Book Read Free

Into the Raging Sea

Page 35

by Rachel Slade


  McCain, John, 141

  McCarthy, Dave, 216–18, 220–23, 225–27

  McLean, Malcom, 89, 90, 95

  media, 267–68

  Meklin, Dylan, 180

  Melville, Herman, 49, 122

  Mendoza, Juan Escalante de, 45–46

  Merchant Marine, US, 39, 122, 124, 142

  Merchant Marine Act of 1920. See Jones Act

  Mexico, 53, 144

  Miami-Herald, 284

  Minouche (ship), 220–27

  Mitch, Hurricane, 51

  MMA. See Maine Maritime Academy

  Moby-Dick (Melville), 122, 135

  Morison, Samuel Eliot, 138, 139

  Morrell, Phil, 118, 119–20, 286–88

  Morse code, 257

  National Hurricane Center (NHC), 22, 40, 43, 51–53, 69, 72, 99, 101, 102, 153, 156, 160, 161, 181, 185

  Davidson’s dismissal of reports, 123, 186

  forecasts/advisories of, 19–20, 48, 49–50, 51, 54

  on Hurricane Mitch, 51

  imprecision in hurricane forecasting, 352–53

  inaccuracy of Joaquin forecasts, 106, 107, 166

  Randolph’s plotting of forecast, 105–6

  self-tracking of errors, 52–53

  Tropical Cyclone Discussions, 108

  unequivocal reports on Joaquin, 121

  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 16, 20, 23, 52, 212, 354

  National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), 77, 150, 250, 263, 265–66, 268, 269, 275, 285, 313

  Edmund Fitzgerald investigation, 272

  El Faro investigation (see investigation)

  Lawrence interviewed by, 307

  report of, 356

  Roth-Roffy’s resignation from, 328

  National Weather Service (NWS), 63, 108, 272–73, 353, 354

  Navieras de Puerto Rico Steamship Company, 93–94

  NAVTEX, 43

  Neeson, Tim, 131, 304

  Nelson, Bill, 268

  Neubauer, Jason, 170, 259–63, 265, 268, 272, 355–56, 358

  background of, 259

  Marine Board hearings and, 285, 291, 306, 327

  New England, 47, 136–37

  New Jersey, 53

  New York, 53

  New Yorker, 167

  New York Maritime College, 313

  New York Times, 145

  NHC. See National Hurricane Center

  Nicaragua, 51

  Nichols, John P., 111–12

  NOAA. See National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Nolan, Tim, 299–300

