Welcome to this 187th edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find Maritime Monday 137 here. (Published 24 November 2008)

You can find last week’s edition here.

You can find links to all the previous editions at the bottom of this post. You are encouraged to participate using the comment link/form at the bottom of the post. If you have photos or stories to tell, do email me at fred@gcaptain.com.

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NOTE: It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I will be ending my weekly involvement with Maritime Monday. I expect my last edition to be number 190 which is scheduled for publication at the end of the month. While I really enjoy working on it every week, I am ready to take a break from this non-stop weekly schedule after the 3+ years that the series has run.

The gCaptain crew is evaluating some options in how best to keep the series going. With that said, if putting together a weekly roundup of maritime news and events is something that interests you and is something that you have the time for, then feel free to contact any of us.

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This Week’s Photos:

This week’s photos come from the website of Norway’s Tschudi Project Transport:

Tschudi Project Transport offers complete logistic solutions – pre- and on-carriage including documentation, as well as ocean transportation – of non containerised cargo; including over dimensioned and heavy lifts. Geographically, we work globally, but with a focus on Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS.

By drawing on and linking the Tschudi Group competencies within the key elements of logistics (www.tschudilogistics.com) ocean towage and heavy lift transportation (www.itctowage.com) and traditional shipping (www.ottodanielsen.com) plus the respective companies huge global networks, we will be able to cover the complete chain of transport from Works to Site and thereby offer a “one-stop-shopping” facility with a view to achieve the most competitive transport solutions for our clients.

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Their homepage can be found here.

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This Week’s Items:

EagleSpeak has “MV Arctic Sea: Inside Story?“

gCaptain has “Class Action Suit Filed in Hawaii to Declare Jones Act Unconstitutional“.

USA Today has “World’s largest cruise ship rocked by ‘extreme’ seas in North Atlantic“. See video here. Gives another good example of the power of the sea in how it can move the world’s largest cruise ship as it does. Then think of all the smaller ships out there, most all without stabilization equipment. You can find the OASIS OF THE SEAS website here with lots of video including updates of the vessel’s Atlantic crossing.

Reuters has “U.S. requests talks with Mexico over tuna dispute“.

In March, Mexico filed a World Trade Organization complaint challenging U.S. labeling rules for tuna caught using methods less harmful to dolphins that swim near the fish.

The United States bars the “dolphin-safe” label on tuna caught by boats using purse seine nets that also snare dolphins — a technique used by Mexican vessels, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said.

FIS has serious Government overreach in “Senators aim to block proposed raw oyster ban“.

Miami Herald has “Cuban crewmen stuck in Africa after ship begins to list“.

“Cuba is selling cheap labor to people who have no scruples, so Cuban crews have been stuck all over the world,” said Casañas, who first reported the Medea case Tuesday on Faro de Recalada, a Cuban naval forum on the Web.

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IMOWatch links to “Waste Stream Analysis for Platinum II (SS Oceanic, SS Independence)“.

Flags of Convenience has another Iranian weapons shipment handled by German shipping in “Francop: advanced AA platforms aboard“.

Freaque Waves has “Star fish tragedy“.

Hunt of the Sea Wolves has “Spain refuses prisoner exchange with pirates“.

The Merchant Marine Express has “Onward, Crew!“

The Maritime Executive has “Politics, Pilots, Pay – and Predictably, Problems…“

It is, apparently, a very good time to push back against state-sanctioned harbor pilots who are seeking to get rate increases of one sort or another. The weak economy notwithstanding, port authorities, local stakeholders, pilot commissions and state legislators are now regularly eschewing the usual rubberstamp for calls to hike rates and it’s not always about the money, either.

Life Magazine has photos of Sea Shepherd’s newest boat in “Superbad Anti-Whaling Stealth Boat“.

Sea Shepherd News has ‘Capt’ Paul Watson’s reaction in “Fears, Jeers, Cheers, and Loathing for Sea Shepherd In South Park“. Actually, it is a good editorial overall.

I knew as soon as I heard that South Park would be lampooning Sea Shepherd and Whale Wars that it would be viciously brutal. No one gets a free ride with Trey Parker and Matt Stone. But, I also knew that whatever they were planning it would be good for the whales, and that was all that I was really concerned with, so I was not disappointed.

Okay, so I get a harpoon through the head! Hey, s*@# happens!

ryanerickson has “Coast Guard Desktop Wallpaer: A tribute to CG-1705“.

The Malta Independent has “Largest ever seabed clean up yields unusual items“.

The Wall Street Journal has “Panhandling: Florida’s Debate Over Offshore Oil“.

