OCEANS
PASSENGER DROWNS ON MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE
A female British passenger fell overboard from P&O's Aurora during a 14 night Mediterranean cruise out of Southampton. The ship had departed from Oporto, Portugal, en-route to Barcelona, Spain when crew were alerted. A search was immediately ordered by Captain Ian Hutley and a body was later recovered from the sea. Fellow passengers reported a very choppy sea state and that the morale onboard was, "sad and subdued". P&O reported that a care team was "offering assistance" to the victim's family.
LLOYDS ACKNOWLEDGE CREW'S COURAGE
In the media furore surrounding the actions of the Costa Concordia's Captain Francheso Schettino currently awaiting trial, the courage of the crew in getting passengers off the doomed ship has largely been overlooked. Ensuing enquiries have not faulted the crews' actions, but media coverage following the accident has concentrated on the actions of the ship's master and have largely failed to report instances of the genuine courage and professionalism of the crew the rescue of around 4200 passengers aboard at the time.
Lloyds have gone some way toward remedying this situation by awarding this year's Lloyds List "Seafarer of the Year" award to the crew of the Costa Concordia collectively. A statement from the publications editors emphasises that the award is a tribute to the courage and professionalism of the ships' crew and does not include the captain, in the tragedy that claimed up to 32 lives.
HONG KONG FERRY SINKING
39 ARE DEAD, 101 people were hospitalised, 66 discharged and four had serious injuries or were in critical condition, after a pleasure boat and passenger ferry collided and sank off Hong Kong.
Some question whether the ferry captain was overworked over the holiday weekend as the crash occurred, when crowds flocked to watch fireworks on Lamma Island, a popular retreat for tourists and home to a growing expatriate community.
Industry executives say ferry crews in Hong Kong typically work full-day shifts and are often required to spend the night on their boats before having the next day off. Though the ferry operator, Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry Holdings Ltd., has rejected suggestions that the 54 year old captain was too tired after working a shift of around 10 hours, difficult conditions and unattractive salaries make it challenging for operators to hire and retain staff.
The seven crew members on both vessels have been arrested on suspicion of endangering the safety of others at sea, but have not yet been charged.
"Many local ferry companies have sought help because of
difficulties in recruitment," says Ching Ngon-lai, chairwoman of the Small Craft Workers Union. A ferry captain would be very lucky to earn 20,000 Hong Kong dollars a month, or around US$2,580. She said the average age is 54.8 for the city's 4,000 workers of small crafts, including ferries, tugboats and motorboats, up from the mid-40s more than a decade ago. As it competes with alternative transport, Hong Kong's ferries are today considered a sunset industry.
November/December 2012 Professional Skipper 69
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