B10m Phuket cruise boat sinks after mooring block collision

[webfact]

B10m Phuket cruise boat sinks after mooring block collision


The B10 million, 80-foot cruise boat Lady Andaman sank yesterday.

PHUKET: -- The B10 million, 80-foot cruise boat Lady Andaman sank yesterday (January 19) after hitting a concrete block, just 200 metres from the Chalong Pier. The skipper managed to get the badly leaking boat to pier and got the passengers off before it sank.

The boat’s owner, who goes only by the name Sando, told The Phuket News this afternoon, “We had 32 people on board from five Muay Thai gyms – we do a lot of Muay Thai training off the back of the boat.

“We realised we were in trouble when the pumps couldn’t keep up with the water coming in.”

The sinking is not just a disaster for the boat. It is also a disaster for his business, he said. “We had a B2 million [Muay Thai] competition coming up on the boat.”

That contract looks to be as thoroughly sunk as the boat, which is sitting on the bottom, its hull and lower deck underwater.

Sando is now waiting for the insurance company to survey the damage but, he said, “They’ve told us we can’t move the boat. It’s sitting on the bottom and while we’re waiting more damage is being done. I think it’s going to be a write-off.”

What makes things worse, he said, is that he had just spent B1.5 million on the second refurbishment of the Lady Andaman in two years. “People said the boat looked really great.”

The sinking echoes that of the “booze cruise” boat, which sank in February last year after hitting the same concrete block.

The block is one of some 200 planted by the Harbour Master’s Office around Chalong Bay about 18 months ago. These were intended to be anchors for channel marker buoys, or for boat moorings.

But the mooring lines between the blocks and the buoys have in most cases failed. As a result, the blocks, far from being navigation aids, have become navigation hazards, lurking on the seabed, ready to rip the bottoms out of unwary boats.

At low water, the block that caused the damage yesterday is in just two metres of water.

Another boat owner, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Phuket News, “The sinkings are only part of the story. Every captain is totally paranoid about hitting [the blocks]. Almost every boat operator in Chalong has hit the blocks causing untold damage, lost business and near-sinking.

“The solution is simple. Bring back the same barge that put them in and haul them out.”

The Director of the Phuket Marine Department, Puriphat Teerakulpisut, blamed theft for creating the hazard, “The mooring was damaged because the buoy was cut off and sold by selfish fishermen, so people on boats could not see the block and crashed into it.”

He added that the storm of December 23 had moved some blocks out of the position, so that GPS bearings for them are now wrong.

“We have to take responsibility, together with Chalong Municipality. We will go the crash site on the first of next month [February] to try to solve the problem.”

Until then, at least, boat owners will still have to contend with a hazard that, even if they are aware of it, may not be in the position they think it is in.

Asked if he would be moving the block he said, “No way. It’s much too heavy.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/b10m-phuket-cruise-boat-sinks-after-mooring-block-collision-44131.php


-- Phuket News 2014-01-20

[pedro01]

What a name for a boat. Lady and a man

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[RubbaJohnny]

RubbaDubbaHubba

Ship of the old Block

I hope the discharged seamen will be salvaged rather than become lagen or derelict

[Shot]

“We realised we were in trouble when the pumps couldn’t keep up with the water coming in.”

BRILLIANT

[RubbaJohnny]

How lucky the insurance had been re-newed

Edited January 20, 2014 by RubbaJohnny

[Chicog]

Dump a load of concrete blocks in relatively shallow water and then do nothing when the markers are removed.

Why am I not surprised.

[taony]

“We have to take responsibility, together with Chalong Municipality. We will go the crash site on the first of next month [February] to try to solve the problem.”

Until then, at least, boat owners will still have to contend with a hazard that, even if they are aware of it, may not be in the position they think it is in.

Asked if he would be moving the block he said, “No way. It’s much too heavy.”

What are they going to do, add water to the ocean? Guess he is waiting for the ice cap to melt a little more, then the problem is solved for him.

[KarenBravo]

Totally predictable situation.

Totally predictable response from the authorities.

Edited January 20, 2014 by KarenBravo

[stevenl]

Totally predictable situation.

Totally predictable response from the authorities.

