Clanky, [ Firstly my apologies to the site for including the full `quote` again, but I don`t know how to break it down or select single passages. I`m really pretty `thick` concerning PC`s, maybe some one will advise me on that ].
When you click on a the quote button you get the text of the original post with QUOTE tags before and after these are the
[qu0te author=Trampship Man link=topic=19082.msg258703#msg258703 date=1276965899] and
[/qu0te] bits, if you copy them and paste them so that you have one at the beginning of a section of text and the other at the end then those individual sections will appear as quotes.
Just don't forget to preview your post as it is easy to make mistakes.
Okay, back to Clanky now. You`ve made some pretty interesting points there mate, and I ALMOST feel a little guilty at questioning the merits of present day seamen. I say `almost` because I continue to think about the behaviour of the captain and most of the crew of the Greek ship `Oceanos` on 4th day of August, 1991. off the West coast of Africa. Though I do acknowledge that `exceptions` are to be found everywhere.
As disgraceful as that incident was, it would be much less likely to happen on one of the large modern cruise ships operated by the big respectable companies. Crews on such ships tend to be much better trained and motivated.
I would agree with you on the `wonders` of modern technology, the degree of automation etc today is certainly pretty `mind boggling`. However, there are quite a few examples of modern technology failing, and sometimes in a pretty big way. We can also look at the fantastic technological advances in aviation today. Our airliners are bigger than ever and fitted with every technological gadget possible. In fact they don`t even need pilots for most of the time. Yet every now and then despite all the modern gadgetry an airliner will inexplicably disappear or crash with large loss of life. To my mind this simply says that at the end of the day all our technology, all our wonderful automation and systems thereof, are not foolproof and are only as good as their designers and operators, and more importantly are in fact still largely subject to mechanical or electrical failure [despite back up systems] or can still be affected or rendered largely ineffectual by `good old`and never to be eliminated `human error`.
Technology can never replace seamanship, but it can complement it. The kind of technology which is in use on ships in terms of safety systems is actually fairly basic and robust. Things like automatic fire-door closing systems, automatic sprinkler systems, automatic ventilation control are all technologies which have been well proven and which have a huge impact on safety, although they are still relying on humans at the end of the day.
A ship is by it's nature an inherently dangerous environment, and you can never say that any ship is totally safe, although i believe that Harland and Wolffe used the term "unsinkable" to describe one of their ships a few years ago.
Again, all I can say is that the safety record of these large ships speaks for itself, they are probably inherently safer by design than the older passenger ships where structural fire protection was less well understood.
Cruise ships will undoubtedly continue to get bigger. Not of course for the benefit of the travelling public,
but rather for faster and ever bigger profits for their owners or operators. We are talking today of something like 2000 passengers aboard a cruise ship are we not ? This of course could eventually double or even more.
Pretty mind boggling I think ! I am simply saying "where will we `draw the line`" ? Where in terms of risk will`acceptable`end, and where will `unacceptable`begin ? I remain convinced that all the technology and safety features in the world could simply be absolutely `overwhelmed` by 2000 [or eventually 4000 or whatever] panic stricken passengers ! I could add that `time may yet tell`! Though of course I sincerely hope that such a thing never happens.
I think the limit to cruise ship size will come not from technological restraints, but from commercial ones, I think there will come a point where even the Americans will simply not want to sail on these horrors any more.
Now to change the subject. I`ve been meaning to ask you what influenced you to select the title of `Clanky`? I imagine it will be the engineering connection, am I right ? I think you may now suspect what`s coming next ? How`s your `big end` Clanky ? [a clanking engine usually signified to me that my `big end` had `gone`. Thanks for your `post`, I always find you interesting. My apologies for the pathetic `joke`.
Regards,
Ken.
I was once described by a "jumped up rope chucker"
as a "common old clanky" and I used it on an internet forum once, it has sort of become my interwebz name.
