The “calm” and “quiet” chain was under extreme stress😢 The hurricane bearing down, he knew it was either him or them. Blacking out, he was then awoke with a loud “Crack” followed by searing pain… Examining his body…to his horror…he was snapped in half below the waist😮 He couldn’t find his mates either… Seeking relief from the pain… He threw himself into the sea to a certain depth In chain heaven, he’s still peering down at the horror of being “blamed”😅
Having read El Faro's VDR, the captain's mind must have been stuck in Alaska and the crew didn't want to try snapping him out of it. There are conversations where the crew talk about how nuts it is they aren't trying to avoid the storm. They knew he was making decisions based on older data which conflicted with real-time NWS warnings, but they just talked about how unworried he seemed to be. Will always wonder what could have happened if someone answered his "just a normal day in Alaska" with: "No, this is actually a *f-ing hurricane in the Bahamas* we are heading straight toward."
So frustrating - he had SO MANY CHANCES to listen to what people were telling him, and route change suggestions and so on -- so many chances to save all those lives. So frustrating.
Had they all emphatically exclaimed this to him those words, just maybe they all would be alive. But from observing that the crew were more than 95 percent black, they just by nature submitted to an ass hole Captain's dumb ass decision making attitude. And it cost them their precious lives. Yeah I remember this disaster, I was living in Jacksonville Florida at the time. So very sad and we all should be pissed at such a foolish man that happened to be a Captain leading his doomed crew members.
@@moffepolle It was my friend , Danielle Randolph, the 2nd mate, who kept trying to get him to change course. She told me he was an ass right before this trip, we had all gone out for the night in Rockland, Maine. She said he never listened to anyone. My way or the highway type . His way got them all killed....
@@woodnbikes I know how heartbreaking this is and I know it’s nearly 10 years, but I can tell that you still grieve very deeply for your friend so for that I offer my deepest condolences! I hope that one day you find some healing!
The ignorance, hubris, and complacency of one man snuffs out the lives of all those people. Fathers, sons, brothers and sisters died in a horrific way.
So what about the oil level in engine sump and crew not checking out the bang of moving cargo they reported, the scuttle left open too. Yes the captain made mistakes along with crew and chief engineer, the captains f up was the one that tipped the scale.
@@gazrayt they should not have ever been where they were. The Capt was reported to be a good man who had a bad bad day. Unfortunately he killed his crew.
I've lived in Jacksonville since the 1980s. Captain disregarded NOAA and Coast Guard guidance. No other ships from JAXPORT/Blount Island had a single incident in the storm, as they heeded warnings. This deeply affected this city, waiting with bated breath for reports on the search and rescue. It's not spoken of. Those sailors deserved better.
@@joesands8860"With bated breath" is a phrase coined by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, spoken by Shylock in Act 1, Scene 3. The phrase means "holding one's breath" or "restrain." It is derived from the verb "bate," which means "to reduce or lessen." The phrase can also be used ironically to indicate that one is not eager or anxious.1 The origin of the phrase comes from the action of a bird, typically a young, untrained falcon, who bates from its perch, causing frustration.
Authority is a dangerous thing to give. Must trust the capt literally w your life. Hence the capt is to be responsible and respectable. Take away either your on borrowed time.
Video is quite kind to the captain/company overall. I did like that you kept flashing the pictures of the various crewmen as they were acting in the story, it really helped both humanize the crew and keep track of who is who.
@@waterlinestories I will say your reporting was not only accurate, but it was tastefully told! Just enough of the technical information to explain to a lay person so that they can understand! So, as sad as this was will say you did a thorough and articulate job here and you’ve gained a follower in me! And I look forward to watching more! Keep up the good work!!
It’s funny how it always seems to be a seasoned captain that makes a bad call. Something about the confidence of their already existent longevity that makes them more likely to take a chance like that. Whereas a rookie captain who isn’t sure of himself would apply more caution.
plenty of rookie captains make mistakes, but, they are usually responsible for smaller ships or large boats... therefore, the impact/news-potential is far less.
I’m a long time shooting competitor and concealed carry guy and I say the same about a lot of gun owners. It’s the “I’ve been around guns my whole life” people that seem the most careless with a misplaced sense of confidence
Seems the US Merchant Marine is about the last country to have those. Wasnt that long ago that virtually all us lifeboats were still painted white too.
It was probably refit so that the Arctic Sea gear could be reallocated to another cold weather ship in the fleet, or sold to another company doing cold weather routes. It’s amazing what these companies will do to maximize profits.
The employer didn't subscribe to the most reliable storm warning, and didn't instruct their staff in the appropriate resources to inform their actions.
The shipping company also very badly maintained the El Faro, her sister ship was inspected after the El Faro sank and it was virtually condemned on the spot as there were numerous issues especially with the deck scuttles which is believed was the route on how the initial free flooding started on the El Faro. You have a company that put profit over maintenance and who's main aim was to get the newer vessels into service and in the process they took their eyes off the most basic rule, maintaining what you have so it remains seaworthy in ALL conditions.
Bad "cockpit resource management" where the captain's rank intimidates his subordinates and he dismisses their concerns. The captain reminds me of the CEO of Ocean Gate and the ill-fated Titan crush-mersible: with an ego that got people killed.
I was thinking the exact same thing! And it's rather astonishing how, in photos, both men have that same "I'm smarter than all of you" stupid smirk on their puss. As soon as I saw the photo of this captain, I immediately judged him to be a major A-Hole.
The problem with storms is not only they greatly increase the odds of something bad happening, they also make it impossible to get outside help. With a captain that seamed like he couldnt care less.
Wonder if he - the captain - was on some sort of drug , wether prescribed or not . If he was under the influence , he should have stood down before sailing .
The shipping company should be in constant contact in a storm like that. They should have current news and directions and relay them to the ship and everybody should be involved.
The employer didn't subscribe to the most reliable storm warning, and didn't instruct their staff in the appropriate resources to inform their actions ... and the captain gets the blame
Agree. Most of the comments here are putting complete blame on the dead captain. It’s easy to blame him because he’s a visible face but all of the nameless rich owners who were dry at home with no concern for the ships crew get a free pass. There was clearly a lack of training/health and safety culture from the company too.
Honestly reminds me a lot of the Malaysian airways pilot who decided he wanted to go out in a big way You gotta wonder had this ship captain decided to suicide...it is very hard to ignore that many warnings
@@michaelo2522 congrats on the worst possible take. Here is your medal. Now go look at it and reflect on how dimwitted it is to say the captain committed suicide.
His Second Mate and Third Mate were very concerned and yet the Captain wouldn't listen. On a plane, a first officer can now challenge a Captain, well at sea there is no such thing as team management. What did he have to lose to turn his course south ? Time and money vs Safety and pride.
As a retired engineer that sailed on those Sunship RO RO ships, these ships were extremely tender and that captain should have turned around. RO RO ships have only trailers in the under deck cargo holds, which means there is no weight below to keep the ship from rolling in a storm. These ships are scary in a normal storm. Out of the 60 or so captains that I have sailed with, every one (except one) would have turned around. The captain that I know that would have continued sailing could not make a decision, he regularly called the office on every minor situation that developed. He should not have been a captain. Captain Davidson was afraid to turn around because he was concerned that he would not be transferred to a new ship. The El Faro had only a few years left on it's life, it was 40 years old. He killed everyone. The riding crew did leave a scuttle open on the main deck, causing water to fill the after cargo hold and make the list. The chief mate should have made a round around the deck to make sure that all of the water tight doors were secured, so that error condemned the ship. He is correct about the main engine oil sump pickup too, you loose the main engine or a generator in a storm and you are at the whim of nature.
I noticed that during the ship shots. They were placing all the weight on the top deck which will exacerbate the rolling of the ship. Obviously, this also depends on how large the ballast tanks are, and the cargo below the main deck, but even when the cargo area has vehicles, it's still mainly air and empty space.
Like most disasters, it is a series of events and conditions that lead to the catastrophic event. Take one out event, and you probably save the ship and the crew. Tragic loss of life. The use of photos aids in the storytelling.
Steven, the same as you, I was on that trade 30 plus years. Whenever leaving Jax or Elizabeth, if there was a threatening system to the south, the captain would head east for a day or go through the hole in the wall. Jackass Davidson wanted to arrive in SJ on schedule. Even the second mate who was green had it figured out. She emailed her mother telling her that she felt she would never see her again. What a horrible tragedy that was totally avoidable.
