We welcome in 2012 with an unfolding shipping tragedy in Italy...
Man....... could this Italiano Capitan be is some serious trouble. Italian Law imposes a maximum of 14 years for Captains who abandon their ships and he must also face manslaughter charges relating to the mounting death toll...
Its very surreal seeing this grand looking primo cruise ship half submerged to the backdrop of the calm waters of the magnificent Italian Coast.
Much like the Exon Valdez, this disaster, also due to human (captain) error, has grabbed the headlines. But spare a thought for the few dozen bulk carriers that also split, crash, sink and kill every year.
Being a seaman can be very rewarding but we can also see very dangerous occupation. Shipbroking on the other hand is less dangerous with the occassional nail breaking on the keyboard when typing a cargo order or a ships offer. I once tripped on a golf ball walking to the photocopy machine....but i managed to get through!
I jest a little - our thoughts are with anyone who have lost people at sea...and respect to those on the ships who are risking life and limb!
Yours
VS
I do not by any stretch defend a captain abandoning ship when passengers are still on board, nor do I defend reckless navigation. Still, most of the accidents are due to human error, and we need to accept that accidents do happen as long as people operate ships.
ReplyDeleteSome other noteworthy incidents include Princess of the Stars in 2008 (later I heard that they built cabins of wood and tarp on the outer decks) and Oceanos in 1991. Whatever happened to Capt. Avranas would also be interesting reading.
thanks for post - i will look it up!
ReplyDelete