Following the sinking of the car carrying RO-RO (roll on-roll off) “BALTIC ACE” in only 15 minutes following a collision with what appears to have been a smaller ship, gCaptain is raising questions regarding the safety of the type. Of the crew of 24, 13 were rescued, five bodies were recovered, and six are missing and presumed dead.

Issues they see with regard to RO-ROs are that the type tends to sink faster and more easily than other types of ships, and that their design may also make it more difficult for the crew to abandon ship.

In the interest of efficient loading and unloading RO-ROs tend to have few water tight bulkheads. They may have large openings in the hull, close to the waterline, covered by equally large hatches, some of which also serve as ramps. Their stability may be compromised by cargo that can shift easily. Because of their high sides, lifeboats are usually positioned high above the water, making lowering and embarkation more difficult.

gCaptain does acknowledge.

“While many experts agree that RoRo’s are dangerous, in 2004, more than 1.3 billion passengers, 188 million cars, 856,000 buses and 28.7 million trailers were carried on 5.9 million crossings globally and non-passenger carrying RoRo’s, like the Baltic Ace, have a similarly impressive safety record in recent years.”

An index of gCaptain’s coverage of the incident here.