The captain surely would have known that detail about the oil sump... you'd think! It makes his decision to try to out-pace the storm all the more reckless.
Agree 100%. It's mind blowing to me that they would allow this type of sump design in a ship that will be actively rolling around in an ocean, sometimes to an extreme degree. An engine on an ocean going vessel needs either a centralized deep sump or dry sump system. It also blows my mind that knowing this, they didn't even keep the regular oil sump topped off.
Then chain was definitely a factor because it was supposed to have each car lashed to a single point on deck-but the captain going into a hurricane is what ultimately killed everyone
It all started with not knowing you are looking at old data and thinking you know where to go. Then wait realizing that, untill 3 more big problems have emerged and not take action untill the ship is actually sinking. The chain was just number 4 in the events that lead to the ship sinking.
In a situation like this you really have to wonder who cut the corner of having not enough lube oil on board to supply the main engine. How many barrels of oil would it have taken to bring the sump up to the full mark? When we were setting up for harsh weather we would go around and top up all of the sumps as part of the preparations. We also had extra barrels on board stored in case we had a leak that caused a loss of oil in the main system. I have seen what happens to ships that go "Cheap" on a critical supply and this could be a test case for that. Even if it is really rough we had barrel pumps and hoses that could transfer the oil from the barrels storage area to the main sump supply without moving the lashed down barrels. In a storm that is critical to plan ahead as each barrel weighs over 500 pounds and it can not be handled safely when the deck is moving like that. In addition to the main sump there is usually a day tank with about 4 barrels in it to supply normal losses of oil in the daily operations. That is a good design to have a day tank available for that purpose.
@@guachingman It's actually quite explicitly mentioned in the accident report that the company repeatedly had no issues with Davidson taking longer route to avoid weather, even far less severe as a matter of caution, they completely left it to his discretion.
Great thought on adding oil to the sump. They can easily remove it to the sludge tank when needed. The fire main doomed the ship. The chain and floating cars made it to dangerous to go below. There are in-line section valves on the main as well. Sad story 9 years ago. I watched the midnight Sun in Tacoma while I was growing up. She was beautiful, sleek and fast looking compared to other container ships.
This is similar to some race cars. On high G corners, the engines oil will slush to one side, and starve the engine of lube oil. When that happens, the engine gets destroyed. One way to overcome this, is to just add more oil.
Ultimately the final decision was the captain’s however those who have never been involved in moving freight and even people don’t understand the pressure that companies can put on their employees to save as much fuel and time as possible to increase profits. Some companies don’t mind telling their employees that if they don’t want to go there’s others waiting to do their jobs. I’m guessing that at the captain’s age he was looking to finish up his career without having to make waves with the company.
I was a US Navy officer. It is always the Captains fault. I have made two Pacific crossings, sailed through two "typhoons", sailed the North Atlantic and one hurricane off the "VA Capes", and sailed the Caribbean from Cuba to Barbados. As a private sailboat captain I was the skipper of a 55 foot Sloop that carried tourists north and south through the Sir Francis Drake channel and to every island in both the British and US Virgin Islands. This Captain killed his crew and lost his vessel because he forgot that the sea is unforgiving and will kill you if you "look away" for one minute. He was overconfident and killed his crew because he wanted a profitable passage instead of a safe one.
The employer didn't subscribe to the most reliable storm warning, and didn't instruct their staff in the appropriate resources to inform their actions But, sure, it's the captains fault
The ship was in poor condition and poorly managed, but that is entirely incidental. Even in perfect condition, with topped-off oil and properly secured cargo, it wouldn't have survived charging directly into a hurricane. The captain alone is responsible for what happened.
Condolences to his family as well, if any. Best of all, by blaming him personally in a public place, you, too can be held responsible for soiling his good name and can be made to pay millions of dollars to the family in a libel case in court. There, you said his name by your own admission. Brilliant.
@@caffiend. The law cares about facts and you slandered someone in writing, no less. Has nothing to do with my feelings. I, of course, also feel for everyone who lost their lives in this incident and their families. I even feel sorry for you.
I was the radio officer on a ship that got caught up in a Typhoon en route between Japan and Taiwan in the early '80s. We'd received notification that Keelung, the port we were heading for was closed so the old man decided to cut the engine and let the storm bisect our path .. Then the storm path changed and the old man decided to try and out run it and next thing all hell broke loose, the weather was brutal. I was typing up storm updates every hour alternately from Tokyo and Hong Kong around the clock for nearly 3 days, plus I was broadcasting our weather OBS messages between bulletins and some other ships in the area started doing that too, so I was typing those up for the bridge too and that was about all I could do, there was no automated service back then, it was all morse code. This was an old general cargo ship so there was always a risk of cargo shifting, but fortunately we didn't suffer any such issues or any mechanical issues either. For my part I didn't think too much about it, just concentrated on my bit and hoped everybody else was doing their bit ..
Yeah, BI's the last word when it comes to El Faro documentaries. Waterline appears to have also omitted the extraordinarily ill-considered modification history of the vessel, from RORO to CONRO, with ever-decreasing freeboard, and unspeakably dodgy paperwork from aughts-era "regulatory" agencies.
There’s also a very good episode of Well There’s Your Problem about it. But I agree, the brickimmortar piece is excellent and I’ve watched it about five times so far.
This was sickening to watch why was the captain so confident and unmoved by changes in weather was he overconfident or just on a suicide trip bloody madness 33 lives lost which surely should never have happened god rest there souls good video
Pretty sure the caption taking his ship into the eye of a strong hurricane was more the factor on why the El Fargo went down, everything else just made sure that it was inevitable
the ship would have been completely fine going the course it was going if THE CREW properly secured the cars and if THE CREW properly closed the scuttle. there would have been no serious flooding if THE CREW had done these 2 simple things.... if the flooding didnt happen, the listing would have been very manageable and the engine would have been completely fine, they all would have survived the storm. it is obvious that the captain made a huge mistake but that doesnt change the fact that the crews simple mistakes sank the ship.
@gasad01374 if the damn ship wasn't there they would have been fine, with the condition of the ship it was only a mater of time, easy to blame the crew when they are all dead right?
Dunno how much blame I'd put on the chain! Firstly I'd blame the company for letting the rust bucket said atall, then I'd blame the Captain for sailing into a storm.
. He was still cutting it pretty close. And he disregarded the more accurate weather info his officers had. Another video said Davidson had missed a promotion and was anxious to excel, so fast delivery may have been important to him...
@@user-fj4mo9xz1c. I think it maybe said that in Brick Immortar's video on this too. Yea, the Officer's seemed able to have up to date weather info & seemed fully aware of what they were heading into. By many accounts though the ship shouldn't have been at sea atall as it was in such a condition of disrepair.
@@jamesricker3997 I disagree. He was told of the most up-to-date information that came in on the emergency, alert systems, computer at least twice he chose to ignore it, and not listen to those with “less experience”
@@jamesricker3997 He, by choice used the BVS system because he preferred that, That system was in his cabin. The mates used the up to date NOAA, NHC, NWS information. Hid decision making was based on what BVS said to the exclusion of the up to date information the mates tried to impress on him.
I live in Jacksonville, FL. I was talking to someone that was a delivery driver that delivered cargo that was loaded on the El Faro. The driver told me stuff that I have never heard reported in the news. The captain of the ship was acting extremely erratic and screaming at delivery drivers. The driver said he was very out of his normal character.
Whoah. That tracks considering how he had a rep for being cautious, especially on recent trips. Sure get the feeling that something was up, wonder where his head was at
@@HadynGodfrey I sailed with him when he was a captain with American Ro/Ro Carriers, and I heard through the grapevine that he was dismissed by ARC because he had requested tug assistance into Baltimore on a windy day, and the company was unhappy spending money on what they saw as excessive caution.
@@Nupetiet Whoah! Thanks for sharing that, really deepens the mystery of what was going on with this guy during this particular steam. Immensely tragic consequences when a series of bad circumstances align at the wrong moment
There's a chance that he had a stroke some time before this sinking, and that it wasn't reported (a person having a stroke often won't realize they are having a stroke). It can change personality and behavior - usually making it worse. The difference often isn't instant, it can take time for the brain to 'heal' from the stroke and the personality can change during that time. So if that captain sounds like he became a very different person from his prior self, that's a possibility. And this is something to keep in mind if someone you know undergoes a major personality change for the worse - they may need to get checked out, and start some treatment to help prevent subsequent strokes.
