Sea Diamond sinks, bad current?
This weekend a Panbo reader emailed me thusly: “How about an in-depth look at the electronics and friggin' AIS on that cruise ship that grounded then sank???” Well, I wish I could find the details of what electronic aids were available on that now sunken bridge, but I have little doubt about the accident’s cause. Incompetence trumps electronics every time! While I generally sympathize with a skipper who screws up—one result of my own numerous navigation errors—there are indications that this was an accident about to happen. One is that the Captain blamed strong currents for the grounding. As if set and drift shouldn’t have been toward the very top of his worry list, a critical factor to be on aware of, using electronics or older means. Then read down the same article to see how Sea Diamond’s operating company already had two serious accidents in the last year. Incompetence often flows from the top.
At any rate, the news reports about this tragic sinking will surely get more detailed. For instance, I can’t yet find a map of just where it happened, so I looked up Santorini, Greece, in Google Earth. While there are numerous interesting POI entries about the island, no user has yet geo-located the wreck. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see that soon, GE being the global community map it’s become (more on that later).
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I like a good challenge, so when I read Ben could not find the location of the wreck I thougt I could put my Google skills to test.
Following is a Marine Salvage site that has posted a nautical map of where the ship struck land. Apparently it was towed somewhere else to sink. http://uwex.us/
As a side item and unrelated, take a minute to watch on the same web site, the 592 foot cruise ship being thrown around in a storm. Video is taken from a rescue helicopter.
Back on the topic of the wreck, I found this photo album of pics/and one video, taken onboard while the ship was dragging. You WILL BE AMAZED at how close this huge vessel gets to the cliffs. I don't understand why they did not drop their 4 anchors or use their bow thrusters to navigate. Viewing these pics it is amazing the vessel stayed a float as long as it did.
Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/juliejames/JohnandSarah
One last interesting find on this boat, is a video showing the sinking of the boat. I thought this video spoke to the discussion of could you be sucked under water as a boat goes down. Watch the life rafts, they are pushed around by the current, but it does not appear any are in danger of being pulled under.
http://www.truecruise.com/sea-diamond.aspx
-Mark Read