  Northeast Providence Channel, 103–4

  Northern Lights (ship) (originally Puerto Rico, then El Faro), 94–96, 304, 320

  Northland (cutter), 248, 249

  Northwest Providence Channel, 23

  NTSB. See National Transportation Safety Board

  NWS. See National Weather Service

  Obama, Barack, 125

  Odom, Mike, 243–44, 261, 291–93

  Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis (USCG), 259

  officers of El Faro, 39, 125, 285–86

  O’Hara Corporation, 61

  Old Bahama Channel, 24, 41, 163, 164

  description of, 23

  as El Faro return route, 71–78, 104–5, 305–6

  open lifeboats, 94, 95, 173–74, 197, 358–59

  Operation Bootstrap, 143

  Orion (side-scan sonar), 270–71

  Osnos, Evan, 167–68

  Outlaw Sea (Langewiesche), 142

  Patricia, Hurricane, 53

  Perfect Storm (film), 127, 233

  Persian Gulf wars, 94, 96, 171

  Pew, J. Howard, 83–84

  Pew, Joseph N. (son), 83–84

  Pew, Joseph Newton (father), 83–84

  Pew Charitable Trust, 83

  Pew family, 82

  Philadelphia Inquirer, 84

  Philippines, 53

  Phoenix International, 332

  Phy, Scott, 219, 221, 226, 247

  Pinta (ship), 130

  piracy, 34

  Pittman, Charlotte, 204

  Plimsoll, Samuel, 174

  Plimsoll mark, 174, 255, 272, 304

  Poet (ship), 260

  Polish contractors of El Faro, 60, 69, 70, 73, 304

  Ponce-class ships, 94, 95–96, 280, 295–96, 322. See also roll-on/roll-off ships

  Ponce de Leon (ship), 92–93

  port captains, 258, 287

  Port Clyde, 61

  port engineers, 258

  Porter, James, 235–37, 285, 347

  Porter, Marlena, 235–37, 285, 347

  Post, Rick, 216–18, 220–23, 225–27

  price-fixing lawsuit, 175

  Prime Osborne Convention Center, 283–84

  privateering, 140

  Project Jennifer, 85

  Providence Channel, 104

  Puerto Rico, 19, 22, 37, 49, 92, 94, 115, 203, 286, 320

  bankruptcy forbidden to, 144

  economic collapse of, 33, 34–35

  Hurricane Irma and, 53–54

  Hurricane Maria and, 53–54, 144–45, 351

  importance of ships to, 24, 170–71, 297

  Jones Act and, 142–45

  monopoly on shipping services to, 176

  Puerto Rico (ship) (later Northern Lights, then El Faro), 81, 92, 93–94

  Pusatere, Frank, 149, 349

  Pusatere, Josephine, 150, 349

  Pusatere, Lillian, 149, 349

  Pusatere, Rich, 149–51, 197, 198, 286, 349

  background of, 149

  flooding of ship and, 189–90, 191–92, 339, 340

  problems with lube system, 182–83, 187–88

  propulsion loss and, 193, 195

  Shultz’s conversation with, 340

  Queen Mary (ship), 56

  racial tensions, 114, 124–25

  rainbands, 246, 248

  Randolph, Danielle, 17, 38, 54, 59–67, 69–71, 97–101, 109, 132, 177, 186, 193, 195, 198, 267, 336

