Frank Hamm III

 

The Commercial Sailing vessel "The EL Faro" sailed into Hurricane Joaquin on October 1st and sank in the Bermuda Triangle and rests 15,000 feet on the bottom of the sea. The ships course took it about 70 miles from the center of the hurricane. The ship lost propulsion and power leaving it at the mercy of the sea and the storm.We feel there should be increased oversight in the industry to determine how and when ships sail to eliminate the likelihood of such a tragedy ever occurring again.

Proposed Changes:

*When Storms form while underway the vessel must take a diversionary route to avoid the storm. Currently those decisions are left to the Masters / Captains and Company.

*Ships must not depart sailing into the direction of a Storm / Hurricane. There should be 3rd party oversight to determine if ships are free to sail and what measures should be taken to ensure safety. (Ex. Air Traffic controllers have oversight in Airline Industry)
*All commercial vessels must have Enclosed Coast Guard approved life boats and are equipped with survival supplies. The EL Faro's Lifeboats were open although the newest enclosed vessels would increase likelihood of survival.
*Review and modify standards for commercial vessels life cycle and create tougher standards for commissioning vessels after rebuilds or revisions. The EL Faro was 40 years old and had undergone a rebuild extending the ship 90 feet after being cut in half. Although the cause of the ship sinking has not been determined we believe that regulations have to be reviewed at how ships are retrofitted to current standards- such as Engines and Life Boats.

We feel the time is now to draft and initiate changes to ensure the safety of men and women as they provide a much needed service to humanity. Please join us in petitioning for changes. Let's not wait until after investigations are complete to do what only makes perfect sense to do now. Please sign our petition. Mr. President; and Honorable Elected Officials, please let these 33 lives be the catalyst for changes we need in the industry. God Bless Us All