On the morning of Monday November 23rd,
2020... At about 01:30 Eastern Standard Time... The Fishing Vessel Emmy Rose sank roughly 20 miles
off the Massachusetts coast near Provincetown with no reported distress calls or
signs of trouble received from the crew. As of the making of this video, the
NTSB and US Coast Guard's investigation into the vessel's demise, is still ongoing. This
will be an in-depth look at the rescue efforts, the vessel's history and much of
the authorities findings so far... As always... all sources, references and
featured media... are linked in description. At 1:29 AM, Monday November 23rd a transmission
was received from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon or EPIRB. Every EPIRB transmits a
signal unique to its respective entity or vessel. Vessel mounted EPIRBs are designed
as a last resort distress call. Triggered only once submerged, they float to the
surface and begin transmitting pertinent data like coordinates and vessel identifiers. This
information is received via Satellite and forwarded to rescue coordinating personnel. Based on US Coast Guard reports, their Boston
Sector location would head up search and rescue efforts, dispatching an Air Station
Cape Cod based MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. First on scene approximately an hour and
a half after the EPIRB pinged initially... followed shortly thereafter by...
A Coast Guard 47 Foot Motor Life Boat out of Station Provincetown
Along with Cutters Vigorous and Key Largo Atlantic Waters in this area around
50 degrees or less in November. ...all units on scene, searching
throughout the night. An empty life raft, debris patch and the EPIRB were the only
findings upon arrival. The conditions, at the time of initial search, were reported to
be 30 knot winds with up to 8 foot high seas. Challenging, but not considered
extreme for this area of the Atlantic. At first light Monday morning, a Coast
Guard HC-144 would be dispatched, helping to widen the search area. Efforts
would continue through Tuesday November 24. After 38 hours covering approximately 2,066 square
miles... nothing more than the initial findings; the empty liferaft, debris patch and
EPIRB... would be found on the surface. Coast Guard command would suspend the search
by roughly 5:45pm Tuesday November 24th. All 4 souls aboard were lost... The vessel would remain undiscovered until May of
2021 when the NTSB and US Coast Guard collaborated with MIND Technology, Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary and NOAA. At this point the team was only using side scan sonar, just confirming
its location. Viewed from above, the Emmy Rose would be seen for the first time in 6 months.
A clear picture of the fishing vessel sitting upright on the seafloor, outriggers still
extended, at a depth of about 800 ft. This would of course confirm the
vessel had sunk but more importantly, its location did coincide with where the
automated distress signal originated... These images would provide little to no insight
though, as to why this tragedy took place. 4 Months later, in September of 2021,
investigators teamed up once again. This time with the assistance of a remotely
operated vehicle from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the National Science Foundation.
Deployed from Cutter Sycamore, these images from the ROV are all that's been published by
authorities thus far. So it's unclear whether any images gathered from the September excursion
provided clarity into the vessel's unusual demise. In the meantime, throughout the remainder of
2020 and even as recently as September 2021, multiple interviews have been
conducted by the NTSB and Coast Guard in an effort to determine cause and
potential safety recommendations. Although it can provide little in the way
of actual closure, some of the interviews were pretty eye opening as I read through the
transcripts. The way the Emmy Rose was handled, according to interviewees who, to their credit,
despite such a difficult situation, were very forthcoming... This painted a picture that was
at least enough to, so far, create all these recommendations you see here. The recommendations
and interviews we will cover in this video... However, The Emmy Rose didn't start its life as
a groundfish net dragger... the booming shrimp industry, in the 1970s and 80s brought about
the production of outrigger shrimp boats in staggering numbers, to keep up with market demand.
The Emmy Rose was, originally, one such vessel, purpose built for shrimp trawling, completed in
1987 by Tommy Nguyen Shipyard out of New Iberia, Louisiana. From the records I've found, going by
the original name of; Miss Elizabeth the third. The vessel would change hands and go
by several other names after that; In '94 changed to Miss Monica
In '95 changed to Virgin Steel '98 Changed to Captain Huey
Then, in 2001 renamed to Sasha Lee When it was purchased by
the now infamous, Carlos Rafael and moved to New England, for the new purpose
it would serve throughout the next 15+ years... This wasn't unique to the Sasha Lee though. Shrimp
trawling comes with some of the highest by-catch rates in commercial fishing, meaning, the style
and method of netting used, hauls in multiple other, unwanted species that aren't shrimp,
chief among them; Sea Turtles. And by-catch species in any form of commercial fishing, aren't
always just simply thrown back, unaffected. With regulations clamping down
on Gulf Coast shrimp trawling, toward the late '90s and turn of the century.