Thanks for posting this. As a Navy veteran living in Florida I cannot understand this Captain not knowing more about the source of his weather data. May the Lord Bless these 33 Souls.
During the late 1980s, the USS Charleston hit a tropical storm in that area, not even a hurricane. We had a forklift that was dogged down to the deck, just not quite tight enough. It destroyed the machine shop, several crew were injured trying to stop the forklift. There was also equipment we though solidly bolted down that broke free. It was a mess. Hitting a storm like this is no joke and not sure how the Charleston would have fared in this storm.
That was really upsetting, why risk all those lives, so nonchalant was the Captain's attititude to a tropical low. Getting out of date reports. This was so easily avoided I think is the reason this is so upsetting. How frightening for the crew, I can't even contemplate trying to survive in seas like that. RIP to the brave crew of The El Faro. Condolences to the families❤
Marked and saved to watch later. This one makes me furious and sick to my stomach, as a former merchant marine engineer. What makes it even more personal is how it affected my Mom. I'd been back ashore for years. But Mom saw that one of the photos of a female officer strongly resembled my similar graduation photo from my academy. She called me to confirm that I was safe, that I didn't personally know any of the crew, and that I wasn't going back to sea. It was the embodiment of all of her worst fears when I had been working at sea.
In the Beginning when you were describing the captain you used words like a Careful well planned Captain . Well from how you are describing how this all unfolded it sounds like the captain has fallen down on his job completely and no longer anything like the captain you first described .
As an ex Australian Navy Veteran R.I.P its always soo sad. The mighty ocean has claimed more brave soles who sail the beautiful but at times deadly seas.
Thats true and the waters here are littered with ships on the bottom, but at present day, there is no reason why this would happen. There is an abundance of weather information, a lot of which close to or in real time. This 'captain' f'd up big time.
Had the same I was lucky. Going across Dover straits to st valery France found captain asleep drunk in warehouse alone had a go at him. Coming back there was a big storm warning all he wanted was to get back to the pub. Stormforce 12 heading in for 18 hours 1978 I think I was scared and excited at the same time. It was only a small Costa jumped ship when we got ashore and reported him.
I have to disagree with your title. I've watched multiple documentaries on the El Faro and I'm of the firm belief that the captain killed 33 sailors. It's harsh, but it was his poor choices and refusal to listen that put them in the hurricane. Just because he passed in the sinking doesn't mean he is without blame. He had pressures, yes, but ultimately the mistake was his. The right choice with the current information was to go for some protection, and he received that advice but ignored it.
Yeah, but mechanically, that chain holding rhe cars started an irreversible failure cascade, and I'd say that was ALSO the captain's fault, like making sure the porthole was locked. BI was more about human failures, this about mechanical.
I have to disagree with your qualifications. I've watched multiple documentaries on the honey badger, and I'm of the firm belief that you can't _prove_ the sinking was due to the hurricane. And here you thought you'd _finally_ found a place where your opinion would be more credible as a direct result of your being a couch potato. Taste disappointment, you human doily.
The Captain was insecure, barely competent and a control freak who was reluctant to pay attention to legitimate concerns. It seems likely that he resorted to sleeping pills or alcohol to allow him to sleep and ignore both the alarming situation and the justifiable concerns of his officers and helmsmen.
Firstly, your presentation is possibly the highest quality one on a subject I have followed for a long time. Simply standard setting, congratulations and thank you. Secondly it would be interesting to know if the captain was taking any ( prescription or OTC ) medication as his behavior appears out of character and he mentions sleeping like a baby. It’s not impossible this would be the route cause of the whole sad tragedy.
This is the first time I have seen your channel. I am now following it. This video production is excellent. Thank you so much. Keep up the fabulous work.
I was in the USAF. I was maintenance but flew often. I saw a lot of overconfidence in flight crew, and I was involved in several 'well that could have went bad fast' moments.
He wasn’t forced to take these risks, in fact on a previous journey some months prior he’d taken a slower route that provided coastal shelter due to weather. Totes leadership were happy with this decision even though it added time and cost to the journey. This is well covered in Brick Immortars documentary.
That may be, but as captain, you are STILL responsible. If that means you get fired, so be it. Better unemployed than dead and guilty of dragging 30+ people down with you.
Just came across your channel and watched this video and subscribed I remember briefly about this incident and i wanted to say that you did an excellent job narrating the incident and along with applying images of the crew all throughout was brilliant. The management and the captain i would say were to blame for all those sailors losing their lives and hopefully by now they learned and are using something more than just one chain
I think that this is the first time I have come across the story of the El Faro; thank you very much for your coverage of this tragic loss of 33 souls. I am appalled at the close similarities between this and the loss of the coaster Union Star and lifeboat Solomon Browne on 19 December 1981 with all hands. 15 persons died that night. The four crew of the coaster, the second wife of the Captain and her two daughters, and the 8 valiant crew of the Solomon Browne from Mousehole in Cornwall!
You would think a captain with 20+ years of experience would know how the weather reporting systems work... What an incredibly embarrassing, completely avoidable tragedy.
Kudos! on a job well done in narrating this unfortunate bit of history. It was well told in a very informative and concise way. You did a good job and based on the number of subscribers you currently have, you must be doing a great job! RIP to the poor souls who lost their lives in this tragedy. The lesson hear is sometimes one has to take a step back at some point or reconsider other peoples viewpoints when certain doubts or fears have been raised no matter the years of experience. Mistakes do happen, no matter the level of experience. Greed also had a part to play in one way or the other and that's why the most unsafe, fastest route was chosen.
Live in Jacksonville, have since the 1980s. El Faro departed from here fully aware of the conditions and forecast. The city looks down upon the captain as he killed those sailors. Shook up the whole city. We have plenty ty of hurricane experience, his decisions murdered those sailors.
I've heard some of the audio of the captain calling the emergency assistance service, and it's pretty exasperating. He had to go through at least 3 people, kept getting transferred. Infuriating.
Just found this channel and I’m HOOKED! I’ve binge watched all videos apart from the diving incident ones as I just get through those without panicking. Looking forward to follow this channel going forward!
Hi, i stumbled upon waterline an hr ago and just watched the El Faro , you had me mesmerized by your dialect, precise narration and detail, also in sync with the picture's of the crew which highlighted the sadness & horror of this avoidable disaster. It's a sad storyline depicting a certain arrogant character ignoring advice from other's, old adage comes to mind..."pride comes before a crash " . You have a new subscriber ! 😊
I’m a lifelong Winthrop, Massachusetts resident. A small town with public high school that graduates around 120 kids each year. Worked for the town public works when I was in my early twenties. Used to get high school kids to help cut grass and stuff in summer. Keith Griffin worked for a time with us and he was very mature and helpful. He would make sure other kids pitched in and worked. I appreciated his leadership then and I hope he rests in peace.
Great video as always! At 23:55 I was confused why you said the storm was Southeast of the ship, until I had a a closer look at the frame and saw the map lines indicating perspective. Might help with overall clarity, especially for inexperienced folk like me, if north were always kept relative to the center top of the screen or there was a compass icon
Good video mate. I've been a long time subscriber & really appreciate your work. Brick Immortar also done a really good video on this tragedy, he went quite detailed into the safety culture side of things.
Abandoning ship at sea, like this crew was forced to do that fateful morning, while in the eye wall of a cat-4 hurricane, would all but likely be , *an unsurvivable event* for ANYONE. Just making it to where the lifeboats were supposed to be, with the ship turning over, and waves larger than the ship itself, crashing into it, and decks almost vertical, would have been impossible for most aboard. The open top lifeboats were more of an insult than a means to continue living, so those who did make it would’ve put all their hopes in the covered, inflatable rafts, but taking those down and deploying them, while being blasted by wind and rain of a ferocity very few will ever experience in their own lifetime on land, couldn’t have been possible. Anyone not trapped down in the ship, or crushed and killed at once as thousands of tons of equipment and cargo broke loose all around them, would go straight into the sea. Those not wearing survival suits would try to swim, only to be buried with merciful speed by the collapsing waves of a mountainous sea, being pushed down so fast and so far by the cold, dark water, that’d they’d not ever know which way was up when the blackness took them away forever. Those in survival suits would hope to live, maybe, because if properly put on, the suit is designed to keep one at the surface, but the horrible truth is, in the eye-wall of such a powerful storm at sea, there is no definite point where the sea becomes the air, not with that kind of wind, those waves, the rain, and all that power. Each breath one must take to live, does not contain the air one needs to breath, but an emulsion of water, salt, and surf, and it will forcibly fill your lungs and drown you nearly as quickly as if you had sank 50 fathoms down into the sea.
