Ask the general public today to name a famous shipping disaster and almost without exception the answer one will hear is 'Titanic'. However, as mariners, we don’t think of the romanticised version of the vessel from films and novels; we remember the safety regulations that came into force as a direct consequence of the Titanic disaster.
These include the SOLAS Treaty (1914); LSA carriage requirements; improved stability criteria; the Radio Act of 1912 to maintain a continuous listening watch and of course the establishment of the International Ice Patrol (IIP).
As master of Queen Mary 2, Titanic has never been far from my mind during each of the 150+ trans-Atlantic crossings I have safely completed to date over the past eight years. The daily IPP reports, particularly between April and June, are worth their weight in gold.
Of course, there have sadly been a number of other maritime disasters since Titanic with even greater horrifying loss of life, including the Senegalese ferry Le Joola in 2002, which took over 1,800 people to the deep, and the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster of all: Dona Paz in the Philippines in 1987, with a dreadful human cost of over 4,300 souls.
These other disasters do not get the attention they deserve, but I believe the perpetual memory of the Titanic tragedy should be commemorated and remain in our consciousness in memoriam for all those lost at sea. The tragic event of 15 April 1912 should be a catalyst for us to never rest on our laurels and remain committed to improving safety so that we do not have to mourn any more colleagues or passengers.
Captain Aseem Hashmi
Nautilus member and president of the British Titanic Society
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