Ha Long Bay disaster exposes fatal gap between rules and reality

The recent capsizing of the Vinh Xanh 58 in Ha Long Bay, which resulted in 10 survivors, one missing person, and numerous fatalities among the 49 people onboard, is being seen not just as a tragedy but as a critical warning regarding potential shortcomings in Vietnam's maritime regulations. The incident occurred on July 19 near Dau Go Cave, with the boat losing GPS contact minutes before overturning.

Built in 2015, the Vinh Xanh 58 was a 24-meter vessel licensed to carry 48 passengers and certified to operate in inland waters with wave heights up to 2 meters. According to Bui Hong Minh, vice director of the Quang Ninh Department of Construction, the ship exceeded national safety requirements with a stability coefficient of 2.3, more than double the minimum. However, critics argue that these certifications may not accurately reflect the true risks of operating in Vietnam’s popular marine tourist areas.

Maritime safety expert Do Binh Duong asserted that if a compliant boat flipped in seconds, it indicates a flaw in the system. He believes that current regulations, primarily designed for calmer inland waters, are inadequate for unpredictable coastal environments like Ha Long Bay. Duong, an expert with SAMASER Holdings, stressed that passenger boats, especially those carrying tourists, should adhere to the strictest safety standards, encompassing not only stable hull design for rough weather but also reliable safety equipment and clear emergency instructions. He warned that without all three, no boat is truly prepared for unpredictable conditions.

Despite the Vinh Xanh 58's certification above the required baseline, its sudden capsizing raises serious doubts. Duong contended that applying inland waterway standards to Ha Long Bay, which is a coastal marine environment, is dangerously outdated. He questioned why tourist boats in "one of Vietnam’s most high-risk marine areas are treated like river ferries" when even small yachts follow stricter SB-class rules for sea navigation. He advocated for Ha Long Bay vessels to adopt SB-class standards, designed for tougher sea conditions, including wave heights up to 2.5 meters.

In response, Vu Anh, head of the Inland Vessel Department at the Vietnam Register, clarified that Vietnamese law classifies inland waters as any navigable body accessible to inland vessels, encompassing rivers, canals, lagoons, bays, and nearshore coastal areas. Under national technical standards, Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay are designated as SII waters, where waves reach up to 1.2 meters. Routes connecting Ha Long Bay to Cat Ba Island and Hai Phong–Cat Ba fall under SI classification, with maximum wave heights of 2 meters. The Vinh Xanh 58 was indeed built to VR-SI standards, surpassing VR-SII, thus allowing it to operate both within Ha Long Bay and on open-water routes to Cat Ba.

Addressing calls for stricter regulations, Vu Anh stated that Vietnam’s vessel standards were developed in collaboration with universities and research institutes, modeled on international benchmarks from countries like Japan, China, and Russia. He mentioned that the latest revision, released in 2025, is designed to align with global best practices, and for Ha Long Bay, both wave height and wind strength were factored into calculations. To ensure safety, Vu Anh emphasized a multi-step process for boats, including design approval, construction oversight, certification, and routine inspection, with annual reinspections and daily port clearance before sailing.

Hoang Giang, former Head of Maritime Safety at the Hai Phong Port Authority, described the Vinh Xanh 58's sudden capsize as "highly abnormal," highlighting that a boat flipping in mere seconds is a serious red flag. He urged investigators to examine multiple factors, including design specifications, passenger load, weather conditions, and operational procedures. Giang noted that VR-SI boats are typically smaller and built for calm or nearshore waters, not rough, open bays. He also pointed out that if waves exceed a boat’s design limits, it can rapidly lose stability, especially if it has a high center of gravity or poor balance systems. He called for authorities to investigate whether the Vinh Xanh 58 had undergone modifications, was overloaded, or had structural compromises.

Another maritime expert concurred that VR-SI vessels are rated only for wave heights up to 2 meters and distances no more than 12 nautical miles from shore. For Ha Long Bay's busy tourist routes, he argued, boats should meet VR-SB standards, the highest class for inland vessels. SB-class hulls are engineered to withstand waves up to 2.5 meters, requiring stronger materials, reinforced structures, and enhanced stability in adverse conditions. Key safety factors for SB-class vessels, such as freeboard height, wind pressure resistance, and ballast tank placement, must be precisely designed and rigorously inspected. Additionally, SB-class boats are mandated to have advanced navigation and emergency systems, including radar, AIS (Automatic Identification System), maritime alerts, handheld radios, and crucially, distress beacons that automatically activate upon sinking, transmitting emergency signals via satellite to rescue teams.

In response to the safety concerns, Vu Anh stressed that no vessel, regardless of design, can be fully immune to sudden, extreme weather events like squalls. Therefore, he emphasized that safety must also be enforced operationally, not solely through technical standards. This includes prohibiting sailings during hazardous weather, issuing real-time alerts to vessels already at sea, training passengers on emergency evacuation procedures, and ensuring captains seek immediate shelter near islands when storms approach. Some maritime experts are now advocating for a dedicated 24/7 rescue force for Ha Long Bay, akin to coastal guard units in other countries, to monitor vessel signals in real time and respond instantly to distress calls, thereby improving rescue times and saving lives.