Over the weekend, there were travellers between Upolu and Savaii and also to and from Pago Pago who were stranded because of the adverse weather conditions.

The winds were strong and the waves were as high as four metres. It was good that the Samoa Shipping Corporation decided to hold its inter-island ferry services and the trips to Pago Pago. This decision has potentially saved the lives of many travellers who would have been put at risk if the ships had continued their services.

Even Samoa Airways cancelled flights to American Samoa because of the unusually strong winds.

Videos of a ferry battling the high waves in the Apolima Strait also emerged showing the intensity out in open waters. The ship was being bobbed around the big waves. The SSC put the safety of the travelling public and its crew before profit and made the right call to cancel the services.

Many travellers waited overnight at the wharves hoping to board the first ferry to be given the green light. Their frustration at being stranded is understandable but does not trump the value of lives. Some even urged the ship crew to take the risk.

One such risk was taken by a small boat captain who loaded passengers not wanting to miss their flights. They were lucky to have made it through the rough patch of sea caused by the adverse weather conditions. The waves were problematic even for the ferries. It must have been a scary trip and the people were very lucky to have made it.

The weather services are there for a reason. They can now predict the weather with more accuracy given the advancement in technology. Even then, some people take the risk of going out to sea. Several stories of people lost at sea or waves capsizing small boats have been covered over the years, yet people are not comprehending the power of nature.

Weather has been a critical aspect of life at sea from time immemorial. It remains as crucial to today’s seafarers as it was centuries ago. With the advancement in technology and improved communication systems, weather forecasting has radically improved, becoming more detailed, accurate and extending further out in time.

However, climate change in recent times has brought about a change in weather patterns and more unusual and severe weather phenomena are being witnessed.

SSC’s decision to suspend services has probably saved lives. The roll-on and roll-off (ro-ro) ferries being used for inter-island travel are not designed for the rough weather. Equipped with built-in ramps and long tiers of decks, ro-ro ships are floating garages that allow vehicles to be driven on and off with ease, making loading much faster and more efficient than on ships which need cranes or shoreside equipment.

According to naval experts, the ro-ro offers many advantages, the most notable of which is the speed of loading. But this speed is only possible because of the open decks within the ship, and this in turn is the design’s fundamental problem. Just an inch of water on an open deck can cause serious problems concerning stability.

In the last week of December, high waves slammed against a ferry in New Zealand while crossing the Cooks Strait damaging cars and injuring people. There have been major disasters because weather warnings, especially marine warnings were never taken seriously.

Safety at sea is everyone’s responsibility. Take warnings seriously and if the sea is rough, do not risk it. And we hope that all ships and boats that do go out are equipped with all necessary safety equipment.