Editorial | Tighten regulation of boats

Not unexpectedly, Hubert Dowie, the captain of the skiff that sank just outside Kingston Harbour last week, causing the death of two of his passengers, is stressed over the issue. This was his first major incident in more than three decades of operating water taxis, ferrying passengers between Port Royal and the leisure cays, just off the Jamaica coast.

At 57, Mr Dowie faces possible ruin the likely loss of his profession and, probably, loss of his freedom. He has already been charged with operating a vessel without a licence, but who knows what felonious case may yet be made against him when the marine police complete their investigation. After all, two persons lost their lives and 11 others have been left with physical, emotional and, perhaps, psychological trauma.

Yet, whatever Mr Dowie, or even his passengers, may, or may not, have done to contribute to the December 27 accident, this newspaper questions whether he or they were the only culpable parties. There are serious questions to be asked of, and answered by, the regulatory authorities about the enforcement regimes, especially with respect to marine.

In this regard, there needs to be clarity about the role of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) and its jurisdiction with respect to the operation of small coastal vessels, including those used by artisanal fishers and as water taxis. Jamaica's Shipping Act gives the MAJ responsibility for the registration and oversight of vessels operating in Jamaica, but most people associate the authority's operations with the international merchant marine business and, maybe, large leisure boats. Not Mr Dowie's skiff.

According to Mr Dowie's explanation of the incident to the Jamaica Observer, he was taking passengers to one of the cays when he ran into bad weather and the boat began taking on water. But being arthritic, he couldn't bail the vessel and his panicked passengers couldn't help. In the end, the skiff sank as he headed to the nearest cay. It is unclear at which point, whether at the start of the trip or when the crisis occurred, the passengers were given inflatable vests, which, according to Mr Dowie, he handed out.

A number of questions arise from this episode, and Mr Dowie's telling of it, not least the fact that his boat was unlicensed since April. According to Mr Dowie, he didn't have the J$50,000 fee.

Part of the condition of receiving a licence is, and ought to be, an assurance of the seaworthiness of the vessel, which would be more important, we believe, for a boat employed in ferrying passengers. Unlike motor vehicles, there is not more than quarter of a million vessels operating in Jamaican waters, and only a relative handful of them operate on the water taxi route between Port Royal and the cays. Openly!

These should be easy to monitor and check for their certification.

Critical safety issues

Mr Dowie's arthritic hand that limited his ability to bail water from his boat seems to be a critical safety issue, especially in the commercial ferrying business, in which passenger safety ought to be paramount. If the physical capacity of commercial ferry operators isn't now part of their licensing regime, it should be.

Additionally, the authorities need to revisit their safety training for boat operators. In the face of last week's event, training in safety, navigational and sailing skills should be ongoing, to which commercial operators should periodically have to commit themselves as a condition of their licences.

Further, if it isn't already the case, any vessel carrying passengers commercially, even coastal ones, should, like land-based vehicles, be forced to carry passenger compensation and peril insurance.