HAWSEPIPER: The Longest Climb gives an idea of how important seafarers view their vacation time in “home again.“

If this vacation is as dreary as the last one was, I will light myself on fire.

Casco Bay Boaters Blog has “Photo: The Dory Shop; Cape Ann, Massachusetts“.

BarentsObserver has “Difficulties ahead for Norwegian shipbuilding industry“.

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Bryant’s Maritime Blog has “USCG – Navigation Rules – updated and corrected“.

The US Coast Guard issued an updated and corrected version of the International and Inland Navigation Rules (COMDTINST M16672.2D). The publication is a compendium of: the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS), the Inland Navigation Rules, their respective technical annexes, a listing of the COLREGS Demarcation Lines, the Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Regulations, and various other legal provisions regarding compliance and penalties associated with the Navigation Rules. The original version was published on March 25, 1999, by the US Coast Guard Navigation Standards Branch at Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC 20593-7856. This updated version has corrected typographical errors and omissions and includes post-publication 2003 amendments to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS). (10/19/09).

Danger Room has “Can Killer Drones Land on Carriers Like Human Top Guns?“

Greenpeace has a video tour of their vessel the ESPERANZA including a good look under the hull in “On board the Esperanza“. Interestingly enough the two cleanest spaces appear to be the bridge and the engine room.

US Naval Institute Blog has “A Rally for the Underdog: Valour IT“.

CNN Justice has an example of what you can find in a container in “Stolen 1965 Volkswagen van recovered after 35 years“.

A 1965 Volkswagen van stolen 35 years ago in Spokane, Washington, was found by customs agents in a shipping container in the Los Angeles port last month, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official said.

Tugster has photos: “USS NEW YORK“, with parts 2 and 3.

Springbored’s Springboard has “Coffee At Sea: Canada Arms Up!“

The BBC has “Three Gorges water plan postponed“.

China has postponed a plan to raise the Three Gorges reservoir to its ideal height of 175 metres due to a lack of water, the firm running the dam said.

There has been less water than expected flowing into the reservoir from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

More water than anticipated has also been let out of the reservoir because of drought further down river.

MarineBuzz has “Mistral: French Amphibious Assault Ship to Visit St. Petersburg” and “Indian Coast Guard Station at Karwar Commissioned“.

Lloyd’s List Newsroom Blog has the problem of shipbreaking in “Urgent solution needed“.

SHIPBREAKING on beaches is nasty and brutish, shortening some of the lives of workers who toil at shipbreaking for a living. It also, by reliable accounts, adds seriously to environmental pollution, as toxic chemicals are washed out to sea.

Therefore it came as a surprise that a former Bangladeshi official defended the practice at a London conference last week.

The defence by AKM Shafiqullah, former director general of Bangladesh’s Department of Shipping, opined that environmental damage due to ship recycling in Bangladesh is greatly overblown.

CargoLaw has running aground in Croatia in ““Make 25 Knots, Then Sit” – M/V Marko Polo“.

Arctic Focus has “Commerical fishing ban in Arctic set for Dec. 3rd“.

In August, American Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, approved a plan that will see a large part of the Arctic remain off-limits to commercial fishing. Federal officials have announced that that plan will go into effect the 3rd of December.

Information dissemination has “USS New York“.

Kennebec Captain has “Cautious Optimism about Right Whales“.

Naval Open Source INTelligence has “HMCS Chicoutimi moving costs secret“.

Trade and Logistics Malaysia has “Shipping companies anchor vessels near Pengeran to save costs“.

EnglishRussia has photos “The Sea of Salty Lakes“.

Breakbulk Industry News has “WWL’s Orcelle Fund Seeks Green Maritime Projects“.

The Orcelle Fund, a grant-awarding body created by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, is looking for innovative new maritime projects to support. The fund provides seed capital for projects developing alternative maritime energy sources and energy-efficient technology. The goal is to find projects with potential commercial viability.

THE ISLOMANIAC has “Australia & New Zealand aid Remote Tongan island“.

HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS has “South Korean shipbuilders overtaken by Chinese rivals“.

Shipgaz News has “2,000 ships to the breakers next year“.

BitterEnd Blog has photos of a marina nightmare in “Boats on fire at Roch Harbor this afternoon“.

The Horse’s Mouth has sea lion photos with “Great White Sharks In San Francisco Bay!“

Inside GNSS has “Galileo Program Recalibrates Schedule, Budget, Open Signal ICD“.

