Favorite Liveaboard (Peter Hughes, Aggressor, etc)

[mike_s]

Allison,

I don't know why you are critical of people who have a concern for their safety?
I would think you would have the same concerns about safety.

I'm sure that Peter Hughes has some good boats. Sounds like you found one on PNG.

But you would be surprised by the lack of regulation on some countries when it comes to inspections and safety. These should be concerns regardless of who's name is painted on the boat.

 

[smw]

We chose Peter Hughes for a Belize trip. We were aware of the horrible accident. In researching the issues we found two things. #1 The captain did not follow PH policy. #2 PH has addressed the issue with a very liberal hurricane policy so that this tragedy is not repeated. In other words - I think a lesson was learned.

As far as our experience in Belize - amazing, fabulous, etc. There was food and diving 5 times each a day. I did like the robes - nice touch. I really liked the coffee delivered to my cabin for our morning wake-up call. The food was outstanding. The heaters and heated towels upon dive completion were lovely. The amount of space on the boat was great. You could dive with a divemaster or with with buddy - or alone if you chose. The "bar" at 15 feet was great. PH has offered up the plans to any other boat that wants one. Tons of 110 plugs. Safety equipment was reviewed with passengers, separate camera tub, special food requests were filled. We are booked on PH to Grenada in a few months and plan on doing their Galapagos trip in the future as well.

All I can say is that as travellers, we should not ever completely relax. That means that we need to be cognizant of how to keep ourselves safe.

Again, I'm very sorry for the losses that Rick and others experienced. It was a truly terrible decision. I don't blame Rick for not wanting to go on PH again.

I still fly on airplanes even though human error on different carriers has caused accidents. I drive on the highways even though I have to "trust" other drivers to behave. I go on cruises (I've got an RCCL booked for over Xmas) even though some people have lost their lives cruising. And I'll go to NYC again some day, too.

I've heard great things about Nekton & Aggressor. I'll do trips on their boats in the future as well.

SMW

 

[Allison Finch]

Allison,

I don't know why you are critical of people who have a concern for their safety?
I would think you would have the same concerns about safety.

I'm sure that Peter Hughes has some good boats. Sounds like you found one on PNG.

But you would be surprised by the lack of regulation on some countries when it comes to inspections and safety. These should be concerns regardless of who's name is painted on the boat.

:shakehead
I am just heartily tired of people painting all PH boats with the tar and feathers. While I feel strongly for the horrible experience that Mr. Patterson endured, he is doing a disservice to some very good boats and captains by saying all the boats are bad.
THAT boat and THAT captain have, rightfully, been taken out of the equation. If a person is looking for a good liveaboard, this is a good place to start. Ask people who have experience with a particular location and find the reputable boats who serve the area.
In my experience with the owners of two boats under the PH banner, it is my understanding that what PH does for them is help promote them (I would guess for a fee). I don't think they have much going on with the day to day running of the boat.
Each boat and captain need to be researched, no matter WHO promotes them. That would go for all of the fleet boats. Each presents a different equation.

Please, if you have had a bad experience with a particular boat, by all means warn people. Don't just smear boats because of what someone-somewhere else did.

Thanks, end of rant

 

[_Bella_]

(I would guess for a fee). I don't think they have much going on with the day to day running of the boat.

Actually there's a PH manual that staff are meant to follow. Things such as the turn-down service with mint/candy/whatever, how meals are served (sit-down vs. buffet), hot beverage after a night dive, and an array of things they don't do. Next time you see Elsie, remind her about the massage she's supposed to give after ever dive. It's in the manual!

 

[DiveMaven]

:shakehead
I am just heartily tired of people painting all PH boats with the tar and feathers. While I feel strongly for the horrible experience that Mr. Patterson endured, he is doing a disservice to some very good boats and captains by saying all the boats are bad.
THAT boat and THAT captain have, rightfully, been taken out of the equation. If a person is looking for a good liveaboard, this is a good place to start. Ask people who have experience with a particular location and find the reputable boats who serve the area.
In my experience with the owners of two boats under the PH banner, it is my understanding that what PH does for them is help promote them (I would guess for a fee). I don't think they have much going on with the day to day running of the boat.
Each boat and captain need to be researched, no matter WHO promotes them. That would go for all of the fleet boats. Each presents a different equation.

Please, if you have had a bad experience with a particular boat, by all means warn people. Don't just smear boats because of what someone-somewhere else did.

Thanks, end of rant

You are definitely right that all of the PH branded boats shouldn't be judged by what happened to the Wave Dancer. Unfortunately, because they all wear the PH corporate brand, they will automatically be subjected to the backlash of what the corporation does and says. Many people feel that Peter Hughes himself responded horribly to the tragedy, which likely would jade some prospective customers.

The whole Wave Dancer tragedy was further exacerbated by the Belize investigation and it was too easy for everyone involved in the Wave Dancer's ownership or operation to hide behind foreign laws (or lack thereof). Yes, the captain lost his boat, but that's nothing in comparison to the divers who lost their lives.

For us, the whole tragedy highlighted the risks associated with diving with a non-US flagged/licenced boat. We decided that if we had a choice of a US flagged boat that is subject to USCG annual inspections and US laws, and all other things being nearly equal, we would always choose the US flagged boat. I want the assurance that my boat is US flagged, subject to US laws, and that I have the ability to sue them and hopefully force them to make corporate changes so a similar incident would never happen again.

