Unknown Sea Story lob sinks

[A Bajo]

Is there any reliable way for prospective customers to determine whether a particular boat was built to SOLAS standards? Like is there a reliable registry or inspection list or something which isn't subject to bribery? I don't know much about naval architecture.

I asked this question on another thread
Liveaboards safety differences

The only one I got was the Nautilus Explorer but they only have a couple of destinations
Nautilus Explorer

 

[scubadada]

I asked this question on another thread
Liveaboards safety differences

We've had this same discussion many times, little to nothing changes

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

. I give it pretty good odds that many (locally owned) Red Sea liveaboards have compromised GPS systems

What is a compromised GPS system?

 

[Dan]

This is a bit disingenuous. This is an issue with liveaboards worldwide; not just Egypt, or even just poor countries. Conception, in the US, wasn't SOLAS-compliant either. There are a few, but they're rare. Doesn't mean there may not be addition issues in Egypt on top of that, or that this absolves anyone of any responsibility.

It's probably also the best way forward, though.

Don’t shoot the messenger. I just quoted that from Undercurrent article. You need to address it directly to the writer, @John Bantin who is also a Scubaboard member.

 

[Dan]

Is there any reliable way for prospective customers to determine whether a particular boat was built to SOLAS standards? Like is there a reliable registry or inspection list or something which isn't subject to bribery? I don't know much about naval architecture.

I don’t much about Naval Architecture either. You should address these questions to the writer of that Undercurrent article that I quoted from, @John Bantin.

 

[Biotech Diver]

While I never dived in Antarctica, I was stationed in McMurdo, Operation Deep Freeze.

Before I joined the squadron there was a diver a year or two before me who died. The story was he didn’t have enough weights to keep him down and used some equipment to weight him down instead. Somehow he lost his grip of the equipment and shot to the surface. I knew the Corpsman who was there trying to save him.

Back on topic… there are many lessons to learn here, most importantly, choose your liveaboard wisely and be vigilant for your own safety.

Found an article about it.

Research diver dies in Antarctica

A research diver died Saturday in an accident on a dive beneath the ice of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica, the National Science Foundation said....

www.upi.com

 

[Dan]

That article is quite a BS speculation. The account of a Swiss survivor says that they have had afternoon dive AND a night dive and that everyone was sleeping. I have travelled this route down through Sataya and then to St.Johns number of times. Most od the route between the Sataya and Marsa is hidden from waves behind the reefs.

The egyptian captains are not stupid nor reckless... you can think what you want about some level of crew members but not the captains. The boats have good navigations and charts. But it is also true that some newer boats are built too tall and do not handle well.

With that night dive most likely scenario was that they were moored for the night. Also interesting factor the witness stating that the boat rocked on one side and then capsized on another. After sinking the Bayesian super yacht in Mediterranean waters this summer no one can exclude possibility of a huge wind gust or mini tornado if you will that could topple Sea Story while moored by the reef. Sea Story really was tall.

I am also trying to find a logic in what happened especially because I spend 4-5 safaris in Red Sea every year and after putting together the witness accounts and what I know about the location this would be my conclusion.

I am not sure what their original route was supposed to be, my guess for the yacht of this size they could have planned EDB route with end in Hurghada but because of the weather they have had to improvise. From where they sunk they still could have tried for Daedalus on Monday and then up north through Brothers to Hurghada since the weather was supposed to calm but who knows.

But anyway, no need to trash egyptian captains and Red Sea LOBs just because...

Speculation or not, it capsized in shallow water. And quite often, liveaboard boats in Egypt plan the routes and dive sites so they can be moored overnight for varuous reasons, among them the treacherous reefs that are dangerous at night, as the vast number of shipwrecks in this area can testify.

It could have been moored for night, weather changed and the crew sleeping with no time to shift position, waves got them sideboards.

Firstly, the boat didn’t seem to be moored, according to Michael Miles, the 70yo survivor. He said:
“that captain of the boat was quite young and didn’t seem very experienced. He was not taking the waves in the correct way and before especially not when it got to the big waves. I believe it was one of the biggest reasons for the boat to sink. If a boat isn’t positioned correctly in the waves it is not good.”

Unfortunately the young captain was amongst the 7 missing people. So, he wouldn’t be able to testify whether the boat was moored or cruising through the night.

Secondly, if the boat were moored, as tall & floaty (“pine wood” material as @John Bantin mentioned in his article), the boat would be aligned with the current & the bow would be facing the waves head on, rather than side way (beam on as some articles put it) and it would be in much better position to ride on the waves, don’t you think?

 

[NothingClever]

Found an article about it.

Research diver dies in Antarctica

A research diver died Saturday in an accident on a dive beneath the ice of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica, the National Science Foundation said....

www.upi.com

I'm sure that DSO will carry the facts and findings of that investigation for the rest of his/her life.

 

[ijdod]

@Dan I think you're reading too much into Mr Miles' statement. The way I read it he observed that earlier, and attributes this lack of skill to the sinking itself. I don't think that's conclusive of the ship being underway or not.

From what I've seen these boats are often tied at multiple mooring points, not necessarily free to swing at anchor freely. Which makes sense if you're moored to a reef, you don't want to swing into that.

There's still a lot of conflicting information.

 

[Dan]

@Dan I think you're reading too much into Mr Miles' statement. The way I read it he observed that earlier, and attributes this lack of skill to the sinking itself. I don't think that's conclusive of the ship being underway or not.

From what I've seen these boats are often tied at multiple mooring points, not necessarily free to swing at anchor freely. Which makes sense if you're moored to a reef, you don't want to swing into that.

There's still a lot of conflicting information.

Well, ChatGPT says:
“The Sea Story was not moored when it sank. The yacht was underway in the Red Sea near the Sataya Reef when it encountered severe weather conditions, including high waves that led to the accident. According to survivor accounts, the vessel was struck by a large wave during the early hours of the morning, causing it to capsize rapidly. The Egyptian Meteorological Authority had issued warnings about dangerous sea conditions in the area at the time.”

I don’t have much experience in Red Sea, so I’m not familiar of Sataya area have so many mooring points to tie your boat to. I’m more familiar with Indonesia (for 19 years & made over 1500 dives there & was on over 30 liveaboards). Most of the time in Indonesia, mooring points are limited. Most of the time we anchored, if it’s allowed & no coral bottom).