Fire on dive boat Conception in CA

[Wookie]

Rescue 21 is the new USCG communications infrastructure that would receive a DSC transmission from a vessel in distress.

Capt. Wasson: do you know if the Conception is in a class that requires AIS?

From 33 CFR 164.46

(b)AIS carriage -

(1)AIS Class A device. The following vessels must have on board a properly installed, operational Coast Guard type-approved AIS Class A device:

(i) A self-propelled vessel of 65 feet or more in length, engaged in commercial service.

(ii) A towing vessel of 26 feet or more in length and more than 600 horsepower, engaged in commercial service.

(iii) A self-propelled vessel that is certificated to carry more than 150 passengers.

(iv) A self-propelled vessel engaged in dredging operations in or near a commercial channel or shipping fairway in a manner likely to restrict or affect navigation of other vessels.

(v) A self-propelled vessel engaged in the movement of -

(A) Certain dangerous cargo as defined in subpart C of part 160 of this chapter, or

(B) Flammable or combustible liquid cargo in bulk that is listed in 46 CFR 30.25-1, Table 30.25-1.

(2)AIS Class B device. Use of a Coast Guard type-approved AIS Class B device in lieu of an AIS Class A device is permissible on the following vessels if they are not subject to pilotage by other than the vessel Master or crew:

(i) Fishing industry vessels;

(ii)Vessels identified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section that are certificated to carry less than 150 passengers and that -

(A) Do not operate in a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) or Vessel Movement Reporting System (VMRS) area defined in Table 161.12(c) of § 161.12 of this chapter, and

(B) Do not operate at speeds in excess of 14 knots; and

(iii)Vessels identified in paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section engaged in dredging operations.

Their Official Documentation claims their LOA at 75 feet, therefore IAW b (1) i they are required to carry a class A AIS.

 

[stuartv]

I don't know much about these things. Is there some reason why boats like this wouldn't have mandatory automatic fire suppression systems in the galley and all passenger and crew quarters? It sounds like they all have them in the engine room?

 

[Wookie]

Like this: PULSE Lipo-Lithium Battery Charging Safe Box

Still better to throw them overboard. I work as a Chief Engineer on a Navy R&D boat.

The exploding battery stories I can tell.

By exploding, I mean that. Not that a consumer type would do that, but when they get going, they really get going.

 

[lizardqueen]

Is it common to leave batteries on charge overnight? If so, perhaps that practice should be forbidden.

Whether batteries are implicated or not, having a fire extinguisher and detector right there on the camera table seems like a good move for the industry. If overnight charging is made verboten I'd fully expect to find passengers charging in their bunks, much worse! So much overwhelming sadness here.

 

[BlueTrin]

I don't know much about these things. Is there some reason why boats like this wouldn't have mandatory automatic fire suppression systems in the galley and all passenger and crew quarters? It sounds like they all have them in the engine room?

It probably makes sense, I do not k ow how much they cost and how much space they take though.

 

[Wookie]

I don't know much about these things. Is there some reason why boats like this wouldn't have mandatory automatic fire suppression systems in the galley and all passenger and crew quarters? It sounds like they all have them in the engine room?

Certain vessels built before 1996 are exempt from structural fire protection and other regulations, as long as they meet certain other requirements. From 46 CFR 175.118....

§ 175.118 Vessels operating under an exemption afforded in the Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 1993 (PVSA).
(a) The Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 1993 (PVSA) contained an allowance for the exemption of certain passenger vessels that are -

(1) At least 100 gross tons but less than 300 gross tons; or

(2) Former public vessels of at least 100 gross tons but less than 500 gross tons.

(b) The owner or operator of a vessel must have applied for an exemption under PVSA by June 21, 1994, and then brought the vessel into compliance with the interim guidance in Navigation and Inspection Circular (NVIC) 7-94 not later than December 21, 1996. The PVSA exemption is valid for the service life of the vessel, as long as the vessel remains certified for passenger service. If the Certificate of Inspection (COI) is surrendered or otherwise becomes invalid (not including a term while the vessel is out of service but undergoing an inspection for recertification), the owner or operator must meet the appropriate inspection regulations to obtain a new COI without the PVSA exemption.

