Ferries and passenger shipping

[kladner]

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Int...verloaded.ashx

The capsized ferry was overloaded, perhaps by nearly a factor of four, and likely under-ballasted. "Surprisingly," the load seems to have been under-stated by the captain.

In a relatively recent redesign to carry more passengers, the ship's cargo capacity rating had been cut almost in half. This meant that it would no longer have been profitable if the limit had been observed. While the ferry routinely sailed overloaded, it seems that its final voyage was the worst in this regard.

In paperwork filed before the Sewol's last voyage, Capt. Lee Joon-seok reported a much smaller final load than the one Moon described, according to a Coast Guard official who had access to the report but refused to provide a copy to the Associated Press. The paperwork said the Sewol was loaded with 150 cars and 657 tons of cargo.
That would fall within the 987-ton limit, but it's clearly inaccurate: The coast guard has found 180 cars in the water.

[Nick]

It's exactly 150 years since the sinking of the SS London in similar circumstances,
leading to the invention of the Plimsoll line:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_London_%281864%29

[kladner]

In Chicago the Eastland capsizing is a historical horror with similar causes.

[Xyzzy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Sultana

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Xyzzy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Sultana

That's a really scary one, with casualties possibly approaching two thousand.

The description of the official cause of the explosion is very interesting.

[Xyzzy]

We live near Marion and have passed by the marker numerous times. Except we did not know the marker was there. We will try to locate it on our next ride.

http://www.arkansas.com/attractions/....aspx?id=95445

[Uncwilly]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...able_disasters

[Nick]

Catastrophic boiler ruptures in passenger-carrying steamships have happened as recently as 2003 with the SS Norway in Miami:
http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2007/MAB0703.pdf

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Nick

Catastrophic boiler ruptures in passenger-carrying steamships have happened as recently as 2003 with the SS Norway in Miami:
http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2007/MAB0703.pdf

The technical details are fascinating. Many thanks, Nick. I am surprised that I don't remember this incident.

[Xyzzy]

.

[Nick]

Some new cruise ships are so large that each lifeboat has to carry 370 people:

http://www.rina.org.uk/mega-lifeboat.html

I wonder how well this would actually work in practice.