Canada will investigate the loss of the Concordia

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board will conduct an independent investigation into the sinking of the Concordia. No doubt because Barbados, the flag state, does not have the capability or the willingness to conduct an objective one, Canada has decided to go on its own.

Concordia was registered in Barbados. Why? As a tax avoidance measure.

The owners would not have to pay Canadian duty to import the a Polish built ship, nor would they have to satisfy other Canadian regulations. If the owners set up an offshore corporation to own the ship, then it would not be subject to Canadian income taxes.

Now Canadian taxpayers will have to foot the bill for a very expensive Transportation Safety Board investigation. Yes the TSB will do a thorough job. They will conduct a detailed investigation, and in a year or two they will submit a splendidly detailed report.

Sorry to be cynical, but so what? They will no doubt conclude that the ship sank due to downflooding caused by sudden lack of stability, likely caused by a microburst. The vessel had insufficient stability or insufficient water tight separation for such an event, and it was not required to by law or by regulation.

The TSB has no authority to impose or enforce regulations. Transport Canada will certainly have no response to the report, since the ship was not within its jurisdiction either by flag or by location. Barbados will certainly ignore the report. As port state control, Transport Canada can inspect ships and enforce IMO regs if it chooses, but it can't change the water on the beans, nor the facts:

- the ship sank,

- all aboard were saved thanks to excellent training and drills

- Brazil was slow to respond because they were hungover from Mardi Gras

What more is there to learn?

All in all the TSB report will be a huge waste of time and effort for no effective result.

Concordia Lost!

The Canadian owned sail training vessel Concordia sank off Brazil Thursday night. All 48 persons on board were reported safe after they abandoned the vessel to rafts. The Brazilian navy rescued them this morning, 500 miles offshore.

The 3 masted vessel, based in Lunenburg, left that port in September. At the time of the loss (apparently a capsizing) they were en route from Brazil to Montevideo, Uruguay. Many of those on board were high school or college students participating in the West Island Class Afloat program.

The photo above was taken July 20, 2009 when Concordia participated in the Tall Ships Parade of Sail in Halifax.

Very bad weather was reported in the same general area a few days ago when the Holland America liner Veendam encountered 11 to 12 meter sea and near hurricane winds. She had to evacuate an injured passenger to the Falkland Islands before continuing on to Cape Horn.

Update 2010-02-20:

More details have emerged on the actual rescue. The wood chip carrier Hokuetsu Delight picked up some of the survivors, and of these 11 were transferred by Helicopter to the Brazilian frigate Constituicao before flying conditions became too dangerous. The remaining 18 survivors were taken aboard another wood chip carrier Crystal Pioneer. All three ships will be arriving in Rio since conditions are still not favourable for airlifting then from the merchant ships.

If you want to see what the rescue ships look like, follow these links:

www.shipspotting.com/search.php?query=9167370&action=results

www.shipspotting.com/search.php?query=9363118&action=results

www.shipspotting.com/search.php?query=Constituicao&action=results