This just came in over the wire, accident happened 13 hrs ago.


http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/st...55E1702,00.html

It boggles the mind that an accident such as this, between two such large vessels, with the benefits of technologically advanced navigation and detection systems...can still happen. It's a tragendy, yes, but in my minds eye it was likely one that could have been avoided.

I know Foss, but the more amazing thing is that no one uses the technology that is aboard these ships. It's scary because a majority of the time they don't use simple things like radar.

Exactly my point, Julie. With radar and Loran/GPS navigation, these type of accidents, especially with such large vessels.
On a related note, imagine if the Titanic had something as simple as radar?

Welcome to one of the biggest debates of any shipwreck. No officer on a ship will admit to not using LOREN, radar, GPS any of the devices when it comes to wrecking ships. The ones that get me are the crew members that have no idea how to read a radar screen. Before you know it will have a print a book called "Shipwrecks of the 21 Century". Someone once said that you can't police all the oceans and board all the ships, but sometimes, I wish you could, even it meant only saving one life

This begs the question of how well trained are the people who run these vessels. What does it take to get a captain's license or mate's rating. If the ship is under foreign registry are the restrictions and qualifications different? Seems that most ships register foreign for tax reasons-perhaps a standard applied worldwide would help reduce these tragedies at sea? I am afraid that I know little of the testing or qualifications involved but it seems a reasonable question. co:
Double hull tankers would help too.