With shrimp farming starting to contribute significantly to the US shrimp
supply around the same time... There was understandably a glut of Shrimp
trawlers, becoming available on the market, looking for new homes. Groundfishing in New England waters, has been
an industry staple for hundreds of years... Cod, Haddock, Yellowtail, Pollock
...to name a few. However, commercially fishing for groundfish
requires a different method of net dragging compared to Shrimp trawling on the gulf coast.
The New Bedford and Gloucester commercial fleets, 2 major hubs for groundfishing, are partly
comprised of large numbers of former shrimp boats, purchased and brought up from the gulf. Many of the boats tend to be more flat bottomed
than the purpose built trawlers of the Northeast. In addition, Shrimp & Prawn trawling uses
what are known as outriggers. These long, heavy booms are used exclusively for dragging
dual nets along the bottom, but important to note, ARE NOT used in the style of net dragging
that's most popular off the New England coast. Instead, for groundfish applications, the
former shrimp boats are heavily modified with ramps & net spools on the stern. And sometimes
additional booms are added, pointing sternward. The nets dragged directly aft of the vessel
in either dual or single configurations. These methods do not utilize these heavy
port & starboard outrigging booms... as you'll see in the transcripts of
several interviews, the outriggers tend to become more of a liability,
in these repurposed shrimp boats. The notorious Carlos Rafael, known locally as "The
Codfather". According to several media outlets; In 2017, The New Bedford fleet owner was
convicted on multiple charges of conspiracy, false labeling of fish, bulk cash
smuggling with the assistance of a local Sheriff's deputy, tax
evasion and falsifying federal records. In addition to Rafael's nearly 4 year jail
sentence, he was also ordered to pay $3m in civil claims, and give up all involvement
in commercial fishing -permanently. Rafael was reportedly caught, when
baited by agents posing as quote "Wealthy Russian Businessmen seeking to launder
large sums of money through his companies." He was also ordered to forfeit at least 13 vessels from his fleet that prosecutors
say were directly involved in his; "long-running scam of lying about the value and
species of the fish he landed." Vessels Like... "My Way"
"Athena" The "Sasha Lee"
Amongst Others... The Sasha Lee, having been in New England
for more than 15 years by that point.
In the years surrounding this though, the Sasha
Lee would have its own share of incidents, although not completely uncommon
amongst fishing vessels in the area... -In September 2010: The fishing boat
experienced a total loss of propulsion at sea when the propeller shaft sheared. No one
was injured and the vessel was towed back to port safely. This resulted in
an estimated $55,000 in damages. In January of 2016: The Sasha Lee
would report flooding in the fish hold due to water ingress from the propeller shaft.
The shaft had been inspected just 2 days prior after becoming entangled and fouled by stray
line that wrapped around the shaft and prop. This line was removed but unbeknownst to the
crew, the incident had caused further, unseen damage to the shaft, causing it to eventually
lose its water tight seal while out to sea. The US Coast Guard and Good Samaritan
vessel, "Triunfo" would respond in time to aid the Sasha Lee. The Coast Guard providing
two auxilliary pumps to help contain the flooding and once the shaft was secured
enough to mitigate water ingress, the Fishing Vessel Triunfo then
provided the tow back into port. No injuries were reported and this resulted
in an estimated $20,000 in damages. In Novemember of 2018: The Sasha Lee was
escorting fellow fleet vessel "My Way" to Newport News in Virginia. The Sasha Lee
experienced a sudden loss of hydraulic fluid which subsequently damaged its clutch plates.
This prevented the vessel from going into forward or reverse, a loss of propulsion at sea.
The My Way would end up towing the Sasha Lee to port safely, with no injuries reported.