Galileo program managers appear to have bowed to the unavoidable and acknowledged that completing the European satellite navigation system will take longer and cost more than their revised estimates of 2014 and €3.4-billion ($5.04-billion), respectively

70.8% has photos: “Paul Frankowski, sailing historian“.

The Old Salt Blog has “Schooner Mystic to be Sold at Auction“. Interestingly enough, one of the commenters points out that he is handling the sale of another schooner, the VICTORY CHIMES, which can be yours for only $1.5 million.

YouTube has “The Creation of a 21st-Century Expedition Ship“.

Come inside the shipyard for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the National Geographic Explorer.

Also, check out the National Geographic Explorer’s Inaugural Voyage! (Here)

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Fairplay Daily News has:

Gunfights at sea? Look deeper – FIREARMS to protect merchant ships on the Indian Ocean will not alone solve piracy, a military analyst has warned.

Nick Davis – a military consultant and managing director of Gulf of Aden Group Transits, a provider of unarmed and armed maritime support services – commented on the Spanish government’s decision to allow fishing and merchant vessels under its flag to carry precision rifles while crossing the Indian Ocean.

“Arms onboard are not the solution in this type of area, although it is often the only choice,” Davis told Fairplay. “Armed patrol vessels maintaining a perimeter around the fishing fleets would be better than gunfights within 100m of a slow moving ship.”

Davis added that a subsidy by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission and the international fishing fleets to Somali authorities in places such as Galmudug/Puntland, in exchange for safe fishing, would be a better solution. “[Such a subsidy] would save €3M [$4.43M] per day in hardware costs for the military to be there,” said Davis, who added that piracy was “getting completely out of hand.”

“The whole solution is based around putting infrastructure and self-sufficiency into Somalia,” he emphasised.

“They need the ability and equipment to generate their own success. They are more than willing to sort themselves out – but they need help.” – Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

AND:

Sunken ferry chief sidelined – JOHN JONESSE, the chief of the ferry company that owned the foundered Princess Ashika, has been stood down from his position and told to seek independent legal advice.

The sidelining of Jonesse has thrown a cloud over the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the 32-year-old vessel in the South Pacific on 5 August, with the loss of 78 people.

Tongans are suspicious about the move by the government-owned Shipping Corp of Polynesia, according to local media, fearing that Jonesse’s evidence has already proven damning of government policy.

After initially denying responsibility, Jonesse conceded he was solely in charge of recommending purchase of the former Japanese Inland Sea ferry from Fijian owners, even though he had no shipping experience.

The vessel was later found to have at least 40 major faults, but repairs were still under way when it was despatched on its fatal voyage from Tongan capital Nuku’alofa with about 180 people and cargo aboard. It capsized in calm seas and sank quickly, trapping many passengers below deck.

Jonesse told the inquiry that government surveyors failed to turn up for the pre-purchase inspection and no time limit had been set for the completion of repairs. – Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

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Submissions for future editions:

Please submit articles for inclusion in next week’s edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email stories and photos to fred@gcaptain.com for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest areas of coverage.

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Previous Editions: As linked below or click on the tag ‘Maritime Monday’ for all gCaptain editions.

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Senior NOAA officials today commissioned NOAA Ship Pisces, the nation’s most advanced fisheries research vessel, and dedicated a new fisheries laboratory in Pascagoula, Miss. The vessel and the NOAA laboratory will support fisheries research in the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern United States and the Caribbean.

Pisces, built by Pascagoula based VT Halter Marine, is equipped with high tech research equipment and quiet-hull technology. The vessel is so quiet and so advanced that scientists can study fish populations and collect oceanographic data with minimal impact on fish and marine mammal behavior.

The 208-ft ship is the third of four newly constructed NOAA fisheries survey vessels of the same class. Pisces is operated by the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and is homeported in Pascagoula.

Pisces was named by a team of students from Sacred Heart School in Southaven, Miss., and christened by Dr. Annette Nevin Shelby, professor emerita at Georgetown University and wife of U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby.

The new Southeast Fisheries Science Center’s Pascagoula laboratory replaces the laboratory that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  At approximately 55,000 square feet, the building contains office space for 104 scientists, a library, and meeting rooms. This enables NOAA to consolidate several previously dispersed programs in the Pascagoula area including the Pascagoula Laboratory; National Seafood Inspection Laboratory; and the Documentation, Approval and Supply Services office.

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This weeks Interesting Ship is Dolphin Marine international Dolphin III Towing and Anchor Handling Tug.

The Dolphin III has been in service since 2001 and is based out of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. This SOLAS classed vessel is currently the most powerful offshore tugboat operating in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s powered by (2) EMD-20-710G7B Turbos which gives the tug a Bollard Pull of approximately 150 Tons. The Dolphin III has recently returned to service after it entered dry dock for a revamp and upgrades.

