Hard to imagine in this day and age, but here it is. And it was carrying the all new Marconi wireless Cruise liner hits iceberg, 150 rescued The passengers were from Australia (10), Belgium (2), Britain (23), Canada (10), China (one), Denmark (three), Holland (17), France (one), Germany (one), Hong Kong (two), Ireland (two), Japan (one), Switzerland (four) and the United States (13).
Doesn't that make it even stranger - a floater may be diificult to see etc but they must have just driven straight into a ledge. And the boat doesn't exactly sound like it should have been at sea anyway.
Whatever happened it would have been a most memorable experience for the passengers. A story to tell for the rest of their lives. I wish I had been on it. A night to remember.
Having spent time in a liferaft in british waters then I would not have fancied spending time in freezing antartic waters. You would only have a few minutes in the water before death arrives att your door.
There is certainly a debate about this ships watertight integrity. In my opinion it is criminal to go to sea in such inhospitable oceans while carrying passengers, luckily there was no loss of life. The difference compared to the time of TITANIC would be the worldwide satellite communications. This was headline news almost as soon as it happened. The irony is these ships do not carry radio officers anymore as technology has put them out of a job. As an ex Navy communicator I find that weird. Regarding being in a lifeboat, I would not recommend it. Maybe with the gift of hindsight it would be a big adventure knowing you will get picked up safely within a few hours. My website describes what happened to people torpedoed during the last War who had to spend some time in them - lots perished, a sobering thought maybe. Regards Hugh
