Posted on 10/06/2015 6:33:38 AM PDT by WhiskeyX
There was nothing mechanical about the decision to sail into a cat-3 hurricane.
...
I agree. I’ve seen a map of El Faro’s route. They were heading on a direct course for the center of the hurricane. The sinking was inevitable. This story from the company is baloney.
Here’s a link to a map of the route with the hurricane path:
http://cdn1.24live.co/images/2015/10/06/1444083534283980.jpg
According to the time stamps it doesn’t look like the ship was slowing down or adrift. At best the captain, or more likely the company, was taking a big gamble on the storm changing directions.
It was a tropical storm when they left port.
It was forecast to become a hurricane tho.
My bet is on the company. They get paid either for delivering the goods or for the insurance on the loss. They have nothing to lose except future billings for the vessel. The fact the vessel was old and in poor shape is a red flag they intended for it to sink.
They left port at 00:50 on Wednesday, Sept. 30. At 08:00 on the 30th the storm was declared a hurricane. It’s projected path was to the Southwest. The pilot plotted and followed a course leading directly into the hurricane’s expected path. The ship went down after entering the hurricane’s eye. That’s called a bullseye. He planned it, he plotted it, he followed it and he drove his vessel right into the eye where he killed himself and 32 other people.
This guy had issues and likely debts as well.
This was a suicide-murder.
Wait for the books on it.
It was an American ABS classed vessel with an American and Merchant Marine crew plying the Jones Act
Whoever told you it was a junk ship doesn’t know ships
ABS class is expensive and arduous
I owned freighters the largest being around a third this size....no way could I afford ABS class or that crew
It was a severe storm that grew quick and changed course in his direction
He had screw issues and got beamed
It’s the ocean not a junk ship or junk crew
These were serious Mariners
People spout off from ignorance...not you...you were quoting I get it
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.