Safety On Pinoy Ferries

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Medic Mike
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Any pointers on the best places to stand/sit on a ferry so can escape easier/faster if something does happen?

 

Definitely top side...inside the cabins, or below deck with all the minions not a good place to be.

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Jake
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Any pointers on the best places to stand/sit on a ferry so can escape easier/faster if something does happen?

 

Definitely top side...inside the cabins, or below deck with all the minions not a good place to be.

 

You would pay more for top side, air conditioned passenger lounge.  Also keep an eye on what the crew does when no announcement is made during emergency.  Often times, the captain and crew have abandoned ship already, leaving us minions with a thumb up our butts.  Yeah, record that from your cellphone for criminal investigation later.  

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Larry45
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Good topic....we ride ferries quite often and took that same Ormoc-Camotes trip several times (the one that sunk recently and killed 50+).    On our last trip, there weren't enough life vests for the passengers and coast guard inspectors just looked at me without one and laughed. Not sure if they thought I could swim, hoped I would drown, or just didn't really care and found a good excuse to laugh at a foreigner.  None of it mattered anyways, because as soon as we left port, everyone removed their vests.

 

Yeah, we try to be vigilant by sitting in the back of the boat, away from the crowd and closer to an exit.  We ride the Supercat fastcraft a lot and always pay a little extra to sit in the upper level in first class.  Much less crowded and easier to evacuate.  If you told a Filipino that you were being safety-conscious, they would laugh at you and say you are just scared.  It's not macho to plan for the worst-case scenario.  Somehow they think it's better to take the loss, and be resilient in the aftermath.   :unsure:

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Mike S
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We usually sit right outside the wheel house as I figure we can do what ever the captain and crew do ..... I know the captain will not be the last to get off ...... :hystery: :hystery:

:cheersty:

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Medic Mike
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Any pointers on the best places to stand/sit on a ferry so can escape easier/faster if something does happen?

 

Definitely top side...inside the cabins, or below deck with all the minions not a good place to be.

 

You would pay more for top side, air conditioned passenger lounge.  Also keep an eye on what the crew does when no announcement is made during emergency.  Often times, the captain and crew have abandoned ship already, leaving us minions with a thumb up our butts.  Yeah, record that from your cellphone for criminal investigation later.  

 

All good advice. Also, which I know "it is easier said then done, especially when everyone else is losing their heads"...which I know first hand being involved in a capsized vessel several years ago, if you must jump in the water, make sure you have a life preserver, even if you are a good swimmer, and be very aware if the props are still engaged on the vessel as well.

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Medic Mike
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We usually sit right outside the wheel house as I figure we can do what ever the captain and crew do ..... I know the captain will not be the last to get off ...... :hystery: :hystery:

:cheersty:

Sad but true about the captain :)

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frosty (chris)
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We sometimes ride the Mactan/ Cebu passenger ferries that run all the time, I know it's not that far and I could probably make it back to land but not with 10 or so locals hanging off me, we sit at the back near the wheel house, I figure if the captain goes over the side we have just joined his crew, the life jackets are in the centre of the boat :hystery:

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jon1
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When we were doing lots of road trips, we always planned them around the time of year. Never travel on ferries during high traffic periods (Christmas Holidays, All Saint's day, etc.), or during typhoon season. We always took the shortest ferry trip possible to eliminate the amount of time on the water. I bought and imported a pair of fishing life preserver vests that were lighter and could still hold both of us up. Do not depend on the life preservers on board, most are expired and will absorb water not repel and you will end up with an anchor around your neck. 

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Thomas
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I'm not a worrying type in general, but most of the ferries realy scare me (when the travel is more than very short so the weather and waves can be predicted.) They are made for RIVER traffic, not ocean...  :bash:

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  • 3 weeks later...
Gerald Glatt
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Your life vest is under the seat.

It is to keep your seat afloat.

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