So minister for defence Willie O’Dea says we’re not raising the Asgard II and on the balance of the evidence presented it seems like the right decision. The cost is not certain but would be a minimum of €2 million, nor is the outcome certain as it might not be successful and the ship might not be repairable. The alternartive of a new ship should be more seaworthy and in addition more accessible for those people with disablities who might wish to partake. I’d personally like the notion of a wooden ship but i’d like to live in a castle too but I’m not so foolish as to run out and buy one for the sake of it. It is regretable that the ship is lost to us but it was lost when it sank not when this decision was made.
This decision is based on numbers and facts put in the public domain by the minister and likely outcomes and benefits and so on. It’s just a pity we can’t do the same for big ticket items like the Metro.
While no-one is happy at having to abandon a ship which has given such enjoyable experiences to generations of young Irish people, I would have to agree that this decision is possibly for the best.
One thought that occurs to me is that we might use the Jeanie Johnston instead in the same role, thus killing two birds with one stone (Asgard III?).
On afloat.ie it is said that the Asgard II was insured against such an accident. The ship has also been judged to be in good repair, considering the situation.
So why isn’t the insurance money being used?
I think the full insurance pay out much like in that of the car would be on the basis of it being a write-off. If you write off your car, it is illegal to try and reuse the same car or substantial parts thereof in another insurable and taxable vehicle. So the insurance might well pay out on the complete loss of the ship. Plus insurance isn’t open-ended, it is for set amounts, if the salvage costs more than expected then there is less for repairs.
I was once hugely entertained in the DMV in Boston by someone from, I suspect, western Mass. who was trying to register a car he had rebuilt from other written off vehicles and who could understand why this was not allowed.
As someone who sailed on her a few times I am dissapointed at the decision which almost became inevitable given the length of time taken to reach it. However I don’t for a moment believe that there will be a replacement bought. O’Dea is a well established liar and he Coiste An Asgard board full of landlubbing FF hacks or fair weather yachties from Sth Dublin.