This is the first time the boss of regio 5 is admitting these blcoks are a hazard, so far he has simply blamed everybody else. So hopefully something gets finally done now.

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[jaapfries]

The Director of the Phuket Marine Department, Puriphat Teerakulpisut was asked if he would be moving the block he said, “No way. It’s much too heavy.”

WTH; is this guy a mental retard, or what ? ! ? !

If MY boat was damaged by these 'haphazardly strewn mooring-blocks, my solicitors would have a field-day in court, suing this amateurish Phuket Marine Dept., something which I am sure Mr. Sando's Insurance Company will shortly engage in.

This is a scandalous situation and if these "authorities" would get off their corrupt little Montessori-Butts, this situation would soon be cleared; literally ! ! ! !

[NomadJoe]

The local captains have now learned where one can and cannot go. I have never seen this boat before and I am on that pier several times a week. I suspect the captain was unaware of the hazard.

[KarenBravo]

Why don't the local captains protest by blocking a road.

Only way to get things done around here.

[steelepulse]

Why aren't these marked?

[andreandre]

Why aren't these marked?

From OP;

The Director of the Phuket Marine Department, Puriphat Teerakulpisut, blamed theft for creating the hazard, “The mooring was damaged because the buoy was cut off and sold by selfish fishermen, so people on boats could not see the block and crashed into it.”

He added that the storm of December 23 had moved some blocks out of the position, so that GPS bearings for them are now wrong.

[stevenl]

The local captains have now learned where one can and cannot go. I have never seen this boat before and I am on that pier several times a week. I suspect the captain was unaware of the hazard.

No, he was aware. This was one of those 'booze cruises', some time ago on another website they were under attack from some guests about quality of the service. As I told them at that point, with these kind of companies, operating without TAT license and required accident insurance, there is no recourse.

This time they were lucky it happened close to the pier so they could get everybody of.

[MyFriend You]

Why aren't these marked?

They were, but 'selfish fisherman stole the bouy;\'s and sold them'

[NamKangMan]

Why don't the local captains protest by blocking a road.

Only way to get things done around here.

Better still, blockade the Phuket International Airport. :)

[fleeing]

“We had a B2 million [Muay Thai] competition coming up on the boat.”

Innovative Thailand brings you aqua Muay Thai?

[Thai at Heart]

But the mooring lines between the blocks and the buoys have in most cases failed. As a result, the blocks, far from being navigation aids, have become navigation hazards, lurking on the seabed, ready to rip the bottoms out of unwary boats.

<deleted>....

[steelepulse]

Why aren't these marked?

They were, but 'selfish fisherman stole the bouy;\'s and sold them'

So of course there was no budget nor man hours allocated to remark these hazards.

[pistachios]

You've got to check out Khun Phuripat's interview on the other local news source. It's brilliant. One of his best interview so far, surpassing the one he gave after the kata beach speedboat incident. He clearly doesn't give a shit. I don't think he is mentally retarded otherwise he wouldn't have landed such job and prevented to be booted out for so long despite his abysmal track record.

[jocko]

You've got to check out Khun Phuripat's interview on the other local news source. It's brilliant. One of his best interview so far, surpassing the one he gave after the kata beach speedboat incident. He clearly doesn't give a shit. I don't think he is mentally retarded otherwise he wouldn't have landed such job and prevented to be booted out for so long despite his abysmal track record.

He's world class for a premier class facility.

No wonder so many want to learn to dive when they come here.

[steelepulse]

>>I don't think he is mentally retarded otherwise he wouldn't have landed such job and prevented to be booted out for so long despite his abysmal track record.

It's all about the baht, that's how he landed the job and that's how he's keeping it. Pay to get the post, and pay out a bit to keep the post.

[JulesMad]

You've got to check out Khun Phuripat's interview on the other local news source. It's brilliant. One of his best interview so far, surpassing the one he gave after the kata beach speedboat incident. He clearly doesn't give a shit. I don't think he is mentally retarded otherwise he wouldn't have landed such job and prevented to be booted out for so long despite his abysmal track record.

He's world class for a premier class facility.

No wonder so many want to learn to dive when they come here.

"premier class facility"??? In Phuket???

[jocko]

Only sarcasm.