JACKSONVILLE, Florida — The second set of hearings is underway to figure out why El Faro sank.
The majority of Monday’s testimony was about ship stability — what factors are used to make calculations and the software Capt. Michael Davidson used to monitor stability while out at sea with cargo onboard.
Herbert Engineering Corp. reps were interviewed by the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation. They spoke about a computer program called Cargomax, which monitors the ship’s stability. They also talked about the stability requirements ships have to meet.
Forecasters say winds the El Faro experienced during Hurricane Joaquin were about 130 mph. Spencer Schilling of Herbert Engineering said a number of factors go into determining ship stability, but direct wind speed isn’t one of them. Schilling said from a stability standpoint the most important factors are what’s already taken into account.
That was just a part of some complex testimony given. Several family members of the El Faro crew said the day was even more technical than they expected it would be, but they understand it’s part of the process.
We’re expecting to hear from a variety of witnesses as this continues, including a captain on one of the El Faro’s sister ships and a representative from the company that owned the ship.