The Ferry That Vanished in Calm Seas
About this video
In this maritime disaster analysis, we examine the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise, a roll-on/roll-off ferry that capsized in minutes after leaving port with its bow door open. Learn how a single unsecured door and a rogue wave led to the loss of 193 lives, and why this tragedy reshaped maritime safety regulations. Chapters: 00:00 The Ferry That Vanished in Calm Seas 00:25 A Single Open Door 00:46 The Ship and Her Routine 01:04 A Simple Procedure 01:21 “I thought he was going to close the bow door.” 01:37 No indicator, no alarm, no warning 01:53 The sea finds the open door 02:11 A killer in the car deck 02:34 The ship rolls over 02:52 If the bow door had been closed… 03:11 Inside the Capsize 03:27 No warning on the bridge 03:55 The Disease of Sloppiness 04:14 Infected with the disease of sloppiness from top 04:34 An Inevitable Disaster 04:53 The first of many changes 05:13 Boring details keep ships upright 05:31 The 90-Second Capsize 05:55 The Sleeping Bosun 06:28 Survivors' Escape Sources & further reading: • Report of Court No. 8074: Herald of Free Enterprise — Formal investigation report by Justice Barry Sheen, published by the Department of Transport, UK, 1987. • Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) — https://www.gov.uk/maib • International Maritime Organization (IMO) — https://www.imo.org • Lloyd's Register — https://www.lr.org • BBC News Archive: Herald of Free Enterprise — https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive • The Sheen Inquiry Transcripts — Public records of the formal investigation hearings, held in London, 1987.
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