The Death of a Liveaboard: Odyssea 1

[JTemple]

Just received this email:

Dear Associates, clients and Friends

It is with deep regret that I have to inform you of our company’s decision to decommission MV Odyssea 1.

MV Odyssea 1 was badly damaged in a very bad storm on Sunday evening. As such, we will not be able to provide liveaboard services with immediate effect and all cruises chartered or booked are cancelled.

She returned safely to Manado on Saturday morning after a successful season in Raja Ampat from Sorong. There were no guests onboard when the accident occurred as we were preparing for docking. The crew are all fine and are safely back on land.

In the mid afternoon of Sunday (11 May), she was moored off Wori Bay in front of our resort (Cocotinos) in preparation for docking. During this time, the weather was turning with very strong winds coming from the north-west coupled with big waves forming and the tide going low. The captain decided that it was safer to move to a better-sheltered lagoon in Lantung where we normally go to during adverse weather such as the one we experienced on Sunday. Upon approaching the lagoon, the engines failed with attempts to restart it futile and the anchor was dropped immediately by the captain. At this point, the big waves took her closer to the reef but without the anchor securing on the seabed, she was pushed on to the top of the reef by the storm which resulted in severe damage to the hull.

Further extensive damage was done by the constant and relentless pounding of the waves while she was trapped on the reef. At first light, we inspected her and had to acknowledge that she is no longer seaworthy and beyond economical repair.



The weather has been unpredictable of late, with the cyclone in Myanmar on 3rd May and typhoon Rammasun in Philippines last week. The irony is that we could rescue others a few days earlier on our way back from Sorong but could not avoid a disaster ourselves. The forces of nature are greater than us. We had made two rescues, starting with a family in a small boat that flipped over and they were drifting for 12 hours before we spotted them. We dropped them off at their village at Kofiau and continued our return journey. After passing Halmahera, we seek an SOS call from a cargo vessel which had a broken shaft and was drifting for 4 days in the Moluccas sea. We brought all 9 of the crew onboard and continued our journey, bringing them back safely to Manado with Odyssea 1 and her crew a day later than scheduled.


We are now in the process of informing all the charterers and individuals who have booked anyone of our cruises of the cancellation. We have also set up a team to help provide alternatives and assistance to all that are affected in the interest of finding a speedy and amicable solution.



Cocotinos and Odyssea Divers will continue to provide the resort and diving services in Manado as usual, and we will keep you updated on the opening of our new resort in Lombok in August 2009. I look forward to your continuing support.



If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.



Warmest regards

Andrew Lok
Managing Director
Odyssea Asia Pte Ltd
info.desk@odysseaasia.com

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

It's a shame about the boat. How did the reef hold up? I hope they are insured!

Sean

 

[Diver Dennis]

Are they giving refunds? Doesn't sound like it.

 

[JTemple]

I was on her last month. It is sad, she was a great asset to the area, employing many wonderful people.

The company is very well organized, and they will do the right thing for anyone who has booked with them. From the original email:

We are now in the process of informing all the charterers and individuals who have booked anyone of our cruises of the cancellation. We have also set up a team to help provide alternatives and assistance to all that are affected in the interest of finding a speedy and amicable solution.

As for the reef, I'll find out what I can. Or see for myself when I am there at the end of the month. One would have to expect there was some damage, if it managed to destroy the hull.