On the 13th of November, 1965, the SS Yarmouth Castle – an American passenger steamship – was sailing from Miami to Nassau when a fire broke out on board. On another ship, this might have been a minor incident, but due to the condition of the Yarmouth Castle, and the actions of those on board, the fire spread until it endangered the entire ship. Six hours after the fire began, the vessel sank with the loss of 87 lives. It was the worst disaster in North American waters in 15 years, and it was, it emerged, entirely preventable.