Post-Conception Disaster: what you learned & will change

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drrich2

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Location
Southwestern Kentucky
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Will assume most everyone knows I'm talking about the Truth Aquatic's boat Conception that suffered a fire resulting in the deaths of all 33 passengers and 1 crewman. Other threads have gone into specifics of what happened, what's suspected to've happened, what should be done in response to what happened, etc... My aim for this thread is different.

I'd like to know first what you personally learned new from this situation, and secondly what, if anything, you will do differently in planning and accepting future trips, particularly live-aboard trips but not just those. I'll start.

What I Learned

1.) I learned that in U.S. waters boats in that class are legally supposed to have a 'roving watch' at all times when even one passenger might be in a berth, which practically tends to be 24/7 while underway. It's an issue in quickly detecting fires before escalation, or when boats come loose from moorings (even in benign conditions, a mooring could come loose and a boat drift over and hit a reef).

2.) That is often not practiced. Also be mindset vessels outside U.S. waters might be under so such mandate (or if so, do they follow it)?

3.) When the bunk/stateroom area is 'confined,' as it was in a large room below deck on the Conception, it is preferred there be 2 really useable paths of egress from it, ideally leading to different points, ideally to open deck (e.g.: not both to an enclosed salon).

4.) Sometimes the 2nd method may be an overhead hatch that's hard to reach and wouldn't accommodate some obese people, or a bunch of people needing rapid evacuation. Due to practical consideration in boat construction and regulations, it is not practical to just 'cut a big hole and install stairs' to add a great 2nd path to a pre-existing boat.

5.) Once inflamed, boat fires can escalate much faster than I knew, creating such intense heat as to be impassable. I'd thought if smoke inhalation didn't get you while asleep, surely you could run through (albeit burned). Not necessarily so.

6.) Rechargeable lithium batteries on chargers can be a fire hazard and generate intense heat...but I still don't know just what the risk is. Ideally a charging station would be in some fireproof metal container...but this isn't common practice.

7.) Smoke alarm systems vary in quality and not every boat setup is as reliable as one might hope.

8.) Boats vary in safety briefings, including whether they mention a 2nd means of egress.

9.) A change in boating requirements could effectively shut down some boats, or lead to substantial increases in trip costs (specifics unclear).

What I Will Do Differently

1.) I look for that 2nd exit path. In one case, at the end of a hall I saw an overhead item I think was a hatch. Couldn't have reached it. Didn't ask crew. I look around, but I'm not confrontational.

2.) Look for more safety-preparedness specifics in trip reviews, though I doubt it'll change why willingness to dive with otherwise reputable op.s for now.

In summary, I learned several things, but doubt it'll change my trip booking habits for now. I'm more aware of the risks, but not sure how the risk of serious injury or death compares to other risks I take (e.g.: of drowning on a dive, immersion pulmonary edema, serious fall getting in or out in a shore dive, fall with injury onboard). The Conception disaster was horrible...much like the accounts I've read of great white shark attacks, and the pain of loved ones after a diver dies (e.g.: likely from confusion related to narcosis and wandering off at depth, or simply never coming back).

What about the rest of you? Is the absence of a reliable roving watch now a deal-breaker? What about a good 2nd means of exit from bunks/staterooms? One diver mentioned he and wife paid extra for a stateroom that's not below deck; what are you willing to pay extra for that?
 
Isn't this a redundant thread? I have not done a liveaboard yet and in light of Covid and the Conception disaster I probably will not take one any time in the near future.
 
Isn't this a redundant thread?

No. This thread isn't about rehashing the specifics of what happened with the Conception, what should've happened, who if anyone should be blamed, what if anything should be done to them, etc... And I don't want to derail threads specific to those topics by going on tangents several pages into the discussions asking 'So, what will you do differently now?'

You said in light of COVID (another, hopefully transient issue) and the Conception disaster, you probably won't start live-aboard diving anytime in the near future. What specific factors make live-aboards unacceptable to you now? What standards do you require be in place to go on one? If a vaccine for COVID-19 comes out, travel normalizes and your standards are met by a reputable op. at a destination you're interested in, are you likely to go?
 
Will assume most everyone knows I'm talking about the Truth Aquatic's boat Conception that suffered a fire resulting in the deaths of all 33 passengers and 1 crewman. Other threads have gone into specifics of what happened, what's suspected to've happened, what should be done in response to what happened, etc... My aim for this thread is different.

I'd like to know first what you personally learned new from this situation, and secondly what, if anything, you will do differently in planning and accepting future trips, particularly live-aboard trips but not just those. I'll start.

What I Learned

1.) I learned that in U.S. waters boats in that class are legally supposed to have a 'roving watch' at all times when even one passenger might be in a berth, which practically tends to be 24/7 while underway. It's an issue in quickly detecting fires before escalation, or when boats come loose from moorings (even in benign conditions, a mooring could come loose and a boat drift over and hit a reef).