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The new amphibius assault ship USS New York, built with 7.5 tons of steel from the fallen World Trade Center, arriving in New York Harbor on November 2, 2009, en route to Pier 88.

Read More about the USS New York HERE or HERE

(Image Source – AP)

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As positioning capabilities have been improved to the point where a vessel can now sit on a (virtual) dime, the focus  now shifts towards refinement.  Making vessels more efficient is not only the right thing to do for the environment, it also makes good business sense.  As legislation continually moves towards stricter emission controls, companies that are taking the initiative now will remain ahead of the curve, staying competitive in the process.

Lets take a look at some of the improvments that are being made on DP components & technologies, in an effort to make them greener.

Dynamic Positioning Systems

Always at the forefront of DP Controllers, Kongsberg has released the GreenDP® system.

Compared to existing DP systems, GreenDP has been designed with the focus of reducing fuel consumption.  It accomplishes this with its controller design, which consists of 2 parts:

1. Environment Compensator
2. Model Predictive Controller

The Environment Compensator is designed to give slowly varying thruster demand, compensating for average environmental forces.  This demand will maintain the wanted position under average conditions, but reacts very leisurely to a changing environment.  In this way the power consumption is more stable & the usage is reduced.

The Predictive controller uses a forecast of the vessels movements as an input & takes action during larger changes in external forces.  The prediction is considered in conjunction with pre-set boundaries.  When the prediction indicates that the boundaries will be broken the controller reacts swiftly, thereby insuring that the vessel will stay within the operational area.

Kongsberg indicates that this new control strategy will reduce fuel consumption by approximately 20%.  Additionally it will result in reduced wear & tear on mechanical parts of the power & thruster system, thus reducing maintenance costs.

The graph below shows the power consumption of a normal DP system compared to the GreenDP system, with exactly the same wind, waves & current.  It is seen that the variation in much lower for the GreenDP.  In a real world application this means that the number of generators running may be reduced, resulting in significant fuel savings.

Existing SDP systems can be easily upgraded to GreenDP by replacing the SBC & updating the software.

Hull Design

The most significant innovation in hull design this decade is the X-Bow, designed by the Ulstein Group.  This inverted bow design improves handling in rough sea conditions & increased fuel efficiency by displacing waves rather than slamming on top of them.  This is possible by the increased reserve buoyancy afforded by the large freeboard.

The idea for the X-Bow was conceived in 2003 as a result of a think tank collaboration between a group of industrial designers who knew about industrial design, but didn’t know anything about OSVs and a group of hardcore naval architects and ship designers who had extensive shipbuilding knowledge.

3 years later the first X-Bow AHTS was delivered: The Bourbon Orca.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Propulsion

Although not currently in use in the offshore, CRP Azipod technology will likely make its way there due to the improved hydrodynamic properties of the propulsion system, which lowers fuel consumption & could offer some interesting positioning capabilities.

Counter Rotating Propellers work by fitting a steerable azipod thruster inline with the  traditional fixed stern propellers.  The azipod propeller is smaller than the main prop to avoid cavitation & has a different number of blades, to avoid resonance.

The azipod propeller rotates in a direction opposite to the main propeller, at a slower speed.  It acts as the vessels rudder & as it has the ability to rotate through 360 degrees it would be very useful for positioning.

The azipods steering controls meet IMO & Class standards & can be used with DP & Autopilot systems.

Fuel Technology & Power Generation

Pressure to decrease Sulphur Oxide (SOx) emissions from marine vessels has increased the demand for low sulphur marine fuels.  Canada & the USA are planning to set limits to emmisions from vessels within their territorial waters. These fuels work well with systems designed for their use, but can cause engine problems on older vessels.

Marine BioDiesel is also starting to gain a foothold.  Biodiesel is non-toxic, readily biodegradable and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.  Some benefits are:

• Non-Toxic
• Biodegradable
• Cleaner exhaust
• Higher flashpoint vs. conventional diesel
• Superior lubricity

Because Biodiesel can replace or blend with petroleum diesel with little or no engine modifications, it is a viable alternative to several categories of the marine industry, including: recreational boats, inland commercial and ocean-going commercial ships, research vessels, and the U.S. Coast Guard Fleet.

Innovative generator arrangements consisting of various sizes of diesel generators allows optimization of different combinations of diesel mechanic and diesel electric drive. Advanced systems control the generator sets’ operating conditions for minimising fuel consumption and emissions of NOx and CO₂.  The recently launched Havila Venus is equipped with this system & was named the Greenest AHTS in the World.

