Another Tourist Boat Catastrophe

[Irish Rover]

Looks horribly unstable.

Not anymore than many of the superyachts or cruise ships I see regularly. Google an image of Symphony of the Seas which I saw underway earlier in the year and looked most ungainly. That said, the yacht in question capsized so I guess it may have been unstable.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Stability is not in the eye of the beholder, rather in the quite complex maths. While that might have been an issue here I suspect we will not find out the whole truth.

 

[capnsensible]

Stability is not in the eye of the beholder, rather in the quite complex maths. While that might have been an issue here I suspect we will not find out the whole truth.

Don't forget to take into account the ability of the Forum Accident Investigation Board to pronounce without evidence what happened. Even in a circumstance where people tragically died.

 

[winch2]

You'd expect a 34M yacht to be able to handle those conditions.

Of course, but even the safest, greatest vessel is gonna go south if the right people aren't on the bridge.

 

[Scubadoo]

Very sad to hear, my heart goes out to those divers missing. A few years ago I dived the Red Sea in a similar vessel for a week, they are all wooden from what I have seen and comfortable but perhaps basic in some areas.

 

[Sianna]

Incredibly sad story, I've been out from Masa Alarm on a dive boat and the sea state was flipping alarming 3m+ waves all very close to shore but in deep water, very strange conditions indeed.

 

[dunedin]

Incredibly sad story, I've been out from Masa Alarm on a dive boat and the sea state was flipping alarming 3m+ waves all very close to shore but in deep water, very strange conditions indeed.

But if that is not unusual local conditions, surely only boats designed for them should be licensed for passenger operation.
A 3m wave wouldn't be commented on for a North Sea support vessel - nor perhaps a Calmac ferry or indeed most sailing yachts that size.
There is a lot more to the design calculations, but perhaps wooden boat superstructure are slightly heavier than GRP or alloy?

 

[RupertW]

Don't forget to take into account the ability of the Forum Accident Investigation Board to pronounce without evidence what happened. Even in a circumstance where people tragically died.

Especially in a circumstance where people died, because that’s when it’s important to find out what happens. I think you sometimes have far too much faith in investigations being impartial right round the world and in any jurisdiction that an accident happens. I think forum speculation which keeps building on a set of published facts is as likely to weed out likely causes sooner than an investigation in some parts of the world, and sometimes even in this part of the world.

It would be instructive to see a gold standard MAIB report against the forum speculation at the time of the accident, usually a year before the report comes out.

 

[capnsensible]

I have far more faith in the investigative processes by people who deal in facts and have discovered what actually happened.

Far far more than people who dont actually know what they are talking about.

Call me picky if you like......