Unknown Sea Story lob sinks

[Umuntu]

Reviewing what kind of liveaboard you will be on is also important for your survival during rough sea or lost at sea. The boat we were on in Malpelo, Ferox, is not fancy like Sea Story, but functional. It’s low profile with only 2.5 decks. The half upper deck consists of a computer room & the bridge as shown, below.

View attachment 872575

About the boat from their website, Ferox & Vivax Liveaboards | Colombia Dive Adventures
“The Ferox and Vivax are not typical liveaboards. These former ice class Swedish Navy Ships (mine layers) are quite possibly the most robust liveaboards on the water. They have 11 mm steel hulls and have been put to the test during 7000 nautical mile voyages from Sweden to Colombia.

The ships are powered by twin Scania engines, reliable and environmentally friendly due to their low fuel consumption. Two generators ensure there is plenty of power aboard. There are few liveaboards in the world with their own waste-water treatment plant s(MSDs). The MSDs installed reflect our commitment to minimize impact to the marine environment. Extensive firefighting and lifesaving equipment can be found onboard including a fixed firefighting system for the engine space that can be operated remotely in a severe engine fire.”

Here’s Tony, the boat owner, talks about diver & boat safety:

That’s a repurposed Naval ship, built with a military budget. Apples and oranges to any other LOB.

 

[Dan]

That’s a repurposed Naval ship, built with a military budget. Apples and oranges to any other LOB.

It served me well twice. I had a blast diving with them. I’m coming back for the 3rd time in July 2025.

 

[scubadada]

As @Dan points out, the Colombia Dive Adventures Ferox is a prototype for a safe liveaboard. I describe it in detail in my 2021 review and in less detail in the review of our 2023 return trip

Trip Report Thread 'The Magic of Malpelo, July 9-18, 2021 on the Ferox'

Aug 10, 2021

From July 9 through July 18, 2021, I had the pleasure of diving in Malpelo. I dived on a half boat charter with Sten Johansson, aboard Colombia Dive Adventures’ Ferox. This was my first international trip since going to Bonaire in Oct-Nov 2019.

Reservations

As I was going on a half boat charter with Sten Johansson, reservations were handled by his very capable wife, Tanya Sten Johansson's Photos on His Personal Website (jamtsisu.com) She did all communication with Colombia Dive Adventures Malpelo Island Scuba Diving | Ferox Liveaboard | Colombia Dive Adventures. This...

• scubadada
• Replies: 38
• Forum: South America

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Trip Report Thread 'Return to Malpelo, July 20-30, 2023 on Colombia Dive Adventures, Ferox'

Sep 23, 2023

Return to Malpelo, July 20-30, 2023 on Colombia Dive Adventures, Ferox

My first visit to Malpelo was nearly exactly 2 years earlier
Trip Report - The Magic of Malpelo, July 9-18, 2021 on the Ferox

This report will be briefer. See the two gorgeous videos from my dive buddy, @Dan
Malpelo 20-30 July 2023
Diving El Arrecife in July 2023

Travel

I flew down to Miami from Philadelphia a day early because I could not get there early enough to make the flight to Cali on American Airlines. I stayed in the Miami International Airport Hotel. It was very...

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• Replies: 32
• Forum: South America

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[Sebs]

I don't remember how many Egyptian/Red Sea LOB incidents have occured in the last ten years, but way too many to be coincidence. Safety standards are low- very low. You won't see rooms with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, for example. I started checking some stuff (not a boating expert) after the MV conception fire in 2019. I did about a dozen safaries in Egypt since then, and there is always the initial briefing where they focus a lot on not throwing paper in the toilets, less on fire emergency. So I began asking where the escape hatch is, always frowned upon by both guests and crew for "wasting time with stupid questions." Then I insisted on checking it, in ALL the boats the exit was blocked by anchor ropes, two boats the door was hidden behind a mirror in the bow right guest room, another the hidden door led to crew sleeping quarters, a mattress blocking the hatch In case of engine fire the stairs are a no go, then all guest's rooms are a death trap.

So I started paying extra to be on the upper deck rooms.

There are many incidents not even reported, the ones where no one dies. Sea Queen II sank immediately after season on the way to dry dock all hands but one lost. It could have happened as well in the last day of diving. I was on a liveaboard we just left the marina o ln the first day to Tiran, when we heard an explosion and burnt smell. I told wife to take our two teenager kids to upper deck until assessment of whats going on. No other guests thought they should do something. Compressor exploded, mechanic went out staggering to the dive deck with several cuts and a large laceration to the bone in his left hand. I am a medic, went for the emergency med kit to find some advils, plasters, a few gauze pads and an elastic peg. Nothing to really dress wounds. Had to improvise pressure with towels. We evacuated the mechanic at Umbarak's jetty, they brought and piled some 30m cylinders in the main deck passages (because the compressor exploded, yah?) and off the boat continued. What would you do in such a case? Do you think such incidents enter the statistics? Reported?

Fire hazards, emergency passages blocked, lack of medical equipment, lack of attention, no night guard, no smoke or fire detectors, poor electrical maintenance, incompetent crew (there is more to the cook and dive masters), lack of safety information on briefings, poor maintenance...one wonders if it is not a miracle that there aren't more accidents. There are, but most are not reported if not catastrophic..