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This weeks ship photo is of the 20 story Oasis of the Seas lowering its smoke stacks to squeeze under Great Belt Fixed Link in the Baltic Sea on Saturday.  The Oasis of the Seas is currently on its maiden voyage bound for Florida.  Continue reading for video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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This weeks incident photos are of the fire that was burning on Seadrill’s West Atlas jackup oil rig located in the Timor Sea between Australia and Indonesia.  BBC tells us:

An oil rig which has leaked thousands of barrels of oil into the Timor Sea over the last 10 weeks has been plugged, the rig’s operators have said.

A massive fire burning on the West Atlas rig has also largely been put out, said PTTEP Australia.

Experts plugged the leak on their fifth attempt by injecting thousands of barrels of mud into the well.

The oil leak, in the Timor Sea between Australia and Indonesia, has endangered marine life, environmentalists said.

PTTEP Australasia, said the fire broke out on Sunday as it made another attempt to plug a leak deep underwater at the West Atlas rig.

The company said it pumped nearly 3,500 barrels of mud into a relief well to plug the leak.

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As you know, in and around 1916, Senator Wesley Jones, then a Senator from the great state of Washington urged the adoption of what has commonly referred to as the Jones Act. There are two main “sides” to the Jones Act.

First, as you know, the Jones Act provides a ‘vehicle’ for an injured seaman to be fairly compensated for injuries caused due to the negligence of a fellow crewmember or due to the “unseaworthiness” [“not fit for its intended purpose”] of a piece of equipment.

Second is the “Cabotage” side. It is the Cabotage side of the Jones Act that a new suit has been filed in the United States District Court for Hawaii seeking it held unconstitutional as it applies to Hawaii. I have provided you with a copy, in .pdf format, the Original Complaint (Download .pdf). The case is styled: CV09-00473; KAUA’I KUNANA DAIRY, INC., et al. vs. The United States Government; USDC-District of Hawaii. It was filed October 7, 2009.

To understand the plaintiffs argument, a brief explanation of the Cabotage side is necessary. Simply put, the Jones Act requires that if persons or property are going to be transported from one U.S. port to another U.S. port, it must be done by a vessel (1) manufactured in the United States; (2) by a United States flagged vessel and (3) by a United States crewed vessel. The plaintiffs’ argument boils down to this: (1) Hawaii receives 90% of its products via water transportation; (2) there are two main companies qualified and equipped to service the island (Matson Navigation and Horizon); and (3) that these two companies have engaged in “price fixing” causing their wholesale prices for items to be more inflated due to the requirement to utilize these two companies to satisfy the Jones Act.

In the Complaint, the plaintiffs’ counsel, goes into an elaborate demonstration that demonstrates that the two companies increased their surcharge in similar manners thereby trying to show a ‘pattern’ that has caused the shipments to go up monetarily over the years.

The first hurdle, the plaintiffs’ counsel are going to face is the certification of this as a “Class Action”. There are quite a few obstacles that may stand in the way of class certification. To me, it is not essential that it be certified as a class as any law, if it is unconstitutional as to one “citizen” should not withstand judicial scrutiny. I think the main reason to “add plaintiffs” may be either for ‘political’ reasons or to get more attorneys; fees at the end [or perhaps both].

The next hurdle, and to this writer, the fatal hurdle is that the state of Hawaii came into existence as a state after the enactment of the Jones Act and it accepted the laws of the United States that were then existing.

The Jones Act has been tested in the past and, each and every time, it has been upheld. Very recently there was a decision by the Fourth Circuit that allowed a U.S. tanker that was given a double-hull in China the graces to engage in coastwise trade under the Jones Act; so there has been a fraction of erosion of the Jones Act but, overall, it has been judicially supported. I believe rightly so. Our Jones Act is not the only country that has similar statutes, e.g., Nigeria, the European Union, etc. It serves an important purpose and I believe, especially in the age of terrorism, needs to be strictly enforced not only to protect the US ship builders and U.S. mariners but the sanctity of our U.S. ports.

Finally, this writer is unclear why the plaintiffs have not sued the actual companies if they believe they have been injured as a result of price fixing. I do not believe the District Court will find the Jones Act unconstitutional; I do not believe the Ninth Circuit will find it unconstitutional and I do not believe the United States Supreme Court will accept a writ of certiorari. But, there is no question that this will be interesting to follow…….

