If you're planning a liveaboard
trip, what precautions can
you take to assure yourself of the
safety of the ship and competence
of the crew? Frankly, it's not very
easy, especially when your craft's
home port is in a remote third
world location. Still, there are questions you can ask before you book
your trip.
First check the ship's registration,
or flag state. Don't assume
that a ship operating in, say, Fiji is
registered there. Wayne Hasson,
who runs the Aggressor Fleet, advises, "The ship's registration should be
in a country that's a signatory to
SOLAS," a.k.a. the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at
Sea. SOLAS specifies minimum
standards for the safe construction,
equipment, and operation of ships
cruising internationally. Each flag state is responsible for ensuring
that their ships comply and for
issuing proof of compliance.
SOLAS compliance should form a
baseline for structural soundness
and proper safety equipment for
various size vessels, including liveaboards.
But there are glitches. Not
every nation has signed the
Convention. Vessels that operate
only in one country are not
required to comply; instead they
may be inspected by local authorities
who can be notoriously lax in
their inspection and enforcement procedures. And, says Bret Gilliam,
who owns International Training
Inc. (TDI and SDI) and Fathoms
Magazine, "For vessels less than
1,000 tons, SOLAS enforcement is
virtually nonexistent outside the
U.S., U.K., and Norway. Sure, it's
better than nothing ... but not
much." Flags from many countries,
including Belize, Honduras, the
Bahamas, Panama, and Thailand,
are often referred to as "flags of
convenience," because of lax
enforcement.
"... you can get a license to operate a 500-ton
vessel with hundreds of passengers and never
once even be required to demonstrate that
you can dock, get underway, back into a
slip, or handle a vessel at sea." |
Undercurrent polled a number
of live-aboard operators to see if
they were SOLAS-compliant. Many
were, but we also uncovered an
alphabet soup of other regulatory
agencies or insurers that promulgate
standards for construction
and local inspection of vessels,
including the U.S. Coast Guard,
American Bureau of Shipping
(ABS), International Association of
Classification Societies (IACS), Bureau Veritas, and others. Most
require annual inspections, so you
can ask to see a current certificate
of inspection. But the quality of
those inspections may vary widely,
even from port to port. Jeroen
Deknatel of Fantasea Divers points
out that in Phuket, Thailand,
"Local port authorities' rules for
safety at sea are substandard and in
any case not enforced." As a result,
Deknatel believes, "Everybody
competes for the lowest prices
instead of the best quality. ...
Sooner or later Thailand's reputation
as a dive destination will suffer
because of all these fly-by-night operators." (We reported on the
sinking of the Atlantis X in Thailand shortly after divers were
evacuated last year.)
For added peace of mind,
request a letter recapping the vessel's
current insurance coverage.
Chris Young, a captain with 12
years experience on big boats, who
skippered the Wave Dancer through
Hurricane Mitch three years
before it capsized in 2001, suggests
you look particularly at the vessel's
liability limits. He points out that
the $5 million limit on the Wave
Dancer's policy was far too low to
cover the catastrophic capsizing.
However, that's a high limit among
the live-aboards we surveyed.
The Nautilus Explorer out of
Vancouver, B.C., boasts unlimited
liability coverage, but most liveaboard
policies max out in the $1
million to $2 million range. The
Reina Silvia, in the Galapagos, has a limit of only $100,000 per passenger.
The Thorfin, in Truk Lagoon,
has a separate $3 million limit for
"surface concerns" and $1 million
for "diver's risk." Gilliam, who also
holds an unlimited master's
license, points out that these policies
frequently exclude coverage
for diving activities, which instead
are covered under the divemaster's
or instructor's liability policy. Some
live-aboards consider insurance
limits private information and may
not disclose them.
Young recommends that you
also look into the qualifications of
the skipper and crew, as well, and
verify the captain's license and the
displacement tonnage he is qualified
for. The Wave Dancer, for
instance, was originally admeasured
in excess of 300 tons, but it
had been revised down to a lesser
tonnage under a complicated
series of exemptions. This is a common
practice, according to
Gilliam, because most nations
charge much more to register vessels
greater than 100 tons and
require hiring a local pilot to take
the boat in and out of harbors.
Young contends that when it capsized,
the Wave Dancer was under
the command of an inexperienced
captain with a new 100-ton license.
(He survived, by the way.)
The history and experience,
not just the license, are important
for a live-aboard skipper. Gilliam
points out that even the U.S. Coast
Guard does not require a practical
seamanship test. As he puts it, "You
can't get a license to drive a car
without a practical driving exam,
but you can get a license to operate
a 500-ton vessel with hundreds
of passengers and never once even
be required to demonstrate that
you can dock, get underway, back
into a slip, or handle a vessel at
sea." Currently, says Gilliam, a 200-
ton license is almost as easy to get
as a 100-ton ticket. The Coast
Guard is in the process of tightening
up its licensing requirements for ships admeasured more than
200 tons, leaving the smaller licenses
with even less scrutiny. Most liveaboards
fall below the 200-ton rating,
and very few have U.S.
licensed captains. So it's a good
idea to also find out something
about the captain's practical experience,
over the course of his
career and on that particular liveaboard.
In our survey, most captains
had more than 10 years'
experience on the sea and around
seven years on their current vessels.
But some live-aboard skippers and
crews turn over frequently, so it's
best to check on the background
of the skipper who'll be on the
bridge for your particular trip.
Ideally, crew members should
have certifications of STCW training
in firefighting, first aid, lifeboat
operation, personal survival at sea,
and responsibility for management
of passenger safety, according to
Young. Virtually every maritime
country is party to the International
Convention on Standards of
Training, Certification, and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers.
However, in most locations STCW training isn't available, so crew
training may be done by local
authorities or by the live-aboard
operator. Of course, the captain
and some of the crew must be certified
scuba instructors or divemasters,
as well.
But no matter what the paperwork
says, circumstances may
change. Boats and equipment can
run down, and seasoned captains
and crews may be replaced by
rookies, especially in a faltering
travel market. If possible, try to
contact some passengers who've
recently been aboard the vessel
and see how they felt about conditions.
Were safety drills conducted
for the crew and passengers? Were
personal flotation devices and
lifeboats or life rafts clearly pointed
out? Were first aid supplies and
oxygen in evidence? Did the captain
and crew inspire confidence
among the passengers?
It's also advisable to verify the
weather and water conditions
before you book your trip, if you
want to avoid dangerous storms.
Then, when all your research is done, consider your own risk tolerance.
How many chances are you
willing to take?
Once on board, Gilliam recommends
that you look for an
overall shipshape appearance,
including well-maintained paint,
clean bottom, clean galley and
public areas, orderly engine
rooms, well-marked safety equipment,
and properly functioning
radar, radios, and other electronics.
Ask to visit the bridge and look
for a well-kept space and a captain
who is clean and well-ordered himself.
The captain should give thorough
safety briefings and answer
questions intelligently and cheerfully.
Similarly, the crew should
look professional and should be
able to answer questions completely
and articulately. Gilliam points to
the Sea Hunter and Undersea Hunter in Costa Rica as examples of wellmaintained
and well-run liveaboards.
"Safety is good business,"
he says.
After all, we're all looking for
that once-in-a-lifetime dive trip, but
not the LAST trip of a lifetime.