Call it out, the ship is sinking!

The Korean Ferry Sewol, at 20 years old, had already been on the Incheon to Jeju run for just over one year. At 19 years old, she had been modified by the addition of superstructure, diminishing her survivability index and stability margins but still within legal limits.

The survivability index of a ship is the chances of surviving a disaster scenario

At 8.48 on the morning of April 16, 2014, the Sewol, travelling at 18 knots in benign conditions, took a hard to starboard turn, causing the vessel to heel over to port. The unlashed trucks in the vehicle deck shifted to port and the vessel's list became dangerous. A disaster scenario was upon them, and within 15 minutes had gone beyond rectification.

Had the inexperienced Third Officer, Park Han-kyul, the officer of the watch, put the helm over to avoid one of the 36 whales species in the area?. Or was there a technical glitch in the steering ? This was never determined but she was in tears by the time Captain Lee Joon-Seok came on the bridge a few minutes later. At this stage the ship was listing 30 degrees with water pouring into the vehicle side deck door and stern door.

The idiotic Captain Lee, using the ship's broadcasting system at 8.52 gave the instruction for everyone to stay where they were and continued the same message even when the water was rushing into the passenger accommodation. Standard procedure on all passenger ships globally where danger is emerging is to get everyone to muster stations..

The first call for help was made by the ship at 8.55, just seven minutes after the helm hard-over incident .

At 9.07, the vessel confirmed it was capsizing and again requested help

At 9.18, the vessel confirmed an angle of 50 degrees and unable to launch lifeboats

During this time Captain Lee continued instruction for passengers to stay put. At 9.23, the ship broadcasting system failed

y 9.48, the first rescue boat left the scene with Captain Lee on board. There had never been an "abandon ship" message. Below decks, the hundreds of students from the Danwon High School stayed put as instructed, enjoying the changing ship angle, happily videoing each other, until the horror of the water cascaded in and drowned most of them. Iphones recovered from the wreck verified this appalling disaster.

The cause of the sinking was still undetermined by December 2022 , but the summary was the collective incompetence of the officer of the watch and the Captain; and the extremely rapid speed of the capsize and the sinking.

So as an e- seafarer and ship designer, my ears pricked up when I heard a very good friend of mine in the US commenting that it was disappointing watching Australia sinking, but it's true.

Think about it, merrily sailing along as the lucky country, we have diminished our survivability index, our ability to handle a disaster scenario such as war, by embracing the green environmental cult over the past 30 years and empowering armies of autonomous bureaucracies. Outside the control of politicians, these snowflakes have strangled the growth of companies big and small by an avalanche of rules, regulations and accompanying fees. We have the highest amount of national parks and conservation zones per head of population, 10 times the US and 15 times the UK.

The stranglehold on almost all of our coastline and dredging makes it almost impossible to establish any new ports even small ones. The Queensland Labor / Green Government for instance, passed a "Sustainable Ports Act in 2015" to ensure that no-one else built a port along the 7,000 km coastline, apart from the 10 existing trading ports, most owned by the Qld Govt.

Having a port every 700 km shouldn't give bragging rights. After all, it stifles regional development, and at the same time ensures that our defence vessels have no strategic bases.

To give some context, Gujarat in India has a port every 53 kms and the UK has a port every 65 kms which ensured that nation's security through two world wars.

Adding spice to this environmental utopia mantra, there has been a sudden hard swing to "cheap renewables" by the incoming Labor Government which is causing the ship to economically list over dangerously within just a few months. The inexperienced twit in charge of the nation's most important asset, our energy, is the watchkeeping officer.

This incompetent has drastically altered course veering away from a solid reliable base source of coal and gas energy while chasing an ideology that is unproven, and that the Nation cannot remotely afford.

Check out whether you think the ship is sinking:

• the energy, fuel, and food prices have skyrocketed with staggering bills flooding in the front door. Disposable income has vaporised, much to the chagrin many small businesses;
• the superannuation system is being attacked, and all taxes are increasing;
• National Productivity has tanked;
• the Defence budget has hit a brick wall, once again being "reviewed";
• youth crime has trebled;
• the number of overpaid bureaucrats and fee based permits for almost everything, have doubled'
• unprecedented high house prices;
• lack of availability of accommodation for many Australians;
• the drop in the value of our currency;
• the collapse of our legal system and our health system; and
• the collapse of our family values and demonisation of churches.

But hey, some News! The Captain has appeared on the Bridge! This incompetent imbecile who through the national broadcaster is advising us us that a new brigade of bureaucrats to ensure the Aboriginals get a better deal will save the Nation and ensure a bright future. He repeats the message constantly while the ship is sinking. Like Lee, he has no cognizance of what's most important to the people in his charge.

The population, merrily videoing each other in their daily lives, is now finally taking notice of the prices, the crime, the increasing burden on small businesses and even more important, the blatant lies told by this Captain and officers prior to their appointment.

Unlike Lee and several cohorts who were jailed for life, this incompetent team which is sinking the nation, will get away with undeserved retirement gold cards and huge pensions.