All things considered, I’d guess most castaways would vote for “miss.” 
That’s such a sad thought … imagine some bloke floating somewhere in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the first cargo ship that comes along runs him over.
When this was posted, I showed this thread to my husband, a former navy sailor and a merchant marine captain since 1997. He said that stopping and giving aid to people in distress is expected unless the rescuing ship and crew would be in danger for doing so. Furthermore, when possible they have checked the wellbeing of occupants of small boats when something looks wrong. In many cases it turns out that they didn’t actually need help.
And yes, he’s taken part in several rescues. He was incredulous that a ship belonging to a large company would purposely avoid helping. I guess he was right.
I knew a container ship that lost a man overboard (he’d been dringking, and jumped out of the wrong side of the pool). They stoped as soon as they could, and still didn’t find him.
Incredebly, another ship going past a few hours later found this guy drifting in the ocean…
Even if they can’t stop they have a radio, a helicopter could be dispached to them within hours
Whaaat? A container ship with a pool? Do you mean cruise vessel?
Assuming they are close enough to land. Which they often would not be.
Some container ships have Harrier jump jets. 
I’m struggling to envision circumstances where this would be an issue. Maybe if the rescuing vessel is being pursued by pirates?
I think they wouldn’t turn into a dangerous storm. The captain has to keep his own ship safe first.
If the vessel needing rescue has run aground another vessel would not want to get close it. Happened at least once on “Deadliest Catch”. They wound up sending a guy in a survival suit over with a line to attach to the sinking vessel’s life raft. Then 6 sailors couldn’t figure out how to tie a secure knot, so they had to send another guy over with another line.
You linked to a press release from Princess Cruises that basically says Princess Cruises found a private weather service and a retired NASA scientist to back up their story that the cruise passengers didn’t spot the ship in distress. Princess Cruises makes no pretense that these were in any way independent investigators. I’m not impressed that Princess Cruises could find two people in the world to say that Princess Cruises aren’t responsible. I’m even less impressed if Princess Cruises paid those people to state those opinions.
I used to be a volunteer for Colorado Ground Search and Rescue. And arm of the Civil Air Patrol.
Rule number one - don’t become a victim that needs rescuing too.
In theory, any vessel commercial or not spotting MOB (Man Over Board), life boat or life raft will assist always depending on the weather conditions.
If there are 8 meter waves or a gale, there is no point in trying to rescue anybody as it is most likely to endanger the lives of the people in the rescue craft.
As for the second part of the question, if a vessel can salvage in MOB situations the answer is emphatically YES!
During rescue in a MOB situation vessels will deploy not their liferafts of lifeboats (as was suggested earlier), but their Rescue Boat.
Rescue boats are small, easy to maneuver boats that are specially designed for these purpose. Granted, in certain vessels which are not designed to carry Rescue boats, the Stbd side Life boat takes the role of the Rescue boat.
During Rescue, the vessel needs not to come at a complete stop, due to the type of release mechanisms Rescue boats should use, namely On-Load release.
The procedure is as follows:
- Once a crew member spots a MOB, notifies the bridge and the bridge signals MOB using the whistle.
- Bridge notifies E/R for dead slow and/or stop.
- Rescue Boat crew (usually three people namely, Helmsman, one to release the painter and one to release the Hook) gear up and embark on the rescue boat.
- Depending on the condition of the sea and on the type of release mechanism a rescue boat has, a painter line may be used
- Rescue Boat is then swing outward (While the vessel is still moving) and lowered just before entering the water.
- Engine of the Rescue boat is started.
- In the case of On load release (the most appropriate mechanism for a rescue boat) the safety is removed and the hook disengaged resulting in the Rescue boat entering the water and heading towards the MOB, whereas the vessel continues its way to perform a Williamson maneuver and return to collect the rescue boat.
Of course things are complicated if the Rescue boat is using an Off – load release mechanism or an Automatic Release mechanism, but I do not want to hijack this thread while explaining the merits of the On-load release system and why certain classification societies (and Flag states) have lost their marbles in trying to replace it.
Weather, rocks and shoals?
If you checked the links, you would see that a comparison of photographs of the boat seen from the cruise ship do not match the videos of the Fifty Cent when it was found. While my initial reaction was similar to yours, I find the comparison convincing. I think the birdwatchers saw a different boat. Now, if the cruise ship didn’t check out the report, as it seems they didn’t, they would still be at fault. However, it doesn’t seem that they were responsible for the two deaths.
Which is better? You know, all other things being equally suck, would a land-dweller like me want to be stuck with a life raft or a life boat while waiting on my rescue container ship to pass by?
I’m not fully persuaded by the links. I agree they tend to suggest that the boat spotted by the cruise passengers was not the Fiftycent but it seems like Princess Cruises is relying on only a single blurry image from the cruise passengers and some blurry video footage that was digitally stitched into a still image. I can’t comfortably conclude from this evidence that they aren’t the same boat. I am also left wondering whether Princess Cruises highlighted only the images and video that best supported their version of events while completely ignoring other images.
Lifeboats are generally going to have sides much higher than life rafts and thus keep waves out better.
Modern container ship lifeboats look like this,and are entirely enclosed, so waves won’t enter even in high seas.
