Oceanos
Encyclopedia
MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship
which sank off South Africa
's eastern coast on 4 August 1991. Launched in July 1952 by Forges Chantiers de la Gironde in Bordeaux
as the Jean Laborde, it was the last of four sister ships built for Messageries Maritimes
. The ships were used on the Marseilles – Madagascar
– Mauritius
service. The Jean Laborde underwent several name changes including Mykinai, Ancona, and Eastern Princess; finally, in 1976, it was registered in Piraeus
, Greece, under the name of Oceanos.
After a successful 1988 cruise season in South Africa
, the Oceanos received an eight-month charter from TFC Tours (now Starlight Cruises) of Johannesburg
. The Oceanos was in a state of neglect, with loose hull plates, check valves stripped for repair parts after a recent trip, and a 10 cm (3.9 in) hole in the "watertight" bulkhead
between the generator and sewage tank.
. It headed into 40-knot winds and 9 m (29.5 ft) swells. Usually there would have been a "sail-away" party on deck with musicians and entertainers Moss Hills and Tracy Hills. However, due to the rough sea conditions, this was held inside in the Four Seasons lounge. Although Moss and Tracy and other members of the ship's entertainment crew did their best to get a party atmosphere going, most passengers chose to stay in their cabins.
The storm worsened as the evening progressed and when the first sitting of dinner was served, the waiters could hardly carry the trays of food without dropping something. Eventually the ship was rolling about from side to side so badly that crockery and cutlery began sliding off the tables and potted plants were falling over.
, while off the Wild Coast
of the Transkei
, a muffled explosion was heard and the Oceanos lost her power following a leak in the engine room's sea chest, a scoop-like device which brings in system cooling water. The ship's engineer reported to Captain Yiannis Avranas that water was entering the hull and flooding the generator room. The generator
s were shut down because the rising water would have shorted
them. The supply of power to auxiliary equipment which ran the engines had been severed, so the ship was left floating adrift.
The water steadily rose, flowing through the 10 cm (3.9 in) hole in the bulkhead
and into the waste disposal tank. Without check valves in the holding tank, the water coursed through the main drainage pipes and rose like a tide within the ship, spilling out of every shower, toilet, and waste disposal unit connected to the system.
Realizing the fate of the ship, the crew fled in panic, neglecting to close the lower deck portholes, which is standard policy during emergency procedures. No alarm was raised. Passengers remained ignorant of the events taking place until they themselves witnessed the first signs of flooding in the lower decks. At this stage, eyewitness accounts reveal that many of the crew, including Captain Avranas, were already packed and ready to depart, seemingly unconcerned with the safety of the passengers.
and were the first to provide assistance. The South African Navy
along with the South African Air Force
launched a massive seven-hour mission in which 16 helicopters were used to airlift the remainder of the passengers and crew to the nearby settlements of The Haven and Hole in the Wall (32°2′0"S 29°6′36"E), about 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Coffee Bay. Of the 16 rescue helicopters, 13 were South African Air Force Pumas
, nine of which were responsible for hoisting and evacuating 225 passengers off the deck of the sinking ship.
All 571 people on board were saved, following one of the world’s most dramatic and successful rescue operations of its kind. Entertainers Julian Butler and Moss Hills recorded the efforts of the entertainment staff, which included Tracy Hills and Robert Boltman, to assist the passengers with a home video recorder. Butler, Hills and Hills' wife Tracy were among the last five to be rescued from the ship just before it sank.
, the Oceanos rolled over onto her side and her stern rose upright and sank. The bow struck the sand 90 m (295.3 ft) below the surface, whilst more than 60 m (196.9 ft) of her stern remained aloft a few minutes before also slipping below, coming to rest at 32.12093°S 29.12029°E on her starboard side almost perpendicular to the coastline, with her bow facing seaward.
Although perhaps only a coincidence, Epirotiki Line
s had within the three years preceding the sinking, lost two other ships: the company's flagship Pegasus
only two months before, and the MTS Jupiter, three years before. The Oceanos had the highest possible safety rating at Lloyd's Register of Shipping.
Dateline NBC
aired a documentary of this incident on May 23, 2010. The sinking of the ship is the subject of a song called "Oceanos" by Celtic rock band COAST
.
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
which sank off South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's eastern coast on 4 August 1991. Launched in July 1952 by Forges Chantiers de la Gironde in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
as the Jean Laborde, it was the last of four sister ships built for Messageries Maritimes
Messageries Maritimes
The Messageries Maritimes is an old French maritime company. It was originally created in 1851 as Messageries Nationales, later called Messageries Impériales, and in 1871, Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes.-History:...
. The ships were used on the Marseilles – Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
– Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
service. The Jean Laborde underwent several name changes including Mykinai, Ancona, and Eastern Princess; finally, in 1976, it was registered in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, Greece, under the name of Oceanos.
After a successful 1988 cruise season in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the Oceanos received an eight-month charter from TFC Tours (now Starlight Cruises) of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. The Oceanos was in a state of neglect, with loose hull plates, check valves stripped for repair parts after a recent trip, and a 10 cm (3.9 in) hole in the "watertight" bulkhead
Bulkhead (partition)
A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
between the generator and sewage tank.
Final voyage
On 3 August 1991, the Oceanos set out from East London, South Africa, headed to DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. It headed into 40-knot winds and 9 m (29.5 ft) swells. Usually there would have been a "sail-away" party on deck with musicians and entertainers Moss Hills and Tracy Hills. However, due to the rough sea conditions, this was held inside in the Four Seasons lounge. Although Moss and Tracy and other members of the ship's entertainment crew did their best to get a party atmosphere going, most passengers chose to stay in their cabins.
