Maritimo 48

Some extracts of articles in the press.

Answers may take months

Extensive damage to the Port Side Aft Quarter

The investigation into the deadly ferry collision will try to find out why the pleasure boat Lamma IV sank so fast, the Director of Marine Francis Liu Hon-por said yesterday. The vessel was towed to Nga Kau Wan on the northern bay of Lamma island. It sustained a 3.04-meter gaping hole on its side and was leaking oil. An oil-proof net was put around its perimeter to contain the spill. Liu said the probe may take six months, after which safety guidelines for commercial pleasure craft could be altered. “Another focus of the investigation is whether any of the crew had breached regulations,” he said, adding that they will check if there were sufficient safety equipment onboard. The department had issued guidelines that children should always wear life jackets on commercial pleasure boats but he admitted this is not part of the law. “There is also an instruction to require commercial pleasure boats to have a crew member and passenger list, but it’s not required by law either,” he said. The Sea Smooth, owned by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, remains docked at the Yung Shue Wan pier. Prakash Metaparti, a master mariner and assistant professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies, said he believes either one or both vessels were going at an “unsafe speed,” causing Lamma IV to sink within a few minutes. He said it is fairly simple to estimate the speed of the vessels and the path they took a few minutes before the collision through the Marine Department’s radar recordings of the entire harbor traffic. He believes Lamma IV sank because it was hit on the side toward the back part of the ship.

Appears to be Large Gash in Hull just astern of Tyre fender

“That’s where you have the engine room, which is usually the biggest compartment in the ship,” he said. “If that got punctured, water would rush in and quickly fill up a big part of the ship. “That would make it tilt back. Usually, if the damage was not significant, the water would seep in somewhat slowly and the ship would sink rather slowly.” In another development, Island District councillors urged the government to tighten its regulations to improve sea traffic.

The members observed a minute of silence before starting the special meeting on the collision. Meanwhile, a consulate spokeswoman disclosed yesterday that a British national was among the 38 people killed in the accident. British Prime Minister David Cameron has sent his condolences to the boat tragedy victims. Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister Hugo Swire said: “I was deeply saddened by news of the tragic ferry accident in Hong Kong. “We enjoy close historical and cultural ties with Hong Kong, which means that the tragedy will be felt keenly in Britain.”

Source : The Standard

CRYING FERRY BOSS DEFENDS CAPTAIN

The ferry company at the center of the Lamma disaster rejected accusations that the ship captain failed to stop and give assistance in wake of the collision. In standing by his captain, Nelson Ng Siu-yuen of Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry Holdings broke down while disclosing the fact that a relative of his wife lost two children in Hong Kong’s worst maritime incident in 40 years. Thirty-eight people died while an as yet unknown number are believed missing in Monday’s collision between the passenger ferry Sea Smooth and the pleasure boat Lamma IV. “We feel deep regret about this sea tragedy,” Ng said.

“We hope all the deceased can rest in peace. “I have promised not to say anything, but now I feel I cannot but tell you that I too have relatives, two children, who passed away.” Ng said he has reported his personal tragedy to the board of directors. But he was staunch in his defense of the ferry captain, taking issue with reports that suggested the Sea Smooth, carrying more than 90 commuters at the time, had irresponsibly sailed away after the collision. “We stopped at the scene and did not leave immediately. It is unfair to blame the company’s ferry, but what actually happened is up to the investigators to determine,” he said. A master mariner and assistant professor of logistics and maritime studies at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Prakash Metaparti, however, said that while it is the usual practice to stay at an accident scene and offer help, “it is not a rigid rule.” He added: “There are several exceptions. One such exception is when a ship master feels that remaining at the scene will endanger his ship, cargo or passengers, so he may choose to leave.

Extensive Damage to Port Bow section

” Metaparti believes that the captain may have “justifiably felt” that his ferry was in danger of sinking or that some of his own passengers would need urgent medical assistance. For his part, Ng said the captain, a 27-year veteran, remains in a state of shock and is receiving counseling at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The captain has yet to give a full account of what happened. “He does not want to talk yet,” Ng said. “He may be blaming himself.” The captain, whose ribs were injured in the crash, had to be assisted when walking, Ng said, stressing the entire crew had not been working overtime that day. “The Sea Smooth had sailed six to seven round trips that day before the accident, but the captain and his crew were working hours that were just like on normal days,” said Ng. Both ship captains and five of their crew members were arrested and must report back to police in the middle of this month.

Source : The Standard

Listing to Port