Anyone who's following the information about Halong Bay knows there's been more misfortune on these waters in newly come months. In February, a tourist boat sunk, drowning 12 passengers. Then a different tourist boat went down in May, nevertheless 28 French passengers escaped harm in that event.
In the wake of those misfortunes, other thing than a few passengers have asked me lots of questions relating to safety measures on Emeraude Classic Cruises. I've blogged in all parts of this before but the subject warrants a different blog today.
A few weeks since, more than 500 Halong Bay rove over the sea boats went on strike. The persons cited as vouchers had announced a batch of novel safety measures for boats on the bay, efficient immediately, and the boats went up~ the body strike until the authorities delayed implementation of the rules.
Do I reckon these new rules are onerous and overly oppressive? Absolutely not. Over the past five years, I've watched some ever growing fleet of tourist vessels, principally of them wooden junks, take to these waters and I've wondered near their compliance with the regulations. I put on't wonder about the Emeraude's acquiescence because we're way ahead of the resolute.
The new rules call for a GPS in successi~ board. Some time ago — long ahead of the rules called for it, in reality — we made an investment in a tall-tech GPS that's very of great price and very sophisticated, though very yielding to use. So easy to practice that my dear grandmother, were she through us today, could guide this boat to de~ment in a storm.
Next time, you're up~ the body board, come and check this being out. It's got a three dimensional parade. (The water's flat, but limestone karsts are not! Hence the destitution for that extra dimension.)
I didn't employment a GPS when I was running boats up the Mekong in the in good season 1970s (probably because the technology hadn't been invented then). Nor did I use radar or sonar, or a gyrocompass, further all of that is aboard the Emeraude today.
When my passengers bed down at night, when I raised plot down at night, I know that we're wholly going to be safe. We're quite going to wake up safely and we're the whole of going to ogle the karsts another time, no matter the weather.
I comprehend that not every vessel on the bay is like well-heeled as the Emeraude. We be possible to't all afford every last northerly-tech safety measure. We French acquire an expression: ‘Understanding is forgiveness.' But I've got to break with that very empathetic rule of thumb here. I understand that not every duct on the bay can comply through these regulations, but from now ~ward – or I should say from September attached — there'll be no forgiveness in spite of sloppy seamanship.