The Coast Guard later determining this loss of hydraulic pressure was
due to a lack of maintenance. Purhcased in New Bedford when many Carlos
boats finally went up for sale all at once, the Sasha Lee would change
ownership in May of 2020. Owner; Boat Aaron and Melissa, Inc. would
rename the Sasha Lee to "Emmy Rose". It can not be over stated just how bizarre the
circumstances of this vessel's total loss were; With no record of any distress calls
No victims, survival suits or life preservers found
No communications out of the ordinary in the afternoon, evening or as
the events unfolded to or from any of the crew The interviews also revealed that, vessels like the Emmy Rose were known
to routinely stay in contact with; Loved ones on shore
Managers, Owners, Shore Based Support But most crucially, fishing vessels maintaining
contact with each other when out to sea, especially when fishing the same general
area. It's a tight knit community out there and they never hesitate to contact each
other when it comes to collision avoidance, vessel issues or even just idle chatter. They
aren't in some sort of fierce competition with one another where they avoid contact, in
fact, it tends to be the total opposite. Now, again, just to make one more point
clear... information in this video is *NOT* meant to imply what was actually
causal, in the loss of Emmy Rose. This is just what I've researched and
substantiated in the vessel's history, what investigators have gathered thus far and also
provides insight on (at least to me personally) a very intriguing investigation process. Made even
more interesting when there is so little to go on, with the root cause sitting there,
metaphorically, just out of reach. When fishing vessel Aaron and
Melissa the second sank in 2018, 70 miles southeast off the coast of
Portland, Maine... another boat owned by Aaron and Melissa Inc. and perhaps worthy of
a video on its own, the vessel had encountered heavy weather after struggling with
water ingress throughout the night. According to authorities; Wind gusts up
to 50 knots and seas up to 20 feet high. From the time of unrecoverable list, to
completely underwater, was about a 3 hour window. Despite some of the crew having worked to the
point of exhaustion in the days leading up, fatique that can happen all too often in the
industry. They were all able to don life suits, call the coast guard AND inform their port
engineer of the situation so that their on-shore support could help maintain contact with the coast
guard once the vessel was completely submerged. All 4 crew were rescued successfully
when the Coast Guard's helicopter arrived roughly 2 hours after the distress
call, recovering them from their life raft. Of all the quote "Carlos
Boats" lined up to choose from, the parties who purchased the soon
to be "Emmy Rose" in May of 2020... Upon seeing the Sasha Lee... The Future Emmy Rose Engineer stating:
"the engine was in pretty good shape, actually, which I
was surprised, because the boat was a Carlos boat that came from
New Bedford, and the engine wasn't in bad shape." When asked by investigators what drew
him to the Sasha Lee in the line up, The Emmy Rose Manager Stating:
"The steel was in good shape on it, had a history of being a very good boat by the previous
owners and just it was an all-around good boat. There was a whole bunch of boats for
sale, but not all good ones, you know? Just a very comfortable sea boat
She was just well laid out, plenty of power, plenty of on-deck
power for winches and what not" The Emmy Rose Owner Stating: "The only thing about the Emmy Rose that I saw
was it needed a good paint job and that was it. When investigators asked: "So nothing
structurally that caused any concern?" "No, not at all." Was the owner's reply. However, it must be pointed out. In addition
to the modifications from outrigger trawling to stern net trawling... when the vessel entered
the "Carlos" fleet, like many other vessels of its type in New Bedford, the Sasha Lee also received
these massive steel bulwarks that raised the gunwale 4-6 feet. Somewhat common amongst these
fishing boats in New England the additional bulwark is meant to provide more protection from
the elements... for workers on the Main Deck. A former Emmy Rose deckhand telling authorities:
"I think that the boats aren't that stable. Carlos had added a lot of extra steel up around
the rails and stuff on them, which is what weights them down a lot. They carry way too
much fuel, which makes them heavy as it is. The storm wall from behind the wheelhouse back
like almost to where the door comes up, you know, like 6 feet tall, that was all add-on. Up
around the bow, it was like a whole extra, you know, 4 to 6 feet of rail added
up around the whole bow of the boat. And then he had a bunch of extra
rigging added up on top, you know, like a real big mast and stuff. So, yeah,
the boats had a lot of extra weight on." The Sasha Lee received a stability test around
2001 or'02 since those were the approximate years the conversion was made. The Naval
Architect that performed the tests stating: "...Obviously the outriggers in the
shrimping fleet are used for the nets, and I try to explain to the guys, you know,
outriggers do not add to the stability of a fishing boat; they detract from
the stability of a fishing boat. What they do is they -- because they're away
aloft, they are ride controlled; they're like a shock absorber. So you've got the outrigger
lowered and the bird in the water, ...the sole purpose is to slow the roll of the boat, to make
the boat more comfortable and more workable. And these boats ...when they're in the Gulf,
they're just -- they have a bulwark that runs from bow to stern, and what the guys up here do
is they build that bulwark up. So, if you look at the Sasha Lee and Emmy Rose, ...the walk space
between the house and the side is enclosed to the deck house. But all of these are standard features
you would see on a boat that was converted over." He'd go on to say, regarding the Outriggers: "Typically, they don't pass stability if
they're up, so it's ...pretty standard that we put that in our stability booklets.
