Author Topic: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO  (Read 27095 times)

Offline Jeff Thoreson

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USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« on: October 02, 2015, 06:03:05 PM »
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/coast-guard-searching-missing-cargo-ship-out-jacks/nnskx/

U.S. flagged container ship EL FARO, which departed Jacksonville, FL for San Juan, PR on Tuesday, is missing in Hurricane Joaquin.

Offline PHa

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Offline Kyle Stubbs

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2015, 12:14:53 AM »
Yesterday the storm claimed the former European coaster MINOUCHE (IMO 7930553) north of Haiti. All 12 crewmen made it off the sinking vessel and were rescued by Coast Guard helicopter.

Image of Shipspotting as HERMANN C. BOYE: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2246137

New story: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/10/02/u-s-coast-guard-rescues-12-from-sinking-cargo-ship/

Kind Regards,
Kyle
"Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often." -Mark Twain

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2015, 02:54:29 PM »
What I wonder about this whole thing is that the hurricane was known as slow moving and/or stationary
for a while, it wasn,t a storm which just sprung up !!! Why the El Faro then did not navigate through the Old Bahama channel to avoid either the storm or the bad weather around it ?
It is apparently known that she reported engine problems and a 15 degree list before loosing contact, due to fact that the last known position of the ship was close to the center of the storm and that we know that the storm moved very slow SW with the forecast to stop and reverse to the N-NE, which it did. Why then they seemingly really attempted to go through it nevertheless ?
Going North of the storm would be not good,,because of the future forecast to the N-NE so the only other option would have been south and due to fact that the Bahamas are there the only option would have been via Florida Straits into Bahama Channel (Between Cuba and southern bahama islands) I estimate it would be a day more sailing roughly.
Any thoughts?
baffles me with nowadays weather informations available to avoid such storms in the first place.
capt ted
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2015, 03:14:41 PM »
I might add and clarify,,that a hurricane one can navigate around whereas a cold front or any other frontal system one can not because it is stretching usually over a long distance ,In fall/winter days easy the whole atlantic and goes down like a line (front). In other words you can not avoid it.
This makes to a certain degree, for ships, a frontal system sometimes more dangerous than a hurricane.
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Malim Sahib

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2015, 05:01:21 PM »
Still no news of her after two days.
In those conditions with a 15 degree list and no power she will have been beam on and rolling heavily, as such it would not have taken much for her to broach to and be overcome by the sea.
Capt Ted is right on the money with his observations on her route and weather forecasting, I fail to understand just what she was doing there in the first place.
With the shipping industry being run as it is today, I wonder just how much commercial pressure her Master was under from his employer to take a chance on the weather and avoid delay.

Offline reeferskip

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2015, 06:33:58 PM »
Fully agree with Capn Ted, ship should have got out of the dangerous quadrant by using the Florida Strait. As far as I recall it used to be mandatory in UK flag ships when I was doing my tickets. There are unknowns at the moment: what was the situation of owners/managers? How much fuel was on board? What was the stability of the ship? There appeared to be large openings in the upper hull - if she took water in would she be able to shed it immediately? What was her condition (I know she must have been within class) but she was 40 years old? I remember when I worked in LA, Matson had some similar ships & I was never very impressed with them - did they have a military function if required?

For the moment let us all hope that the vessel will be found & that loved ones will be reunited. We all know it's tough out there & our hearts & prayers go out to those on board & those who wait hopefully.

Tony 

Offline Oldkayaker

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2015, 06:44:56 PM »
Best wishes and good luck to all the crew of the container ship El Faro, hoping for a full rescue and recovery.

Offline Kyle Stubbs

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2015, 01:14:39 AM »
The only news so far is that a life ring was spotted by Coast Guard C-130 and confirmed to be from EL FARO by helicopter.
"Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often." -Mark Twain

Offline Federico

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2015, 03:59:24 PM »
This ship as many other sisters (for example the WESTWARD VENTURE)were able to be chartered to Military Sealift Command for various necessity including reposition of vehicles destroyed in action in Iraq, collect of the garbage and delivery in some USN Bases in the Mediterranean, goods and supplies exchange to the military troops around the world.
The first deck is a big garage, no ship's ramps, but shore ones as for normal TOTE Shipping loading practice.

Offline Avery Boyer

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2015, 04:59:26 PM »
Pretty misleading title to this first article-"objects" include a container identified by TOTE as coming from El Faro and an oil slick. Pretty clearly a debris field.  :(

http://abcnews.go.com/International/search-continues-missing-us-cargo-ship-caught-hurricane/story?id=34236660

More:

http://elfaroincident.com/el-faro-updates/tote-media-release-10-4-15-1230pm-est/


Offline Captain Ted

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2015, 12:27:16 PM »
This morning in the Tampa Tribune newspaper that USCG declares vessel as sunk.
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #13 on: October 06, 2015, 10:46:35 PM »
From the Maritime-Connector news about the El Faro sinking

quote

Florida maritime attorney Rod Sullivan, who closely monitored the the El Faro incident, said El Faro should have been retired.

"In my opinion, this vessel had reached beyond its useful life," Sullivan told First Coast News.

The El Faro was built in 1975. Given its age, said Sullivan, the cargo ship should have remained in port. Sullivan, who never boarded the freighter, graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, served five years, holds several licenses and has practiced maritime law for 35 years.

unqoute

the whole text below

http://maritime-connector.com/news/security-and-piracy/coast-guard-missing-cargo-ship-sank-in-hurricane/

Well I guess on the end its all about money.
 

NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Bob Scott

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Re: USCG Searching for Missing Container Ship EL FARO
« Reply #14 on: October 06, 2015, 11:08:55 PM »
Shouldn't speculate on what happened but it struck me that this ship's "garage deck"created an accident waiting to happen. I reckon that if water got in there, so high up on the ship, and started to "slosh around" (free surface effect) the ship would probably capsize in the blink of an eye; even faster than happened with the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE.

 

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