Ship missing in storm...

[dgltrader]

Hope this is not as bad as it sounds...we got lucky in the Mid-Atlantic.

Associated Press-

ELEUTHERA, Bahamas (AP) –

Hurricane Joaquin destroyed houses, uprooted trees and unleashed heavy flooding as it hurled torrents of rain across the Bahamas on Friday, and the U.S. Coast Guard said it was searching for a cargo ship with 33 people aboard that went missing during the storm.

The Coast Guard said the 735-foot (224-meter) ship named El Faro had taken on water and was listing at 15 degrees near Crooked Island, one of the islands most battered by the hurricane. Officials said the crew includes 31 U. S. citizens and two from Poland.

"This vessel is disabled basically right near the eye of Hurricane Joaquin," said Capt. Mark Fedor. "We're going to go and try and save lives. We're going to push it to the operational limits as far as we can."

Officials said they hadn't been able to re-establish communication with the vessel, which was traveling from Jacksonville, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard said the crew earlier reported it had been able to contain the flooding.

Fedor said there were 20- to 30-foot (up to 9-meter) waves in the area, and that heavy winds could have destroyed the ship's communications equipment. The ship went missing when Joaquin was a Category 4 storm. The hurricane has since lost strength and become a Category 3 storm.

Messages left with Florida-based TOTE Services, the ship's owner, were not returned.
As the search continued, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Joaquin's threat to the U.S. East Coast was fading as new forecasts showed it likely to curve out into the Atlantic while moving north and weakening in coming days...​

Can only hope for the best- both for the crew and their families...

And give thanks it did not visit us.

dgltrader

 

[Spellbound]

Have spent many, many years fishing Crooked, Acklins, Long Island, Plana Cays, Samana, Rum, San Salvador, know the area very well. Lot's of friends down there and a dear dear friend on Rum who I know has been in a life or death situation the past two days, hoping for the best for all and their families, the landscape will be changed for a long long time.

 

[Freeebird]

Yeah, I've been worried about them too, especially after reading this on a Facebook cruising group. This was posted last night...

Hurricane Joaquin has destroyed Rum Cay.

The island is in the eye at this time and the backside is expected to last another 12 hours.

At this time all fresh water wells are contaminated.

Most of the houses on front street are gone.

The only supply dock is gone.

Most roofs are gone.

The power lines are all down and the list is big.

The people are desperate for help.

I've been able to get through to cell phones but the service is not good enough to get out pictures.

It's really bad.

I understand that Long Island and San Sal is about the same.

 

[Spellbound]

Not good Randy. Don't know if you took any pics when we dropped Benny off but everything is changed and I know they are in desperate need of fresh water/food supplies. Saw some pics of San Sal's airport building destroyed as I am sure the marina is, Riding Rock's buildings, Sandy Point's homes etc. etc.

 

[Freeebird]

I was hoping you had heard something from Benny. These are the only pics I have.

 

[Spellbound]

As I texted earlier, saw a quote from him in the Nassau Guardian relaying that the pier (freight dock) is gone, 11 houses (along the beach) underwater, no power, no water, had to move from one shelter (flooding) to another, roofs gone, trees gone, pretty much devastated but no mention of lives lost. Your Conception fishing buddy is in full control mode and I know will be organizing whatever is necessary to get them going again. Was happy to see him mentioned reporting the news .......He will have some stories!!!!!!!

 

[magnawake]

It seems loss of life would be a hard thing to dodge being this storm destroyed so much. I hate it for them and pray for their safety. The missing ship was avoidable. I cant imagine making the choice to steam through that storm.

 

[Bob Bradley]

There are reports of a large debris field having been found. It does not look good. Hopefully they made it to the lifeboat.

Looking at their cargo makes me rethink running at speed offshore at night.

 

[capttonyf]

As anyone heard how everyone in the Exumas made out? Places like Georgetown, Staniel, Sampson, etc. Also Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, Harbour Island, and really anywhere in the Eastern Bahamas. Hope damage isn't as bad as already mentioned.

Tony

 

[Freeebird]

Saw some photos of Rum Cay which weren't as bad as previously reported. Looks like the dock just lost its decking vs being destroyed. As for that ship, it's still hard to see how this catastrophe couldn't have been avoided. USCG reported finding a badly damaged lifeboat, but I don't know how many were on board. Saw report where one body has been found.

 

[Pascal]

As anyone heard how everyone in the Exumas made out? Places like Georgetown, Staniel, Sampson, etc. Also Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, Harbour Island, and really anywhere in the Eastern Bahamas. Hope damage isn't as bad as already mentioned.

Tony

Exumas are fine, they never gotuch over 40kts except for Gtown that got up to 60kts. Some flooding, a few boats washed ashore but altogether minimal

Saw pictures of staniel during the storm, it wasn't worst than your average winter front

Unlike a nor'easter the damaging winds only extend 40 to 50 miles from the center so the Exumas where outside that

As to the missing ship, this was a tricky storm as it was not supposed to go that far south and it wasn't supposed to be that strong. It looks like the El Faro was hoping to stay on the weaker western side but got caught when it intensified and drifted SW. They were squeezed between the storm and the Exumas / Long Island and couldnt turn away till they cleared Long Island which seemed to have been too late

 

[jrmccoy]

When you consider the sheer size and weight of this vessel vs. even the largest of what we use recreationally, I am reminded that we can be easily dispatched with by mother nature. She is no respecter of persons (or boats). I read just this am that there is some serious debate as to why the captain made the decision to move out given the possibility of getting caught in this storm.

I pray for the families of the missing crew in hopes by some miracle some are found.

 

[saltshaker]

I think many of us got very lucky this storm is relatively small and is taking the track it is. If this was a larger storm the entire Bahamas would have been hit, SE Fl would have seen winds and surge. If this came up the East Coast this weekend, the Carolinas would have been devasted after all the rain they've seen over the last few weeks. If this hit the Mid Atlantic and combined with the Nor'Easter we had, we may have had a repeat of Sandy. Maybe not as severe or large but a real disaster for sure. Hanging over the Central Bahamas the way it did and as powerful as it was, had to be brutal. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been impacted by this. Even Bermuda lucked out as the storm weakened considerably before passing to the west.

 

[hatteras 1985]

When you consider the sheer size and weight of this vessel vs. even the largest of what we use recreationally, I am reminded that we can be easily dispatched with by mother nature. She is no respecter of persons (or boats). I read just this am that there is some serious debate as to why the captain made the decision to move out given the possibility of getting caught in this storm.

I was looking at pictures of El Faro. Notice those large openings all the way down the length of the hull. Are these for ease of docking? There is also what looks to be a large door towards the stern, probably for RO/RO operations. I would think all of these openings might make the vessel less seaworthy in heavy seas, especially beam seas.

In addition the lifeboat launches look like antiques. Foreign flagged vessels have better lifeboats than the two on El Faro. You would think a US-flagged vessel would have been required to have the modern type lifeboats that launch like a roller coaster.

Unlike a pleasure boat which can theoretically sink in a couple minutes, there is a limit to how fast a large freighter can sink. I just can't wrap my mind around what happened here.

EDIT

Here is the last known location of the El Faro:

24.2747° / -74.94522°