NTSB CONCEPTION HEARING - THIS TUESDAY @ 10AM

[John Bantin]

An Egyptian owner once told me that crew costs were not a problem. Crew accommodation was the problem. Many boats in developing countries use hot-bedding for crew, which means that during the night several crew members will be awake and roving the boat - so worry less about that. In my time I've been on several boats that, caught fire, ran on the reef or sank. Passengers were always alerted, thankfully. One of my daughters recently asked why I always slept with my bedroom door open. Old habits die hard.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I've known two large day boats burn to water line. Everyone off safely of course, since all awake. Even so, the first boat had a long time before rescue came and a number of divers had to go to hospital for checkup. Second boat had other boats in the area Fortunately and rescue was quick.

 

[Michael3826]

Than let me be succinct. Your posts are on the edge of being a personal attack on Ken. Personal attacks are not tolerated. Can I make it any clearer for you? There are special rules for the A&I forum.

I personally lost 2 friends and a crewmember in that fire, but I don’t go around attacking the local guy who is working hard to get the rest of us the whole story. If you don’t like the message or the forum it’s presented in, pass on by.

Just pointing out his bias. If you feel that’s an attack, then whatever. I can’t change your perception of that.
This isn’t a news forum. This is a gossip column. Reading news articles and reports is much easier and more detailed than scrolling through here. Albeit, it’s less entertaining. Gossip.
He’s not giving you all a story of complete truth. He cuts out and adds what he wants.
that’s biased.
I remember one of his posts saying something like 14 people had shoes on, 4 in the body bag, but it’s not clear whether those 4 were wearing them or not. Oh god... how else would shoes come up with the recovery divers? They couldn’t see anything. They just grabbed bodies and swam them up.
so he gives you all details and then spins them to support his bro. Cool. His opinions are just that. But that doesn’t mean I can’t debate him on it. If he has a response then have at it.

I’m just sharing the truths that he refuses to acknowledge.

He can deny all he wants and so can everyone else here, but glen Fritzler and the crew of truth aquatics killed those 34. At least one of them will be charged to prove that fact. Likely glen Fritzler will keep throwing jerry under the bus. Such a real stand up kind of dude. But who can blame him. Who wants to go down for 34 deaths?
honestly This really opened my eyes to why the “captain goes down with the ship.” Looks like live or die in the sinking of a vessel, the captain will eventually go down.

 

[Michael3826]

I personally lost 2 friends and a crewmember in that fire.

Crew member was wearing sandals in the coroners report. 26 years old.

 

[rjack321]

And there will be another, but is the Isle Royal boat inspected? Or is it a 6/12 pack?

The Discovery is a 6 pack, uninspected. There's a captain and a mate for crew. They overnight tied up to NPS boat camping docks every night so everyone is sleeping aboard, but they are not anchored and I don't believe are considered 'underway' in a legal sense. There is no night watch.

Its a steel hulled vessel. There is a forward hatch for emergency egress from the bow bunk area, there are 4 bunks up forward. The 2nd two passengers sleep in the main cabin on cots along with the mate, exit up about 4 steps to the stern. The skipper has a bunk in the wheelhouse which has exits port and starboard. The pre-Conception charging station was right in the middle of the main cabin next to the stairs going up to the wheelhouse. I'm not sure where it is now. I don't remember all the smoke detector location(s) but there was one on the forward bulkhead of the front bunk area. Interestingly, they have a small wood stove for heat (and possibly other heaters I was there in July so not sure). The installation was similar to what you'd see in a landlubber cabin.

The vessel was actually constructed in Canada and operated on that side of the border for ~10-12 years before Ryan bought her, got a Jones act waiver, and started operating at Isle Royale in the summers. She is on the hard 8months out of the year in Duluth.
About Us - Isle Royale Charters

 

[Wookie]

Crew member was wearing sandals in the coroners report. 26 years old.

The crewmember lost was a crewmember on my boat, not on Conception.

 

[KevinNM]

Frank, what would it have cost you to have an extra uncertified crewman on a three day trip? Like to have someone who walks the boat from 10pm to 6 am?

 

[Wookie]

Frank, what would it have cost you to have an extra uncertified crewman on a three day trip? Like to have someone who walks the boat from 10pm to 6 am?

$100 a day. I paid better than most boats as 1. Living in Key West is expensive and 2. I wanted someone with quality who would do the job and not fall asleep. The real question is, where would they bunk down? We were out of bunks with a full crew onboard.

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

The Costa Concordia disaster resulted in 32 deaths the captain was charge and found guilty of manslaughter sentenced to 16 year, ship owner I believe wasn’t charged. The captain prematurely left the ship but also took the ship off course and hit a rock. I guess in the old days the captain went down with the ship like the Titanic.

 

[Michael3826]

The crewmember lost was a crewmember on my boat, not on Conception.

you previously said you personally lost a crewmember and 2 friends in that fire. So not the crew member of the conception but a passenger on conception who was crew for you? Or were your friends not crew and passengers of the conception fire?
I hadn’t heard of any of them, besides the crew member, working on boats. Aside from the 2 kids, a hairdresser, and a bartender, the rest seemed to have established professional careers.
Are you in Florida? I don’t recall any of them being from there either.