You'll find that most of our stability booklets will say that they've got to lower those things
[the outriggers]. You've got something [like] 30, 40 feet in the air...so you take the center of
gravity ...that's 40 feet above the baseline of the boat that weighs about a ton and a half.
They do not enhance the stability of the boat. They are just there as shock absorbers. They just
make the boat roll less when they're deployed. ...These Gulf Coasters, are very
flat-bottom, hard-chine boats, so it has good initial stability. ...The
outriggers ...make the boat workable, and it's gotten to the point where it's so ingrained
in these guys, they just -- everybody's got them." When asked about weight creep by investigators or
weight slowly added over time due to more subtle modifications that can still affect stability,
investigators showing photos of the boat's evolution over time after becoming the Sasha
Lee and Emmy Rose. The Naval Architect stated: "Comparing the boat to when it happened ...the net
reels ...the diameter has been increased pretty dramatically, and she's gotten a second
boom. Those are the things that I can see just from the pictures.
If you look at the pictures, it looks like they may have added as much as
4 feet to the diameter, which means they're carrying bigger gear. Again ...just looking
at the photographs, that jumps out at us." Expanding on the matter of stability,
investigators also questioned the method of fuel usage from saddle tanks on either side of
the vessel. In these types of fishing vessels, "they're not using all the fuel that pulls
into the engine"... the unused excess fuel gets pumped back into whichever tank the captain has
chosen in a process nicknamed "burn and return". Now, I've been unable to determine what, if any, other fuel oil tanks the Emmy Rose had
beyond those shown in the Sasha Lee stability reports from back in '02... which
shows only these two large saddle tanks. To burn and return from one side of the vessel,
to the other, requires frequent stability management as the center of gravity shifts. This
is exacerbated by the amount of fish in the holds, the ice used to keep the fish cool, saltwater
ballast, dirty oil, weather conditions, the vessel's current activity or
maneuvering requirements and so on. A 3rd party condition and value survey was
conducted in New Bedford in August of 2019 where the Sasha Lee was hauled out and valuated. The
survey published by investigators, unfortunately, contains only pictures, timestamps and
brief descriptions. It does not go into detail about what surveyors thought of
conditions or the value they determined. The Most recent safety inspection was
July of 2020 with the Marine Safety Inspector checking out Immersion Suits,
Extinguishers, Flares, the Life Raft and other more subtle items like EPIRB
batteries, safety sticker placement... routine stuff. The Emmy Rose
ultimately passing inspection. By most interview accounts available, and from
much of what I can find, the Emmy Rose's Captain was a competent, respected and very experienced
ship's master, fisherman and engineer. He knew all of his boat's systems very well and would
insist on performing any maintenance needed himself, whenever they were at sea.
The boat also had, for the most part, the same crew ever since its purchase
in May of 2020. Deckhand # 2 and the captain had known each other and fished
commercially, together, for years prior. The crew also regarded as highly competent
and experienced fishermen and mariners. That fateful night, November 23rd; The captain
reportedly had plans to unload the catch in Gloucester and then make preparations to
head right back out for a few more days. All 4 aboard reportedly got along very well
and were not upset to be working a schedule that had them heading right back out to fish,
potentially, through the upcoming holiday. Interviewees stating those on board
would not have felt obligated to remain, if they needed to disembark for the holiday. The crew got along well, but just like
any other commerical fishing operation, it wasn't *always* smooth sailing... A former (fill-in) deckhand, who was rather
forthcoming about his most recent journey, (roughly August or September 2020) aboard the
Emmy Rose... did have the following to say (and keep in mind, this seasoned deckhand
was only aboard to fill in temporarily. By his own admission, is also captain of
Emmy Rose's sister ship, the Allagash); "We was on our way in [back to port]
and we started transferring fuel, which I didn't know about. I was down in the
hole with the green guy showing him what to do. There was another guy at the wheel. And I
noticed the boat started listing pretty bad, so I decided to come up out of the hole, but
when I did, I stepped into waist-deep water. And, you know, I wasn't very happy about it.
...Obviously I went straight to the wheelhouse. There's a guy standing up there watching TV.
