Now We Know What A Life Is Worth!!

It is over 12k at least!
Edited to add:
I was to say the least, skeptical about the 12k number that was used, for the costs of doing a stability test on a fishing vessel. It seemed rather outrageous, so being curious and having the contacts, I called a friend at a local naval architecture company and asked.
Yes indeed, I was told, 12k would be about the price, in fact it was at the low end of an estimate.
I was still skeptical and asked why so much. It appears that most of the fishing vessels have no lines plans or even drawings and they have to be pulled from the water for measurements. Then they are put back in the water and then the inclining is completed and the stability book calculated.
So, even at 12k, is it not unreasonable to know what is going to cause your boat to capsize? Just think, you the owner may not be killed, but it could be your son or best friend's son. Could you carry that around for the rest of your life?
There have been some fairly well publicized fishing boat accidents caused by overloaded conditions on a boat clearly not designed for them. Do your family and would-be rescuers a favor and spend the money. Drive the Ford truck for another couple of years before replacing it, but stay alive.


TSB: Small, overloaded fishing boats capsizing
By ALISON AULD The Canadian Press, Tue. Mar 3, 2009

Fishing crews continue to put themselves at risk by heading out to sea in small, unstable boats, the Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday in two accident reports that highlight ongoing regulatory deficiencies and the industry's weak ``safety culture.''

The federal agency released results from investigations into a pair of capsizings in 2007 that claimed the lives of two men in New Brunswick and Newfoundland, and were caused largely by recurring problems.

``The issues are the same for both of these vessels — the lack of stability analysis and an inadequate safety culture ... for the industry as a whole,'' Christopher Morrow, an investigator with the TSB, said in an interview.

``The safety culture is the crux of the problem.''

The investigators said the two tragic accidents mirror many they have examined in recent years, with the most common cause being the poor stability of boats under 15 gross tonnes that are often overloaded with fishing gear.

There were 53 capsizings in the last decade, with 17 of those occuring in the Maritimes, according to the TSB. The bulk of all accidents involving fishing vessels in the same period — 1,065 out of 3,072 — involved small boats under 15 gross tonnes.

Morrow said boats under a certain size, like the ones in the incidents in Newfoundland and New Brunswick, are not required to undergo stability analysis by Transport Canada.

An analysis would inform crew if they might be in danger of capsizing, particularly when then are loaded with goods or are taking on water.

The TSB raised the same stability issue in reports following the 2004 sinking of the Ryan's Commander off Newfoundland and the capsizing of the fishing vessel Cap Rouge II in British Columbia before that.

``These accidents keep happening and communities continue to lose lives to the sea because the stability of their vessels has not been assessed,'' said Capt. Pierre Murray, the TSB's manager of marine investigations for the Atlantic region.

Transport Canada is drafting new Fishing Vessel Safety regulations under the Canada Shipping Act, but they're not expected to be presented before this fall. No one from the department was available to comment.

Morrow said the board is hoping government will require small boats to undergo stability analysis, but also encourage broad education for fishermen who might not be aware of the dangers they're putting themselves in.

``As iterated in the recommendations for Ryan's Commander, we did think that things were dragging on a little too long,'' he said in reference to Transport Canada regulations.

``But regulations are only part of it and it really boils down to awareness and education.''

In the most recent cases, Dennis Chaulk died when his boat, the Sea Urchin, went down in Newman Sound, N.L., during tropical storm Noel.

His 10-metre boat was heading back to the wharf after participating in a Canadian Coast Guard exercise on Nov. 4, 2007, when wind and waves lashed its port side.

A net resting unsecured on the deck slid to one side of the boat, causing water to flood the wheelhouse and overturn the vessel. The three crew, none of whom was wearing flotation gear, were rescued but Chaulk later died in hospital.

Investigators concluded that the boat had poor stability that was further degraded by the rough seas.

In the other incident, Clifford Nodding of Beaver Harbour, N.B., died when his lobster boat, Big Sister, capsized and sank off Grand Manan Island on Nov. 13, 2007. Three of his crewmen were rescued.

His 10-metre boat was laden with 140 lobster traps as it sailed through choppy seas for the opening day of the season. A crew member spotted water under the traps and issued a distress call before the boat began to flip over, but it was too late for all four men to get off.

The TSB found that the traps hid the water that was flooding onto what was already an unstable vessel.

The board didn't issue fresh recommendations, but reiterated ones it issued in previous reports that found stability to be the central cause of sinkings.

It stated that all new boats should be required to submit stability data for approval and that all existing boats be subjected to stability tests.

The board also recommends that a ``code of best practices'' for loading and stability be introduced to the fishing industry and be encouraged through education and awareness programs.

Fisherman Hubert Saulnier said forcing fishermen to have stability analysis would be costly at about $12,000 and that there is little way to enforce the proper loading of vessels.

``It's very hard to legislate common sense,'' he said from Saulnierville, N.S.

``Even though you have a stability test on your vessel for that amount of money, there's probably no enforcement in stopping me from overloading my vessel anyway.''

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