Maritime training and a certain certification should be made compulsory
Off the coast of Muğla's Bodrum district, the million-dollar mega yacht almost crushed the motor yacht in front of it. The moment of the accident, which caused material damage, was recorded by the citizens in the vicinity moment by moment. Stating that boat accidents in Turkey have become an important problem with the growth of the maritime sector and the increase in maritime traffic, Begüm Doğulu, President of the Yacht Tourism Association, said: ‘Improvements in areas such as education, technical measures, legal regulations and social awareness will play a critical role in increasing maritime safety.’
The mega yacht named ‘ICE’, which was cruising off the coast of Bodrum Yalıkavak in Muğla, violently hit the motor yacht named ‘AMEY’ from behind. While there was no injury or loss of life in the accident, a disaster was avoided. The motor yacht ‘AMEY’ was towed to the shore with the Coast Guard Command. Boat accidents in Turkey have started to become an important problem with the growth of the maritime sector and the increase in sea traffic. Begüm Doğulu, President of Yacht Tourism Association, made important statements to SABAH.
Stating that a series of measures and steps should be taken to prevent boating accidents and increase maritime safety, Doğulu said, ‘Boat users, especially amateur sailors, should be required to receive maritime training and have a certain certification. Maritime training should include basic maritime knowledge, navigation rules and emergency management.’ Stating that continuous training programmes should be organised for professional seafarers to keep their knowledge up to date, Doğulu underlined that especially boat captains and crew should be regularly informed about new developments in the maritime field and safety protocols.
TRAFFIC SHOULD BE ORGANISED
Stating that certain routes should be established for traffic management in areas with heavy maritime traffic, Doğulu said that these routes should be strictly inspected. He also emphasised that boats should be prevented from travelling outside the designated routes.
RADAR AND MONITORING SYSTEMS PREVENT ACCIDENTS
Underlining that boats can play an important role in preventing accidents by continuously monitoring them with radar and monitoring systems, Doğulu said, ‘These systems can provide warnings to minimise the risk of collision. Regular maintenance of boats is critical in terms of preventing possible malfunctions and accidents. Periodic checks of the engine, electrical system, navigation equipment and safety equipment should be made mandatory.’ Emphasising that routine inspections carried out by maritime authorities should check whether the boats comply with international safety standards, Doğulu said that if missing or faulty equipment is detected, the boat should not be allowed to sail. Underlining that boats must have modern communication systems that will enable fast and effective communication in emergency situations, Doğulu said that emergency signals and GPS systems will ensure that accident victims can be found quickly.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEGA YACHT AND MOTOR YACHT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT
The mega yacht named ‘ICE’, built in Germany in 2005, has a capacity of 14 guests and a crew of 27 people. The yacht has luxury equipment such as beauty salon, sauna, lift, gym, air conditioning and helipad. It is learned that the motor yacht named ‘AMEY’, built by Turkish Numarine, is 30 metres long.