Senegalese Leandre Coly, 37, was among the survivors.
He remembers an "apocalyptic vision," which still haunts his dreams, describing an initially joyful atmosphere onboard with some passengers playing cards, others laughing and joking as musicians played.
Then the wind picked up and heavy rain prompted the passengers to close the portholes.
The vessel tilted dangerously "and everything slid away -- instruments, the musicians, people. Water began to seep in, the lights went out. People were crying out all around", Leandre said.
Instinctively, Leandre grabbed hold of a fellow passenger and stumbled to an exit, swimming away from the stricken vessel, discarding his clothes as his strength ebbed away.
Despite fearing he would drown, he defied the odds and, guided by the sound of voices in the darkness, found a small group holding on to an inflatable boat which they prised open.
In the early hours a group of fishermen pulled them to safety, Leandre recalls tearfully.
Nadine looks on from a separate table, giving him space to remember.