We will always choose Nekton boats over other operators for just this reason. They are US flagged, US owned, and under USCG rules and inspections. That doesn't mean we won't ever do a foreign flagged liveaboard, it just means we'll be very careful about which ones we do and ask all the important questions prior to booking.

 

[mike_s]

:shakehead
.
In my experience with the owners of two boats under the PH banner, it is my understanding that what PH does for them is help promote them (I would guess for a fee). I don't think they have much going on with the day to day running of the boat.
Each boat and captain need to be researched, no matter WHO promotes them. That would go for all of the fleet boats. Each presents a different equation.

It still doesn't explain the way that Peter Hughes (the person and the corporation) treated the victums and their families.?

People book a boat with Peter Hughes. Not some "sub-contractor". Peter Hughes name is on the boat. He bears responsibility for safety within his corporation. The safety violations on this boat were numerous. This could have all been avoided if they had taken the responsibility seriously.

 

[Scared Silly]

I am just heartily tired of people painting all PH boats with the tar and feathers. While I feel strongly for the horrible experience that Mr. Patterson endured, he is doing a disservice to some very good boats and captains by saying all the boats are bad.

I have to very strongly disagree with the above statement. Mr. Patterson said no such thing nor do I believe he implied that. Please re-read his post. He is telling people that they are responsible for their safety and that they should do their own respearch and due diligence before boarding a vessel. This is not a disservice.

I know of one incident last January where people demanded to be taken off the boat within hours of coming aboard.

To me the merit of a company is how well they perform not just in calm waters but when the waves crash into the wheelhouse. So far every post sans one has described experiences that were in calm waters. So when I pay $2000+ for a live-a-board experience I expect a tight ship, which means good food, a helpful crew, fresh linen, etc. That is what I am paying the big bucks for.

Many people are jadded by the accident. Yes, policies have changed, but some things happened that IMHO should not have happened in the first place not just on the boat but also at the corporate level. Also remember the old saying - Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Some people are willing to give a second chance some are not (There are some people still today who will not buy a car from Ford because of the Edsel). And unfortunately, this will affect all boats who are under a corporate flag. This is the hazzard of being under a corporate flag (there are also benefits). So if boat owners under a corporate flag feel the flag is dragging them under they should find a new flag or put thier own up.

Now to give a counter example in 1981 a climbing accident on Mt. Rainier claimed the lives of 11 people (both guides and clients). This was due to a massive serac fall and the subsequent snow avalanche - i.e. and act of nature. The guide company, Rainier Mountaineering Inc. did not have one law suit filed against it. Why? because of the way they handled their operation and the accident.

Here is very minor incident that happened personally to me. We did an afternoon boat trip. We were suppose to leave at 1pm but did not - no one knew why. Around 2pm we were told - some folks were stuck in traffic. We finally boarded and then there were electrical problems. Finally at 3pm we left. Our dives were twilight dives. When we got back I talked to owner and said I did not mind the delays so much as not being kept informed as to why. He agreed and gave us 2:1 for our next visit and said give us a chance again. Pretty reasonable as the dive day was not totally lost.

BTW I wonder even today, 5 years after the accident how many people ask, when booking a trip about a ship's operating proceedure during a tropical storm/hurricane. Or how long the captain/crew has been on board?

 

[sinja]

Belize Aggressor is a GREAT first choice..it was my first live-aboard 2 years ago. Since then I've also been on the Galapagos Aggressor and Turks & Caicos Aggressor.

 

[osprey]

My favorite is the Aqua Cat out of Nassau, Bahamas. The cabins are large with king beds and 2 large windows, not a small port hole like many of the others. There is a large dive deck with camera table. The vessel is huge for a liveaboard with 3 decks. The sun deck has plenty of room for all passengers, but if you don't like the sun there is alfresco deck below where you can sit in the shade or you can go into the salon. The salon has a number of sofas or you can sit at one of the dining tables. We did a variety of dives, the usual walls and reefs, but also a blue hole (filled with sharks), a shark feed and some high speed drift dives. My favorite was the washing machine. They have a launch that offers shore excursions if you want to take a break from diving, but I chose to dive most of the week. I did 24 of the 26 dives offered. The vessel has the usual amenities such as Nitrox & E-6 processing. Chef Kirk did a amazing job with the meals. You had the choice of two entrees for dinner. I would normally try both which probably why I added 5 pounds.

 

[osprey]

My favorite is the Aqua Cat out of Nassau, Bahamas. The cabins are large with king beds and 2 large windows, not a small port hole like many of the others. There is a large dive deck with camera table. The vessel is huge for a liveaboard with 3 decks. The sun deck has plenty of room for all passengers, but if you don't like the sun there is alfresco deck below where you can sit in the shade or you can go into the salon. The salon has a number of sofas or you can sit at one of the dining tables. We did a variety of dives, the usual walls and reefs, but also a blue hole (filled with sharks), a shark feed and some high speed drift dives. My favorite was the washing machine. They have a launch that offers shore excursions if you want to take a break from diving, but I chose to dive most of the week. I did 24 of the 26 dives offered. The vessel has the usual amenities such as Nitrox & E-6 processing. Chef Kirk did a amazing job with the meals. You had the choice of two entrees for dinner. I would normally try both which probably why I added 5 pounds.

www.aquacatcruises.com