Sailing Close to the Wind

[barnhart]

The man is a billionaire yet he feels compelled to run ships throyan active warzone, risking the lives of crew, just for the adrenaline rush and more profit. What will he do with the extra earnings, take them with him to judgment?

The article doesn't mention whether or not this man has suffered greater than average losses of ships and crew.

How much greater is the actual risk?
I know plenty of people who are willing to pay for the privilege of doing things like skydiving or dirt bike riding - potentially more dangerous that what these sailors are being asked to do.

It seems like he is offering higher wages for sailors to take this voyage and apparently they are willing to do so.

I don't think either of us knows much about the motivation of the average merchant seamen but I would shy away from presenting them as adrenaline thrill seekers. My guess is they are more likely the product of extreme poverty and are taking these risks for the benefit of their families back home, much like the Russians being thrown into the meat grinder in Ukraine, they are doing it because the payout will be life changing for their families whether they live or die.

[ken_sylvania]

The man is a billionaire yet he feels compelled to run ships throyan active warzone, risking the lives of crew, just for the adrenaline rush and more profit. What will he do with the extra earnings, take them with him to judgment?

The article doesn't mention whether or not this man has suffered greater than average losses of ships and crew.

How much greater is the actual risk?
I know plenty of people who are willing to pay for the privilege of doing things like skydiving or dirt bike riding - potentially more dangerous that what these sailors are being asked to do.

It seems like he is offering higher wages for sailors to take this voyage and apparently they are willing to do so.

I don't think either of us knows much about the motivation of the average merchant seamen but I would shy away from presenting them as adrenaline thrill seekers. My guess is they are more likely the product of extreme poverty and are taking these risks for the benefit of their families back home, much like the Russians being thrown into the meat grinder in Ukraine, they are doing it because the payout will be life changing for their families whether they live or die.

I don't have any reason to think they are doing it for an adrenaline rush. Nor do I have any reason to think they are doing it because they are so extremely poor.
There are plenty of people who work dangerous occupations because they enjoy the work, and who would happily volunteer for more risky assignments if it means double wages. I just wonder how much more dangerous it really is to run through the Suez now compared with previously.

[temporal1]

There’s fishing in the Bering Strait and ice road trucking. commercial offshore scuba diving.
wind turbine technicians. being POTUS. ballerina feet.

[barnhart]

I don't have any reason to think they are doing it for an adrenaline rush. Nor do I have any reason to think they are doing it because they are so extremely poor.
There are plenty of people who work dangerous occupations because they enjoy the work, and who would happily volunteer for more risky assignments if it means double wages. I just wonder how much more dangerous it really is to run through the Suez now compared with previously.

The fact I can look at the ship tracker and see the hundreds of similar vessels piled up on either side tells me there is significant risk. I don't know how to evaluate the ethics of this but the fact that people will do very dangerous things doesn't clarify to me it is ethical to profit by holding them in the fire.

[Ernie]

The article doesn't mention whether or not this man has suffered greater than average losses of ships and crew.

How much greater is the actual risk?
I know plenty of people who are willing to pay for the privilege of doing things like skydiving or dirt bike riding - potentially more dangerous that what these sailors are being asked to do.

It seems like he is offering higher wages for sailors to take this voyage and apparently they are willing to do so.

I don't think either of us knows much about the motivation of the average merchant seamen but I would shy away from presenting them as adrenaline thrill seekers. My guess is they are more likely the product of extreme poverty and are taking these risks for the benefit of their families back home, much like the Russians being thrown into the meat grinder in Ukraine, they are doing it because the payout will be life changing for their families whether they live or die.

I don't have any reason to think they are doing it for an adrenaline rush. Nor do I have any reason to think they are doing it because they are so extremely poor.
There are plenty of people who work dangerous occupations because they enjoy the work, and who would happily volunteer for more risky assignments if it means double wages. I just wonder how much more dangerous it really is to run through the Suez now compared with previously.

I assume you mean straight of Hormuz?

[ken_sylvania]

I don't think either of us knows much about the motivation of the average merchant seamen but I would shy away from presenting them as adrenaline thrill seekers. My guess is they are more likely the product of extreme poverty and are taking these risks for the benefit of their families back home, much like the Russians being thrown into the meat grinder in Ukraine, they are doing it because the payout will be life changing for their families whether they live or die.

I don't have any reason to think they are doing it for an adrenaline rush. Nor do I have any reason to think they are doing it because they are so extremely poor.
There are plenty of people who work dangerous occupations because they enjoy the work, and who would happily volunteer for more risky assignments if it means double wages. I just wonder how much more dangerous it really is to run through the Suez now compared with previously.

I assume you mean straight of Hormuz?

Probably. Gives you an idea how much I know about the situation...

[barnhart]

I assume you mean straight of Hormuz?

Yes.

[Bootstrap]

The phrase "sailing close to the wind" is kind of interesting. In a modern sailboat, it's fun and not really risky.

Ah but in naval battles in the days of yore ...

[JohnH]

Note that roofing and being a highway construction worker are far more dangerous, yet people (including myself) engage in such activity quite regularly. Lots of plain people do too, many of whom are neither poverty-stricken nor thrill seekers.

[Soloist]

Note that roofing and being a highway construction worker are far more dangerous, yet people (including myself) engage in such activity quite regularly. Lots of plain people do too, many of whom are neither poverty-stricken nor thrill seekers.

Wife: yeah, you are probably right, although we’re also talking about people who don’t wear seatbelts because they don’t feel like it. Probably depends on the roofing crew, but I don’t think a lot of Mennonites worry too much about safe practice.