Congratulations! Your novel has been chosen by my book of the month club as our _Disaster Fan Fiction_ selection for April. We believe it takes a real fan of avoidable yet inescapable death to so vividly imagine the horrors no one has survived to describe themselves. Your work so meticulously describes, in rich and lugubrious prose, the grim details to the point where it is absolutely certain that you've died these deaths a thousand times. Again, congratulations on your selection. We'd send you a nice certificate to commemorate the event, but no.
Very very good Video. Animations, facts and the speaker gives a very detailed view. 😢 how can such an experienced captain make so many mistakes and act so recless😢
I very much appreciate the work you do on these stories, Sir! I am not a seaman, but I find these stories very informative and downright frightening! Thank you very much! 🙋🇺🇲
No mention that this was the captain's last voyage and that he wanted to get a record time to burnish his record. Hoping this would secure him a new job. He took a stupid risk for personal benefit. So much for his "safety first" attitude. You also downplay the objections from the crew who knew this was insane and likely to kill them. Why are you trying to rewrite history to exonerate him ? Was he your uncle?
I have read two books about this and one small difference in their report and what was said here is that Davidson had the BVS system in his cabin and that was what he relied on despite it being a delayed report. The bridge crew were going by the more up to date NWS and NHC reports. Davidson ignored those. I was on a sea going tug departing JAX the same day the El Faro Departed JAX We ran down the Florida coast to the Old Bahama Channel and had a good ride to San Juan. We were far slower so not as close to the storm. On our return trip from San Juan we took the direct route and went slowly through the debris field. That was a very emotional point.
El Faro was named in reference to the ‘faros’ (lighthouses) of Puerto Rico, several of these lighthouses were designed by architect Joaquin Gisbert. El Faro sank inside Hurricane Joaquin. El Faro was laid in 1975, the same year the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in similar conditions. The song ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ by Gordon Lightfoot. One of the Faro’s crewmen was named Lightfoot.
Long time viewer of your channel. Really love your shows and especially the one funny one liners in your accent like “carbon fibre play station submarine”…..
Talk about a "Goat Rodeo". I remember this hurricane, I had my vessel hauled out and secured. A lesson learned from $178,000 worth of damage from Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, I was docked in Stuart.
But this video really made it clear how and why all the mechanical failures added up. The BI video focused on the human and company failures, and then the hurricane sank the boat. These videos together tell the whole story
I would say that the captain killed 33 sailors, not the chain.
No!!! The inanimate chain did it! Gosh
33 likes... Ominous
ban all chains lol
Operators neglect captain
The “calm” and “quiet” chain was under extreme stress😢
The hurricane bearing down, he knew it was either him or them.
Blacking out, he was then awoke with a loud “Crack” followed by searing pain…
Examining his body…to his horror…he was snapped in half below the waist😮
He couldn’t find his mates either…
Seeking relief from the pain…
He threw himself into the sea to a certain depth
In chain heaven, he’s still peering down at the horror of being “blamed”😅
Ah yes, the chain of command.
It's always prone to fail.
🤣
THE BEST! THE BEST! And...it's funny because it's true... :-/
lmao
Brilliant
Chains of Command are only as good as the weakest link. The captains job is oversight and decision-making. Seems to have failed at both.
Having read El Faro's VDR, the captain's mind must have been stuck in Alaska and the crew didn't want to try snapping him out of it. There are conversations where the crew talk about how nuts it is they aren't trying to avoid the storm. They knew he was making decisions based on older data which conflicted with real-time NWS warnings, but they just talked about how unworried he seemed to be.
Will always wonder what could have happened if someone answered his "just a normal day in Alaska" with: "No, this is actually a *f-ing hurricane in the Bahamas* we are heading straight toward."
So frustrating - he had SO MANY CHANCES to listen to what people were telling him, and route change suggestions and so on -- so many chances to save all those lives. So frustrating.
He wouldn’t have listened. He was too deep into his denial. A mutiny would have saved lives and ended careers. Tragic.
Had they all emphatically exclaimed this to him those words, just maybe they all would be alive. But from observing that the crew were more than 95 percent black, they just by nature submitted to an ass hole Captain's dumb ass decision making attitude. And it cost them their precious lives. Yeah I remember this disaster, I was living in Jacksonville Florida at the time. So very sad and we all should be pissed at such a foolish man that happened to be a Captain leading his doomed crew members.
The captain and management were at fault here, not a chain.
only the captain, they several times advised changing heading and he ignored it!
@@moffepolle It was my friend , Danielle Randolph, the 2nd mate, who kept trying to get him to change course. She told me he was an ass right before this trip, we had all gone out for the night in Rockland, Maine. She said he never listened to anyone. My way or the highway type . His way got them all killed....
@@woodnbikes I know how heartbreaking this is and I know it’s nearly 10 years, but I can tell that you still grieve very deeply for your friend so for that I offer my deepest condolences! I hope that one day you find some healing!
Not the Captain. The chain (if there was one as stated( each vehicle is made fast to indevidual hold-fast slots in the deck.
@@bazra19 dude if he had listend to the crew to change heading the chain would not have broken.
The ignorance, hubris, and complacency of one man snuffs out the lives of all those people. Fathers, sons, brothers and sisters died in a horrific way.
Hubris. My favorite word
So what about the oil level in engine sump and crew not checking out the bang of moving cargo they reported, the scuttle left open too. Yes the captain made mistakes along with crew and chief engineer, the captains f up was the one that tipped the scale.
Leaving port, low on engine oil, and going into rough weather! Sounds like the same kind of idiots that ran the Vietnam war!
Look at the history of retrofits on El Faro to take RORO cargo
@@gazrayt they should not have ever been where they were. The Capt was reported to be a good man who had a bad bad day. Unfortunately he killed his crew.
I've lived in Jacksonville since the 1980s.
Captain disregarded NOAA and Coast Guard guidance.
No other ships from JAXPORT/Blount Island had a single incident in the storm, as they heeded warnings.
This deeply affected this city, waiting with bated breath for reports on the search and rescue. It's not spoken of. Those sailors deserved better.
I left on a Crowley Tug out of Talleyrand the same day but we went Old Bahama Channel with no problem. I am now happily retired SIU.
Don't know why but I've always hated that term "waited with bated breath".
Where the HELL did that ever come from?
@@joesands8860"With bated breath" is a phrase coined by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, spoken by Shylock in Act 1, Scene 3. The phrase means "holding one's breath" or "restrain." It is derived from the verb "bate," which means "to reduce or lessen." The phrase can also be used ironically to indicate that one is not eager or anxious.1 The origin of the phrase comes from the action of a bird, typically a young, untrained falcon, who bates from its perch, causing frustration.
Miami girl here, this was big news here and it was a totally fcked situation the crew did not deserve.
Authority is a dangerous thing to give. Must trust the capt literally w your life. Hence the capt is to be responsible and respectable. Take away either your on borrowed time.
Video is quite kind to the captain/company overall. I did like that you kept flashing the pictures of the various crewmen as they were acting in the story, it really helped both humanize the crew and keep track of who is who.
Thanks, that's helpful feedback
Well said
You know it’s not going to end well for them when the pictures used look like funeral bookmarks.
@@waterlinestories I will say your reporting was not only accurate, but it was tastefully told! Just enough of the technical information to explain to a lay person so that they can understand! So, as sad as this was will say you did a thorough and articulate job here and you’ve gained a follower in me! And I look forward to watching more! Keep up the good work!!
@LauraleyB Thanks, I really appreciate that
Sounds like this captain is qualified to be the CEO of Boeing.
Ouch!! Razor-sharp!! Unfortunately...
It's unfortunate that in a great many cases people confuse loudness and arrogance for competency, when in fact often the complete opposite is true.
Or Ocean Gate
"Was qualified".
He failed his crew hugely, but he died too.
Or president of the USA. Lol.