And, you know, I keep thinking about this ...as to how the boat could have sank and
...had I not I come up out of the hole that night when I did, another 10 minutes,
she'd have rolled right over. And that was with somebody awake at the wheel.
...It definitely was not a fun scene." The Investigators Asked; "So ...you said as you
came up ...who was conducting the fuel transfer?" The Deckhand Replied;
"[The Captain] was at the time, but he went to his bunk as he was transferring fuel. I have no idea
why. He went and laid down and fell asleep. And, you know, I come up out of the hole, waist-deep
water. I go over, try to get the scuppers open. All the gear is (indiscernible) out of the side,
the side ...all the (indiscernible) on deck. And I immediately go up to [another deckhand],
and I was like ...what's going on here? He's like, what do you mean? I'm like, what do
I mean? I said, we're half sunk is what I mean. You know, why haven't you got [The Captain] up
yet? Oh, well, well, it ain't my job; you go. And so I went and woke B [The Captain] up.
And the second I woke him up, you know, he knew what he had done and he went down
and started transferring it back across. ...And it was pretty flat calm the night
this happened to me. Now had there been a 10-foot sea rolling across that rail
that night, it wouldn't have been good." He went on to say;
"I run the Allagash, the identical boat. And they hold so much fuel
that I never even once transferred fuel. I've been running boats for 30 years, and I've never once
turned on a transfer pump, never. I don't believe in it because stupid stuff like that can happen.
I always just open up, you know, the burn and return on the two side tanks, burn them even. You
shouldn't be burning one side or the other ...but I see other captains doing the same thing, too.
...you shouldn't have to. I mean, if you got two side tanks, open up all four
valves, it will burn and return evenly, and then you ain't got to get into transferring fuel.
But I don't know ...what his common routine was. I only made them two trips
with [the Emmy Rose Captain]." At the same time, when asked about the vessel's
overall condition, he did state the following... "I thought it was in very good shape
myself. I mean it looked fine shine to me, but fresh paint does a lot.
But my first -- my first look at that boat, [referring back to when he saw it at the time
of purchase] yeah, the stern ramps looked like they was rusted right out of it. So, but
then he painted it all up, so I don't know. But when I was fishing on it, yeah, the boat
looking good. But like I said, paint does wonders. When the investigators questioned about
weight of fish on board (in pounds); "And on that night that you're speaking of where you ...the water on the aft deck ...approximately
how much fish did you guys have on board?" The former deckhand would respond;
"Oh, we probably had about 40,000 on." "Okay. And how much do you
think that boat can hold?" "Oh, well, I had 103,000 on the Allagash. So
I'd say she can hold 100,000 easily enough. But like I said, I always burn -- like when I
first got [on] the boat, the fuel tanks was full. And it's like, why do we have all this extra
weight on this boat? We already have all this heavy steel rigging on here and stuff.
So myself, as the captain, I only fill my fuel tanks half full. Just to try
to compensate for all the extra steel that Carlos had added onto the boats.
Now if them fuel tanks was full to the top and then put 100,000 on it, probably
would've been a little bit different." NOAA or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration is the primary agency for managing U.S. fisheries and protection
of marine mammals and endangered species. One of NOAA's methods to accomplish this
is by sending an observer on board various fishing vessels to actively assess the catch
and by-catch activites during routine voyages. A NOAA observer who came aboard the Emmy Rose for
a ride along around November 4th through the 12th, just a couple weeks prior to the incident
in 2020... was also interviewed by the NTSB and Coast Guard on December 17, 2020. The investigators asked; "Could you tell us about your experience on the
Emmy Rose, the one trip that you made on it?" The Observer Responded;
"Yeah. So when I first got to the boat, they did ask me before I stepped on
the boat if I was comfortable with weed and kind of just was like oh -- I
kind of just blew off the question. I kind of ignored it and then I called my
coordinator because I was like -- we just talked about drugs on the boats before. So I called him
to make sure -- just to double check with that, and he was like, if you're comfortable going
on that -- like if it's just the crew, then it's okay, and they told me before, the captain
would not be smoking it, and so I went on it. The Interviewer followed up;
"Okay. While the vessel was under way, did you actually see
3 crew members smoking weed? The Observer Replied; "Yes. I never saw the captain
smoking, but I did see the crew." "Okay. Did you see any other
drug usage or alcohol usage?" "No. Just weed and cigarettes." "And was that a daily occurrence or at
certain times of the day they were using?" "No. It was ...daily occurrence
pretty much in between each haul." "Did you ever not feel safe
while you were on the boat?" "I always felt safe just because I never
saw the captain using any of the drugs. I stayed away from those drugs all the
time ...I never saw the captain using it, so I felt safe in that aspect, and I always
felt the boat felt stable. I mean, other than like the normal rocking from
waves, but I never felt unsafe." "So once they were hauling ...and setting
the nets, would it be around the clock operation or would the crew seem to get some
decent rest? Could you tell if anyone was working around the clock nonstop or could
you see them sleeping and taking naps?" "Oh, I could see them sleeping and taking naps,
especially if it was a longer time that the fish nets were in the water. It could be from five to
six hours. I believe one of them was almost seven hours. So they would sleep when the nets were in
the water after they were done with everything, but they would try to sleep as much as
they could in between their breaks." "Okay. Would you say [The Captain] was in
the wheelhouse a majority of the time?" "Yes." "And do you know what time -- was there a
set schedule that B [The Captain] slept? "No. It was pretty much just whenever.
