A damaged hydraulic ram crippled the steering on the MV Dream Chaser early yesterday morning.
And this kick-started a nightmarish chain of events for hundreds of partygoers who were stuck on the vessel for five hours longer than they had envisioned.
The event was called Soca on De Sea organised by 4D Entertainment as a warm-up event for today’s Soca On De Hill at Farley Hill.
Under the command of Captain John Moore, the vessel set out just before 11 p.m. with 352 people who were soaking in the sweet songs of the Crop Over season just before things turned sour.
Several of the people on board who did not want to give their names, said they thought the engine had failed.
“When we were sailing out, we could hear there was something wrong with the engine but then the captain stopped. So we were partying. But when it was time to return to shore, the engine was cutting in and out and then it just stopped,” one man said.
After they were told by deejay Level Vibes that the vessel was experiencing technical difficulties, the boat started to spin in circles and move violently with the rhythm of the waves.
The playing of music annoyed some patrons who asked that it be turned off as their fear and anxiety rose. Some partygoers accused the promoters and boat owners of not communicating properly and as panic grew, some rushed for the life vests.
Repeated efforts to reach promoter Rudy Maloney were futile.
In response to concerns that the boat was only running on one engine, co-owner Russell Wilson said the boat was equipped to do so and that did not hinder its running. The boat takes a maximum of 425 people and he said there are 625 life vests.
Wilson acknowledged communication could have been better, but he said at no point was the vessel at risk of sinking.
“The boat was not in danger of capsizing; it was not in danger of taking in water. There was a mechanical failure that resulted in the boat losing its steering and it going adrift. We were dealing with tides and we’re dealing with wind; any vessel is subject to that,” he said.
After the operators realised they were in some trouble, the Barbados Coast Guard was alerted and it responded by sending two vessels. The MV Dream Chaser was towed to the Coast Guard headquarters and the Jolly Roger ferried some passengers back to the Screw Docks.
Allan Kinch, director of Black Pearl Party Cruise Inc., which operates the Jolly Roger, said it was not the first time they were asked to assist in such circumstances.
This incident was the second hiccup for 4D Entertainment following the cancellation of Soca on De Beach after the Barbados Sea Turtle Project asked that they not hold the event on Drill Hall Beach because it’s a habitat for the endangered mammals.
Wilson said he was willing to work with 4D Entertainment to compensate those on board.
A police officer at the scene when the vessel came ashore said the boat started drifting around 1:20 a.m. and it drifted for a mile and a half. Passengers quickly left the scene when they returned just after 7 a.m. (TG)