It’s funny how it always seems to be a seasoned captain that makes a bad call. Something about the confidence of their already existent longevity that makes them more likely to take a chance like that. Whereas a rookie captain who isn’t sure of himself would apply more caution.
It’s called survivors bias, it’s a real psychological phenomenon.
It's a game of hot potato who'll get blamed when it's usually a few things all coming to a head
plenty of rookie captains make mistakes, but, they are usually responsible for smaller ships or large boats... therefore, the impact/news-potential is far less.
Sometimes, experience can lead to complacency.
I’m a long time shooting competitor and concealed carry guy and I say the same about a lot of gun owners. It’s the “I’ve been around guns my whole life” people that seem the most careless with a misplaced sense of confidence
I'm amazed that a ship formerly operating in Alaskan waters didn't have closed free-fall lifeboats.
Seems the US Merchant Marine is about the last country to have those. Wasnt that long ago that virtually all us lifeboats were still painted white too.
It was probably refit so that the Arctic Sea gear could be reallocated to another cold weather ship in the fleet, or sold to another company doing cold weather routes. It’s amazing what these companies will do to maximize profits.
@@quindariusgooch-hc4gnthe average human cadaver is worth $9+ in reclaimable chemicals and minerals!
@@glennrishton5679I have an old British lifeboat hull from 1961 it was bright yellow even then, and that colour was moulded into it!.
Free fall lifeboats are of no use in a hurricane with the Ship going bow down,
The crazy captain did that. Regardless of the company order when you are in charge, you must do what is necessary for the safety of the crew,first.
Crews have responsibilities so each man makes his own decisions. No eeoc at sea. Dismissed
The captain condemned his crew.
The captain ignored mountains of data and warnings. Damn fool killed everyone.
The man did his best. He had a bad deal of luck.
The employer didn't subscribe to the most reliable storm warning, and didn't instruct their staff in the appropriate resources to inform their actions.
He didn't have a brain!
The shipping company also very badly maintained the El Faro, her sister ship was inspected after the El Faro sank and it was virtually condemned on the spot as there were numerous issues especially with the deck scuttles which is believed was the route on how the initial free flooding started on the El Faro.
You have a company that put profit over maintenance and who's main aim was to get the newer vessels into service and in the process they took their eyes off the most basic rule, maintaining what you have so it remains seaworthy in ALL conditions.
Probably did his own research.
Bad "cockpit resource management" where the captain's rank intimidates his subordinates and he dismisses their concerns. The captain reminds me of the CEO of Ocean Gate and the ill-fated Titan crush-mersible: with an ego that got people killed.
OH, WOW. Exactly. Tyvm!!
"Crush-mersible" !! Trying to be serious and you made me laugh!!!
I was thinking the exact same thing! And it's rather astonishing how, in photos, both men have that same "I'm smarter than all of you" stupid smirk on their puss. As soon as I saw the photo of this captain, I immediately judged him to be a major A-Hole.
Crew Resource Management is a better term.
@@doobybrother21 Bridge resource management or Bridge Team Management is the nautical version of CRM. Just as important on ship as it is in the air
"Captain, the ship's hull broke in half! We are sinking!"
Capt. Davidson: "'Tis but a scratch."
keep rowing "whip lashing"
The problem with storms is not only they greatly increase the odds of something bad happening, they also make it impossible to get outside help. With a captain that seamed like he couldnt care less.
Wonder if he - the captain - was on some sort of drug , wether prescribed or not . If he was under the influence , he should have stood down before sailing .
learn spelling..it's free
Very well presented.
RIP crew of the El Farro.
👌🏻
The shipping company should be in constant contact in a storm like that. They should have current news and directions and relay them to the ship and everybody should be involved.
The employer didn't subscribe to the most reliable storm warning, and didn't instruct their staff in the appropriate resources to inform their actions ... and the captain gets the blame
Agree. Most of the comments here are putting complete blame on the dead captain. It’s easy to blame him because he’s a visible face but all of the nameless rich owners who were dry at home with no concern for the ships crew get a free pass. There was clearly a lack of training/health and safety culture from the company too.
Honestly reminds me a lot of the Malaysian airways pilot who decided he wanted to go out in a big way
You gotta wonder had this ship captain decided to suicide...it is very hard to ignore that many warnings
@@michaelo2522 congrats on the worst possible take. Here is your medal. Now go look at it and reflect on how dimwitted it is to say the captain committed suicide.
His Second Mate and Third Mate were very concerned and yet the Captain wouldn't listen. On a plane, a first officer can now challenge a Captain, well at sea there is no such thing as team management.
What did he have to lose to turn his course south ? Time and money vs Safety and pride.
Actually officers on ships 500 ton and above are required to have a 5 day bridge resource management training
Very similar to airline pilots
I believe the airline pilots have 3 day renewal assessments yearly, at least the ones in the UK do.@@robertschutt5328
He re-checked the data.
Captain Ahole.
It's called CRM.
As a retired engineer that sailed on those Sunship RO RO ships, these ships were extremely tender and that captain should have turned around. RO RO ships have only trailers in the under deck cargo holds, which means there is no weight below to keep the ship from rolling in a storm. These ships are scary in a normal storm. Out of the 60 or so captains that I have sailed with, every one (except one) would have turned around. The captain that I know that would have continued sailing could not make a decision, he regularly called the office on every minor situation that developed. He should not have been a captain. Captain Davidson was afraid to turn around because he was concerned that he would not be transferred to a new ship. The El Faro had only a few years left on it's life, it was 40 years old. He killed everyone. The riding crew did leave a scuttle open on the main deck, causing water to fill the after cargo hold and make the list. The chief mate should have made a round around the deck to make sure that all of the water tight doors were secured, so that error condemned the ship. He is correct about the main engine oil sump pickup too, you loose the main engine or a generator in a storm and you are at the whim of nature.
I noticed that during the ship shots. They were placing all the weight on the top deck which will exacerbate the rolling of the ship. Obviously, this also depends on how large the ballast tanks are, and the cargo below the main deck, but even when the cargo area has vehicles, it's still mainly air and empty space.
Like most disasters, it is a series of events and conditions that lead to the catastrophic event. Take one out event, and you probably save the ship and the crew. Tragic loss of life. The use of photos aids in the storytelling.
Steven, the same as you, I was on that trade 30 plus years. Whenever leaving Jax or Elizabeth, if there was a threatening system to the south, the captain would head east for a day or go through the hole in the wall. Jackass Davidson wanted to arrive in SJ on schedule. Even the second mate who was green had it figured out. She emailed her mother telling her that she felt she would never see her again. What a horrible tragedy that was totally avoidable.
The captain surely would have known that detail about the oil sump... you'd think! It makes his decision to try to out-pace the storm all the more reckless.
Why wouldn't there be a pick up (Oil) in a position where it never is in danger of being out of oil?
Diesel mechanic here. Engineers center the oil pickup tube and put some baffles in that sump. Blows me away how poorly designed so many things are.
That hurricane blew away this ship, her cargo, its captain, and crew.
Was that she diesel or steam turbine?
Agree 100%. It's mind blowing to me that they would allow this type of sump design in a ship that will be actively rolling around in an ocean, sometimes to an extreme degree. An engine on an ocean going vessel needs either a centralized deep sump or dry sump system. It also blows my mind that knowing this, they didn't even keep the regular oil sump topped off.
@@BuceGar I had a small motorbike with a dry sump. Very useful when you are frequently on one side or the other.
Adcock baffling is a quick and easy to do.
Then chain was definitely a factor because it was supposed to have each car lashed to a single point on deck-but the captain going into a hurricane is what ultimately killed everyone
Yeah...all those "little oversights" were the tipping point that lost the engine though...but no doubt, the hurricane!!
There is million factors you cant control.
It all started with not knowing you are looking at old data and thinking you know where to go.
Then wait realizing that, untill 3 more big problems have emerged and not take action untill the ship is actually sinking.
The chain was just number 4 in the events that lead to the ship sinking.