2.) That is often not practiced. Also be mindset vessels outside U.S. waters might be under so such mandate (or if so, do they follow it)?

3.) When the bunk/stateroom area is 'confined,' as it was in a large room below deck on the Conception, it is preferred there be 2 really useable paths of egress from it, ideally leading to different points, ideally to open deck (e.g.: not both to an enclosed salon).

4.) Sometimes the 2nd method may be an overhead hatch that's hard to reach and wouldn't accommodate some obese people, or a bunch of people needing rapid evacuation. Due to practical consideration in boat construction and regulations, it is not practical to just 'cut a big hole and install stairs' to add a great 2nd path to a pre-existing boat.

5.) Once inflamed, boat fires can escalate much faster than I knew, creating such intense heat as to be impassable. I'd thought if smoke inhalation didn't get you while asleep, surely you could run through (albeit burned). Not necessarily so.

6.) Rechargeable lithium batteries on chargers can be a fire hazard and generate intense heat...but I still don't know just what the risk is. Ideally a charging station would be in some fireproof metal container...but this isn't common practice.

7.) Smoke alarm systems vary in quality and not every boat setup is as reliable as one might hope.

8.) Boats vary in safety briefings, including whether they mention a 2nd means of egress.

9.) A change in boating requirements could effectively shut down some boats, or lead to substantial increases in trip costs (specifics unclear).

What I Will Do Differently

1.) I look for that 2nd exit path. In one case, at the end of a hall I saw an overhead item I think was a hatch. Couldn't have reached it. Didn't ask crew. I look around, but I'm not confrontational.

2.) Look for more safety-preparedness specifics in trip reviews, though I doubt it'll change why willingness to dive with otherwise reputable op.s for now.

In summary, I learned several things, but doubt it'll change my trip booking habits for now. I'm more aware of the risks, but not sure how the risk of serious injury or death compares to other risks I take (e.g.: of drowning on a dive, immersion pulmonary edema, serious fall getting in or out in a shore dive, fall with injury onboard). The Conception disaster was horrible...much like the accounts I've read of great white shark attacks, and the pain of loved ones after a diver dies (e.g.: likely from confusion related to narcosis and wandering off at depth, or simply never coming back).

What about the rest of you? Is the absence of a reliable roving watch now a deal-breaker? What about a good 2nd means of exit from bunks/staterooms? One diver mentioned he and wife paid extra for a stateroom that's not below deck; what are you willing to pay extra for that?

In addition to your list, I learned that fire/smoke detectors must be connected and managed by a central control panel so all of the detectors across the entire vessel would go off should one of them detects smoke/fire in any location in the vessel or if there is a fault with the system or any detector, the system will notify the operator. This is much safer and robust than isolated, unconnected and not centrally managed detectors.

Also, if I owned a live-aboard, I'd consider a video surveillance system for the entire boat.
 
No. This thread isn't about rehashing the specifics of what happened with the Conception, what should've happened, who if anyone should be blamed, what if anything should be done to them, etc... And I don't want to derail threads specific to those topics by going on tangents several pages into the discussions asking 'So, what will you do differently now?'

You said in light of COVID (another, hopefully transient issue) and the Conception disaster, you probably won't start live-aboard diving anytime in the near future. What specific factors make live-aboards unacceptable to you now? What standards do you require be in place to go on one? If a vaccine for COVID-19 comes out, travel normalizes and your standards are met by a reputable op. at a destination you're interested in, are you likely to go?
Short answer. No. Long answer, still no because from my understanding very few changes will be made on liveaboards to merit serious consideration. Yes, it limits some of my diving options, however there are plenty of other opportunities to dive that do not include liveaboards.
 
I worked on both dayboats and liveaboards, in my youth; and had been a passenger of the Conception, many times, over the last few decades; so too, the other Truth Aquatic boats.

What was most inexcusable to me, in this whole colossally tragic mess -- beyond those valid questions surrounding admittedly small escape hatches; the cramped quarters; and heaped piles of potentially flammable NiCad batteries, in the galley -- was that lack of the roving watch.

During my stint as a newer member of the crew, that had been an all too frequent duty -- usually three hours watch at a stretch; and you were expected to be on foot and on the move, along with a clipboard and checklist, to be handed to the following shift -- signed in and out.

Not asleep at the switch . . .
 
While vertical hatches are good on vessels as means of egress from sinking or other situations...
... fire growth is vertical towards the ceiling, then lateral across the ceiling, then finally it starts banking down towards the floor.
Once it's in the free-burning stage, the hottest part of the fire will always be at the higher part of the room.

So I think it's important for doors or side hatches as a means of escape when fires are a concern.

Of course on vessels due to their construction consisting of decks, this is not always possible..
 
I will get back on the Truth Aquatics boats as soon as I can to support the company. The change for me is only in the urgency to support them.
Supporting a company that has such a record is incomprehensible to me.
 
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