(c) Except where the provisions of subchapter H of this chapter apply, the owner or operator must ensure that the vessel meets the requirements of this subchapter, meets any requirements the OCMI deems applicable, and meets any specific additions or exceptions as follows:

(1) If a vessel does not meet the intact stability requirements of subchapter S of this chapter, the vessel's route(s) will be limited to an area within 20 nautical miles from a harbor of safe refuge, provided the vessel has a history of safe operation on those waters. The OCMI may further restrict the vessel's routes if the vessel's service history, condition, or other factors affect its seaworthiness or safety.

(2) The vessel may not carry more than 150 passengers, and not more than 49 passengers in overnight accommodations.

(3) The owner or operator must crew the vessel under the requirements of this subchapter. All officers must be endorsed for the appropriate vessel tonnage. The OCMI may require an appropriately endorsed engineer officer for those vessels of at least 200 gross tons. Vessels carrying more than 50 passengers must have an additional deckhand, and all deckhands on vessels carrying more than 50 passengers must be adequately trained. The crew members on a vessel of at least 200 gross tons, except those operated exclusively on lakes and rivers, are required to hold merchant mariner credentials or merchant mariner documents and 50 percent of the merchant mariner credentials or at least an able seaman.

(4) The vessel owner or operator must comply with the lifesaving arrangements located in part 180 of this chapter, except that inflatable liferafts are required for primary lifesaving. A rescue boat or suitable rescue arrangement must be provided to the satisfaction of the OCMI.

(5) The vessel owner or operator must comply with the fire protection requirements located in part 181 of this chapter. When a vessel fails to meet the fire protection and structural fire protection requirements of this subchapter, the vessel owner or operator must meet equivalent requirements to the satisfaction of the cognizant OCMI or submit plans for approval from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center.

(6) At a minimum, the owner or operator must outfit the vessel with portable fire extinguishers per 46 CFR 76.50. In addition, the vessel must meet any additional requirements of the OCMI, even if they exceed the requirements in 46 CFR 76.50.

(7) In addition to the means-of-escape requirements of 46 CFR 177.500, the vessel owner or operator must also meet the requirements for means of escape found in 46 CFR 78.47-40.

(d) The OCMI conducts an inspection and may issue a COI if the vessel meets these requirements. The COI's condition of operation must contain the following endorsement: “This vessel is operating under an exemption afforded in The Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 1993 and as such is limited to domestic voyages and a maximum ___ of passengers and may be subject to additional regulations and restrictions as provided for in Sections 511 and 512 of the Act.”

Look carefully at the number of passengers allowed, and the number of overnight accommodations, etc. These boats were designed to be exempt.

 

[rjack321]

I don't know much about these things. Is there some reason why boats like this wouldn't have mandatory automatic fire suppression systems in the galley and all passenger and crew quarters? It sounds like they all have them in the engine room?

They generally don't have halon or Co2 systems because the passengers would die from asphyxiation if/when it is triggered.
They don't have city water pressure to feed a sprinkler type system.

 

[Wookie]

They generally don't have halon or Co2 systems because the passengers would die from asphyxiation if/when it is triggered.
They don't have city water pressure to feed a sprinkler type system.

They have a fire pump which is supposed to be operable from the main deck, and 2 hoses of sufficient length to reach any area of the vessel.

First thing you are taught in any marine firefighting class is to not sink your own boat by running too much firefighting water.

 

[rjack321]

They have a fire pump which is supposed to be operable from the main deck.

First thing you are taught in any marine firefighting class is to not sink your own boat by running too much firefighting water.

Yep any automatic water based system ends up exchanging the risk of asphyxiation with the risk of sinking as well.

Having a way to dump smoldering or igniting lithium ion batteries overboard without needing to touch them (shovel?) is not something I would have considered before this accident.

 

[Tricia]

My take is that once you start referring to them and treating them as water taxis, they monetize the cheapness.

For example, triple tiering a revenue bunk right underneath an unmarked, unlit 2X2 emergency hatch that exits into a 3 foot tall cabinet/countertop that is an integral part of the center console.

Wait a minute, Louisville Diver: Are you saying that the "escape hatch" didn't lead outside, but instead led to another cabinet from which they then had do escape? How do you know this? (I think you said you had been on a sister ship, but I'm not sure.) If this is true, that's madness!