Red Sea Liveaboard Sinking

[RedSeaDiver2]

Upthread it was mentioned that this was the second voyage.

Kind of surprised that it got through the first voyage with the CoG problems - or that they didn't add a few hundred bags of cement down low between the two voyages. Certainly seems to have been some poor management there.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

I wonder if it's in shallow enough water and if I can dive it on my upcoming red sea trip in August .

Man what a **** show though. I don't know if it's common in other countries but in Egypt if you go on a boat (even day boats), you have to give your passport to the crew because they need to have it on hand for when the military checks them (even in the middle of the night). At least that was the case the last two times I was there.

I've never taken my passport onto a day boat in Egypt.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

Right now I expect that Carlton Fleet are rebranding themselves as something else. Sounds like a total **** show by any standard.

 

[Wookie]

Kind of surprised that it got through the first voyage with the CoG problems - or that they didn't add a few hundred bags of cement down low between the two voyages. Certainly seems to have been some poor management there.

Likely their tanks were pressed full coming out of the yard. As has been mentioned, it isn't just liquid ballast, it's also the speed at which that ballast can move in the tank. One of the requirements of a stability test, or inclining experiment is to perform the experiment light ship, or if you do have anything in the tanks, calculate for it.

As fuel/water burns out, GM gets smaller and smaller, leading to a reduced righting arm, which seems exactly to be the case here. When newly launched, the ship felt fine, but after the first trip, the ship took on a list which switched from side to side as free surface area of the tanks took effect.

I work on Destroyers, which ballast the main fuel tanks with seawater for exactly this reason. If burnout played a role, the ship would never be stable. No more than 2 tank pairs may be empty at a time if the ship is pierside, never underway.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

Likely their tanks were pressed full coming out of the yard. As has been mentioned, it isn't just liquid ballast, it's also the speed at which that ballast can move in the tank. One of the requirements of a stability test, or inclining experiment is to perform the experiment light ship, or if you do have anything in the tanks, calculate for it.

As fuel/water burns out, GM gets smaller and smaller, leading to a reduced righting arm, which seems exactly to be the case here. When newly launched, the ship felt fine, but after the first trip, the ship took on a list which switched from side to side as free surface area of the tanks took effect.

I work on Destroyers, which ballast the main fuel tanks with seawater for exactly this reason. If burnout played a role, the ship would never be stable. No more than 2 tank pairs may be empty at a time if the ship is pierside, never underway.

Sounds like you have nailed it - and they have failed miserably. Unfortunately we are probably going to see a couple of more of these events in the Red Sea with new boats getting higher and higher until the authorities step in and demand that all vessels have stability calcs done etc. It is very interesting doing a walking tour around the shipyards in Egypt.

 

[Sebs]

I've never taken my passport onto a day boat in Egypt.

Don't know what to tell you. I had to when I took a day boat from dahab.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

Don't know what to tell you. I had to when I took a day boat from dahab.

OK that's Sinai - rules are generally tougher in Sinai because of the closeness of Israel and also the Islamic State dudes running around in North Sinai

 

[scubajasonr]

AFAIK I now if you are on a day boat or liveaboard the boat needs to have at least a copy of your passport on board. I think every Egyptian dive shop I have been with has taken a copy of the passport on day 1, and then this copy has been then taken onto the day boats. I think it is needed to get coast guard permission to leave harbour. It doesn't seem to apply if you are getting into a zodiac from a hotel jetty.

I wonder if it's in shallow enough water and if I can dive it on my upcoming red sea trip in August

There is a video on Facebook on the hull of the boat still floating, it was from a few days ago so may have sunk now. It looked like the top two decks of the boat had ripped off leaving the hull just about floating in the water - the hull was back in the correct orientation. I will see if I can link to the video.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

AFAIK I now if you are on a day boat or liveaboard the boat needs to have at least a copy of your passport on board. I think every Egyptian dive shop I have been with has taken a copy of the passport on day 1, and then this copy has been then taken onto the day boats. I think it is needed to get coast guard permission to leave harbour. It doesn't seem to apply if you are getting into a zodiac from a hotel jetty.

What happens for day boats is that they take three photo copies of your passport to the coast guard office the evening before along with the manifest of divers and the coast guard books everyone in and gives approval. For liveaboards the coast guard comes onboard the vessel before you depart too.

 

[scubajasonr]

I think this should work. Not a great video, but shows the remains of the boat.