival suit who was deceased. Mariners are trained to get into them in the water if they need to, so this doesn't tell us if they had time before a sudden catastrophic event, ie capsizing. The empty lifeboat worries me. Short of a sudden capsize, they should have had time to board either a boat or raft. My heart is heavy for the loss of fellow mariners, and my sympathy goes out to families who are anxiously waiting news.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/02/us/hurricane-joaquin/index.html
Having said that, it's HIGHLY unusual for an American ship to lose contact like this, but losing propulsion in a storm is bad news for ANY kind of ship...
For the record, even if the El Faro sank, modern Merchant vessels have VERY good lifeboats, and Sailors are required to train on them at least once a week (just like their Navy counterparts). So there's a good chance that they're still alive, out there. If so, the CG will find them.
"At approximately 7:30 a.m. on Oct 1, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Atlantic Area command center in Portsmouth, Virginia, received an Inmarsat satellite notification stating the "El Faro" was beset by Hurricane Joaquin, had lost propulsion and had a 15-degree list. The crew reported the ship had previously taken on water, but that all flooding had been contained. "
********Update #1********
Sunday the CG found a life ring, life jackets, shipping containers, and an oil slick. It's confirmed that the ring and containers are from the SS El Faro. At this point, it's not looking good. No definite confirmation that she's gone down, but....It might be time to move expectations to, hopefully, locating some life boats.
*******Update 2******
It saddens me to say that the El Faro is now assumed lost at sea. The CG has found a large debris field containing many items one expects to see from such an incident. They have recovered one lifeboat that was empty. They found one crewman in a survival suit who was deceased. Mariners are trained to get into them in the water if they need to, so this doesn't tell us if they had time before a sudden catastrophic event, ie capsizing. The empty lifeboat worries me. Short of a sudden capsize, they should have had time to board either a boat or raft. My heart is heavy for the loss of fellow mariners, and my sympathy goes out to families who are anxiously waiting news.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/02/us/hurricane-joaquin/index.html
Sailors
Navy
Coast Guard
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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Last report on Thursday was 15 degree list and taking water - doesn't sound good.
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SN Greg Wright
SPC David S. A list that size is bad, but easily countered with ballast, unless you're holed, and then all bets are off. But that's unlikely unless they hit something in which case you'd have to ask, what? The real problem was the loss of propulsion. Once a ship can't steer and goes broadside to the waves...that's the big problem.
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This is the company website set up for any updates and late breaking news.
http://elfaroincident.com/el-faro-updates/tote-media-release-10-4-15-1230pm-est/
http://elfaroincident.com/el-faro-updates/tote-media-release-10-4-15-1230pm-est/
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This is horrible news. As a ship driver, I have to wonder though, what were they doing in the storm. Surely merchants know that dying isn't worth a few gallons of fuel...
SN Greg Wright
LCDR Rabbi Jaron Matlow I can't begin to claim to know what was in that Captain's head. From our armchairs it seems like a foolish decision, but who knows. It's a newer ship (as ships go) and so I think he thought he'd be ok which, most times, if you don't lose propulsion, you will be....but he lost propulsion so...here we are.
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Indeed. Given the lessons that were learned during WW II after so many destroyers lost in storms in the Pacific, I really thought mariners didn't do this any more... but like you said, we can't know what was in the Master's mind...
SN Greg Wright
LCDR Rabbi Jaron Matlow - I think this may be the fault of an overdependence on tech. It's certainly RARE for a ship to lose propulsion these days. But obviously, not impossible. He took a gamble that, 99 times out of 100, he'll win on. Unfortunately this time, he was the 1 time.
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Unless they can recover the vessel - not likely in 15000 feet of water, we'll never know what really happened. The report I saw today suggested that the load on the deck was top heavy, so the ship was destabilized. IT might have not gone down, had her load limits been followed...
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Unfortunately, we know a young man who is on that ship. I'm sure all the families are going crazy with worry. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of them.
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SN Greg Wright
PO2 Jonathan Scharff - That doesn't seem possible though -- a ship that size would have 5-10 EPIRBS, so if she went down, they'd have more than one tone, and those tones are continuous until the battery dies. And they're designed to detach and float.
A single tone can easily be an inadvertent activation, and in that kind of weather you'd almost expect it -- waves washing over the deck, etc. Since I can conceive of no way that that many EPIRBS malfunction at one time, a single tone would be hopeful, in my eyes.
A single tone can easily be an inadvertent activation, and in that kind of weather you'd almost expect it -- waves washing over the deck, etc. Since I can conceive of no way that that many EPIRBS malfunction at one time, a single tone would be hopeful, in my eyes.
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PO2 Jonathan Scharff I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you, your family and the families of all those lost will find comfort through the support of their communities...
PO2 Jonathan Scharff
SN Greg Wright well I don't believe you're correct on the amount of EPIRB's, or for that matter on the activation. They are stored in brackets that let them release only vertically. They are bouyant and when submerged they are released out of the bracket and then flip 180 degrees. Turning them "upright" activates the tone. There really isn't a way to activate one without doing this. Of course I can't comment on the battery state on this specific ship or what the companies policy is for checking and replacing them. Also if the ship completely tips over it is possible that they wouldn't be released at all. No safety devise is fool proof. Let's just hope they are all safe in spite of any failures.