I feel like it was more at nighttime, but I don't think it was a set schedule." "All right. Did you happen to see anything -- any maintenance or anybody complaining about
something with the vessel being off?" "Just the nets would get a little torn up,
and I know the crew would complain about that because the captain would -- he would
fall asleep at the wheel, like he would doze off and would leave the nets in... a little too
long, like longer than they should have been. So then those nets would get torn
up a little bit because they were in longer than they were supposed
to be and the crew would complain about that. I think they had to adjust and
fix up the net maybe two or three times." "Did somebody have to go up to the
wheelhouse to wake up the captain, then?" "Yeah." "And did that happen often?" "Yeah. ...I know for like the last day when I
had to get all my information about the boat, like about the expenses it costed for this trip
and just information about the nets, I went up to the wheelhouse maybe two minutes after he was just
awake and doing something ...and he already dozed off -- I didn't realize he was dozed off, and I
asked him if I could ask him the questions then, just so I didn't wait until the morning
when he was worried about landing the boat. And he was like 'oh, did you have to wake me up
when I was sleeping to ask me these questions right now?' So he wasn't happy about that.
But yeah, the crew would have to wake him up sometimes and be like hey, we need
to get the net out of the water." The investigator followed up;
"Okay. The scenario -- when you're fishing and heading to the dock -- so you're done fishing,
they've got all their catch onboard, and they're steaming in to offload, could you kind of describe
who's where and who's doing what at that point?" "So captain was steering the boat. He was in
the wheelhouse and the crew would be cleaning up the kitchen and just cleaning up the deck
and making sure everything's back in its place. ...I think when they were done
with that, they went to sleep."
"Okay. Are you pretty sure, though, that as
the vessel was heading back to Gloucester that the master -- was generally the one
always on the helm steering the boat?" "Yes." The NOAA Observer also confirming that they
were able to use the boats satellite phone easily to call loved ones and check in
or if needed, email was also available. Confirming that indeed cell
service was non-existent, which is to be expected but that
the Satellite phone worked fine, only dropping a call once but working
immediately after when trying the call again. The Emmy Rose also had triple redundancy
in electrical power to the comms eqipment; The Main engine, a 630hp 12 cylinder Caterpillar The main generator, another, smaller
engine, enough to power the entire boat. The back up generator, another engine, enough to power necessities, like radio equipment.
And backup batteries known to routinely have enough charge to allow for more than enough time
to call for help should all the others fail. Investigators are also suspicious
of some possible welding that the crew was performing while the vessel was underway. The NOAA Observer confirming they knew *OF*
some welding even during their voyage but only because they overheard the crew discussing
it ...and didn't actually see it taking place. One other vulnerability the investigators
are looking into, is the Lazarette. The lazarette, on a vessel like this, is the
portion of the hull that provides access to the rudder mechanisms and or prop shaft with
a large hatch on top toward the stern. Should this be left open or otherwise fill with water, it
could lead to a possibly unrecoverable situation. But interviewees don't have much information
on it from the transcripts I've read so far. It's not a portion of a boat
that gets accessed very often, like the fish hold or engine room... and thus
didn't seem to stick out in interviewees minds. Investigators also seem to be suspicious of
this in combination with the reported 8-foot seas that night, potentially being a following
sea as the Emmy Rose steamed toward Gloucester. Ideally, for sea going vessels, "riding
out the storm" means keeping the bow pointed into oncoming waves or a "head sea" when
conditions are challenging. A "following sea", the total opposite, can be very dangerous however.
