Wooden hulls with two outriggers

IN an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands and populated by more than 100m people (12th largest in the world), most of us travel by boat from island to island. Shipbuilding in the country started long before Magellan reached Cebu in 1521 and followed by Legaspi in 1565. Filipino overseas seamen number about 800,000 who remit to their families some $5.6 billion yearly. We have schools for sailors and shipbuilders all over the country. Filipino naval architects are found all over the world, though our big shipping companies in Cebu, Iloilo, Negros Occ., Mindanao, and Luzon prefer to buy second-hand passenger boats.

Some violations Last week in Ormoc City, one ferry with outriggers made a quick turn and capsized in bad weather killing at least 59 passengers. The authorities counted 142 survivors. Among the reported violations were: 1) most passengers were not given lifejackets, 2) some passengers were not listed on the manifest, and 3) overloading of cargo. There’s no report yet on the qualification of the crew who all survived together with the ferry owner.

Passenger in my shower Years ago a kababayan and I bought tickets for a two-passenger cabin. Our boat had enjoyed a record of safety and comfort over the years. An hour before departure, Coast Guard officers boarded our boat and counted the passengers. One kababayan without a ticket somehow found my cabin. He told me he arrived late but was allowed to buy a ticket on board. He asked me if he could stay in my cabin’s shower to avoid ejection for not buying a ticket. I turned pale when he proceeded to the shower.

He avoided paying a first-class ticket. But most passengers with first-class tickets later told me that the practice of hiding in the shower and toilet was not new. Some who followed the practice were caught, but NOT all. Counting passengers honestly Most big passenger liners with destinations in big cities in the south can load 1,000 plus passengers as the official limit appearing on the passenger manifest. But selling 1,200 tickets or more cannot be detected on the day/hour of departure. My story about a passenger hiding in my shower is more than 50 years old. Since then has the management counted passengers honestly and efficiently? The answer can be given only by a honest otoridad

and shipping company.

Use of outriggers

The Ormoc ferry is only one of the hundreds of small ferries with a limited capacity of 150 to 250 passengers. Most experts in building boats with wooden hulls object to the use of outriggers calling them an invitation to disaster. Outriggers for boats with a limited capacity of 200 passengers provide no guaranty of safety like the outriggers for small fishing boats using a diesel engine of 7 to 16 hp.

Waves hitting outriggers

Years ago I engaged in small-time fishing using a purse seine net. My boat was small and its crew of 20 advised me that outriggers were not necessary. They told me outriggers won’t give any factor of safety with waves two meters high hitting the two outriggers and the boat. I followed my crew members’ advice and I ended my fishing venture without a mishap at sea for 12 successive years.

I had some long discussions with young naval architects about outriggers. According to them, even the ancient Vikings had not considered outriggers as factors for safety and seaworthiness of their low and lean boats.