Steve Gordon

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Steve Gordon
Gordon & Elias, L.L.P.
Maritime Lawyer

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by Matt Furhman – Faststream

Last week we brought you the Top 10 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Interviewing.  Hopefully you did a self evaluation and were able to catch yourself guilty of too many infractions.  This week we right the ship to bring you more helpful tips.

Now let’s take a look at 10 things you SHOULD do in an interview.

1. Be positive: Everyone likes a positive person around.  So be positive and your confidence in yourself will rub off on your potential employers.
2. Don’t bring up money: If asked about money, your answer should be “we can get to that, but I am more interested in the opportunity.”
3. Ask a lot of good questions: Good questions at the end of the interview shows you have done your research about the company and the job.
4. Good eye contact, firm handshake: Out of the book Never Eat Alone, staring 100% of the time into the eyes is considered peering (and a little creepy). Less than 70% means you are avoiding something. Try to stay in the middle of this range.
5. Keep your hands in control during an interview: Flailing your hands all over the place will take the attention off of you and your skills.  You don’t want the interviewer to start thinking “what the heck is this guy doing with his hands.”  The interviewer should be concentrating on your answers, not your uncontrollable movements.  Keep your hands on your knees or the table.
6. Be optimistic: Your glass being half full will increase your probability of getting the job.
7. Tell the company how you will add value: Prior to the interview ask yourself how you can help the company along the way and focus on this.
8. Visit the companies website and study the company: If you do not know the company, then you do not care about the company.  This is just common sense.
9. Dress well: If you have no fashion sense, ask someone who knows what color goes with what.
10. Bring copies of your resume: Assume they won’t have your resume and have never seen it.  Bring extra copies and be prepared to talk about it.

Hopefully these tips will help you in your job hunting.  While looking for work can often be a daunting task, the right preparation and simple interviewing skills will help you get the position you are trying to acheive.

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Welcome to this 186th edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find Maritime Monday 136 here. (Published 17 November 2008)

You can find last week’s edition here.

You can find links to all the previous editions at the bottom of this post. You are encouraged to participate using the comment link/form at the bottom of the post. If you have photos or stories to tell, do email me at fred@gcaptain.com.

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This Week’s Photos:

This week’s photos come from my recent trip to Piraeus, Greece:

* The view *

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* A ‘Flying Dolphin’ *

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As always, you’re encouraged to send any interesting photos that you have for inclusion in a future edition.

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This Week’s Items:

EagleSpeak has “Somali Pirates: Attack on French fishing vessel deterred by armed guards, 7 pirates nabbed“.

Also be sure to check out EagleSpeak’s weekly series “Sunday Ship History: Ghost Ships“

gCaptain has “15 Incredible Shipyard Photos and Pictures“. One of them is not what it claims to be…

The BBC has the long awaited pirate escalation due to anti-piracy efforts in “Ransom demanded for yacht couple“.

Explaining the decision to set the ransom at $7m, the caller said: “Nato operations had a lot of negative impact here.

“They have destroyed a lot of equipment belonging to the poor local fishermen.

“They arrest fishermen and destroy their equipment.

“In defiance to our local administrations, they illegally transfer the fishermen to their own prisons and prisons of other [foreign] countries.

“So when you consider the damage and all the people affected we say the amount is not big.”

BitterEnd Blog has the very cool “Open Source Chart Plotter: OpenCPN“. Got a laptop? You can cheaply turn it into a GPS Plotter, charts and all.

US Naval Institute Blog has a good cause with “And the Winner is…Wounded Warriors: Valour IT“. From there, you can donate via the link they have on the right.

Seed Daily has “Hong Kong’s ghostly seas warn of looming global tragedy“.

At the heart of their story is the bizarre fact that there are more fine fish swimming in the tiny tanks than there are in the surrounding sea.

Having overfished and polluted its own waters to the point where they are home mainly to great ghosts of the past, Hong Kong now imports up to 90 percent of its seafood.

The Times of Malta has “Scientists agree on tuna ban“. Maybe more people should remember the story of The Lorax. Not only that, but it is good to remember that the Japanese had been stealing many times their annual quota of tuna for decades, so they have nobody to blame but themselves for facing a tuna ban.

The scientific consensus is that a suspension of commercial fishing is the only measure that will give the species the chance to recover.

The verdict comes just days before the start of ICCAT’s annual conference on the 2009 tuna season in Brazil and is expected to have a major influence on the conference outcome. ICCAT compiles fishery statistics from its members and provides a mechanism for contracting parties, including Malta, to agree on management measures.