When a vessel steams in the same direction as the waves, depending on the vessel size
and type, these can either be a benefit, say when the seas are mild and the
easy waves provide some extra momentum or "riding the waves" so to speak. Versus when
the seas are large enough or have enough momentum that a wave overtakes the vessel instead.
If the Emmy Rose was already stern heavy for example *AND* worst case scenario, if the
Lazarette wasn't watertight at that moment... a 6 to 8 foot following swell could have been
enough to overwhelm the aft of the vessel. Would this have been quick enough that not even a
radio call could be made? It's difficult to say. The Naval Architect, in his interview,
insisting that the vessel would needed to have capsized completely and near
instantly, to create such a situation. When these vessels have fish in their holds, it's
also crucial they take stability into account when dividing their catch amongst the "pens".
These pens are not only meant to divide species, but allow the crew to control
how the weight is distributed. In addition, the ice used to chill the
live catch, especially in a vessel with no additional refigeration, like the Emmy Rose,
will melt and create liquid in these holds. Bilge pumps are always prepared to pump this out,
or "dewater" the holds but another phenomenon all boats, of any size must always take into
account... is the "Free Surface Effect". The Free Surface Effect is the tendency of
liquids — and similary of large quantities of small objects, like fish, shrimp, grain
or even just heavy loose gear or cargo, whose behavior approximates that
of liquids — moving in response to changes in the attitude of a craft's cargo holds, decks, or liquid tanks in reaction to induced
motions like waves, winds or vessel maneuvers. Or to oversimplfy, when water
tends to "slosh" around. Only, in vessels where the quantity of
material is enough and moves to one side, suddenly. The forces can be so great it overcomes
the vessel's ability to right itself. In extreme cases causing sudden capsizing, like we've
seen in so many Roll-On/Roll-Off vessels.
The Naval Architect Stating;
"So ...you got the heavier gear on the boat, you've reduced the stability slightly, and then
you lose the rudder seal or you lose the shaft seal, and the boat starts to slowly take on water
and ...now you throw a free surface into it. Boats don't just disappear
without something happening. There was a catastrophic event that
caused this boat to capsize, and..." The Investigator Interjecting: "Is that
your opinion? You think it capsized?" "Oh, yeah, I absolutely think this boat
capsized. Boats don't disappear without a mayday ...if they didn't flip over.
...if you got the boat heeled almost to the rail ...it's going to have no
range of stability in that direction; it's going to want to roll that way. And
then, if you throw free surface into the mix, and you've got that fluid moving over, then
you can certainly get the boat into trouble. "So that would be, with a
combination of the two ...enough to obviously trim the boat, turtle or
capsize the boat? In your opinion?" "Yeah. I mean, if you got all
that fuel on one side and then, depending on the amount of free surface
you have in the fish hold -- and then you induce some type of outside factor, a wave or
a gust of wind, the boat could certainly go." Investigators are also looking into the vessels
that were in the vicinity that night, so far there is only one listed on the official report,
another fishing vessel and no further details. The manager of the Emmy Rose, was the type to
stay in relatively close contact with the vessel but didn't receive any communications
from them the night of the sinking. However, the father of one of the
deckhands did have the following to say regarding the night of the incident. The investigators asked;
"When he would get underway on these trips, would he ever reach out to you,
communicate with you while he was under way? "Yeah, he'd call once in a while and so forth, you know, let us know when he
was coming back, going out. "Did he call you on this last trip?" "Yes, he did. "When did he call you?" "It was probably between midnight and
12:30. Yeah ...the date of the sinking." "Our conversation was about buying a part, he wanted to know if I had ordered
a part for his four-by [4x4] and then all of a sudden he just said I got
to go, something happened, and that was it. Never heard from him again
until you guys contacted us." "And he didn't say anything else after the --" "No." "[Just] ...I got to go?" "That was it. All we mainly talked about
was the clutch assembly for his 4x4. ...He did say they was coming in to Cape Cod
...I thought they would be going into Gloucester, but I don't know if he's got
to go ...by that way or what." "Is that typical for them ...to go to Cape Cod?" "Not really. They'd go there every once in a great
moon or by their way or -- they unloaded their fish in Gloucester. Being 20 miles out, I'm sure
they was heading -- coming in from someplace." The vessel's manager did have this to
say regarding the Captain from their conversations in the days prior to the incident; "He was going to go back out
and fish over the holiday, so --and as luck would have it,
the 20th of this last month was his birthday. He was at sea for his
birthday, on his last birthday. That sucks, don't it? I remember calling
him and wishing him a happy birthday." We'll get into my final thoughts shortly, as for the Safety Recommendations and Potential
Lessons Learned From the US Coast Guard's Report; Recommendation #001: Fishing Vessel
Periodic Stability Verification Implement new regulations requiring commercial
fishing vessels 79 feet or greater in length undergo vessel stability periodic
verification, by a qualified individual, every 5 years and/ or after a major modification
to ensure the vessel is still in compliance with their required stability instructions.
