Diverace liveaboard runs aground in Myanmar (Burma)

[Down2bizDiver]

I am just off the Diverace (as in white race, black race, dive race) liveaboard, back in Thailand after one week diving Thailand and a second week in Myanmar (Burma). [Here it is now Monday night, February 27th.]

Avoid this boat!!

Last night, after dinner, in the dark, we ran aground at full throttle.

In addition, we collided with the 25 feet high steel radar reflecting shallow water marker that was set in concrete, damaging the marker!!

At the time, the captain was not at the helm nor on the same deck as the wheelhouse. It is not clear if anyone was at the controls. After the first violent hit by the bow on the rocks, no one retarded the throttle and the yacht continued to lurch forward. Crew would not say who, if anyone, was at the wheel. Radar was off (or inoperable).

One of two rudders was completely sheared off. One blade of a 4 blade prop was sheared off, the second prop suffered "cut" and bent blades.

After about one hour effort, crew were able to extract the boat from the rocks but did not report the incident to Burmese officials and did not stop to inspect damage under the waterline until we were in Thai waters!

Of course, with only one engine and an out of balance prop, we had slow going and heavy vibrations. The ship had a noticeable list to starboard. Missed dives, of course.

Amazingly, crew were readying the vessel to take on 20 new passengers for the cruise scheduled for tomorrow, without an marine engineers' inspection. Of course you don't need an expert to know the vessel is not seaworthy!

I have some photos but am unable to upload now due to poor slow Internet connection at my cheapo hotel.

There were other safety problems with this operator, but they pale in comparison to running fast aground.

 

[Wookie]

I've seen sheared wheels and bent rudders, but neither one leads to a list. There is something wrong under that boat, as you intimated.

What is the hull made of?

 

[Down2bizDiver]

Steel. One of two rudders lost completely. Vessel did not list before the collision with the shallow water marker warning post and running aground on rocks.

See photo below for photo of the shallow water marker up against the port side of the ship as seen from my mini-balcony in the bow.

 

[t-mac]

Wow. Don't know if this is a crew decision or a company decision. You should try to notify whoever you booked this with. It sounds like this could be a significant safety issue and someone up the chain of command should know. I could easily see the crew simply not saying anything and hoping (somehow) for the best. If this is what it sounds like it is, they are in deep doo doo and it's only a matter of time. In the meantime, the safety of the next group seems like a real issue here. I'd hate for the next post on this to be from Dandy Don.

 

[flyboy08]

Wow, glad your ok..if you shear off a prop, most likely the driveshaft is going to be bent!

This boat should not return to service until engineered. But then again, it's Asia...

 

[KathyV]

Here is the link to the website, the boat looks beautiful but this information about an accident and safety issues is very concerning.

http://www.diverace.com/

 

[Wookie]

Wow, glad your ok..if you shear off a prop, most likely the driveshaft is going to be bent!

This boat should not return to service until engineered. But then again, it's Asia...

Shearing prop blades is not so uncommon, I wish I could say I've never sheared a blade. I also wish I could say I've never hit a daymark in the night, bit I can't say either. But the rudder is protected by a number of other items down there, like the wheel, the strut, the shaft, etc. Rudders are fragile however. Because they take a tremendous amount of cyclical stress, they crack radially in the shaft. An older rudder or an oversized rudder will snap off with the slightest provocation. The stuffing box is at the top of the rudder tube, but it's quite conceivable that they ripped the rudder tube out of the bottom of the boat and the water is coming in there.

 

[Down2bizDiver]

Wow. Don't know if this is a crew decision or a company decision. You should try to notify whoever you booked this with. It sounds like this could be a significant safety issue and someone up the chain of command should know. I could easily see the crew simply not saying anything and hoping (somehow) for the best. If this is what it sounds like it is, they are in deep doo doo and it's only a matter of time. In the meantime, the safety of the next group seems like a real issue here. I'd hate for the next post on this to be from Dandy Don.

I booked directly with the owner through the website and by email. The owner is not a company, rather a wealthy individual resident in Singapore. He was on the cruise my first week (Thailand only itinerary), consequently I met him (and his wife) in person. He was made aware of the accident immediately by the cruise director.

If this were an operator in USA, Australia, Europe, or even Belize or Mexico, I am 100% certain the authorities would shut them down immediately.

 

[Down2bizDiver]

Here is the link to the website, the boat looks beautiful but this information about an accident and safety issues is very concerning.

DiveRACE | Scuba Diving | Padi Diving Course | Diving Equipment | Learn to dive | Trip Booking

I agree the photos make it appear very attractive, and it is not very old. The wholly inadequate safety protocols, poor operational standards, and lax procedures are another matter completely.

Note: The in-the-water aspects were OK. The DMs were competent and caring. I have no issue with the dives ... once actually in the water,

 

[t-mac]

I booked directly with the owner through the website and by email. The owner is not a company, rather a wealthy individual resident in Singapore. He was on the cruise my first week (Thailand only itinerary), consequently I met him (and his wife) in person. He was made aware of the accident immediately by the cruise director.

Double wow! Make sure you post some reviews too, like on LiveAboard.com. As shocking as it may seem, I know many divers who are not on SB! Thanks for the heads up.