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LEAD, FOLLOW, RIGHT BEHIND YOU







At sea underway replenishment

At sea replenishment with vessels stopped


When this SSCS Press Release "Riding a Storm in Pursuit of a Black-Hearted Sun" arrived at NAUTICAL LOG yesterday we thought, what the heck is this about? Reading it again a couple of times this morning it did not seem to make any more sense. It does seem to confirm that 'Wats-his-name' is a troubled person and perhaps paranoid. NAUTICAL LOG is not qualified to make a medical judgement but this is from his own Press Release so one has to wonder.

According to 'Wats-his-name' the Korean Master of the MT Sun Laurel is leading them into a storm in the hope that the SSCS vessels MS Bob Barker and MS Steve Irwin will break off their "pursuit". Now why on earth, as the master seaman that this guy portrays himself to be, would you follow another ship into a storm. According to the PR there is a parade of nautical idiots down in The Southern Ocean. In the lead is MT Sun Laurel followed by the MS Bob Barker and MS Steve Irwin which are in turn followed by JWF vessels MS Yishin Maru #1 and MS Yushin Maru #2. A photograph of all this from the SSCS helicopter Nancy Burnet would be wonderful to see unfortunately nothing so far. No doubt due to that storm flying conditions are not good. Hello whats this, some photos have appeared, guess its not that much of a storm after all - more exaggeration by 'Wats-his-name'.

Meanwhile the MS Gojira has stopped breaking the International Rules of the Road and instead of steaming close ahead of the MT Sun Laurel and risking collision, is dashing about at high speed trying to find the JWF factory ship MS Nisshin Maru. The SSCS PR reads like a description of some crazed nautical circus. The factory ship has the catcher MS Yisshin Maru #3 with her and all this time they could be busy catching whales undisturbed, nobody in the SSCS Pirate Group actually knows. As to the MT Sun Laurel she is heading to a meeting with the MS Nisshin Maru for replenishment at sea who in turn will refuel the catcher ships.

It may well be that 'Wats-his-name' is not paranoid but just thinks everyone is against him - we wish!! Clearly this year Operation No Compromise could be renamed Operation No Commonsense. Hopefully the RAN and RNZN are now fully aware of the overall situation in The Southern Ocean and units of both are preparing to head off or perhaps are underway as we requested. In truth though we doubt it, this British born PM of Australia Gillard is no Maggie Thatcher and the PM of New Zealand actually visited the SSCS vessels at Wellington, NZ. They will wimp out in the hopes that nothing will go wrong downunder.

If and when there is a maritime environmental disaster in The Southern Ocean with possibly loss of life at least we shall all know at whom to point the finger, the position of which to be decided at that time!!

Good Watch.

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