NAUTICAL LOG

Alright the moment has arrived NAUTICAL LOG must head off to Miami International Airport and fly to Ireland for two weeks including the Waterford Sail Training Festival (WSTF).  No problem right? Well you see NAUTICAL LOG is what could be best described as an apprehensive flyer.  But then how else does one cross 'the Pond' these days as a passenger, the wonderful Transatlantic Liners are long gone. While we hope to write some Posts it may be that they will have to wait until our return but we have been reading up on a new camera and hope to have shots of the locales and the vessels visiting Waterford.  Of course we really hope to make contact with reraders who are in the area and visiting the WSTF.  You can contact and the addresses given in the previous Post.  Good Watch. Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia - let us really work to free them.

Looking out for you!!  This has been a hectic week for NAUTICAL LOG because at the last moment arrangements were made for travel overseas.  Next week we leave for two weeks in Ireland to visit fellow seafarers and go to Waterford, my birthplace, for the Waterford Sail Training Festival ( there is a link in 'My Link List' ) over the weekend of June 30, to July 03, 2011. If any readers are also going to be in Ireland and would like to meet up please leave a message: Attention of : CAPT. D. Peter Boucher Royal Marine Hotel Dún Laoghaire Co. Dublin. From: June 22, to 25, 2011. The Tall Ships Race Office 41 The Quay Waterford. or The Granville Hotel Waterford. From: June 25 to July 05, 2011. Perhaps we can meet up for a 'pint' and " Talk of many things, Ships, Sails, Sealing wax, Cabbages, Kings".    Should be a fun trip and NAUTICAL LOG is quite excited going home after all these years. The next item is the publication of STCW 2011

The IMO are at it again fellow seafarers but this time it does make sense - thankfully.  The 2011 Edition of The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) has been published by IMO Publications.  It is available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and online as an e-book. Good Watch. Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia.  We live in hope something will be done to free them one day!!

Recently NAUTICAL LOG has been reading a rather good blog called Marine Café Blog which covers the maritime world mainly from the perspective of Filipino seafarers.  NAUTICAL LOG has also been commenting regularly on their Posts and there have been excellent discussions.  However some commenter's seem reluctant to describe their professional qualifications while claiming to be instructors, teachers et cetera.  Our view on that point is clear and in our profile is quite detailed so that readers may know our background when reading Posts, comments and how we acquired the opinions held.  Another point that really irritates us is bringing attention to ethnic differences and using that as a reason or excuse for substandard performance, discipline issues and judgements on ability.  The term Americans use is " playing the Race Card " and it is really quite a good description.  By playing the race card that persons expressed opinion is lowered, and often brushed aside to the po

Well we have good stuff and not so good stuff this morning for this weeks NAUTICAL LOG Friday Report.  Let us write about the good stuff first because in the state of the World at the present time it is quite hard to find. USPS Merchant Marine stamps issue The U.S. Postal Service, which is a quasi-government operation here, is issuing a set of four (4) stamps to commemorate the U.S. Merchant Marine as the Merchant Navy is called over here.  They can be seen on line at the USPS website, nice selection of ships from different periods. Next up is a fascinating look at the 'Ghost Ship Fleet' if one goes to Scott Haefner Photography superb shots and there is a link to his website in 'My Link List'.  Really well worth a visit. Now for the not so good stuff.  We wrote a Post this week "SUBSTANCE AND SEMANTICS" in which we mentioned about the U.S. Police Department daily "forced to fire behaviour".  We though that there would be a rush by U.S. la

 PLA Navy Shi Lang at Dalian shipyard, China  There was an interesting update report on BBC News Asia-Pacific this morning.  The reporter had travelled to the Peoples Republic of China and found available at the IKEA Superstore Dalian, China - an aircraft carrier. Well of course it was not really that simple but the juxtaposition of this supposed "secret" PLA Navy vessel and the fact that it is across the channel at the shipyard behind IKEA is amusing and very Chinese.  By its presence there the vessel is worked on in full view of the world signalling China's future return as both a World power and a Naval power, both already well underway.  When this vessel is actually completed and sails is immaterial the fact that it exists is the point made.  The same point used to be made by the British Royal Navy (sadly no more) when they would 'Send a Gunboat' to trouble spots then invite the locals ruler on board for lunch and a tour.  On looking through the

After over 40 years of living in the United States NAUTICAL LOG is still confused by this country, which language they speak and what they are saying.   The 'policespeak' used by police spokespersons each evening in the News leaves one staring in baffled amazement at the screen.   Acts of vandalism are now described as domestic terrorism and of course since 9/11 everyone in uniform is a hero.  US Police Departments seem unable to deal with or solve any situation without a gun in hand.  Just this afternoon we have had yet another case of "the Officers were forced to fire" of course that leaves just their opinion of the incident since the person involved is deceased.   Yet the Federal Officers seem to able to deal with situations without all these " forced to fire" incidents.  Winston Churchill talked of two nations divided by a common language but it is also much more, an entirely different cultural approach to problem solving.   The English (US) NAUTIC

