The Elegance Of Being Aloof
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- Registered: Jul 16, 2002
- Last visit: Feb 01, 2013
- Posts: 1734
Posted: Nov 07, 2011 - 08:31 AM
Yet another group of missing boaters in the Marshall Islands. Of course, they did not have any communications equipment. The Australian Navy, the US Coast Guard (a Hercules C-130 aircraft), the RMI patrol vessel Lomor, and private vessels all joined in the search.
http://au.news.…lls-fishermen/
Good news! Unlike some previous tragic events (such as the loss of a small vessel, with accompanying loss of life, on trip between Arno and Majuro), this incident ended with the missing fishermen being found on the shore of Erikub Atoll.
http://www.rnzi…=read&id=64232
Unlike many others who went missing, this was not a group of poor Marshallese indigenous fishermen, but Marshallese employees of a commercial, for-profit business venture, conducting a routine, recurring boating trip, to find and capture tropical fish for shipment to the US and elsewhere.
http://www.radi…39.htm?desktop
The US Coast Guard quotes a cost of $14,439 per hour, not including per diem for crew, to operate a Hercules C-130. If aircraft operated for 30 hours (very minimal) flying to the RMI from Hawai, the search, and return to Hawaii, the total cost would be well over $400,000 – just for one Coast Guard aircraft. And that is the “government rate.†If charged at the “outside government†rate, add about another $100,000 to that cost. Again, this is the cost for one aircraft flown by the US Coast Guard. How much was outlayed by Australia and the RMI for their rescue operations (plus private citizens)?
http://www.uscg…CI_7310_1M.pdf
All because this boat, operated by a for-profit business venture, failed to provide and maintain in working condition a marine radio – you can buy many different models for $100 - $300 each.
http://www.goog…ed=0CBUQpwUoAw
I guess can call it all a good training exercise as there will be another similar occurence, most certainly, in the not too distant future. Hopefully the next occassion will also result in nothing more serious than a few hours of being stranded on an uninhabited atoll or island, waving palm fronds to get the attention of the rescuers.
edited by: pettittm, datetimebrief
“I hope the signing of the LUA (Land Use Agreement) allows the Government of the Marshall Islands more time to focus on the biggest issues it faces – how to raise the level of education and health of the Marshallese people and how to create an economy that will be stable after direct US funding ends in 2023.”
US Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Martha Campbell, as quoted by MI Journal, 13 May 2011, pg 4
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- Registered: Dec 10, 2008
- Last visit: May 21, 2012
- Posts: 138
Posted: Nov 08, 2011 - 11:54 AM
Thank you PettitM,
I am so glad they found them tucked away safely. I think there should be some kind of law or laws being enacted requiring boat owners to carry on their boats some mean of communications whether it be a marine radio, walkie-talkie or a big mirror or anything at all, just in case.
I think the owner of the boat should pay the costs to help defray some of if not all the expenses derived by the search. Better yet, fine him or her rather heavily, just for the mere reasons that he/she did not equip the crew of the boat with the working radio, to protect the crew facing engine failure, running out of gas in the vast ocean, so they’d be able to contact anyone, should emergencies arise and how could they? They were ill prepared. -
- Registered: Jul 16, 2002
- Last visit: Feb 01, 2013
- Posts: 1734
Posted: Nov 09, 2011 - 02:29 PM
From current near-tragedy:
A "routine" ocean journey immediately turns into anything but if the engine on a single engine boat stops working.
Thanks to luck and good weather, the folks involved in this near-tragedy lived.
From full-blown tragedy, November 2010:
And also from around November 2010:
Source for above: http://www.tige…spx?p=23042513
How did folks find out about the missing at Maleolap? They found out by radio transmission. Being an outer island is no excuse for not having all boat venturing into open ocen equipped with a radio.
Based on my search of Web, you can buy a good marine radio, battery and battery charger for under $500. If can keep battery charged to run an outer island shortwave or other transmitter, can keep batteries charged for fishermen, too. What would be cost of purchasing radio sets for each outer island for indigenous fishermen vice oost of just one major air/sea search?
At some point, or maybe has already happened, US is going to start billing the RMI for a significant portion of the USCG rescue mission costs. I bet fueling the Lomor and running it up to Maleolap and back cost the RMI around $10K just in fuel. Add in salaries, needed resulting maintenance (if actually done) etc and cost goes up. Put AMI in air, add that to cost too. And Australia had at least one patrol boat involved so factor in their cost, too. All because these guys, and everyone else in similar situation, could not immediately get on radio while still close to home and call for immediate assistance.
In this time of ever increasing budget problems for both our countries, its past time for the "custom" of folks going out into the ocean with out emegency equipment, extra water, life preservers, and radio, to change.
edited by: pettittm, datetimebrief
“I hope the signing of the LUA (Land Use Agreement) allows the Government of the Marshall Islands more time to focus on the biggest issues it faces – how to raise the level of education and health of the Marshallese people and how to create an economy that will be stable after direct US funding ends in 2023.”
US Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Martha Campbell, as quoted by MI Journal, 13 May 2011, pg 4
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