There has been a tremendous response to pointing out that the Sewol was relying on liferafts that no-one could get into, says John Guy in his latest blog post on the Korean ferry accident.
SWZonline posted the former blog entry as 'No Lifeboats on Board Korean Ferry Sewol' just last week. Due to the many reactions Guy received, he has posted another blog on the subject:
It Is Not Just Asia
But just in case you think this is a Korean problem, consider a note I had from an experienced mariner in the USA. He told me that working aboard ferries and other passenger craft in the Northeastern US (therefore Jones Act) made him wonder how evacuations would go in rough weather. “In the depths of winter when air and water temperatures were low and wave heights might be 3 metres, just exactly how long would it take rescuers to reach us? Would helicopters manage the load of passengers? Would the vessel remain upright?” he asked himself.
Another mariner told me that Asian ferries gave up on lifeboats thirty years ago and he only ever travels on deck now.
Test the System
All over the world coastal ferries rely only on liferafts. Which would be fine if due consideration has been given to how you are going to get a ship load of frightened passengers into the rafts. In North Europe the modern ferries have sophisticated evacuation systems, and they test them, albeit with fit young troops rather than typical passengers.
That doesn’t happen in the Mediterranean, it doesn’t happen in the Middle East and it doesn’t happen in Asia, and these are the three areas of the world with a lot of busy ferry routes operated by ageing tonnage. Many of the ships have been bounced from European trades because of age or not meeting stricter criteria. All the more reason to have a way to evacuate them safely, you might think.
The Wrong Remedies for the Wrong Problem
To date, the Korean authorities are reported to be considering tightening coastal ferry rules to require better boarding controls, speed monitoring and black boxes. All very nice, but none of those help in an emergency. All you want then is a safe way off the ship, and you want the master to have safe options to order an evacuation without having to wait for helicopters and rescue craft.
What to Tell Your Gap Year Kids
Perhaps the most telling replies I’ve had were asking what they should tell their gap year kids who were off travelling the world. Have fun, is my advice. And remember that ferries are a very safe way to travel. But just in case, when you get on board, check out where the lifejackets are stowed, stay sober and stay close to the open deck. Above all, get outside when anything happens. That way you have the chance those kids on the Sewol didn’t.
About John Guy
John Guy served on merchant ships and warships for sixteen years before becoming a ship inspector and then a journalist. He advises companies and organisations working in the global shipping industry on media and crisis management and wrote two maritime novels, “The Golden Tide” and “The Reluctant Pirate”. He also has a blog on his website.
SWZonline kindly thanks John Guy for his permission to re-publish his blog post here.
