Coast Guard to hold press conference in Jacksonville for search of El Faro crew

Coast Guard ^ | Oct 7, 2015

[Ray76]

The Coast Guard will hold a joint press briefing with the National Transportation Safety Board to provide updated information on the search for the crew of El Faro and the investigation Wednesday afternoon.

[Ray76]

The National Transportation Safety will hold a joint media briefing with the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday afternoon to provide updated information on the Coast Guard’s search for the crew of El Faro and the NTSB’s accident investigation.

Event: Press Conference

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Time: 3:00 pm EDT

http://ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20151007.aspx

[MplsSteve]

My god, I can’t even imagine how horrible it must have been to have been on the boat and worse yet if anyone made it to the water before the ship went down.

May God comfort them and their families.

[dowcaet]

My guess is they’re calling off the search. The ship and crew were at the total mercy of Hurricane Joaquin and it ended tragically as we all knew from the beginning.

[Bogie]

Those guys are probably already dead. Even when we were trying to sail the Florida Keys under normal conditions, we were dealing with 5 to 8 foot waves.The question is why did the engine fail?

[Jim W N]

The useless NTSB that wastes our money and time.

Anybody see the picture of this ship before it sailed? Looked like a rusty bucket. Doesn’t look seaworthy at all. A maritime lawyer was saying that this ship was built as part of a series of four ships, two of which have been scrapped. This one apparently had it’s hull lengthened with an extension added to its hull. The lawyer said that usually weakens a ship and makes it less seaworthy.

A report said it lost power in the storm. Dang, looks like no one should have stepped aboard that bucket.

[Ray76]

Officials said during an afternoon news conference that the Coast Guard will end its search for survivors from the El Faro at sunset.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-investigators-retrieve-ship-data-recorder-34306313

[Ray76]

Live video:

http://abcnews.go.com/live?stream=3

[SE Mom]

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/10/06/el-faro-stayed-on-course-despite-seven-hurricane-warnings/

This article brings up a question- there were 7 warnings issued for a hurricane but the ship continued to head right for the storm, in spite of them.

Seems odd, coupled with the officer’s email to her mother that they were headed straight for a cat 3 hurricane.

[Ray76]

Phil Greene, president and CEO of ship owner Tote Services Inc., told the Associated Press the captain of the El Faro, whose name has not been released, had conferred with her sister ship — which was returning to Jacksonville, Fla. along a similar route — and determined the weather was good enough to go forward.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/10/06/el-faro-owners-say-mechanical-failure-left-cargo-ship-adrift-amid-hurricane/

article has additional info

[SE Mom]

Yeah, read that too.They’ll know more once they find the VDR. But it hasn’t sent a ping yet.

[PAR35]

the captain of the El Faro, whose name has not been released

Makes me wonder why they are hiding this information. It's going to come out sooner or later.

[Maine Mariner]

The names of all of the crew including the captain have been released to the media-probably local media. Four of the officers, including the captain are graduated of the Maine Maritime Academy. The Academy held a vigil last evening.
Over 200 people attended-about 20% of the student body.
One of my students lost her boyfriend who was on the ship.
He graduated in May, 2015. This was his first job.

[Chgogal]

What a heart searing tragedy. So many lost. Prayers for all who are suffering and for those who passed on to a better place.

[huldah1776]

insurance fraud?

[deport]

Some El Faro history via Wikipedia. Can't vouch for accuracy, etc.

Construction and earlier career

El Faro was built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation in Chester, Pennsylvania,
in 1975 as Puerto Rico.[1] In 1991, the ship was renamed Northern Lights; two years later, it was
lengthened by 90 feet (27 m) at Alabama Shipyard, Inc.[1]

Originally operated by the Navieras de Puerto Rico Steamship Company, the Puerto Rico
hauled cargo to and from the U.S. East Coast for more than two decades.[citation needed] The
vessel was purchased by TOTE Maritime in Tacoma, Washington, renamed Northern Lights, and
placed in service between Tacoma and Anchorage, Alaska.[citation needed] Northern Lights
continued to steam between these two ports until the early 2000s, when the ship was chartered to the
Military Sealift Command of the United States Navy.[citation needed] The ship was later transferred by TOTE to
its subsidiary company Sea Star Lines and renamed El Faro. It then returned to coastwise liner
service between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.[citation needed]

[Ray76]

http://www.wokv.com/news/news/local/el-faro-inspected-multiple-agencies-earlier-year/nnw4P/

[deport]

Members of the crew:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/el-faro-ship-who-are-americans-board-n439341

[barmag25]

I suspect the crew is still inside. Losing your engine in waves of 50 feet will turn you sideways instead of facing the waves. I imagine they rolled over and sank rather quickly.

They probably didn’t get to the life boats. The life boats were open top and they probably felt safer onboard.

May they rest in peace. I knew and worked with several of them.

[SE Mom]

Oh dear. My sympathy to you and for everyone who knew and loved these mariners.

[wrench]

“.The question is why did the engine fail?”

There was mention in another article of the Capt radioing he had propeller related problems causing total loss of propulsion.

I know next to nothing of the workings of steam turbine ship engines. I searched for failures and pattern failures in steam turbine setups, and prop/prop shaft, packings and bearings were often mentioned.

With this one resting 3 miles down, it is doubtful the cause of power loss will be found.