  abandon ship alarm sounded by, 200

  alternate course plotted by, 162, 163, 164–65

  background of, 61–62

  cats of, 238–39, 348

  conservative politics of, 98

  Davidson comforted by, 192

  Davidson disliked by, 57, 59–60, 67, 71, 97, 163

  Davidson’s course change questioned by, 191

  Davidson’s return route plans and, 73–74

  disillusionment with job, 57, 65–66, 97

  emergency message prepared by, 197

  family notified, 237

  final emails of, 182, 237, 239

  increasing concern about Joaquin, 70–71, 122–23, 160–66

  last sighting of, 341

  Mathias’s conversation with, 70–71

  memorial service for, 348

  NHC forecast plotted out by, 105–6

  onshore life of, 64

  on-the-job accident of, 65

  sexual harassment of, 63, 67

  Reagan, Ronald, 95, 141, 257

  Reddit, 168

  red sky, 27

  report, 356–60

  Republicans, 257

  Rescue Swimmer Training Program, 223–24, 355

  Resolute (cutter), 248, 249

  Riehm, Jeremie, 29–32, 99, 152–57, 197, 198

  alternate route search of, 162

  appearance of, 29

  background of, 31

  Davidson’s discussions with, 30–31, 40–41, 42–44, 142–43, 147–48, 152–53

  Davidson supported by, 155

  Davidson warned of peril by, 156–57

  family of, 31–32

  frustration with increased workload, 37–39

  increasing concern about Joaquin, 41, 43–44, 147–48, 152–53, 156–57, 159–62

  Randolph’s discussions with, 59–60, 160–62

  Shultz’s discussion with, 29–30

  technological prowess of, 31, 32

  Rivera, LaShawn, 39–40, 285, 3
47–48

  Roberts, Deb, 267, 278

  flight to Jacksonville, 237–38

  notification of, 229–32

  spiritual connection with son, 348–49

  Robinson, Jim, 98–99, 183

  Rockefeller, Jay, 269

  Rockefeller, John D., 83

  roll-on/roll-off ships, 87, 89–96, 281. See also Ponce-class ships

  design of, 90–91

  vulnerabilities of, 91–92

  Rose (ship), 65

  Roth-Roffy, Tom, 265–66, 272

  background of, 265

  as a folk hero, 268

  Marine Board hearings and, 288, 290, 300, 324–29

  on mission to find VDR, 270–71, 273–75, 312, 317

  resignation from NTSB post, 328

  TOTE lawyers’ confrontation of, 268, 327–29

  safety management system (SMS), 292, 293, 302, 303

  salaries of ship personnel, 40, 113

  Saltchuk, 94, 171, 286, 299, 323

  Samana Cay, 208

  Sandy, Hurricane. See Hurricane Sandy

  San Juan, 9, 24, 144

  San Salvador, 54, 130–33, 147, 148

  Saviano, Roberto, 32–33

  Scattoloni, Korinn, 64–65

  Schorsch, Eugene, 86–87, 89–92, 95

  Schwartz, Stuart, 45–46

  scuttles, 127–29, 181, 189, 192, 296, 359

  Seafarers International Union (SIU), 39, 256, 290–91

  SeaLand, 89, 90, 92

  seamen’s hospitals, 257

  Sea of Storms (Schwartz), 45–46

  search-and-rescue operation, 203–14, 215–27, 241–51

  body from El Faro found, 249–50

  coast guard informed of El Faro’s plight, 206–8

  coast guard stories of, 204, 243–44

  decision to implement, 241–46

  delayed by hurricane conditions, 211, 219, 220, 245

  emotional toll of coordinating, 205

  inability to pinpoint El Faro’s position, 210–14

  initial attempt, 245–47

  for Minouche, 220–27

  official end of announced, 266–67

  remains of El Faro found, 249–51

  risk assessment, 219, 242–43

  Sea Star Lines, 94, 171, 289, 323

  SENTRY, 315, 317, 318

  September 11 terrorist attacks, 258–59

  sexual harassment, 63, 67

  Sherman Antitrust Act, 175

  shipping, 135–45, 253–58

  in colonial era, 135–38

  corporal punishment abolished in, 253

  costs of, 257

  dangers of, 253–56

  downsizing in, 257–58

  importance of to modern world, 167–68, 170–71

  inspections in, 260–62

  peacetime casualties in, 260

  profitability of, 255

  rebellious seamen in, 138

  regulation of, 138–45, 171–76

  shipbuilding industry, 137

  US north-south divided opened by, 136

  Shultz, Steven, 18, 121–27, 147, 177–79, 188, 195, 286, 337

  appearance of, 20

  barometric pressure monitored by, 181, 186

  concerns about lashings, 25–26

  conversation with El Yunque chief mate, 101–2

  Davidson’s discussions with, 19–22, 25–27, 104–5, 121–24, 129–32

  Davidson supported by, 178–79, 186

  difficulties managing crew, 124–25

  family of, 26

  flooding of ship and, 190, 192, 339–40, 341

  Hamm comforted by, 189

  increasing concern about Joaquin, 121–24, 126–27

  Riehm’s discussion with, 29–30

  “Sister’s Journey, The” (Loftfield), 294–95

  SIU. See Seafarers International Union

  slavery, 136

  Smith, Jamie, 361

  SMS. See safety management system

  Somalia, 34

  South Carolina, 21, 108, 203, 267–68

  South China Sea, 34

  South Street Seaport, 65

  Soviet Union, 85

  Spanish explorers, 44–46

  Spanish galleon treasure, 23

  SSAS alert message, 207–8, 213

  St. Croix, 171

  St. Johns Bar Pilot Association, 7

  St. Johns River, 8, 9

  steam engines, 150–52

  Steinbeck, John, 36

  Stephanos, Austin, 205

  Stith, Kevin, 102

