Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
75 feet is the size of a medium size yacht, which would have a maximum capacity of about 25 people. Though most would carry less people then that. 39 people in a 75 foot boat is crazy.
Diving excursion boats are not yachts. Glad we got that cleared up. (Also, 75 feet is a damn big yacht.) But OK, here's a 60 ft yacht with USCG approval for 85 passengers:
No. It is a boat. You want as little openings as possible. There is always some idiot who may leave a porthole open while underway which would sink the boat.
Yes, exactly.
You think we should all die if the main companionway is blocked by fire? That is what you are espousing.
An escape hatch from a low berthing area that is a few feet above the water line constitutes no great risk.
Once did a couple of days off Baja with the waves breaking over the entire boat. A rugged 38 footer sail boat so it was not problem. But there were three operable ports that leaked not a drop. Interesting in the cockpit though when the water got up to your waist.
The question is whether there were adequate escape paths...not the number of people.
If I may quibble, the larger question is what caused the damn fire. The escape paths had been approved by the USCG, who really are the bona fide experts in this sort of thing.
And while I can see your point about escape routes having to be diverse, opening to the sea in a passenger space is a bad idea. Not only do you now have a flooding risk, but if you do have to evacuate a space for whatever reason, you now have an MOB situation to deal with. I know certain multihulls have them, in case of turtling, but I have never encountered someone who really liked them.
75 feet is the size of a medium size yacht, which would have a maximum capacity of about 25 people. Though most would carry less people then that. 39 people in a 75 foot boat is crazy.
It is not a yacht, lol.
I am taking it you know very little about boats...
Just like there is a difference between a motor home and a bus, both similar sized, but both have capacity differences.
A yacht is a luxury vessel, not intended for maximizing the number of people it can carry, like a bus. This vessel was intended to maximize the number of people, and in doing so removed the luxuries a yacht would have. There are also design elements involved as well for its intended use.
If I may quibble, the larger question is what caused the damn fire. The escape paths had been approved by the USCG, who really are the bona fide experts in this sort of thing.
And while I can see your point about escape routes having to be diverse, opening to the sea in a passenger space is a bad idea. Not only do you now have a flooding risk, but if you do have to evacuate a space for whatever reason, you now have an MOB situation to deal with. I know certain multihulls have them, in case of turtling, but I have never encountered someone who really liked them.
Nope. If regulations could guarantee no fires the regulations would be much simpler. But these boats use diesel engines with large quantities of fuel. And propane stoves/grills with tanks of propane. And even small cruisers have alcohol stoves which will burn very well. Our boat was well equipped with heavy duty fire extinguishers. Never had even the hint of one...but we were prepared if ever.
And you do not open to the sea. You open to the air a couple of feet above the sea.
Any boat with port holes will take water on occasion. Someone screws up. But in general the plumbing in a boat can get rid of a whole lot of water. Boat systems are designed to handle leaks of some reasonable size.
And we now see the cost of not having ports to the outside. 34 dead. And this was a set that would likely have all survived in the open sea.
I have been in situations where the sea broke over ports. Aside from minor leakage it was no problem.
I am a CA diver.
I’m afraid to hear the victim list.
I’ve been on this boat and her sister ship the Vision at least 8 or so times.
I never liked the tight sleeping quarters.
Other than that this is or was a top notch outfit.
How did this happen?
My guess it was batteries but I don’t know.
Why did the night watch person not have time to shout fire fire fire?
Normally I would easily say he or she might be asleep, but I’ve spent over 30 nights on the Conception and the Vision and I always get up at night, never once did I see the watch person sleeping or act like they just woke up.
Top notch outfit.
Very sad day.
Andy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.