Cruise Ship Injuries

[Doug99]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-67342329

A ship's safety system does not 'stop' the ship during bad weather!!!
To avoid severe rolling, it needs to continue to make headway either with or against the swell.
There is something else to this story as there must have been a major propulsion failure which is not being reported.
Ships do not just 'stop' for 15hrs to ride out poor weather.

 

[blup]

I understood modern cruise ships have stabilisation devices that all but eliminate conditions that create sea sickness, rolling etc, seems that it isn't the case.

Blup

 

[RandomGrinch]

Whilst not listed by the MAIB as a current investigation, I highly suspect that it will be - in which case we should find out the full story.... If not for several years!

 

[fillyboy]

I get the impression a commercial decision was made. Returning early to try and beat the storm would have been a lot cheaper than staying put to wait out the storm.

 

[RandomGrinch]

Currently the leader in The Mail

Passengers on storm-lashed Saga cruise recall their 18-hour ordeal

The Spirit of Discovery cut short its two-week voyage and was headed back to Portsmouth on Saturday as holiday-goers feared for their lives amidst the terrifying tempest in the Bay of Biscay.

www.dailymail.co.uk

For all the "SAGA CRUISE TERROR", the only photos to have appeared so far, seem to have been of some displaced books, a shattered glass balcony panel, a toppled chair in a cabin and a toppled lamp.

I'm not suggesting that this wasn't a big deal for those on board, but there's plenty of footage of cruise ships in storms, that have been left in a state of real carnage.
We will wait and see if more images emerge.

 

[Mottie]

We came home a few hours early on a cruise to the fjords because of predicted bad weather. I was woken in the night by a noise that sounded like we had hit another ship but it was a massive wave that had just crashed into us. I popped my head out of the door and looked over the balcony and the sea looked like the inside of a washing machine. Mrs Mottie told me to get back in as she thought I might get washed overboard! We were on a fairly big ship (Azura) but it felt like the sea had us at its mercy. We docked at about 1.00am instead of the predicted 6.00am. Another time, we had been on a weekend cruise to Brugge with our friends and about an hour after leaving to come home, the ship seemed to slow right down in the middle of some big waves and we could hear a funny chopping noise which turned out to be the propellers coming out of the water. That night at the 'Gala' dinner, there wasn’t a single table that was fully occupied as there were plenty of passengers that wouldn’t leave their cabins including one of our gang who, according to his wife, turned grey. You can normally tell when you are going to get a choppy ride on a cruise ship as you will see strategically placed boxes and bags to be sick into!

 

[IT Minion]

I doubt most passengers would be able to tell the difference between being stationary and a ship slowing to steerage so they can be properly orientated to the waves.

The bay of Biscay is famous for bad weather and is Hugh risk for rogue waves. https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Science-Speaks-Rogue-Waves-are-Real/-51411

 

[Burnerman]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-67342329

A ship's safety system does not 'stop' the ship during bad weather!!!
To avoid severe rolling, it needs to continue to make headway either with or against the swell.
There is something else to this story as there must have been a major propulsion failure which is not being reported.
Ships do not just 'stop' for 15hrs to ride out poor weather.

Good post Doug.
Whilst I can understand that ships diesels can fail due to oil surge (although dry sump systems should prevent this) how a ships 'safety systems' should cause it to veer is not understood by me. For sure, more to come there!

I have been across Biscay on the Brittany ferry Val de Loire where the sea state on leaving Portsmouth was noted as High and we were hove to for a few hours pointing into the waves on approaching Santander..

Val de Loire is now King Seaways and sails from Newcastle to Ijmuiden and it is a fine stabilised ship.
John

 

[ic1927]

When ever I read about bad weather at sea and ships in distress, it reminds me of this brilliant documentary/film about the Penlee lifeboat disaster off the coast of Cornwall. Heartbreaking tragedy, a real tough watch, one of the finest film/docs ever made.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I understood modern cruise ships have stabilisation devices that all but eliminate conditions that create sea sickness, rolling etc, seems that it isn't the case.

Blup

I know feck all about ships however with anything like that, they're likely only effective within certain conditions/parameters? So if the weather and waves are beyond those, they might be rendered next to useless.

 

[Burnerman]

I'll stick my neck out here and claim that all modern passenger vessels are fitted with stabilisers - these are rotatable 'wings' that project out from the underside of the ship as required. They reduce ship roll to an acceptable degree and are very effective.
Even the new Cunarders have them, and they are liners rather than cruise ships.
If the ships Master decides that the sea is too rough with the stabilisers deployed, it's time to be somewhere else if possible.
If a ship should lose it's steering or propulsion units in high seas, then a prayer may help!
John

 

[denso13]

how a ships 'safety systems' should cause it to veer is not understood by me.

Was in the med on a cruise, almost flat calm. The ship started to lean, slowly but steadily, until it was at quite an angle. It took some time before it returned to normal.

An announcement blamed a faulty gyroscope. Very weird, it would have been much worse in a storm.

 

[Doug99]

I'll stick my neck out here and claim that all modern passenger vessels are fitted with stabilisers - these are rotatable 'wings' that project out from the underside of the ship as required. They reduce ship roll to an acceptable degree and are very effective.
Even the new Cunarders have them, and they are liners rather than cruise ships.
If the ships Master decides that the sea is too rough with the stabilisers deployed, it's time to be somewhere else if possible.
If a ship should lose it's steering or propulsion units in high seas, then a prayer may help!
John

Ship stabilisers, like aircraft wings need forward momentum to work so the cruise company has yet to state why the ship 'stopped' in the severe gale. In that scenario when the ship is broadside to the swell/waves, it will just roll like a cork resulting in furniture sliding back and forth if not bolted down. There is little risk of modern ships sinking, but is very dangerous between decks with stuff bouncing around.

 

[motorbiking]

I've been in seas like that in the canaries on 50ish footers. There are a few places where you get wind acceleration zones (WAZs) that can push a F4 to F9 easily. Luckily though you can be through them in a few hours. You still sh*t yourself though. That looks like F9 Gale maybe gusting higher. Given how they work stabilisers (which provide lift to counter the motion) would really struggle to function in a big sea like that.

The Bay is probably the last place you want to be in, with weather like that. Without knowing all the facts, I reckon the captain will have some answering. However, if you don't want the risk of being thrown about or drowning... don't go on a boat, especially in winter.

FYI Code alpha on a cruise ship is medical emergency. Not diver down in case anyone was wondering

The AIS doesn't seem to show any problem. MMSI 232021171

 

[fillyboy]

There are a few places where you get wind acceleration zones (WAZs) that can push a F4 to F9 easily. Luckily though you can be through them in a few hours. You still sh*t yourself though. That looks like F9 Gale maybe gusting higher.

I p155ed myself in a F6 maybe touching a 7, on a 26 footer. I was desperate for a wee but I knew if I went below the sea sickness monster would get me, I wasn't going to hang over the side so I just filled me pants.
After that I prayed, I don't believe in God, but I prayed anyway, just in case like.