With nearly a decade of time at Nordhavn, Mike Telleria currently handles the electrical system design for all boats, serves as a compliance officer to ensure boats meet ABYC and other applicable standards, and oversees the production of the owner’s manual and drawings provided with each boat. Mike brings a rich mixture of engineering experience and writing talent to the Nordhavn team. Before spending a number of years as an engineer on commercial ships, Mike earned a degree in Marine Systems Engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, and an unlimited U.S. Coast Guard 3rd Assistant Engineer’s license. He also spent more than 10 years in the world of recreational boating journalism as an editor for titles including Sea,
Lakeland and Go Boating.
Is Compliance Enough?
“A compliant firetrap.” This quote in the Los Angeles Times comes from a respected marine surveyor describing the Conception, the dive boat that caught fire and sank in early September 2019 off the coast of Southern California, killing 34 people, and considered the worst maritime disaster the state has seen in more than 150 years.
The implication is that even though the Conception was documented as being in full regulatory compliance, in reality the boat’s design and construction presented an overly high risk of danger in the event of a fire. A relatively small boat at less than 100 gross tons and with fewer
86 | The Report • March 2020 • Issue 91
than 49 berths, the Conception fell under the U.S. Coast Guard Small Passenger Vessel regulations, which in general require two means of escape from accommodation spaces located as far apart as reasonably possible.
What made this boat potentially so dangerous? Factors cited by investigators and surveyors include the boat’s wooden furnishings and hull (wood covered with fiberglass), which provided ample fuel for a fierce fire. Additionally, the below- deck berthing area consisted of 46 bunks arranged in rows and columns that fit close enough together to be referred to as a “cattle boat”
Boating
by Mike Telleria
configuration by divers familiar with the boat, creating challenges for the rapid escape of all occupants.
One of the biggest concerns cited by experts was that the forward stairs and aft hatch, which were the only ways out of the lower bunk space, both led into the same enclosed galley/mess above. If this galley area was completely engulfed in flames, as was reported, then neither escape route would have been a viable option. Also, one investigator was surprised by how small and difficult to access the escape hatch was, which required climbing up a ladder and sliding across one of the bunks.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