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SN Greg Wright
PO2 Jonathan Scharff PO2, I'm a Merchant Marine. I can guarantee at LEAST 6 EPIRBS on that ship: one on each bridge wing, one on both the foc'sle and fantail, and at LEAST one on each railing on the main deck (more likely two on a ship that long). I know this because this has been the case on every US-flagged ship I've sailed - it's mandated by the CG. Additionally, I have several times been on the bridge when the Coasties have called to inquire about our status because they got an EPIRB activation. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen -- they're activated by salt water as well, not simply the motion of turning upright. In fact, the newer EPIRBS are encased in hydrostatic release units, designed to pop open within 4 meters of the surface. The bracket system you're describing (accurately, for the most part, but for the salt-water activation) is older. I don't know which system is on the El Faro. Either way, a capsize would not prevent them from activating -- they don't have to be on the surface to transmit, although they are designed to float.
Having said all that...your point about the company's habits is actually...pretty chilling. If they didn't enforce a culture that did regular maintenance, then...yeah. That'd be really bad, and does give me pause. Finally, my intent is to be respectful, NOT to show you up or anything. I am keenly aware of what you must be feeling if you know someone on that boat.
Having said all that...your point about the company's habits is actually...pretty chilling. If they didn't enforce a culture that did regular maintenance, then...yeah. That'd be really bad, and does give me pause. Finally, my intent is to be respectful, NOT to show you up or anything. I am keenly aware of what you must be feeling if you know someone on that boat.
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The coast guard has reportedly found a life ring from the SS El Faro! This is good and bad news. Good news because they can use their knowledge of the seas to track the path of the life ring from wind direction and currents to follow where it may have possibly came from. Bad because it is a sign the vessel may be sunk OR as simple as the ring being blown from its holder on the vessel with high winds in either case if it was blown from the vessel the coast guard could spend precious time chasing their tails trying to find the location of where it originated from
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SN Greg Wright
SGT Christopher King I wish they'd announce whether or not they got an EPIRB activation. That'd tell us a lot.
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SGT Christopher King
SN Greg Wright - very true it would tell us if they abandoned ship or it went down either way but the latest news is there is a large debris field of 250 square miles. However never put all your eggs in one basket as it is just debris and could be from the cargo containers on top of the vessel. Until they have had an EPIRB activation or find the vessel or life boats I still consider them alive and safe!
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Latest update from the USCG press conference! 1 person has been found deceased in their survival(gumby) suit. The body was so degraded they are not able to tell who it is. Furthermore they have announced they have changed their search tactics and believe and are assuming the vessel SS EL FARO has sank. They have found a life boat that had nobody in it as well as several life rafts. All were extensively damaged. My deepest and heart felt condolences goes out to those families still waiting in limbo to find their loved ones lost at sea. It truly saddens me to see that we have lost several of our brothers and sisters from the fourth arm of defense! When names are released I will let you all know and if I have ever sailed with any which is a very strong likelihood!
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SGT Christopher King
SN Greg Wright - this is true but I believe from experience that even with a 5degree list launching the life boats is a hell of a task! So I could only imagine trying to launch them with a 15degree list and 100mph winds
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SN Greg Wright
SGT Christopher King - It looks like a relatively new ship, so it might have had one of the new kind of 'sliders' on the stern, where a list wouldn't matter as much, rather than the port and starboard versions you and I are used to. Maybe I'm grasping, but I just keep hoping.
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SN Greg Wright
SGT Christopher King - Damn, I just saw a shot from the stern -- nope. She's got the port and starboard ones. Crap.
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I heard the Coast Guard recovered a Life Ring or something. Sad, sad, sad. The Ocean is a very unforgiving Mistress which US Sea Service Veterans know all to well.
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SN Greg Wright
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel She's a stone cold Bitch when she wants to be, PO1, and Davey Jones is just WAITING for all Mariners.
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SN Greg Wright
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel THIS is not an uncommon occurrence, PO1, which can result in life rings lost, so let's wait for more info:
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Well that's why we train. For incidents like this. My prayers go out to the crew and their families.
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SN Greg Wright With today's technology it surprises me that a ship can be lost,unless it is sunk almost immediately.I do hope they are found and alive.
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SN Greg Wright
SSgt Terry P. Well, if they lost propulsion, and go broadside to the waves in a hurricane....not good, Sarge. Not good at all. I don't care how big your ship is.
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SSgt Terry P.
SN Greg Wright - No real knowledge of ships,Greg,but i have a good understanding of Nature and it is ONE powerful force.
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SN Greg Wright
SSgt Terry P. - Yes. I was in the Bering Sea on the SS Denali during a hundred year storm once. She's THREE times the size of a Carrier, by deadweight tonnage...and she was being tossed like a twig. It's one of the few times that I thought I might actually buy the farm at sea. So you're absolutely right. The machines are massive to us, but they're minuscule to Mother Nature.
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