Posted by Hal Iotis on August 01, 2002 at 11:20:13:
In Reply to: Re: OHMIGOD! posted by Chuck Tribolet on August 01, 2002 at 10:42:10:
Here's my response to Dan's post on Scubaboard:
Isn't the Captain responsible...
...for everything that happens on his ship. OK, let the blame game start:
- the booking fiasco is the fault of a booking employee and the booking company;
- Overflowing toilets? Blame it on the passengers (all of them)
- Sloppy maintenance? (nails, burnt out bulbs) It's your fault for not asking the crew to do their job. Do passengers also have a responsibility to ask the crew if the through-hull fittings are sound?
- No TP? Who would ever expect supplies to be loaded prior to departure? Hmm...wonder how the EPIRB batteries are doing? Oh well, we can always toodle over to Cat Harbor if we need some...
Stinky water? Of course, it's the United States Coast Guard's fault!
Oversexed/undisciplined divemaster? Who hired him? Who was supposed to supervise him?
I sense a pattern of a) not taking responsibility for the boat, its employees, and all that happens on it; and, b) lack of attention to detail. Either of these are not desirable traits for anyone operating any vessel, let alone carrying passengers for hire. The combination of the two can be deadly. The Saint Brendan article linked above is very careful not to make any judgements about the seamanship problems that could very well have resulted in fatality, but as consumers we can and should be judgemental about charter operators whom we entrust our lives to.
Having been a deckhand and diver for a well respected Southern California charter operation, I know that the attitude, passenger orientation, competence, and safety consciousness of the crew is a direct reflection of the caliber of those who run the operation. There is always going to be some glitch: weather doesn't cooperate, passengers are late, mechanical problem, etc. It's how these contingencies are planned for, dealt with, and, most importantly, avoided in the first place that makes all the difference. A captain who is constantly blaming others or stumbling into predicaments due to lack of attention to detail is eventually going to get caught in a situation where all of the blame displacement in the world won't make things better.
I am understanding of poor weather, sick/late/grumpy/horny passengers, bad visibility, high costs, minor maintenance glitches, etc. I am not tolerant whatsoever of poor seamanship or disregard for passengers. With so many other excellent choices for Southern California dive boats, I am not going to risk my money or life for a dive boat whose Captain doesn't hold himself to the highest standards of integrity, as evidenced by the post above.
I'm glad NapaDiver had such a positive experience on the Iron Eagle, and I hope that the Captain decides to cater to serious, safety-minded divers. Based on its website, I can't tell if the Iron Eagle is a Catalina get drunk and party/scuba boat or if it is a Mexican cruise boat, or if it is a panga fishing mothership. I don't want anything to do with a boat that advertises getting drunk one night, then diving the next morning "for those who aren't too hungover." I'd also rather dive from a dedicated dive boat, not a part-time fishing charter boat, or one that sends spam e-mails (that's another discussion...).