Marine Electric

Systemic vulnerabilities of the maritime industry are evidently exploited when the Marine Electric, a World War II-era (1944) coal
carrier, sank in 1983. Despite the ship’s age and the dangerous weather conditions at the time of sail, the crew believed the ship
could weather the storm. Unfortunately, the Marine Electric could not overcome the rough seas, causing the ship to capsize in frigid
waters. With thirty-four men on board, only three miraculously survived after spending hours in the icy Atlantic (MarineLink, 2014). Due to the Coast Guard not prioritizing safety checks on WWII era ships, an estimate of at least 500 deaths were lost between 1950 to 1983. Dr. Josh Smith 5 says, “The Coast Guard had been allowing a lot of American flagged ships to pass inspection even though it was abundantly clear that they were unsafe to operate, because the thinking was, ‘let’s keep the American merchant marine going. If we’re too strict, all these ships will be forced to shut down,” (MarineLink, 2014). The insider perspective that Dr. Smith contributes to the literature isa critical piece in the meta-rhino of the maritime industry.

To advance this theory, maritime author and former investigative reporter, Robert Frump, recounts the sinking of the freighter Marine Electric in 1983, the legal battles faced, and addresses the call to action of necessary stringent safety regulations. Frump’s book delves into the dangerous conditions these sailors faced and the inadequate preparations of the ship. His writing sparked investigations of the sinking which revealed a series of safety violations and negligence on behalf of the ship’s owners.

During this time, the Coast Guard had been renowned for relaxing safety inspections, such as checking the cargo hatches 6 on vessels prior to departure. Faulty hatches and inadequate cargo securing on the Marine Electric was recognized as one of the primary
reasons this ship capsized. Frump says, “the cargo hatches for the Marine Electric were approved when it was in drydock – and the hatches were 200 miles away” (MarineLink, 2014). Since then, hatch cover inspections have become a priority, but should they not
have always been? This tragic event led to stricter marine safety regulations, the establishment of the Coast Guard's premiere rescue swimmer program, and several other reforms.