It is hard to believe that a week has gone by since we wrote our 'EDITORIAL'. This is a method of expressing our opinion on a purely personal basis that we shall be using more in the future. Also we have gone through both MY BLOG LIST and MY LINK LIST as a result a few websites have been transferred or edited out altogether. One maritime themed blog in particular has been edited from MY BLOG LIST and removed from NAUTICAL LOG altogether.
The Price to Pay
The Blog in question started out addressing issues with regard to the Philippine Maritime Industry, which it calls "the seafarer factory" and many times was quite courageously critical. Of course it was probably too good to last!! Bucking the powerful and indeed dangerous Philippine Maritime Mafia one can only go so far. Sure enough there was silence for a few weeks - then suddenly they published again from a "new location". However there is now a difference in the tone of their Posts. With Post comments from the also locally based their regular toady commentator they are now very anti-American. Is this the price that had to be paid to the PMM to survive? Be careful of Philippine coffee it has a bitter taste - the comments that go with it are cheap, and shoddy.
Of course one is quite free to express any views one has in whatever manner and equally one is quite free to choose not to publish them or a link to those views. We at NAUTICAL LOG have chosen not to contribute to their anti-American views and those of their toady commentator BC.
Marine Incidents
Two accidents occurred this week both with loss of life. The Tanzanian ferry with heavy losses will in the culture of the area not really be investigated and absolutely nothing will be done or change. The other in Norway will be fully and correctly dealt with by professional Maritime Authority in the culture of that area. There is no point to in the first and no need to in the second for NAUTICAL LOG to comment further.
Piracy
This being one of the world's more successful industries it has been revived with success in West Africa. Kidnapping the crew and stealing a tanker - but then who cares, seafarers are only counted as second class citizens (if we are lucky) so we do not really matter.
Celestial Navigation 101
After our experience as described in 'The Price to Pay' we are a little reluctant to recommend any Blogs. However STRAIT OF MAGELLAN seems genuine enough and the series they have started suggests a visit will be interesting and worthwhile to those wanting to know about Navigation. Perhaps one should give them a try.
Crew Training
Along with several other maritime themed blogs NAUTICAL LOG has posted on this subject several times. The latest is concern that with today's sophisticated engine-rooms many countries are unable to train engineers to the level now required. Considering recent Posts regarding the deplorable training conditions within the Philippine 'seafarer factory system' by locally based Blogs plus the scathing reports from the Europeans this is a country quite unable to train engineers for modern engine-rooms. India on the other hand seems quite able to handle both the training of engineers and doing the job itself.
Finally an updated format is being considered so there may be some minor changes in layout and believe it or not NAUTICAL LOG has gone mobile.
Good Watch.
The acts of piracy continue to occur on the coast of West Africa and the Horn of Africa. 400 of our fellow seafarers are held captive by pirates in deplorable conditions. We are only second class citizens but still it would be nice for them to be rescued and home with their families.
The Price to Pay
The Blog in question started out addressing issues with regard to the Philippine Maritime Industry, which it calls "the seafarer factory" and many times was quite courageously critical. Of course it was probably too good to last!! Bucking the powerful and indeed dangerous Philippine Maritime Mafia one can only go so far. Sure enough there was silence for a few weeks - then suddenly they published again from a "new location". However there is now a difference in the tone of their Posts. With Post comments from the also locally based their regular toady commentator they are now very anti-American. Is this the price that had to be paid to the PMM to survive? Be careful of Philippine coffee it has a bitter taste - the comments that go with it are cheap, and shoddy.
Of course one is quite free to express any views one has in whatever manner and equally one is quite free to choose not to publish them or a link to those views. We at NAUTICAL LOG have chosen not to contribute to their anti-American views and those of their toady commentator BC.
Marine Incidents
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| MS Spice Islander |
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| MS Nordlys |
Piracy
This being one of the world's more successful industries it has been revived with success in West Africa. Kidnapping the crew and stealing a tanker - but then who cares, seafarers are only counted as second class citizens (if we are lucky) so we do not really matter.
Celestial Navigation 101
After our experience as described in 'The Price to Pay' we are a little reluctant to recommend any Blogs. However STRAIT OF MAGELLAN seems genuine enough and the series they have started suggests a visit will be interesting and worthwhile to those wanting to know about Navigation. Perhaps one should give them a try.
Crew Training
Along with several other maritime themed blogs NAUTICAL LOG has posted on this subject several times. The latest is concern that with today's sophisticated engine-rooms many countries are unable to train engineers to the level now required. Considering recent Posts regarding the deplorable training conditions within the Philippine 'seafarer factory system' by locally based Blogs plus the scathing reports from the Europeans this is a country quite unable to train engineers for modern engine-rooms. India on the other hand seems quite able to handle both the training of engineers and doing the job itself.
Finally an updated format is being considered so there may be some minor changes in layout and believe it or not NAUTICAL LOG has gone mobile.
Good Watch.
The acts of piracy continue to occur on the coast of West Africa and the Horn of Africa. 400 of our fellow seafarers are held captive by pirates in deplorable conditions. We are only second class citizens but still it would be nice for them to be rescued and home with their families.
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