Captain Steve’s Decision

Use this forum to discuss the April 2019 Book of the month, "Adrift" by Charlie Sheldon
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Re: Captain Steve’s Decision

Post by Popcorn1 »

Captain Steve's decision is the correct one in the given situation. It is better to risk his career as the captain of that ship rather than to risk the lives of his crew. In that situation where there are less than fire protection gears and they are running out of oxygen yet they can't put out the fire, it is inevitable that there will be casualties if they persist. When there are no other options to prevent the fire from spreading or to kill the fire, only then did Captain Steve made the order to abandon ship.
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Juliana_Isabella wrote: 19 Apr 2019, 21:38 You bring up an interesting point about his motives for abandoning ship, but I do think that the safety of himself and his crew was still his primary reason for doing so. As for secondary/supporting reasons, he may very well have subconsciously wanted to find a way to spend more time with his son, even if that meant sabotaging his job.
I think much of the evidence point to the fact that he did it in order to save the lives of the crew. I am convinced of this because afterwards he could not stop thinking how a whole bank of sensors had gone down without anyone knowing. So, somehow, he was still concerned about his job.
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Post by Radiant3 »

Throughout the book, Steve seemed to be a man of integrity and a dedicated Captain. I think he made what he felt was the most right and responsible decision at the time.
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Post by Echo Haapala »

Before reading this question, I didn’t really think about the early retirement for him. But now I definitely think that it could have played a subconscious role in his decision making.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

Kibetious wrote: 11 Apr 2019, 10:21 In the situation he was in, there was nothing he could have done. His crew was in danger and their attempts to locate the fire were not bearing fruit. I think his decision was in the best interest of everyone. He risked his job by arriving at it and I do not think that this is a decision to be arrived at easily.
Agreed. He risked his livelihood, and did what he thought was in the best interests of his crew.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

shaz1994 wrote: 12 Apr 2019, 03:58 His dilemma was great, he still wanted to be captain because he stated that retirement allowances wouldn't be enough to cater for his son's illness. At the time of the fire they couldn't access the store where fire equipment was and the only option was to abandon ship. He had also asked the clumsy engineer,Mark, to check the sensors but he didn't.

He also knew that the owners would try to blame him for abandoning ship. It was a tough decision and either way it wouldn't look right. If they stayed on board they would have been consumed by the fire and the raging sea.
I think the same. The loss of his job would endanger his ability to take care of his son. He would never do that. His decision was solely based on his desire to save his crew.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

Nerea wrote: 14 Apr 2019, 11:52 I think he went by this sentiment, "Life is more important than material things." So abandoning the ship was the best decision he made so as to save lives.
Yes. His sole concern was to save his crew.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

unamilagra wrote: 14 Apr 2019, 23:30 I know that Steve regretted abandoning ship once he found out it was still floating. But honestly, if he had stayed aboard with the fire blazing, he would have most likely lost men due to burns and/or smoke inhalation. Just because the boat didn't sink doesn't mean it was habitable any longer. I really feel like he made the best decision, and he ultimately saved the lives of all of his crew.
Yes, it was his decision that saved the life of his crew. If he had not abandoned the ship, atleast some people would have lost their lives.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

chelhack wrote: 14 Apr 2019, 23:45 I do not feel that Captain Steve's choice or decision to abandon the ship was based upon any other factor of which was going on in his personal life. I believe that the choice that he made was in genuine care that his crew makes it off the burning ship. I do not feel that he felt there was a better choice a chance at surviving versus a chance of burning alive with the ship.
Yes, jumping ship was the best decision as it saved the lives of all the crew members.
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Post by Hiruni Bhagya 81 »

I think he took the right decision at that time. He valued the safety of his crew above everything else.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

abithacker wrote: 15 Apr 2019, 10:08 That's a very insightful look into the motivations affecting Steve's choice. I think that his choice to abandon ship was based upon concern for his crew. As to his son, abandoning ship would further cause further difficulty for Steve and his son, because Steve would lose his job and source of income. Though arguably Steve and his son are better off at the end when Steve decides that they will live together instead of Steve leaving again to captain another ship. The author hinted that the fire was not an innocent accident - if that's because someone didn't properly fix the fire sensors or arson was involved, I'm not sure.
Yes, I found the fire to be fishy as well. His decision to abandon the ship saved the lives of his crew.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

Nellbathory wrote: 17 Apr 2019, 02:40 I honestly can't imagine being on that ship that is burning and thinking anything else than - I NEED TO GET OFF
. I mean, I know that he should have thought about the consequences but I think he did the right decision. The ship owners sometimes care more about the ship than the crew or the captain, it seems.
I NEED TO GET OFF
That would be ,y sentiments as well. So, I completely agree with Steve's decision.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

IloveSpain01 wrote: 17 Apr 2019, 18:19 I think he made the right decision. Since there were multiple fires as well as an intense amount of smoke, he made the best call. If he hadn't people could have died either from the fire or from smoke inhalation. The situation could have been much worse if he hadn't made the call. I think the thoughts of his son contributed to his decision, because he realized family is always more important.
Yes, his decision actually saved lives.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

Michgal 32 wrote: 19 Apr 2019, 07:49 The decision to abandon ship was purely based on the responsibility to keep the crew safe. I don't think there was any relation to his son or age.
Yes, at the time of crisis, he took the best decision for his crew.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

Ekta Kumari wrote: 19 Apr 2019, 10:11 As he was responsible for everyone on the ship, he did what he could do to save the lives of everyone. I don't think that would be an easy decision to come at considering it might cost him his job.
Exactly, especially considering the fact that losing his job could endanger his ability to take care of his son.
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