The storm worsened as the evening progressed and when the first sitting of dinner was served, the waiters could hardly carry the trays of food without dropping something. Eventually the ship was rolling about from side to side so badly that crockery and cutlery began sliding off the tables and potted plants were falling over.
Flooding
At approximately 21:30 UTC+2UTC+2
UTC+02 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-Central Africa Time:*Botswana*Burundi*Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, while off the Wild Coast
Wild Coast Region, Eastern Cape
The Wild Coast is one of the four regions of the Eastern Cape, a province of South Africa. The region stretches from its border with Buffalo City in the south to the Mthamvuna River near Port Edward in the north...
of the Transkei
Transkei
The Transkei , officially the Republic of Transkei , was a Bantustan—an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity—and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa...
, a muffled explosion was heard and the Oceanos lost her power following a leak in the engine room's sea chest, a scoop-like device which brings in system cooling water. The ship's engineer reported to Captain Yiannis Avranas that water was entering the hull and flooding the generator room. The generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
s were shut down because the rising water would have shorted
Short circuit
A short circuit in an electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path, often where essentially no electrical impedance is encountered....
them. The supply of power to auxiliary equipment which ran the engines had been severed, so the ship was left floating adrift.
The water steadily rose, flowing through the 10 cm (3.9 in) hole in the bulkhead
Bulkhead (partition)
A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
and into the waste disposal tank. Without check valves in the holding tank, the water coursed through the main drainage pipes and rose like a tide within the ship, spilling out of every shower, toilet, and waste disposal unit connected to the system.
Realizing the fate of the ship, the crew fled in panic, neglecting to close the lower deck portholes, which is standard policy during emergency procedures. No alarm was raised. Passengers remained ignorant of the events taking place until they themselves witnessed the first signs of flooding in the lower decks. At this stage, eyewitness accounts reveal that many of the crew, including Captain Avranas, were already packed and ready to depart, seemingly unconcerned with the safety of the passengers.
Rescue efforts
Nearby vessels responded to the ship's SOSSOS
SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...
and were the first to provide assistance. The South African Navy
South African Navy
The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922....
along with the South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
launched a massive seven-hour mission in which 16 helicopters were used to airlift the remainder of the passengers and crew to the nearby settlements of The Haven and Hole in the Wall (32°2′0"S 29°6′36"E), about 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Coffee Bay. Of the 16 rescue helicopters, 13 were South African Air Force Pumas
Aérospatiale Puma
The Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engined medium transport/utility helicopter. The Puma was originally manufactured by Sud Aviation of France.-Development:...
, nine of which were responsible for hoisting and evacuating 225 passengers off the deck of the sinking ship.
All 571 people on board were saved, following one of the world’s most dramatic and successful rescue operations of its kind. Entertainers Julian Butler and Moss Hills recorded the efforts of the entertainment staff, which included Tracy Hills and Robert Boltman, to assist the passengers with a home video recorder. Butler, Hills and Hills' wife Tracy were among the last five to be rescued from the ship just before it sank.
Final moments
The following day, at approximately 15:30 UTC+2UTC+2
UTC+02 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-Central Africa Time:*Botswana*Burundi*Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, the Oceanos rolled over onto her side and her stern rose upright and sank. The bow struck the sand 90 m (295.3 ft) below the surface, whilst more than 60 m (196.9 ft) of her stern remained aloft a few minutes before also slipping below, coming to rest at 32.12093°S 29.12029°E on her starboard side almost perpendicular to the coastline, with her bow facing seaward.
Aftermath
Captain Yiannis Avranas was accused by the passengers of leaving hundreds behind with no one other than the ship's onboard entertainers to help them evacuate. Avranas claimed that he left the ship first in order to arrange for a rescue effort, and then supervised the rescue effort from a helicopter. Avranas stated, "When I give the order abandon ship, it doesn't matter what time I leave. Abandon is for everybody. If some people want to stay, they can stay."Although perhaps only a coincidence, Epirotiki Line
Epirotiki Line
Epirotiki Line was a shipping company that operated from the mid 1850s to the late 1990s. Epirotiki Line operated mainly cruise vessels, but also operated a variety of other vessels such as cargo and tanker vessels.-Foundation:...
s had within the three years preceding the sinking, lost two other ships: the company's flagship Pegasus
MS Svea Corona
MS Svea Corona was a car-passenger ferry built in 1975 by Dubegion-Normandie S.A., Nantes, France for Rederi AB Svea, Sweden for Silja Line traffic. She was later rebuilt as a cruiseship and known under names MS Sundancer and MS Pegasus...
only two months before, and the MTS Jupiter, three years before. The Oceanos had the highest possible safety rating at Lloyd's Register of Shipping.
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
aired a documentary of this incident on May 23, 2010. The sinking of the ship is the subject of a song called "Oceanos" by Celtic rock band COAST
COAST (band)
Coast is an English folk rock group, based in Southampton, UK. Coast is Paul Eastham , Chris Barnes , Hamish Ferguson and Steve Picken .-History:...
.
Wreck
The Oceanos wreck lies at a depth that varies between 92 m (301.8 ft) and 97 m (318.2 ft) 97m, about 5 km (3.1 mi) offshore. Divers have visited the wreck site but noted that the current was so strong that diving to the Oceanos is difficult and the wreck lies in some of the most shark infested waters on earth. Pictures taken in 2004 reveal that the bridge section of Oceanos has since collapsed.External links
- The Oceanos Sinking
- The Oceanos' Final Moments On Video - Reportage - YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- The Oceanos sinking footage