Safety a priority for skipper Tang

By JIMMY KALEBE
SAFETY is always foremost on small boat operator Tang Christian’s mind before transporting passengers and cargo at sea.
“There are times when I have to act quickly to ensure safety measures are observed before a trip, or when facing difficult situations such as rough seas while travelling.”
Tang, in his late 20s, has gained a lot of experience in the business having started when he was 12 at his Katom village on Madang’s Karkar Island.
He is the second eldest in a family of five – two sisters and three brothers. He is married to a woman from Buakap village in Salamaua, Morobe. They have no children.
Just as the pilot of a jetliner or a driver of bus carries the responsibility of getting their passengers to their destinations safely and as comfortably as possible, Tang ensures he conducts the normal checks on his outboard engine, boat and life-safety gear before leaving on a journey out to sea.

“ Taking precautions beforehand is always the best approach, rather than trying to deal with a problem when it happens at sea.”

Tang is aware of the regular reminders by authorities to small boat skippers to strictly follow safety regulations as regards sea travel, such as checking on the weather, life-safety gear on board, and fuel.
This follows the number of incidents at sea, some of them ending in tragedy, caused by the negligence and do-not-care attitude of boat operators.
“When encountering rough seas or situations that may put the lives of passengers at risks at sea, it is best to do the right thing at the right time as I am dealing with human lives.”
Tang has over the years noticed a growing demand for boat owners to transport bags of betel-nut between provinces, for example, Northern and Morobe, and between East Sepik and Bogia in Madang.
Since 2008, Tang’s boat had been engaged in transporting bags of betel-nut from Northern to Morobe.
“Experience in being a skipper of a boat carrying heavy bags is what we gained over the years. But taking precautions beforehand is always the best approach rather than trying to deal with a problem when it happens at sea.”
Tang has been noticing that new skippers often threw caution to the wind, and do not conduct routine checks before leaving the shore, putting everyone’s lives at risk.
“Sometimes, they get drunk and do not have proper rest, before taking their boat out to sea carrying passengers or doing the betel-nut runs. It is not travelling on land that they are dealing with. It is on water.”
Tang and his fellow skippers also face the threat of attacks by sea pirates along the coast. He hopes to have a global positioning system (GPS) equipment on board with him at sea in case of a pirate attack, or if he gets lost.
His advice to new and young skippers is to exercise caution at all times, be vigilant at all times as lives depend on them.
In addition, they must not waste the money paid to them by the boat owners on frivolous things.
“Use the money on something useful for you and your families. We risk our lives but many of us do not take this work seriously. It is time we think seriously about our work and welfare.”
Someone once described sea travel as: “When safety is first, you last!” Rings true for Tang!