UP Ibalon Bicol: The SuperFerry 9

The SuperFerry 9

9/07/2009 | Posted by myty555 | Edit Post

The ship SuperFerry 9, which recently capsized and sank off the coast of Zamboanga del Norte was launched on April 11, 1986 and completed in July 1986. The ferry Ariake in Japan, she was built by Usuki Tekkosho in Saiki, Japan and powered by a SEMT-Pielstick diesel engine.

In 1995 she was bought by the old William Lines and decks were added to her to increase passenger capacity. She measured 135.0m x 23.0m with a draft of 7.4m and with 7,268.65gt and 3,800dwt. She had four and one-half passenger decks (probably the only local ship with such arrangement).

She was a unique design in the sense that the s;iding cargo handling equipment for container vans at her front was not removed (though seldom used). Her stern ramp was the one frequently used for cargo handling. Ro-pax ships usually has front and stern ramps.

For a few months after her arrival she was known as the Mabuhay 5. But upon the merger of the three major shipping companies on January 1, 1996 which produced the William, Gothong & Aboitiz (WG&A) shipping company, she was re-christened to SuperFerry 9. She plied various routes at the speed of 17 knots.

Some two years ago, her two lower passenger decks were converted to another cargo deck. This was the response of her owners to the decline of the local shipping trade with the arrival of the budget air fares. Cargo ships were sold and passenger capacity was converted to cargo. Her passenger capacity was cut into half at just about 1,000.

This has an effect on the stability of the ship as the center of gravity rose and there were corresponding changes in the center of stability and the ship's metacenter. And among local ships she was already known for heeling even before conversion because of her relative tall height.

A disturbing thing happened on her last voyage. Based on one passenger's account at 12:30am she was already listing but the crew dismissed his question. In almost all cases listing (tilting in layman's language) will have the following causes: hull integrity is compromised, the water pumps on one side are not working or there is a problem in ballasting. Or if the cargo moved (but this does not happen immediately). But whatever, the first thing that should have been done is to seek the nearest land, drop anchor and make inspections.

At 12:30am she had just rounded off Zamboanga City and beginning to move away from land. Why leave the relative safety of Zamboanga which has public and many private ports, shipyards and search and rescue ships? Was enough prudence exercised?

The loud noise the passengers heard at 2:30am means that the rolling cargos moved. But this will only happen if that list (tilt) developed. In a RO-RO once the cargo moved it is already critical. Reports say the list immediately rose to 35-40 degrees . Pumps on one side will be submerged and the pumps on the other side will probably be dry and not pumping out water. If the windows touch water it is already hopeless. By that time the engine room might be partially flooded already. That is why the captain called Abandon Ship even though it is still dark.

There was partial panic among the passengers. Imagine a fatality total of 12! In a ship that took hours to sink, in calm weather and rescue arriving almost immediately starting with the fishing boats. They were even lucky because Zamboanga City with lots of search and rescue assets was near and they were on a busy sea lane and on rich fishing grounds. Never should anyone jump into the water as there in no fire on-board. After all if the ship sinks they will reach water anyway and the sea is no swimming pool (why risk hypothermia and the pounding of the waves?). Imagine throwing babies into the water! In a sense the movie "Titanic" conveys the wrong lessons in ship sinking.

A Board of Marine Inquiry will soon be convened and we hope questions about her sinking will be answered.

Photo by Toshihiko Mikami.

Labels: Aboitiz ship, Mabuhay 5, Siocon, Sirawai, SuperFerry 9, Usuki, WGA, Zamboanga, Zamboanga sinking

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