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Cruise boat Electric Blue, stuck on a rock off Phuket yesterday

Phuket Cruise Boat Hits Rock: Tourist Divers Not Wearing Life Jackets

Monday, December 22, 2014
PHUKET: None of the tourists on a cruise boat were wearing life jackets when the vessel became stuck on a rock off Phuket yesterday, officials said.

A Thai woman and 12 foreigners were rescued unhurt from the Electric Blue about 11.45am about one kilometre off the southern Phuket marine hub of Rawai.

''We understand the captain of the Electric Blue missed the harbor channel and struck the rock,'' said Rawai deputy mayor Treerapong Taodang.

He sent out rescue vessels as soon as he learned of the grounding.

Tourist Boonpeng Hanfarlurn, 42, said she and 12 foreigners were on the Electric Blue when the captain hit the rock.

''We hired the boat on Friday to go diving and snorkelling for three days,'' she said. The boat had been to Phi Phi and several other diving sites around Phuket and was heading back to Rawai when it ran into the rock, she said.

The Electric Blue was still stuck on the rock yesterday. Efforts to remove it are likely to intensify today.

Comments

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Striiiiiiiiiiike 1 ....... or just another "accident"?

The Governor said there can't be any more accidents so this must be "strike 1"

Looking at the state of the boat I guess strikes 2 & 3 are a moot point.

Posted by Amazing Thailand on December 22, 2014 08:04

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''Phuripat, no more accidents.''
well that lasted about 3 days so have to make it a misunderstanding between the rock and the boat.

Posted by slickmelb on December 22, 2014 08:07

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I have never heard of a requirement that passengers wear life jackets on dive boats in any country. Only that they be on board.

Posted by Anon on December 22, 2014 08:11

Editor Comment:

Perhaps you could tell us then what makes a dive boat different to a speedboat. This looks like a cruise boat, not a liveaboard. Or do divers not need life jackets, no matter what?

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Normally, scuba divers who live a few days on board of the vessel ( live aboard trips) are not wearing life jackets. They al brought their personal BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) which can function as a life jacket. They have it at hand.

Posted by Kurt on December 22, 2014 09:04

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I believe that life jackets are treated in the same way as helmets. Just put them on, whenever there is a checkup from the police.

Posted by Carl on December 22, 2014 09:18

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"Perhaps you could tell us then what makes a dive boat different to a speedboat."

Size, speed, stability etc. all make a diveboat different. I know the boats departing from Chalong pier on regular daytrips are all checked on a regular basis. This boat seems to be different, any ideas on the seaworthiness and inspections of this boat?

Posted by stevenl on December 22, 2014 10:59

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Yes Stevenl, I am PADI Master Scubadiver. A diveboat has many divetanks on board,+ a compressor to refill the divetanks. Guests stay in cabins, the crew is mostly a captain, 2 boatman ( 1 knows to handle engines and compressor technicalities) + 1 cook, who serves 3 meals per day plus snacks in between.Very different of speedboats. I asked already here or there is a database of crew on such vessels.But I not yet see that appearing here.

Posted by Kurt on December 22, 2014 12:32

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This one is definately a dive boat and if not for the rock, it may have dived deeper. I assume a speed boat stays above the water!

Posted by Manowar on December 22, 2014 12:52

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" I asked already here or there is a database of crew on such vessels.But I not yet see that appearing here."

No, there is no such database.

Posted by stevenl on December 22, 2014 12:59

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What are the rules or the law here in Thailand when you are in a boat, dive boat or speed boat (Thats the same) about use of safety vest.Kurt what happen if 1 speed boat hit your dive boat ?

Posted by Bjorn Ronningen on December 22, 2014 13:04

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You see, mr StevenL, when we know more about the maritime skills, maritime working history, maritime qualifications of director Phuripat of Marine 5 Office, than we can move ahead, at least than we know why Phuket maritime safety is not granted. It sounds nice when Governor is saying: No more accidents. But Governor is not a maritime person himself. He needs well educated maritime back up, obviously until now that is not the case., seen all the bad happenings with dive boats, speedboats, para sailboats, and jet sky extortions.

Posted by Kurt on December 22, 2014 13:10

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I've worked on dive boats for many seasons here on Phuket and not once have I seen even one passenger wear life jackets.

To try to make them to would also be pointless. People eat, drink and sleep, even on daytrip dive boats, let alone on liveaboard boats.

Can you see people sitting at dinner table wearing life jackets ?

Dive boat guests also fully expect to end up in the sea, albeit in a organized manner.

Dive boats are completely different from speed boats. The only connection is that they are both a sea.

Posted by Herbert on December 22, 2014 13:12

Editor Comment:

The only question is whether the vessel in the photograph is a dive boat or something else, Herbert, and whether passengers on it are required to wear life jackets. You may wear a jacket to dinner if you wish to be formal.

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Mr Bjorn R., Answer: thai speedboats are built from inferior materials. They sail as long they not hit anything. A boat for live-aboard diving is stronger, has more body. A collision between both kind of vessels will make the speedboat loose in the crash. Do you remember last month collision between fishing vessel and speedboat? ( 2 Korean tourists died).Fishing vessel just had a few scratches. no one on board was hurt.

Posted by Kurt on December 22, 2014 15:14

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I would expect the resultant damaged to be determined by the mass of each vessel, the velocity, the impact surface area of both vessels and the resistance to failure of the Impact areas. Ie. at what point yield stress (within the range of elastic deformation) and ultimate stress (plastic deformation) is achieved.

Posted by Manowar on December 22, 2014 15:58

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Not a dive boat, it is a charter cruiser, could carry tanks if needed. PFD's are not a requirement on this type of boat, they have to be carried on board, that is all. You can't wear a lifejacket for 3 days !

Posted by stu on December 22, 2014 16:07

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Kurt, I don`s ask you about that, I ask about the Low in Thailand about life jacket, and I hope this boat are reg fore thane tourist fore diving trip.
This speed boat you writhing about a remember this boat hit the anchor rope to the fishing Boat nor the boat.

Posted by Bjorn Ronningen on December 22, 2014 16:09

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@ Ed

The dinner on liveaboard boats is rarely so formal as to require a jacket but yes, that's an entertaining remark.

I'm no expert in the field of Thai marine safety regulations but I've never come across anyone requiring either dive boat nor charter boat passengers to wear life vests while onboard. In addition to my own work history, I have a lot of friends who work in the charter boat field.

They all carry life vests onboard but none of them require passengers to don them while at sea.

Perhaps the rule applies to scheduled or definite point-to-point trips, or even just certain vessel classes.

Having said that - if I ever ended up on a local speed boat (heaven forbid), I would certainly be wearing a life vest all the time.

Posted by Herbert on December 22, 2014 16:28

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Is not a planing hull but a semi displacement boat, so is not required to wear life jacket any where in the world, and thai cannot change the law of the sea. Life jacket must be placed in an easy access place, easy ti pick up in case of emergency or when required by the captain, specially in a heavy sea conditions.

Posted by Marco on December 22, 2014 18:20

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It is a navigation error...it happens. Cruise ships, ferries, private vessels.
Don't see where analysis of the type of vessel, construction or the wearing of life jackets is really relevant. "Arranging the deck chairs...." methinks. In Thailand 'aids to navigation' are not exactly prolific. What there are probably date back to Cook..

Posted by david on December 23, 2014 08:23


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