Tonight NAUTICAL LOG hit 40,000 readers who found the Blog, according to Sitemeter ® and read it, some quite regularly.  We do not now or ever intend to use Facebook® or Twitter® so NAUTICAL LOG is found only on Blogspot® at  www.nauticallog.blogspot.com/  .  We hope you will continue to read, comment and enjoy this activist maritime blog.  If there are subjects you would like us to address we shall be happy to consider their suitability.  Below is a note in red print  regarding piracy and the response to it for the sake of our fellow seafarers.  This coming week NAUTICAL LOG is going to monitor other maritime blogs and we may decide to transfer blogs from our 'My Blog List' to  'My Link List' due to the level of their efforts in preventing further piracy.  Or maybe we shall not continue to list a particular Blog at all.  It is most important that all hands work together on the piracy issue.  Not nearly enough is being done by governments that could be d

 initial landings  later beach port  courses across The Channal/La Manche   To-day is the 67th. Anniversary of the day American Forces and British Troops supported by elements of French and other European nations landed on the beaches of Normandy, France.  This action started the final demise of the Third Reich, the Nazi dream to rule the world.  Since that day Germany has tried to suppress, cover-up, or wash off this dreadful stain on its nation - it cannot.  It even brings to trial persons now in their 90's in this impossible attempt.  It has most unwisely been allowed to dominate Europe by leading the European Union. There are fewer and fewer Veterans each Anniversary to show honour and respect for those who gave their lives so that NAUTICAL LOG and millions of other European kids might grow up in relative freedom, educate themselves and develop careers.  It is up to those kids now in our 60' and 70's to remember and say - thank you. Good Wa

 TSS Empress of Canada/Mardis Gras and MS Carnival Magic  Coming from a very different generation of seafarers - one is tempted to say real seafarers - but that is not really fair to the capable ones out there at present.  NAUTICAL LOG looks at current maritime life, the current design and operation of ships with a jaundiced eye. As you may know South Florida is a big cruise industry area with several Ports on both its East coast and West coast berthing these vessels each weekend.  The local newspapers regularly have articles indeed whole sections on the industry, its various companies and vessels.  So it is that 'The Miami Herald' in its Travel Section today had an article about the newest cruise vessels - at least that is what they call them but one has to wonder.   Watch them transit Government Cut, complete the channel to the Miami Seabuoy and then turn to head either southwards or northeastwards to cross the Florida Strait towards the Bahamas.  These vesse

This has been a hectic few days and finally NAUTICAL LOG got a chance to relax which means writing a Post - something always enjoyed. Amongst the e-mails today was one from C-PORT, for those of you not familiar with the organization it represents the assistance towing industry ( you pay we tow ) with federal, state and local agencies.  Here are some definitions: Assistance towing is defined as towing a disabled vessel for consideration ( money dude! ) as per 46 CFR 10.107 (b) Disabled vessel means needing assistance while docked, moored, anchored, aground, adrift or underway as per 46 CFR 10.107 (b) Consideration means economic benefit, inducement, right or profit including pecuniary payment ( once again money dude!! ) as per 46 USC 2101 (5a) There are organizations that do this professionally ( see the 'Yellow policy guys' and the 'Red policy guys' in our Link List ) while their level of professional skill varies greatly they do have to obtain USCG licensing a

The following M-Notices are now available: MIN 411 (M) Community Inland Waterways- Issue European Vessels Identification Numbers (ENI). MGN 431 (M) The Government Support for Maritime Training Scheme (SMarT)-Revised Arrangements from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012. MSN 1827 (M) Correction for Categorisation of Waters. MSN 1828 (M) The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants in Packaged Form: Amendment 35-10 to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. Any difficulties contact 023 8032 9391 Good Watch. Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia - let us work with those trying to free them.

Just briefly this week as NAUTICAL LOG is heavily involved in a very serious Investigation - legal e-mails and writing abound.  We are giving the piracy reports a rest as nothing effective is being done. Now even the Vatican has written and published a report amongst other things telling the pirates to be good and say their prayers - oh dear dear me not really realistic.  The world governments seem to be confused and unable to govern these days - perhaps the mental rot of decades of socialism in Europe. Also NAUTICAL LOG is not going to write Posts about SSCS anymore complete waste of time as their "campaigns" are just fund raising events so " Wats-his-name" can travel the world and enjoy is very active social life.  The SSCS got dumped this year so at least one of his cons failed. We did receive just now some UK M-Notices and there is a NLIN covering them. We also received the C-PORT The Marine Assistance Industry Journal -  more about that later.

Other than drawing attention to the fact that two Sea Shepherd vessels departed from Toulon, France today NAUTICAL LOG has decided not to report further on their activities.  The SSCS have accomplished nothing worthwhile in recent campaigns and wallow in dumps of bovine scatology.  Since they say they are going to enter the War Zone off littoral North Africa it may be a major event could occur in which case NAUTICAL LOG will consider a Post.  The current campaign is named "Operation Blue Rage 2011" if anyone is actually interested in these persons they have their own website with Press Releases. Good Watch Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia - let us work with maritime interests to free them.