TOTE Services, Inc.

El Faro became an accountability test because avoiding Hurricane Joaquin depended on more than one captain reading one forecast. Current weather had to reach the bridge in a usable form; officers had to challenge a deteriorating plan; TOTE Services had to monitor a high-consequence voyage without displacing the master's authority; watertight, propulsion and emergency systems had to remain effective under severe list and flooding; and the Coast Guard and its delegated classification partner had to preserve independent proof that an aging vessel and its safety management system remained fit for service.