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Open answer to phsharkey, Quoted from phsharkey letter, " While we were engaged in this battle the R/V Wahoo was, as I said rolling dead bodies off on the dock at a rate of one or more a year, none of whom were research divers." After reading your statement a public forum is necessary, people have a right to know the true and what is not. By bringing the subject to light makes rats like you run and hide. This goes for the other piece of shit Smithers using Captain Janet answers about dry suit diving to take a shot at us. Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 02:15:24 -0500 (EST) From: "William M. Smithers" <will@tr*.co*> Subject: Wahoo Safety Record (was Re: Dry Suit Diving.) Janet "This is good advice, but your dive boat still has the single worst safety record of any in the NorthEast. (check the Coast Guard records)." Both you pieces of shit should follow your own advice and call the Coast Guard. As a dive boat operator and President of the Eastern Dive Boat Association for twelve years we have tried to start an investigative process like the Cave Divers investigation process to uncover why an accident happened, but to no avail because many of the diving incidences are followed by law suits. Making dive boat operators not able to make statement because their lawyers won't let them. There is no private slandering, when you say things that aren't true, in private or public its still slander . . . You are wrong on all counts . . . The Wahoo has never "rolling bodies off the dock" or any other place. NO DIVE BOAT HAS, (Dive boat don't kill divers, divers kill themselves. ) Its assholes like you that make untrue statements out of ignorance and perpetuate lies that hurt our industry. You should find another way to be noticed. Your thin ego is showing, The URI accident data program had so many diving deaths listed for the Doria because John wanted to believe deep diving meant death, he told me so. John was getting so many reports on the same death and had too many listed for the Doria but would not change the number from 50 until he had investigated them all. John finally corrected the count . . . John Maciniff and I spoke many time about the number of diving deaths while diving the Andrea Doria, he said "50" this was back in the late eighties and there were only six at that time. As you said you were at URI so you know all the mistakes that were being made. There has been three death of divers in the seventeen years associated with the Wahoo, but one is to many. But we do not have any control over what a diver does after exiting the boat and goes underwater. The Wahoo is a mode of transportation, Certified and document by the United States Coast Guard as a Research Vessel and is certified to carry 48 passengers for hire, up 100 miles oceans coastwise United States. The Wahoo was built to a SOLAS rating. We decided not to operate under the SOLAS rating because of the cost of maintaining the rating. (SOLAS have to do with International Voyages). We are documented as a Research Vessel and we are certified to carry passengers and meet and exceed all Coast Guard regulations to carry passengers. We have not tried to get around any Coast Guard regulations. The Wahoo meets and exceeds USCG standards. YOU CAN CHECK WITH THE COAST GUARD under the freedom of information act on everything I have said here. Or you can check the Wahoo COI posted on board along with all our licenses, Captain's Janet Bieser, Steve Bielenda, Hank Garvin, Phil Galletta Steve Lombardo and Kathy Wedig. You probably won't because someone else isn't paying for it and you won't spend $70 bucks to go diving. I know the type if the University or someone else doesn't pay for it, you won't pay your self. And as far as you calling yourself Diving Safety Officer, shame on you, think back about the time your group came out on the Wahoo, the equipments your team brought for a well-known person in the diving field, I wouldn't let him dive with the equipment that was brought and lent him my own equipment not the boat's rental stuff. I though more of his safety than you the Diving Safety officer, You were the NAUI boys that all impressed with your selves with computerized personalized dive profiles. Not to mention we had to rescue one off your group. Any rescue or help gotten while diving on the Wahoo remains on the Wahoo and we don't brag who fucked up and how we helped. Our egos are well-taken care of through respect, not by bragging. The following letters are what prompted this answer. Signed, Captain Steve Bielenda Owner of the Wahoo and licensed USCG Merchant Marine Officer 25 years. Subj: Re: R/V and stuff Date: 97-12-21 01:07:03 EST From: PHSHARKEY To: Wahoojan, Wahoo2001, JS1SUBAQUA Well, it appears that Joel can't seen to keep private converstions private. I'm seriously disappointed in you. Janet, I was the Diving Safety Officer for the University of