I've been on four liveaboards in the red sea with two different operators and my experience does not match yours at all. They mentioned less about no tp in the toilet but instead everything was about safety. Each room had a smoke detector and the safety hatch was shown to us. On more than one occasion did I wake up to go to the toilet or whatever and a night guard would greet me and ask me if I needed anything.

I guess everything is great until it isn't.

 

[bvbellomo]

For those who think it is crazy to take 44 meter long wooden boat without outdated navigation into 4m waves, look at Christopher Columbus. 3 wooden boats, the largest about 19 meters long, made it across the open Atlantic. Two of those ships not only made it back, but did the whole trip again - along with men who did it the first time.

We don't know what happened, and the little information we have seems contradictory. I've read:
1) The boat was hit by a large wave, then took 5 minutes to capsize
2) The boat was hit by a large wave, immediately thrown on its side, and slowly sank
3) The boat was hit by a large wave, and quickly sank sideways with a large hole in the hull

If the boat did run aground, that's more about the operator than the weather or construction of the boat, although of course all 3 matter.

 

[iain/hsm]

look at Christopher Columbus.

Christopher Columbus wasn't an Egyptian scubee doo tour operator.

 

[iain/hsm]

Further background when dealing with tourist deaths in Egypt.

When the Sinai regional governor General Abdel-Fadeel Shosha was asked what he thought about the previous tourist deaths by shark bite being the work of Israeli Mosad agents and a trained killer shark he replied he couldn't rule it out. It was possible, He stated that Israel was trying to undermine the Egyptian tourism industry. He further went on to say "Whether this was an Israeli agent in a shark costume, a specially indoctrinated Zionist shark, or a remote controlled cybershark, the general did not elaborate, but he says the theory needed investigating.

Now it's a rough wave followed by silent survivors and the military generals still rule this area together with the hotels and if your fortunate to have read a copy of the letter said General "Shark Boy" Abdel-Fadeel Shosha wrote to the hotel managers you may get an idea of the extent of cover up that goes on.

However some good news is the shark managed to swim back at the IDF navy base in Haifa and is doing well after all the blame and name calling and is being fed fish under the care of the lads in the mission unit YALTAM

 

[paddydiver]

For those who think it is crazy to take 44 meter long wooden boat without outdated navigation into 4m waves, look at Christopher Columbus. 3 wooden boats, the largest about 19 meters long, made it across the open Atlantic. Two of those ships not only made it back, but did the whole trip again - along with men who did it the first time.

We don't know what happened, and the little information we have seems contradictory. I've read:
1) The boat was hit by a large wave, then took 5 minutes to capsize
2) The boat was hit by a large wave, immediately thrown on its side, and slowly sank
3) The boat was hit by a large wave, and quickly sank sideways with a large hole in the hull

If the boat did run aground, that's more about the operator than the weather or construction of the boat, although of course all 3 matter.

3 wooden boats of a proven design capable of sailing Atlantic waters and rounding the southern tip of Africa years before they completed the relatively easy trans Atlantic crossing. They were also crewed by professional sailors and master navigators and probably didn't have hot tubs or chill out lounges!

Hardly a good comparison, and to be honest I'd probably still feel safer heading across the pond with Columbus then most tropical liveaboards.

 

[Dan]

That’s a repurposed Naval ship, built with a military budget. Apples and oranges to any other LOB.

Regardless the boat is built for military or commercial purpose, safety & seaworthy boat design, to me, is the upmost important to consider before deciding to be on the boat. By looking at Sea Story vs Ferox, which one do you think has lower center of gravity (i.e., more stable)?

M/Y Sea Story (courtesy of Mark Crowley Russel)

MV Ferox (courtesy of Colombia Dive Adventures)

Here’s another liveaboard, Blue Manta, that I was on in February this year. How is its center of gravity (COG) compared to that of Sea Story?

MV Blue Manta (courtesy of PADI.travel.com)

Here’s another ship, Seaventure, that I was on last week in Antarctica. How is its COG compared to that of Sea Story?

MV Seaventure (courtesy of polartours.com)

On the way back from Antarctica to Ushuaia, it passed through a 9m (30’) wave that had thrown some of us to the side wall and off chairs, but the ship was still right side up.

 

[Bookworm11]

Everyone has their own choices to make about safety. My ex- husband was a US Naval Submarine officer for 21 years. His submarine had safety drills all the time!!! They had yearly inspections. Its a long time maritime tradition that the boat captain is responsible for the safety of his passengers. That means he may need to go down with the ship. Even when you have safety standards, that doesn't mean they are enforced. Look what happened with the dive boat in CA that burned up with all the divers aboard, and that was in the US. With regards to the Ferox, at this time, it may be apples and oranges to other dive boats, BUT it doesn't have to be. People could decide to not sail on any boat that wasn't metal, and wasn't properly equipped. I doubt they will, but they should. And so we will continue to have fires, sinkings and deaths, especially where a country cares little about safety and doesn't support rescue operations as quick as other countries do.