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NAUTICAL NOTES - ILLUSTRATED

  • The saga of the MS Rena continues in New Zealand as salvage operations progress the main operation being the removal of oil from her tanks.  The crew were removed ten days ago and on October 12, 2011 the Master was charged under NZ's Maritime Transport Act Section 65 with "for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk".  It is likely that as the overall operation and investigation proceeds there will be additional charges laid.  NAUTICAL LOG understands the Second Officer, who was OOW at the time of impacting Astrolabe Reef, has also been detained.  We further understand that both the Master and Second Officer are Filipino Nationals however since we are 'Forbidden' by our server from access to Marine Cafe Blog (MCB) cannot use this first hand information source, it would seem both Officers are products of the 'Pinoy Seafaring Factory' to use the MCB term.  CAPT. Alex van Wijngaarden the NZ National OSC said about 200 tonnes of fuel had been removed of the 772 tonnes in number 5 port fuel tank.  The Maritime NZ website www.maritimenz.govt.nz/  has regular updates and there is a link in 'My Link List'.


Approaching berth
Passing El morro, Havana, Cuba

  • From Prensa Latina Havana, Cuba comes news that the Chinese hospital ship Daishandao/Peace Ark has docked there.  this is the first stop on a tour that will take her to Jamaica, Trinidad-Tobago, and Costa Rica.  To quote the Chinese: "The Peace Ark's missions include promoting fraternal links with Caribbean countries and improving the capacity of Chinese Navy to fulfill multiple tasks".  The hospital ship will stay in Cuba until October 24, 2011.

Marie Dedieu

  • The weekly piracy reports continue, mainly they are about East Africa as the incidents spread up and down that coast.  However there are not weekly reports of action taken to free those captured by pirates and held captive.  Sadly one captive did die this week, a french woman taken from Kenya if one remembers correctly.  Perhaps now the FFL will be allowed to execute (one uses the term precisely) an action using extreme prejudice in response to this murder.  Some 400 of our fellow seafarers remain captive in deplorable conditions off the coast of Somalia.

Good Watch

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