In a situation like this you really have to wonder who cut the corner of having not enough lube oil on board to supply the main engine. How many barrels of oil would it have taken to bring the sump up to the full mark? When we were setting up for harsh weather we would go around and top up all of the sumps as part of the preparations. We also had extra barrels on board stored in case we had a leak that caused a loss of oil in the main system. I have seen what happens to ships that go "Cheap" on a critical supply and this could be a test case for that. Even if it is really rough we had barrel pumps and hoses that could transfer the oil from the barrels storage area to the main sump supply without moving the lashed down barrels. In a storm that is critical to plan ahead as each barrel weighs over 500 pounds and it can not be handled safely when the deck is moving like that. In addition to the main sump there is usually a day tank with about 4 barrels in it to supply normal losses of oil in the daily operations. That is a good design to have a day tank available for that purpose.
not to mention the pressure of adding 160 miles to the route at x$$$$ per mile
@@guachingman It's actually quite explicitly mentioned in the accident report that the company repeatedly had no issues with Davidson taking longer route to avoid weather, even far less severe as a matter of caution, they completely left it to his discretion.
Great thought on adding oil to the sump. They can easily remove it to the sludge tank when needed. The fire main doomed the ship. The chain and floating cars made it to dangerous to go below. There are in-line section valves on the main as well. Sad story 9 years ago. I watched the midnight Sun in Tacoma while I was growing up. She was beautiful, sleek and fast looking compared to other container ships.
This is similar to some race cars. On high G corners, the engines oil will slush to one side, and starve the engine of lube oil. When that happens, the engine gets destroyed. One way to overcome this, is to just add more oil.
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your expertise!! Really appreciate, much clearer!!
Captain`s fault, he didn`t want to listen.
Your vote has been noted and registered.
Ultimately the final decision was the captain’s however those who have never been involved in moving freight and even people don’t understand the pressure that companies can put on their employees to save as much fuel and time as possible to increase profits. Some companies don’t mind telling their employees that if they don’t want to go there’s others waiting to do their jobs. I’m guessing that at the captain’s age he was looking to finish up his career without having to make waves with the company.
Rename a ship "bad luck to do so" add a ignoramus as a Capt. ? What could possibly go wrong??
I was a US Navy officer. It is always the Captains fault. I have made two Pacific crossings, sailed through two "typhoons", sailed the North Atlantic and one hurricane off the "VA Capes", and sailed the Caribbean from Cuba to Barbados. As a private sailboat captain I was the skipper of a 55 foot Sloop that carried tourists north and south through the Sir Francis Drake channel and to every island in both the British and US Virgin Islands. This Captain killed his crew and lost his vessel because he forgot that the sea is unforgiving and will kill you if you "look away" for one minute. He was overconfident and killed his crew because he wanted a profitable passage instead of a safe one.
The employer didn't subscribe to the most reliable storm warning, and didn't instruct their staff in the appropriate resources to inform their actions
But, sure, it's the captains fault
The ship was in poor condition and poorly managed, but that is entirely incidental. Even in perfect condition, with topped-off oil and properly secured cargo, it wouldn't have survived charging directly into a hurricane. The captain alone is responsible for what happened.
Michael Davidson caused the death 33 mariners and the loss of a ship There I said his name. RIP to the 33 mariners.
Thank you for the video.
Condolences to his family as well, if any. Best of all, by blaming him personally in a public place, you, too can be held responsible for soiling his good name and can be made to pay millions of dollars to the family in a libel case in court. There, you said his name by your own admission. Brilliant.
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm facts don't care about your feelings I stand for all the crew who perished and their families.
@@caffiend. The law cares about facts and you slandered someone in writing, no less. Has nothing to do with my feelings. I, of course, also feel for everyone who lost their lives in this incident and their families. I even feel sorry for you.
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pmLibeled?
@@richardbartley5906 Beats me. I'm not a lawyer and do not play one on TV.
I was the radio officer on a ship that got caught up in a Typhoon en route between Japan and Taiwan in the early '80s. We'd received notification that Keelung, the port we were heading for was closed so the old man decided to cut the engine and let the storm bisect our path .. Then the storm path changed and the old man decided to try and out run it and next thing all hell broke loose, the weather was brutal. I was typing up storm updates every hour alternately from Tokyo and Hong Kong around the clock for nearly 3 days, plus I was broadcasting our weather OBS messages between bulletins and some other ships in the area started doing that too, so I was typing those up for the bridge too and that was about all I could do, there was no automated service back then, it was all morse code. This was an old general cargo ship so there was always a risk of cargo shifting, but fortunately we didn't suffer any such issues or any mechanical issues either. For my part I didn't think too much about it, just concentrated on my bit and hoped everybody else was doing their bit ..
As horrifying today as it was back in 2015.
Brickimmortar did a great piece in this.
Yeah, BI's the last word when it comes to El Faro documentaries. Waterline appears to have also omitted the extraordinarily ill-considered modification history of the vessel, from RORO to CONRO, with ever-decreasing freeboard, and unspeakably dodgy paperwork from aughts-era "regulatory" agencies.
Agree. Not taking anything away from this one on this great channel but BI’s El Faro is an absolute work of art
There’s also a very good episode of Well There’s Your Problem about it. But I agree, the brickimmortar piece is excellent and I’ve watched it about five times so far.
@@kailoveskitties good to know thanks. Ha I’ve watched it about 5 times too, one of the few long form pieces I’ll never tire of
Yes,I've seen it. It's really good. I'm a subscriber.
,,, " There's an hurricane in front of us and we are going straight into it" ,,, said the Chief ,,, no comment
If my daughter sent me that email, I'd have demanded that the crew lock the captain in his cabin and change course NOW
RIGHT ON,--I'M WTH YOU,-AND I COULD CARE-LESS,--HOW HARD MY ASS GOT KICKED LATER,-SOME PEOPLE JUST WILL NOT LISTEN TO "REASON"-!!@@user-fj4mo9xz1c
October 1st 2015 at 07:39 am Rest in peace to the crew of the El faro.
This was sickening to watch why was the captain so confident and unmoved by changes in weather was he overconfident or just on a suicide trip bloody madness 33 lives lost which surely should never have happened god rest there souls good video
It's almost like the captain did it on purpose....
seems misplaced idea of competence and overly confident.
Very bad combo.
Pretty sure the caption taking his ship into the eye of a strong hurricane was more the factor on why the El Fargo went down, everything else just made sure that it was inevitable
The clickbait is strong with this one.
And I read it quickly as anchor chain so the story was more confusing to me.
Well, when the car chain popped, the cars started rolling around, they couldn't close that hatch, and the engine flooded....but yeah. Agree.
the ship would have been completely fine going the course it was going if THE CREW properly secured the cars and if THE CREW properly closed the scuttle. there would have been no serious flooding if THE CREW had done these 2 simple things.... if the flooding didnt happen, the listing would have been very manageable and the engine would have been completely fine, they all would have survived the storm. it is obvious that the captain made a huge mistake but that doesnt change the fact that the crews simple mistakes sank the ship.
@gasad01374 if the damn ship wasn't there they would have been fine, with the condition of the ship it was only a mater of time, easy to blame the crew when they are all dead right?
Dunno how much blame I'd put on the chain!
Firstly I'd blame the company for letting the rust bucket said atall, then I'd blame the Captain for sailing into a storm.
The Captain was operating on outdated information.
If he had accurate Information on the weather he most likely would have acted differently
. He was still cutting it pretty close. And he disregarded the more accurate weather info his officers had. Another video said Davidson had missed a promotion and was anxious to excel, so fast delivery may have been important to him...
@@user-fj4mo9xz1c. I think it maybe said that in Brick Immortar's video on this too. Yea, the Officer's seemed able to have up to date weather info & seemed fully aware of what they were heading into. By many accounts though the ship shouldn't have been at sea atall as it was in such a condition of disrepair.
@@jamesricker3997 I disagree. He was told of the most up-to-date information that came in on the emergency, alert systems, computer at least twice he chose to ignore it, and not listen to those with “less experience”
@@jamesricker3997 He, by choice used the BVS system because he preferred that, That system was in his cabin. The mates used the up to date NOAA, NHC, NWS information.
Hid decision making was based on what BVS said to the exclusion of the up to date information the mates tried to impress on him.
I live in Jacksonville, FL. I was talking to someone that was a delivery driver that delivered cargo that was loaded on the El Faro. The driver told me stuff that I have never heard reported in the news. The captain of the ship was acting extremely erratic and screaming at delivery drivers. The driver said he was very out of his normal character.