  Stolzenberg, Eric, 313–18, 334

  StormGeo, 357

  Straits of Florida, 23–24, 103, 132

  Sun Oil Company (later Sunoco), 83–84

  Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock shipyard, 81–95, 277

  author’s grandfather employed by, 84–85

  discontinues operations, 95

  employees cared for by, 83, 84

  founding of, 83

  historical marker for, 82

  leveling of, 81

  SUNY Maritime, 149

  supercargo position, 137

  survivalism, 168–70

  Taíno, 44–45

  tariffs, 138–39

  Thomas, Paul, 262–63

  Thompson, Ray, 116, 118, 119, 120

  3-2-1 rule, 50–51

  Thurmond, Strom, 144

  Titanic (ship), 256, 267, 271, 277–78

  Tocqueville, Alexis de, 254

  TOTE, 15, 32–37, 57, 72, 207, 314

  crewing manager of, 116–19

  Davidson denied promotion in, 115–20, 299–300

  Davidson hired by, 112

  Davidson’s calls to emergency center, 3–4, 198–200, 305–6, 307

  Davidson’s Erika detour and, 24, 75

  Davidson’s return route alterations and, 74–77, 305–6

  Davidson’s worries about job with, 24, 121, 130–33

  downsizing in, 35, 117, 258, 321, 323–25

  drug smuggling on ships of, 32–34, 35, 36, 37, 320

  family notifications by, 229–32, 234, 236–37

  financial goals and concerns of, 24, 34–35, 175

  introduction of by Sun, 94

  Jackson’s criticism of, 153–54

  liability issue, 286–88

  Marine Board hearings and, 286–97, 299–309, 319–29

  maritime laws and, 171–76

  official name of, 94

  overtime cutbacks, 125

  perceived lack of job security at, 97, 98–99, 102

  price-fixing lawsuit, 175

  report findings on, 356–60

  Roth-Roffy confrontation and, 268, 327–29

  service violations received by, 357

  settlement with families, 288, 357

  subsidiaries of, 286, 299–300

  vessels and storm not tracked by, 77–78

  TOTE Maritime Alaska, 286

  TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, 286, 299–300, 323

  TOTE Services, 286, 299, 300, 324

  TOTE Shipholdings, 299

  trade, 87, 95

  Transamerican Trailer Transport (TTT), 90, 93

  treasure, sunken, 23

  Tropical Depression Eleven, 48, 49–50, 217–18

  Tropical Storm Erika, 24, 41, 75

  Tropical Storm Joaquin, 19–27

  detour around considered, 19–22

  evolution from depression to, 49–50

  forecasts/advisories on, 19–20, 49–50

  speed of, 20

  troposphere, 48

  Trump, Donald, 125, 144–45

  Turks, 20

  TWA flight 800, 269

  Typhoon Haiyan, 53

  underwater communication cables, 30

  unions, 39, 87–88, 141, 256–57, 290–91

  University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, 354

  unlicensed crew of El Faro, 20, 39–40, 117, 124–25, 285, 320

  VDR. See voyage data recorder

  vesselfinder.com, 211

 
; Vietnam War, 216

  Villacampa, Pete, 32, 153–54

  Virgin Islands, 351

  Vittone, Mario, 243–44

  voyage data recorder (VDR), 309, 331–37, 356, 360

  coast guard installation recommendations, 359

  cost of recovery missions, 312, 313, 331, 333, 362

  data recovery, 334–36

  recovery of, 331–33

  search for, 269–75, 311–18

  transcript of audio, 337

  Walbridge, Robin, 65, 260

  Walmart, 176, 297

  War of 1812, 62, 139–40

  Washington, George, 82

  Washington Post, 354

  Watson, James, 361

  waves, 56–57, 164, 188

  Weather Channel, 100, 153, 164

  Weather Underground, 147, 186

  Webb Institute, 89

  Weisenborn, Bill, 258, 320–21, 322, 324

  whaling ships, 137–38

  whistleblowers, 36, 175

  wind heel, 178, 179, 189, 190

  wind speed, 55–56, 72–73, 352

  Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 315

  World Bank, 34

  World Economic Forum, 141

  World War I, 83, 84

  World War II, 82, 84–85, 142, 216

  Yankee (magazine), 278

  Young, Brian, 150–51

  Zimmerman, George, 125

  About the Author

  RACHEL SLADE is a Boston-based journalist, writer, and editor. She was a staff writer at Boston magazine for ten years, and her writing earned her a City and Regional Magazine Award in civic journalism. She splits her time between Brookline, Massachusetts, and Rockport, Maine.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  Copyright

  INTO THE RAGING SEA. Copyright © 2018 by Rachel Slade. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  FIRST EDITION

  Ship illustration by Michael Chan

  Cover design by Allison Saltzman

  Cover photograph © Mike Hill/Getty Images

  Digital Edition MAY 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-269971-8

  Print ISBN: 978-0-06-269970-1 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-0-06-287032-2 (international edition)

  Version 04112018

  About the Publisher

  Australia

  HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.

  Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street

  Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

  www.harpercollins.com.au

  Canada

  HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

 

‹ Prev