Implementing this regulation will ensure that a vessels profile has not been substantially altered
in a manner which adversely affects its stability, including the cumulative
effects of all alterations. Recommendation #002: Fishing Vessel
Required training for Operators Reflect requirements enacted under the Coast Guard
Authorization Act of 2010, specifically provisions for individuals in charge of vessels operating
beyond 3 nautical miles from the baseline to pass a training program covering certain competencies,
including stability. Most fishing vessel operators are unlicensed, and a licensed operator is only
required on vessels over 200 gross tons. This new training requirement for operators will help
ensure their competency to command the vessel. Recommendation #003: Load line for
applicable commercial fishing vessels Reflect the requirements enacted under
the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, requiring applicable Commercial Fishing
Vessels to have a load line assigned. Require a fishing vessel built on or before July
1, 2012, that undergoes a substantial change to the dimension of or type of vessel completed
after July 1, 2012, or a later date set by the Coast Guard, to comply with an alternate load line
compliance program developed in cooperation with the industry. A load line indicates the minimum
safe freeboard to which a vessel may be loaded. Fishing vessels are often modified
such that their dimensions are changed, or they are converted to a different type of
fishing vessel. When this action is taken, the loading conditions and seaworthiness
of the vessel can be affected. Recommendation #004: Chemical testing for
commercial fishing vessel crewmembers. Implement new regulations requiring certain
crewmembers aboard commercial fishing vessels to be subject to a chemical testing program. It
is recommended that the Commandant should require pre-employment, random, and reasonable cause drug
testing for those crew members who are in safety sensitive positions onboard documented commercial
fishing industry vessels operating beyond 3 nautical miles of the baseline. Individuals
in charge and crew aboard commercial fishing vessels less than 200 gross tons are not required
to hold Merchant Mariner Credentials, therefore the only instance when they are required to be
drug tested is after a serious marine incident. Instituting a pre-employment, random, and
reasonable cause drug testing program covering all crew members who are in safety sensitive positions
would reduce the risk to crews and vessels. Recommendation #005: It is recommended that [The
Fishing Vessel Safety Division] provide guidance and instruction to
Vessel Examiners to conduct Fishing Vessel Stability Training and Outreach.
Specifically to include proper freeing port design and the importance of
maintaining watertight integrity. Recommendation #006: Commercial
Fishing Vessel Examiners to conduct Crew Endurance Management System and
Anti-Fatigue Training and Outreach It is recommended that [The
Fishing Vessel Safety Division] provide guidance and instruction to Vessel
Examiners to conduct education and outreach to promote awareness and provide Crew Endurance
Management System and Anti-Fatigue training. Fatigue experienced by commercial fishing vessel
crewmembers while fishing is a chronic issue and often a contributing factor to marine casualties
within the commercial fishing vessel community. This investigation revealed a latent unsafe
condition where the crews of the EMMY ROSE, who had been working in the commercial
fishing industry for their entire adult life had grown accustomed to working and
operating vessels while fatigued. It can offer some insight into where
investigators are in their process whenever preliminary recommendations are
provided. It's not unheard of for either the NTSB or Coast Guard to post them part
way through an investigation like this. And it's no secret that commercial fishing crews
sometimes push... just about everything to its limit; their vessel, the conditions,
regulations, especially themselves. Creating these (even just potential) lessons
learned can do no harm in promoting awareness and helping future mariners return home
safely to their families, every time. Thanks so much to all those viewers & supporters
out there who enjoy this content and especially to the Immortar Supporters on Patreon...
A shout out to those Top Tier Supporters; Alex S Alex W
Andrew M Jeremey H
Kenneth P Lil Tony
Nathan F Paul R
and Philip B Don't Forget; You're Important
and Your Safety Matters.