Rhode Island for about 15 years, amongst other things. What I have against the Wahoo is that during a pitched battle, one that cost us over two million dollars and a decade of our lives, to get the research diving community out from under the OSHA regulations our arguement was based on the incredible safety that research divers had enjoyed since the first research diving safety program was organized at Scripps in 1952. While we were engaged in this battle the R/V Wahoo was, as I said rolling dead bodies off on the dock at a rate of one or more a year, none of whom were research divers. Never-the-less, during testimony in front of the Department of Labor, an Admistrative Law Judge, the President Reagan's National Adsisory Council on Oceans and Atmospheres and Vice President Bush's Committee on Governmental Deregulation, the fatalities on the Wahoo were used by the Carpenter's and Joiner's Union as evidence of the need to keep the research diving community within the grasp of OSHA. I guess you did not know just how well known you were. Now, I know more than a little bit about the USCG classification and inspection rules, having amongst other things participted in the MARTEC inspections of NSF owned R/Vs which are operated just as though they were inspected vessels despite their holding R/V classifications. To the best of my knowledge, vessels that are documented as R/Vs can not operate as head boats. It is my impression that the Wahoo in fact operates as a head boat. Do I give a shit about this? Not really, as long as it does me and my community no damage. Janet, my beef is not with the quality of the vessel, it crew, or its operation, all these appeared first rate to me when my wife and I and the NAUI Board of Directors went out with you folks some years ago. Additionally, as far as I'm concerned, folks who are diving for recreation have a right to go to hell in the handbasket (or boat) of their choice. But when a boat, as a result of it's name, reflects on the scientific diving community and in order to do so either ignores proper naming conventions or breaks (or bends) the classification and inspection rules then I have a problem with it. Is that wrong of me? <<As far as i know any vessel that carries more than six passengers for hire must be documented, and inspected and have a licenced officer in command to operate it>> While this is correct, an R/V can carry well more than six "passengers" and does not have go meet normal documentation and inspections rules, it does not even need to have a licensed crew! <<There are some sleazy ways to get around this rule and use an uninspected vessel, with out the proper bulkheads , bilge pumps , firefighting equipment life boats and epirbs , and maximum capacity rules . You just charter the whole vessel to a corporation or university and they load it up with how ever much junk and people they want and its still just 1 entity chartering.>>. Absolutely correct. <<a dinner boat that was an uninspected vessel rolled over and sank ( with loss of life) in the hudson river a couple of years ago because it was grossly overloaded . they were undercutting the prices on the legitimate dinner boats because they did not have to buy and maintain the expensive livesaving and fire fighting equipment , or comply with manning requirements or mamimum load. >> I remember that case. <<A lot of R/V 's are probably set up like this . if you look in <U>WORK BOAT </U> or <U>SEA TECNOLOGY</U> you can see many vessels large and small desperately looking for work in the classified section. you can take any hunk of junk and hire it out in these circumstances.>> Corrrect. <<The wahoo can charter out to do any work because she is a certified passenger vessel , complying with the most stringent of the rules because she is certified for OFFSHORE ( more than twenty miles) service. she has the more expensive life saving eqipment , epirp, and manning reqirements. we can take individual people , charters , do survey work , salvage , commercal fishing( because we also have permits) .....whatever.>> The she is not, in fact, an R/V, correct? If she is an R/V in reality then she does not have to meet the most stringent of the rules. If she chooses to meet them, as the NSF vessels do, that's fine, but meeting them is not required. If she is not an R/V, then why does she call herself one? I'm not confused in the least, I've been in this business for a long time. An R/V can only charter to a single entity, it can not operate as a head boat. A documented and certified charter boat can hire out to do any work ( including research ). That what I said. Once again I ask, is the Wahoo an R/V or does it just style itself R/V? Why, it it meets the passenger vessel for hire specs does it represent itself as something less? <<As for the other crass. insensitive ,rude , offensive comment about rolling bodies off the boat . I think we have a better percentage rate than any one else.