Maltese fishermen and the tuna industry are fiercely opposed to a total ban of international trade in tuna as they depend heavily on this fishery. It is estimated that, in 2007, Malta exported €100 million worth of tuna to the Japanese sushi market and local fishermen claim tuna amounts to two-thirds of their annual income.

Time Magazine has the story: “The Hunt for Tuna: A Tough Catch“.

The Mainichi Daily News has “Photos: Warship collides with commercial vessel“.

Engineers are pictured preparing to dock the damaged MSDF escort ship Kurama at the port of Moji in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Wednesday morning. (Photo courtesy of the Japan Coast Guard)

MarineLog has “Royal Caribbean takes delivery of Oasis of the Seas“.

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Lloyd’s List has “Arctic Sea to be returned to owners“.

The Malta Maritime Authority said that after a handover outside territorial waters, it expects a new crew to board the ship and to request permission for the ship to enter its homeport of Valletta.

However, the statement does not reveal who is now considered the owner of the vessel. Solchart, the company previously understood to own Arctic Sea, reportedly declared itself bankrupt after the incident. The MMA did not immediately respond to a telephone call requesting clarification on the point.

Helsingin Sanomat has more with “Hijacked freighter Arctic Sea handed back to Finnish owners“.

Flags of Convenience has photos: “The MV Arctic Sea is seen berthed in Senglea“.

The Daily Green has a very impressive mess with “Offshore Oil Leak: 400 Barrels a Day, 2 Months … and Counting – See what an offshore oil spill looks like from space. … more than 2 months after an offshore oil rig began leaking.“

BarentsObserver has “Russia ready to ship oil along Northern Sea Route“.

South Park mocks Sea Shepherd and the Japanese whalers in their latest video cartoon “Whale Whores“.

MarineBuzz has “Sea Port Security: U.S Navy Marine Mammals Join AUVs in NURC Experiment” and “Chudamani Sea Port: Aditya Birla Group to Develop in Orissa“.

Towmasters: the Master of Towing Vessels Assoc. Forum has “Sleep Apnea & The Professional Mariner“.

Chaotic Synaptic Activity has “10/25/1944: The Last Great Naval Battle“. It was the Battle Off Samar.

The Maritime Executive has “California Dreamin’ or West Coast Nightmare?“

The Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet is one of three anchorages maintained by the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration for national defense and national emergency purposes. The others are located at Hampton Roads, VA and Beaumont, TX. It is no secret that there are currently 84 non-retention ships moored in the Reserve Fleet, of which 57 are located in Suisun Bay. That the lion’s share of these decrepit vessels are located in California should also come as no surprise to anyone, since the Golden State has for years made it far too difficult to remove the vessels. Facing unreasonable restrictions on what work could be done, under what conditions and how that was to be accomplished, MARAD reluctantly turned its attention to similar vessels in the other two fleets.

Naval Open Source INTelligence has “Russian carrier becomes “Made in China” vessel prototype?“

HAWSEPIPER: The Longest Climb has photos marking the end of the USS SAIPAN as she heads for the breakers in Taxas in “bye bye then“.

Kennebec Captain makes the case for the defense in “Are Car Ships Ugly?“

The Journal of Commerce has “German Ship Owners Face Market Collapse“.

Ship-owners and KG funds are bracing for further falls in charter rates and rising lay-ups as cargo volumes slow to a seasonal low and shipyards deliver vessels ordered during the 2006-2008 bull market.

A 1,000-TEU geared Handy-size ship, popular among German charter owners, is earning $4,000 a day on the spot market compared with a 2008 average of $10,346 and $12,500 in 2007, according to London broker Clarkson. Average daily rates for 3,500-TEU geared Panamax vessels are in freefall, tumbling to $5,500 from an average of $26,125 in 2008.

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CBS News has ““Seasteaders” Take First Step Toward Colonizing The Oceans“.

Authorama has the old book “The Old Merchant Marine – by Ralph D. Paine“. (I had run across the quote while attending this year’s USMMA homecoming as one of the classes had the quote emblazoned on their reunion shirt.)

“His reply to them was, ’then you shall be sure to die, for if they do not kill you I will, so sure as you persist in any such cowardly resolution,’ saying at the same time, ’OUT SHE GOES, OR DOWN SHE GOES.’”

By this resolute and determined conduct he kept the men to their duty and succeeded in accomplishing one of the most daring enterprises perhaps ever attempted.

An immortal phrase, this simple dictum of first mate Hudson of the Betsy, “Out she goes, or down she goes,” and not unworthy of being mentioned in the same breath with Farragut’s “Damn the torpedoes.”

Tugster has lots more photos: “Government Boats 13“.