Whoah. That tracks considering how he had a rep for being cautious, especially on recent trips. Sure get the feeling that something was up, wonder where his head was at
@@HadynGodfrey I sailed with him when he was a captain with American Ro/Ro Carriers, and I heard through the grapevine that he was dismissed by ARC because he had requested tug assistance into Baltimore on a windy day, and the company was unhappy spending money on what they saw as excessive caution.
@@Nupetiet Whoah! Thanks for sharing that, really deepens the mystery of what was going on with this guy during this particular steam. Immensely tragic consequences when a series of bad circumstances align at the wrong moment
Wow given the last few days tug assistance into Baltimore sounds more and more like a good idea
There's a chance that he had a stroke some time before this sinking, and that it wasn't reported (a person having a stroke often won't realize they are having a stroke). It can change personality and behavior - usually making it worse. The difference often isn't instant, it can take time for the brain to 'heal' from the stroke and the personality can change during that time.
So if that captain sounds like he became a very different person from his prior self, that's a possibility. And this is something to keep in mind if someone you know undergoes a major personality change for the worse - they may need to get checked out, and start some treatment to help prevent subsequent strokes.
Thanks for posting this. As a Navy veteran living in Florida I cannot understand this Captain not knowing more about the source of his weather data. May the Lord Bless these 33 Souls.
Another incredible and chilling story. Thanks for breaking it down so well!
👌🏻
During the late 1980s, the USS Charleston hit a tropical storm in that area, not even a hurricane. We had a forklift that was dogged down to the deck, just not quite tight enough. It destroyed the machine shop, several crew were injured trying to stop the forklift. There was also equipment we though solidly bolted down that broke free. It was a mess. Hitting a storm like this is no joke and not sure how the Charleston would have fared in this storm.
That was really upsetting, why risk all those lives, so nonchalant was the Captain's attititude to a tropical low. Getting out of date reports. This was so easily avoided I think is the reason this is so upsetting. How frightening for the crew, I can't even contemplate trying to survive in seas like that.
RIP to the brave crew of The El Faro. Condolences to the families❤
40 year old ship… Hurricane; hold my beer
I’ve seen this covered on 4 different channels but I am going to watch it a 5th time on yours because I love your channel!
Thanks, I really appreciate that
Marked and saved to watch later. This one makes me furious and sick to my stomach, as a former merchant marine engineer. What makes it even more personal is how it affected my Mom. I'd been back ashore for years. But Mom saw that one of the photos of a female officer strongly resembled my similar graduation photo from my academy. She called me to confirm that I was safe, that I didn't personally know any of the crew, and that I wasn't going back to sea. It was the embodiment of all of her worst fears when I had been working at sea.
The photo of the engine at 21:10 is a slow speed diesel engine .
The El Faro had steam turbines .
How much of the rest of the story was not quite factual?
In the Beginning when you were describing the captain you used words like a Careful well planned Captain . Well from how you are describing how this all unfolded it sounds like the captain has fallen down on his job completely and no longer anything like the captain you first described .
Those crazy BMW's always freak out during hurricane.
As an ex Australian Navy Veteran R.I.P its always soo sad. The mighty ocean has claimed more brave soles who sail the beautiful but at times deadly seas.
Thats true and the waters here are littered with ships on the bottom, but at present day, there is no reason why this would happen. There is an abundance of weather information, a lot of which close to or in real time.
This 'captain' f'd up big time.
Who the hell designs a ship engine oil sump takeup which is sensitive to pitching and rolling?
You couldn't make it up
@@ryand141 Yea someone designed it
Echoing other commenters, it wasn't the chain, it was the complete disregard of the captain at his total contemptuous of proper seamanship
Had the same I was lucky. Going across Dover straits to st valery France found captain asleep drunk in warehouse alone had a go at him. Coming back there was a big storm warning all he wanted was to get back to the pub. Stormforce 12 heading in for 18 hours 1978 I think I was scared and excited at the same time. It was only a small Costa jumped ship when we got ashore and reported him.
Glad you made it back alive!
The captain killed all 33 crew members. Him and his arrogance
If only the engineers were more skilled. It’s their fault they couldn’t restart the engines
Saying the chain killed them is like saying burning gunpowder killed a gunshot victim.
The burning of the gunpowder ,,all about perception
Absolutely
Well it's not as click baity as water killed these 33 sailor's.
@@MeloFever I dunno, I kinda feel like it's way more clickbaity than that
I have to disagree with your title. I've watched multiple documentaries on the El Faro and I'm of the firm belief that the captain killed 33 sailors. It's harsh, but it was his poor choices and refusal to listen that put them in the hurricane. Just because he passed in the sinking doesn't mean he is without blame. He had pressures, yes, but ultimately the mistake was his. The right choice with the current information was to go for some protection, and he received that advice but ignored it.
Yeah, but mechanically, that chain holding rhe cars started an irreversible failure cascade, and I'd say that was ALSO the captain's fault, like making sure the porthole was locked. BI was more about human failures, this about mechanical.
I have to disagree with your qualifications. I've watched multiple documentaries on the honey badger, and I'm of the firm belief that you can't _prove_ the sinking was due to the hurricane. And here you thought you'd _finally_ found a place where your opinion would be more credible as a direct result of your being a couch potato. Taste disappointment, you human doily.
The Captain was insecure, barely competent and a control freak who was reluctant to pay attention to legitimate concerns. It seems likely that he resorted to sleeping pills or alcohol to allow him to sleep and ignore both the alarming situation and the justifiable concerns of his officers and helmsmen.
@@alayneperrott9693unless you have actual knowledge of the man this comment is at the absolute minimum very unfair.
Firstly, your presentation is possibly the highest quality one on a subject I have followed for a long time. Simply standard setting, congratulations and thank you. Secondly it would be interesting to know if the captain was taking any ( prescription or OTC ) medication as his behavior appears out of character and he mentions sleeping like a baby. It’s not impossible this would be the route cause of the whole sad tragedy.
Thanks, I appreciate that.
Not to my knowledge. It's possible though
This is the first time I have seen your channel. I am now following it.
This video production is excellent. Thank you so much.
Keep up the fabulous work.
Thanks, I really appreciate that. Welcome aboard
I was in the USAF. I was maintenance but flew often. I saw a lot of overconfidence in flight crew, and I was involved in several 'well that could have went bad fast' moments.
Its indeed overconfidence. And misplaced idea of competence.
Thats a sure deadly combo.
Brick Immortar also did a video on the El Faro, but its like an hour long too both WS and BI are now my most watched channels.
Between the two, you get a really comprehensive overview of this tragedy.
@@TheMonkeyNeuron yup hence why I watch both! never trust one source or video.
“Eh, just a hurricane”
Stupid chain
Stupid captain
Congratulations on your 100k milestone 🎉. Love seeing this channel grow.
Thank you so much!!
Evidently a problem with the chain of command
Great review. A terrible tragedy. A case of captains being forced to take huge risks to cut costs for the ship owners.
I imagine so. Thanks for watching
He wasn’t forced to take these risks, in fact on a previous journey some months prior he’d taken a slower route that provided coastal shelter due to weather. Totes leadership were happy with this decision even though it added time and cost to the journey. This is well covered in Brick Immortars documentary.
Even if not in this situation, I know you are right in general!!
That may be, but as captain, you are STILL responsible.
If that means you get fired, so be it. Better unemployed than dead and guilty of dragging 30+ people down with you.
Very professionally made videos. Your fellow South African is impressed!
👍🏻 Thanks I appreciate that
Just came across your channel and watched this video and subscribed I remember briefly about this incident and i wanted to say that you did an excellent job narrating the incident and along with applying images of the crew all throughout was brilliant. The management and the captain i would say were to blame for all those sailors losing their lives and hopefully by now they learned and are using something more than just one chain
I think that this is the first time I have come across the story of the El Faro; thank you very much for your coverage of this tragic loss of 33 souls. I am appalled at the close similarities between this and the loss of the coaster Union Star and lifeboat Solomon Browne on 19 December 1981 with all hands. 15 persons died that night. The four crew of the coaster, the second wife of the Captain and her two daughters, and the 8 valiant crew of the Solomon Browne from Mousehole in Cornwall!
It’s allso wery similar to the loss of sailing ship Fantome (Duke of westminster) in hurricane ”Mitch”.
You would think a captain with 20+ years of experience would know how the weather reporting systems work... What an incredibly embarrassing, completely avoidable tragedy.
Excellent explanation of this tragedy. Thank you.
