Fire on dive boat Conception in CA

[Akimbo]

Sadly, smaller boats are exempt from most maritime safety regulations that keep larger ships at a tolerable level of safety.

Maybe... to some degree. I have dove off everything from WWII inflatable surplus life rafts to advanced DSVs (Diving Support Vessels) in the North Sea. They all have very different risks associated with them. There were 46 total commercial cargo ship losses around the world in 2018 with 2,698 reported incidents. This does not count losses of smaller vessels used in the fishing and the offshore oil industries.

Bad things happen at sea even when everyone is vigilant.

 

[Tuttlet]

You can pretty much get all the data you need to design a proper escape route from this document.
ASTM F1166: Standard Practice for Human Engineering Design for Marine Systems, Equipment, and Facilities

http://web.askewindustrial.com/ASTM2014/2b0d0d1826f37f7659abbea102892851.pdf?tblASTMSpecsPage=79

Or, you can also get a lot of useful information from Mil-STD-1472

MIL-STD-1472 Rev. G - EverySpec
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiknuWloL3kAhVrUN8KHcsvCwcQFjAAegQIAhAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Feveryspec.com%2FMIL-STD%2FMIL-STD-1400-1499%2Fdownload.php%3Fspec%3DMIL-STD-1472G.039997.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1c-N5N372NivqDNlo01mVR


Either document will give you enough information to see if you can fit a stairway or inclined ladder, rather than a vertical ladder.

In the Mil-STD 1472G if you find Figure 80 it will give you a good idea of a steep Stair-ladder dimensions.

The range (and recommended dimensions) of riser height, width, tread depth, etc. is all shown as part of that figure. You can also look at Figure 79 for low rise stairs and Figure 81 for vertical ladder data.

Excellent references. It's not my boat though, however it's great advice for other boat owners or the rest of Truth Aquatics' fleet.

If you're "Grandfathered" but make a change to the boat - such as redesigning the exit hatch, do you then lose your grandfathering and have to obey new and current regulations? Not to say that their designs don't meet current regulations, seems they probably did. Let's just say perhaps that modern conventions might prefer a more rapid evacuation strategy.

 

[Luis H]

Excellent references. It's not my boat though, however it's great advice for other boat owners or the rest of Truth Aquatics' fleet.

If you're "Grandfathered" but make a change to the boat - such as redesigning the exit hatch, do you then lose your grandfathering and have to obey new and current regulations? Not to say that their designs don't meet current regulations, seems they probably did. Let's just say perhaps that modern conventions might prefer a more rapid evacuation strategy.

I was just trying to help you by providing some actual data since you were drawing something related to the escape route.


I do not know the answer to the second question.

 

[KevinNM]

Excellent references. It's not my boat though, however it's great advice for other boat owners or the rest of Truth Aquatics' fleet.

If you're "Grandfathered" but make a change to the boat - such as redesigning the exit hatch, do you then lose your grandfathering and have to obey new and current regulations? Not to say that their designs don't meet current regulations, seems they probably did. Let's just say perhaps that modern conventions might prefer a more rapid evacuation strategy.

There are things you can do that make that happen. Exactly what I'm not sure, but I know one is letting the boat not getting inspected in time that the boat inspection expires. And I suspect that they only meet the grandfathered regulations

 

[CSandE]

Victims in the tragic dive boat fire likely died of smoke inhalation, not burns, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said Friday.

California boat fire: Authorities say victims likely died of smoke inhalation, not burns

Oh, thank God. While this is by no means anything other than a horrifying tragedy, and the victims are just as dead, I have to say that it makes me feel a hell of a lot better knowing that they didn’t burn to death. That possibility has kind of been haunting me.

 

[CT-Rich]

Oh, thank God. While this is by no means anything other than a horrifying tragedy, and the victims are just as dead, I have to say that it makes me feel a hell of a lot better knowing that they didn’t burn to death. That possibility has kind of been haunting me.

My understanding is in most fires, the victims are overcome by smoke and fumes before the fire reaches them. It is possible that some of them may not even woken up (this is purely speculative).

 

[CSandE]

I would be interested in learning how the sheriff is able to preliminarily conclude that the victims all died of smoke inhalation prior to being burned without a full autopsy. I guess that is the least gruesome scenario, but I have grown skeptical of most all government officials.

I don’t know the answer to your question as to exactly how, but I do remember the Sheriff (Bill Brown) saying in the first NTSB press briefing that he’s also the Coroner for Santa Barbara County.

 

[Bob DBF]

So, if it's grandfathered and whoever has certified it initially has been honorably discharged, the individual re certifying it annually has no skin in the game? I doubt it very much.

If you live in a home over 5 years old, never mind 20, you are not required to bring the house up to present code, unless you remodel and that mostly effects areas remodeled. You are grandfathered into the code your house was built under not the present regulations. Same with ships, not to say that the emergency exit regulations have even changed over that time.

The CG inspector isn't sleeping there. He/she has no skin in the game. They also have sovereign immunity.

The inspectors job is to check for compliance to USCG regs.

How can any inspection of anything get done properly if the inspector can use his own judgement, rather than regulations and codes, to decide whether something is in compliance?

I had this rough idea for a redesign of that bunk area.

Design the exit as close to the aft bulkhead as possible, which puts it opening as close to the back deck, and as far from the cabin stairs, as it can go.



Bob

 

[edm81363]

Every time someone reposts about the CG regulation of no exits through bulkheads, I wonder how long this regulation will stand.

Way back in the thread Wookie posted about some senior CG rule maker who didn’t like exits through bulkheads and preferred hatches, and that’s how the regulation came to be (paraphrased).

There are exits through bulkheads on the SOLAS vessels I work on. They are typically found from the engine compartment to other spaces, like holds or shaft alleys. However, these doors are on huge ram pistons which automatically close them in the event of an alarm, flood or fire. (This also allows the door to close against the force of inrushing water.) If you can make it to the exit quickly, there is always a large red button right next to the exit you can press, but it will only suspend the closing of the hatch as long as you are pressing the button. Once you release the button, the door continues closing. There is no way to open this exit at that location once it has closed. These buttons are for the immediate evacuation of personnel that can access the exit at the moment an issue starts. They maintain the watertight integrity of the compartment, while also allowing personnel a small window of escape.

Besides the lower decks, there are also standard watertight hatches from the house to the exterior of the vessel. I would provide images from the vessel I am currently on, but I don't have permission from my client to do that.

This applies only to my personal experience on large SOLAS vessels (65-85m long, 10-15m beam) which are always made from steel. I imagine that this solution would be difficult and very cost prohibitive to implement on a smaller vessel, especially one constructed from a different material.

We have to wait for the NTSB Final Report and Recommendations.

 

[cs4160]

On a more positive tone, Looking at the pictures , I forgot how much I liked the fact that a good number of divers could put their full size dive bags on top of the engine room/center island. It made things so convenient.