Sea * Fever has nuclear icebreaker video with “Moving Day at the North Pole“.

NY TUGMASTER’S WEBLOG has ““Single Man Error” and Digital Distraction“.

The crew depends, and yes takes for granted, that the wheelhouse watch is taking every measure necessary to negotiate the transit in a safe and professional manner. So it would follow that it’s absolutely unacceptable to have one’s head buried in an internet search, texting frenzy, or passionate call to their significant other.

AMVER Blog has “Amver Awards In Hong Kong“.

The Old Salt Blog has the exhibit “The Edge of New York: Waterfront Photographs“.

Casco Bay Boaters Blog has “Maine Senator Urges NOAA to Rethink Atlantic Herring Catch Limits“.

Lighthouse News has “Fairport Harbor Lighthouse Sells For $77,000“.

Notes From the Wooden and Iron World has photos of “An example of a deck prism on the Falls of Clyde“.

Deep Water Writing writes from sea in “Day thirteen“.

Cruise Bruise Blog has “Cruise Line Sued For Failing To Disclose Ship Was Designated Gay“.

Maritime Compass has “Amundsen photo discovered“.

59° 56′ N has “Shipping media, tear down this pay wall!” I do not think this is likely anytime soon. After all, the main target market of these publications are shipping companies.

thedailygreen has river photos with “Plunge Into Brazil’s Living Aquarium“.

PilotOnline has “Norfolk-based destroyer accidentally fires at Poland“.

Marenostrum has photos of “Jenny’s Side Party“.

The girls were very popular and adept with a paint brush. Their pay consisted of spare food, bits of rope, tin, bottles, in fact anything that would usually have been jettisoned overboard.

THE ISLOMANIAC has “Toogoom Island Sold“.

The Misunderstood Mariner has the difference “Ocean Liners vs. Cruise Ships“.

Watts Up With That? has “UK Met Office backpedals on Arctic Ice – “…unlikely that the Arctic will experience ice-free summers by 2020.”” as their estimate has been pushed back 40 – 60 years…

Analysis of the 2007 summer sea-ice minimum has subsequently shown that this was due, in part, to unusual weather patterns. Arctic weather systems are highly variable year-on-year and the prevailing winds can enhance, or oppose, the southward flow of ice into the Atlantic. Consequently, the sea ice has not declined every year, but has shown considerable variability — both in extent and thickness.

Global Post has “Explorer Ernest Shackleton loved his Scotch whisky. And he left a stash at the bottom of the world.” It was found in 2006.

YouTube has video: “carnival legend collision“. The ships were the CARNIVAL LEGEND and the ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS. More video of this accident here, here and here. The comments, including instructions for the Captain ,by the passengers are classic!

fifty mph winds nudge our ship against another ship in Cozumel.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Fairplay Daily News has:

US includes pirate-kill clause – CONGRESS has authorised $10Bn for the US Coast Guard’s fiscal 2010 budget – in a bill that includes immunity for commercial US seafarers who kill or wound pirate suspects.

Left out of this budget – which passed the House, 385-11 on 23 October – was language seeking to amend the Jones Act to make foreign refits more difficult.

House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar said: “Congress has added new missions for the Coast Guard, but without increasing personnel or funding. [This legislation] will enable the Coast Guard to carry out its many missions.”

Frank LoBiondo, a New Jersey Republican, proposed the anti-piracy language in June, two months after the US-flag Maersk Alabama was hijacked by Somali pirates.

The legislation also directs the US to negotiate international agreements through the IMO to provide liability exemptions in other countries for the use of force by mariners, vessel owners, operators and masters and allow armed US crews to enter foreign ports.

After the Senate passes a version of the bill, the two can be combined into a single bill. – Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

AND:

Panama to expel detainees – THE PANAMA Register will immediately cancel registration of any vessel detained by any member state of the Paris MoU before the end of this year.

The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) called the stricter policy a response to “multiple detentions of our fleet, which has been taking place at the Paris MoU, creating a disagreeable image to the Panamanian registry”.

The AMP’s previous policy was automatic cancellation of any vessel 20 years or older that had been detailed twice in the Paris MoU during a six-month stretch.

The new policy, which began 14 October, was not widely publicised but was cited in an alert by class society Lloyd’s Register yesterday.

LR noted that a vessel’s “certificates, registration, radio station licence and other documents issued by the AMP will become invalid. The vessel will not be able to trade until a change of registration can be effected.”

The immediate pulling of Panama flag status could also risk a ship’s class status “due to the links between classification and statutory certification established in SOLAS and class societies regulations”, cautioned LR. – Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

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