Jollygoodfellow Posted May 23, 2009 Posted May 23, 2009 Personally I don't think I would risk these ferries but on the other hand theres really not much choice depending on where you want to go.Anyone had a near miss on a ferry?TWELVE people were killed and 57 rescued after a ferry sank in waters south of the Philippine capital today, the coast guard said.The boat, the MV Commander 6, was carrying people from Batangas to a resort beach on the island of Mindoro when it was hit by large waves which cracked its hull, causing the vessel to sink, the coast guard report said.Coast guard rescue vessels and private boats rushed to the scene to rescue the people. There were no immediate reports on whether any of the people onboard were still missing.The boat had only 42 people on its manifest, indicating that many people had boarded without being listed, coast guard officials said.Small, poorly-maintained ferries are the backbone of inter-island travel in this archipelagic country and many ferry owners resort to overloading their vessels, leading to frequent maritime mishaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted May 23, 2009 Posted May 23, 2009 Personally I don't think I would risk these ferries but on the other hand theres really not much choice depending on where you want to go.Anyone had a near miss on a ferry?TWELVE people were killed and 57 rescued after a ferry sank in waters south of the Philippine capital today, the coast guard said.The boat, the MV Commander 6, was carrying people from Batangas to a resort beach on the island of Mindoro when it was hit by large waves which cracked its hull, causing the vessel to sink, the coast guard report said.Coast guard rescue vessels and private boats rushed to the scene to rescue the people. There were no immediate reports on whether any of the people onboard were still missing.The boat had only 42 people on its manifest, indicating that many people had boarded without being listed, coast guard officials said.Small, poorly-maintained ferries are the backbone of inter-island travel in this archipelagic country and many ferry owners resort to overloading their vessels, leading to frequent maritime mishaps.I intend to buy my own life preservers before taking a ferry in the Philippines. I do not think they would have one to support my weight, so I am going to buy one in the states and bring it with me and leave it in our condo there. I will also buy one for my wife. I am going to avoid ferry's, but as you said, sometimes we have no choice depending on where we are going to go.I think everyone should remember that there is or can be a vast weight difference between a westerner and the average Filipino, so the life preservers they supply, that is if they have enough, will probably not be for a westerners weight and therefore might be useless should the boat sink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jollygoodfellow Posted May 24, 2009 Author Posted May 24, 2009 Personally I don't think I would risk these ferries but on the other hand theres really not much choice depending on where you want to go.Anyone had a near miss on a ferry?TWELVE people were killed and 57 rescued after a ferry sank in waters south of the Philippine capital today, the coast guard said.The boat, the MV Commander 6, was carrying people from Batangas to a resort beach on the island of Mindoro when it was hit by large waves which cracked its hull, causing the vessel to sink, the coast guard report said.Coast guard rescue vessels and private boats rushed to the scene to rescue the people. There were no immediate reports on whether any of the people onboard were still missing.The boat had only 42 people on its manifest, indicating that many people had boarded without being listed, coast guard officials said.Small, poorly-maintained ferries are the backbone of inter-island travel in this archipelagic country and many ferry owners resort to overloading their vessels, leading to frequent maritime mishaps.I intend to buy my own life preservers before taking a ferry in the Philippines. I do not think they would have one to support my weight, so I am going to buy one in the states and bring it with me and leave it in our condo there. I will also buy one for my wife. I am going to avoid ferry's, but as you said, sometimes we have no choice depending on where we are going to go.I think everyone should remember that there is or can be a vast weight difference between a westerner and the average Filipino, so the life preservers they supply, that is if they have enough, will probably not be for a westerners weight and therefore might be useless should the boat sink. I think everyone should remember that there is or can be a vast weight difference between a westerner and the average Filipino, so the life preservers they supply, that is if they have enough, will probably not be for a westerners weight and therefore might be useless should the boat sink.Good point LeeIn my case I would need one on each leg and arms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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