If they had lost power while paralleling the coast, they would have been pushed aground, not sunk.
The NTSB has decided to investigate, which is not normal as far as I know.
]]>All that was necessary would have been to parallel the Florida coast until they were south of the storm and then turn east to go to Puerto Rico. Staying in a straight line between J-ville and San Juan was criminal. If they had paralleled the coast the worst case would have been grounding in sand near dry land.
It sounds the vessel just broke up in the waves. They had two lifeboats, both of which were large enough for the entire crew, and liferafts. I don’t think they had the time or ability to launch anything.
The company claims they sailed because Joaquin was only a tropical storm at the time it departed. The government of the Bahamas issued a Hurricane Watch on the second day it was a tropical storm, and it became a Category 3 major hurricane the next day. The forecast called for this kind intensification. The cruise ships were all re-routing because of the storm, and a container ship is even less seaworthy in a storm because they are top heavy and subject to cargo shifts in rough seas.
]]>– Badtux the Snarky Penguin
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