To the editor:

It bothers me greatly to see the repeated incidents of incompetence in the various enterprises that take people out onto the open oceans without a hint of responsibility for the safety of these people in the event of an emergency.

As a Navy veteran who has had sea duty, one recognizes the absolute necessity of having emergency plans in place before ever tossing the mooring lines to protect the passengers from disaster. And yet we see the repeated news reports of disaster at sea that could have been prevented by competent and professional maritime management. When the Titanic sunk, it became clearly evident that the false notion of “unsinkable” was a danger. Rules were made to avoid this in the future, and yet we see ignorance of such plans even to this day.

Maritime enterprises need to take a hard look at their operations. Sailors will tell you that “we drill daily to prevent more damage to ourselves that to the enemy.” The enemy here is the unforgiving oceans and seas of the world.

How long can you tread water?