Thanks, I really appreciate that
Kudos! on a job well done in narrating this unfortunate bit of history. It was well told in a very informative and concise way. You did a good job and based on the number of subscribers you currently have, you must be doing a great job! RIP to the poor souls who lost their lives in this tragedy. The lesson hear is sometimes one has to take a step back at some point or reconsider other peoples viewpoints when certain doubts or fears have been raised no matter the years of experience. Mistakes do happen, no matter the level of experience. Greed also had a part to play in one way or the other and that's why the most unsafe, fastest route was chosen.
Live in Jacksonville, have since the 1980s.
El Faro departed from here fully aware of the conditions and forecast.
The city looks down upon the captain as he killed those sailors. Shook up the whole city. We have plenty ty of hurricane experience, his decisions murdered those sailors.
good god man this is the stuff of actual NIGHTMARES.
Top notch presentation.
Thanks
I've heard some of the audio of the captain calling the emergency assistance service, and it's pretty exasperating. He had to go through at least 3 people, kept getting transferred. Infuriating.
Just found this channel and I’m HOOKED! I’ve binge watched all videos apart from the diving incident ones as I just get through those without panicking. Looking forward to follow this channel going forward!
Hi, i stumbled upon waterline an hr ago and just watched the El Faro , you had me mesmerized by your dialect, precise narration and detail, also in sync with the picture's of the crew which highlighted the sadness & horror of this avoidable disaster. It's a sad storyline depicting a certain arrogant character ignoring advice from other's, old adage comes to mind..."pride comes before a crash " .
You have a new subscriber ! 😊
Thanks. Welcome aboard
Perfect timing. Love the contents and narration.
Thanks, I really appreciate that
“Sleeping like a baby” … no truer words spoken - figuratively and literally, he (capt) was SLEEP.
I’m a lifelong Winthrop, Massachusetts resident. A small town with public high school that graduates around 120 kids each year. Worked for the town public works when I was in my early twenties. Used to get high school kids to help cut grass and stuff in summer. Keith Griffin worked for a time with us and he was very mature and helpful. He would make sure other kids pitched in and worked. I appreciated his leadership then and I hope he rests in peace.
Another fantastic video! I really enjoy your story telling style! I look forward to your next story!
I couldn’t help be see what a beautiful family the Captain would have gone home to. Many died because of one. RIP Sailors
This story hits me like no other one. How to die because your leader is completely blinded by events is unconscionable.
Great video as always! At 23:55 I was confused why you said the storm was Southeast of the ship, until I had a a closer look at the frame and saw the map lines indicating perspective. Might help with overall clarity, especially for inexperienced folk like me, if north were always kept relative to the center top of the screen or there was a compass icon
Good video mate. I've been a long time subscriber & really appreciate your work. Brick Immortar also done a really good video on this tragedy, he went quite detailed into the safety culture side of things.
Actually the 2 videos are quite complementary, each adds to the other imo
These are so nicely presented. So tragic.
That chain held everything together for as long as it could. But it was a thankless task and who wants to work under those conditions.
So true!@@waterlinestories
Abandoning ship at sea, like this crew was forced to do that fateful morning, while in the eye wall of a cat-4 hurricane, would all but likely be , *an unsurvivable event* for ANYONE.
Just making it to where the lifeboats were supposed to be, with the ship turning over, and waves larger than the ship itself, crashing into it, and decks almost vertical, would have been impossible for most aboard. The open top lifeboats were more of an insult than a means to continue living, so those who did make it would’ve put all their hopes in the covered, inflatable rafts, but taking those down and deploying them, while being blasted by wind and rain of a ferocity very few will ever experience in their own lifetime on land, couldn’t have been possible. Anyone not trapped down in the ship, or crushed and killed at once as thousands of tons of equipment and cargo broke loose all around them, would go straight into the sea. Those not wearing survival suits would try to swim, only to be buried with merciful speed by the collapsing waves of a mountainous sea, being pushed down so fast and so far by the cold, dark water, that’d they’d not ever know which way was up when the blackness took them away forever. Those in survival suits would hope to live, maybe, because if properly put on, the suit is designed to keep one at the surface, but the horrible truth is, in the eye-wall of such a powerful storm at sea, there is no definite point where the sea becomes the air, not with that kind of wind, those waves, the rain, and all that power. Each breath one must take to live, does not contain the air one needs to breath, but an emulsion of water, salt, and surf, and it will forcibly fill your lungs and drown you nearly as quickly as if you had sank 50 fathoms down into the sea.
Congratulations! Your novel has been chosen by my book of the month club as our _Disaster Fan Fiction_ selection for April. We believe it takes a real fan of avoidable yet inescapable death to so vividly imagine the horrors no one has survived to describe themselves.
Your work so meticulously describes, in rich and lugubrious prose, the grim details to the point where it is absolutely certain that you've died these deaths a thousand times.
Again, congratulations on your selection. We'd send you a nice certificate to commemorate the event, but no.
@@skipdreadman8765 Haha. You know who likes my lugubrious prose the most of all? Your mother dearest of course. 👉👌👍
Ever since I read William Langewiesche's spectacular reporting on this I have been waiting for you to cover it. Amazing job as always!
Thanks
Very very good Video. Animations, facts and the speaker gives a very detailed view. 😢 how can such an experienced captain make so many mistakes and act so recless😢
I very much appreciate the work you do on these stories, Sir! I am not a seaman, but I find these stories very informative and downright frightening! Thank you very much! 🙋🇺🇲
Thanks, I really appreciate that
No mention that this was the captain's last voyage and that he wanted to get a record time to burnish his record. Hoping this would secure him a new job. He took a stupid risk for personal benefit. So much for his "safety first" attitude. You also downplay the objections from the crew who knew this was insane and likely to kill them. Why are you trying to rewrite history to exonerate him ? Was he your uncle?
I have read two books about this and one small difference in their report and what was said here is that Davidson had the BVS system in his cabin and that was what he relied on despite it being a delayed report. The bridge crew were going by the more up to date NWS and NHC reports. Davidson ignored those.
I was on a sea going tug departing JAX the same day the El Faro Departed JAX We ran down the Florida coast to the Old Bahama Channel and had a good ride to San Juan. We were far slower so not as close to the storm. On our return trip from San Juan we took the direct route and went slowly through the debris field. That was a very emotional point.
This is the first video which I am seeing from this channel & the channel has won my subscription. Good Job!
Thanks. Welcome aboard
El Faro was named in reference to the ‘faros’ (lighthouses) of Puerto Rico, several of these lighthouses were designed by architect Joaquin Gisbert. El Faro sank inside Hurricane Joaquin.
El Faro was laid in 1975, the same year the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in similar conditions. The song ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ by Gordon Lightfoot. One of the Faro’s crewmen was named Lightfoot.
Spooky
There are no coincidences.
So Tragic😢
You’re an awesome storyteller…👍🏿!
Thanks, I really appreciate that
This video is so well done, I'm completely transfixed. My new favorite channel.
Wow, thank you!, Welcome Aboard
You do a excellent job of explaining the whole situation good on you
👌🏻
Long time viewer of your channel. Really love your shows and especially the one funny one liners in your accent like “carbon fibre play station submarine”…..
Thanks. I'm glad someone picks up my facetious remarks.
The captain failed to do his duty of safety to the ship and crew and thus killed all 33 of his crew.
Congrats on 100K! Wow this channel blew up fast the past year. Enjoy your silver TH-cam plaque!
Thanks. Yeah it's been a wild year. Thanks for sharing the ride.
Excellent video thanks for so many amazing presentations of disaster/ accident analysis
Thanks, I really appreciate that
Talk about a "Goat Rodeo". I remember this hurricane, I had my vessel hauled out and secured. A lesson learned from $178,000 worth of damage from Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, I was docked in Stuart.
Great video! The best I’ve seen on the el farro was made by the channel Brick immortar
The video is called disastrous indifference
agreed, he makes great content
But this video really made it clear how and why all the mechanical failures added up. The BI video focused on the human and company failures, and then the hurricane sank the boat. These videos together tell the whole story
Appreciate the video and your presentation of the facts surrounding this disaster.
👍🏻
Great documentary. Thank you for sharing you work.
👌🏻 thanks
New Waterline Stories video. Instant Like smash. Love this guy :)
Thanks, I really appreciate that
@@waterlinestories You make very well informed and presented content. Fellow divers and mariners appreciate that.