>> You are understandably sensitive about this issue, but we all know that there are many boats that have never had a single fatality. But again I tell you, that's not my primary concern. My primary concern is that the Wahoo styles itself an R/V, and in the mind of the public an accident on the Wahoo reflects not on the recreational community or the technical community (where the blame belongs) but the completely uninvolved and innocent research diving community. I hope this clears up your questions. Subj: Re: R/V Date: 97-12-18 22:31:47 EST From: JS1SUBAQUA To: PHSHARKEY BCC: Wahoo2001 Phil, in an e-mail you wrote: -------------------------------------- Subj: Re: R/V Date: 97-12-18 18:06:48 EST From: PHSHARKEY To: JS1SUBAQUA Joel, As you may have guessed, and I was not going to say in public, the Wahoo's use of the R/V Classification (if in fact she actually uses it and does not just style herself an "R/V") is likely illegal. The USCG regs that define R/Vs make them UNINSPECTED vessels and prohibit their use as "headboats." Phil ----------------------------- The Wahoo is quite well inspected and certified. You and I have had this discussion before, and I belive that you were answered then too. The Wahoo never runs illegally under any circumstances. I suggest that if you have any specific questions you address them to its owner Capt. Steve Bielenda. You can reach him by email at Wahoo2001@ao*.co* Thanks Joel Subj: Fwd: R/V Date: 97-12-19 00:57:27 EST From: JS1SUBAQUA To: Wahoo2001 Steve, This is from Phil Sharkey ---- Have your lawyer send him a nice note before he gets into further trouble with you. Joel ----------------- Forwarded Message: Subj: Re: R/V Date: 97-12-19 00:43:37 EST From: PHSHARKEY To: JS1SUBAQUA Subj: Re: R/V Date: 97-12-19 01:09:51 EST From: JS1SUBAQUA To: PHSHARKEY BCC: Wahoo2001 Phil, I think it's time you take a good hard look at what you are saying. For the nine years that I am on that boat -- not once have you been there. You have not been on a single deep trip or day trip that I am aware of. If you have enjoyed your self in the past there, then that's a good thing. But there is no single vessel in the North Atlantic that has a cleaner record or better relationship with the Coast Guard. I know you took care of the boats at URI and know something about that, but I will suggest that before you stand on ceremony, make accusations, state information that is clearly from the wrong direction you get your information straight and factual. The Wahoo is also not a headboat, the boat takes no walk-ons, all are by reservation only. A reservations list is faxed to the captain the morning of the trip indicating who will be on-board. You went this route with me a while ago on this boat. I suggest that you just pick up the phone and ask the owner of the vessel any questions you may have. Or for that matter just call the Coast Guard in Moriches, L. I. See ya Joel Subj: Re: R/V Date: 97-12-19 10:05:14 EST From: JS1SUBAQUA To: PHSHARKEY BCC: Wahoo2001 In a message dated 97-12-19 01:59:58 EST, you write: <<<What's got you so hot and bothered?>>> What has me hot and bothered is that you seem to be enjoying looking for ways to discredit the Wahoo. Its just like when the Klingons insulted the Enterprise and Scotty got a little hot under the collar. The Wahoo is the finest dive boat on the coast here --- I been there -- I know what its like --- if you have aproblem with the name of the vessel being R/V Wahoo then take it up with the owner or the USCG --- I dont think you need to be worrying about it. It carries more divers safely than any other boat. Merry Merry Joel Subj: Re: R/V Date: 97-12-19 16:39:14 EST From: JS1SUBAQUA To: PHSHARKEY BCC: Wahoo2001 In a message dated 97-12-19 15:18:09 EST, you write: << If I'd wanted to embarass anyone I'd have had these posts in public, not in private as we're doing. Right? >> Right - Btw ---there are others that have more as you call it --- check with the Eagles Nest and the Seeker for a start. I have no reason to discuss it with Steve. If I felt it needed discussion I'd have that talk with the USCG, and the fact that I have not done so says all that needs saying. The reality remains that: 1) R/V are not inspected vessels. The fact that USCG personnel come aboard and look arround and puit a sticker on the hull does not make something an inspected vessel. 2) R/V can not, by law, operate as headboats. I suspect that Steve has some dodge here that when divers book they are not actually booking with the boat but with a separate corperations that then charters the entire boat. At least that's how I'd handle it in his shoes. Despite all the bullshit in the newsgroups about the Wahoo, which I have dove with and enjoyed, the fact remains that more dead bodies have been rolled off that hull than any other hull I know of. Phil</PRE></HTML> -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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