NAUTICAL LOG

MS Pinar del Rio Passenger seating Passenger Lounge UPDATE: NAUTICAL LOG understood the service from Port Everglades, FL to Grand Bahama was due to start today December 06, 2010 with a 1000 sailing.  However at 1200 the MS Pinar del Rio (ES) was still in Port according to their AIS.  Even if they have not been successful getting passengers it is important to be seen operating and after all there may be people in Grand Bahama whom would like to travel to Port Everglades, FL.  When NAUTICAL LOG attempted to book a First Class round trip this morning through their website this message came up " Please be informed we do not have the service REQUESTED  " - not a very good start for the Spaniards.  Just tried again this evening for tomorrow and once again that same answer. Over the years there have been several attempts at operating " Ferry's " from South Florida to - well several places actually. Some never really got underway at all ...

For over a year now NAUTICAL LOG has been waging its own war against piracy by adding a comment after each Post.  Many, including serving Masters, were complaining about the apparent lack of effort by the Horn of Africa Naval Patrol.  Finally, after much discussion behind the scenes, the United Kingdom Prime Minister came up with the Licensed Armed Guard Detachments in British Flag State vessels.  Surprise, surprise there was negative reaction to that also and by those same serving Masters who had complained about the lack of Naval Patrol effort.  It seems in this era of worldwide "entitlement" thinking there is no pleasing people even serving Masters.  One in particular who has his own Blog has repeatedly and insistantly stated vessels with Armed Guard Detachments could be hijacked.  Depending on the quality of that Armed Guard and most importantly the attitude and capability, or lack thereof, by the Master it is possible.  However one does have...

An original Black Ship SSCS logo for "Operation Divine Wind" Where oh where are the black ships gone?  We wonder because according to a Japanese newspaper at least some of the Japanese Whaling Fleet is reported sailing southwards for the 2011 - 2012 whaling season.  It was also reported that the whaling budget was increased by the Japanese Fishing Ministry possibly to pay for armed escort ships which would now be legal under the new agreement to counter acts of piracy by having an Armed Guard Detachment on board or escorting a vessel.  NAUTICAL LOG has been absorbed with other things and has not been keeping very good track of what as been going on.  The SSCS has also been surprisingly quiet about their previously stated " Operation Divine Wind " - the SSCS counter-whaling response to this years season.  So whats the news? Enlighten us please! Good Watch The 400 seafarers who remain held captive by pirates off the coast of Soma...

No doubt these thoughts of NAUTICAL LOG were triggered this morning reading about the lack of ability to make decisions, any decisions, by our dysfunctional government - actually lack of government.  Things have deteriorated to such a stage that the umbrella of Federal Government over these several States has lost its panels.  We are not alone however! In that Paradise of Socialism ( no not the Obama Administration ) the European Union (EU) there is confusion, which of course for them is normal.  The European Union is a collection of countries headed by their own Kings, Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers who dream of a European President and European Constitution.  Can you imagine a ship commanded by two Masters perhaps one female and one male in these days of political correctness, also known as bovine scatology.  In this mess of political porridge the Spanish have thrown out a Socialist Government and given an absolute majority to a Centre-Right Party....

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office has published Issue 3 of its news.  There is a link to UKHO in 'My Link List'.  Contact may also be made via e-news@ukho.gov.uk   The UKHO publishes these e-news Issues at rather irregular intervals throughout the year. Good Watch Once again we would remind you that 400 of our fellow seafarers are being held captive by pirates off Somalia.  Some are now going to be spending their second Christmas in this sordid captivity.  What really bothers NAUTICAL LOG is that most of you who publish maritime blogs do not really seem to care.  Not a single one of the various maritime blogs adds a note with each Post as we do.  Only gCaptain posts a weekly Piracy Report.  This lack of interest is both puzzling and disappointing to NAUTICAL LOG.  Not even Bill O'Reilly the "Senior Deacon of the Church of Perpetual Outrage" has ever mentioned on his show our fellow seafarers he...

The following M-Notices are now available at www.dft.gov.uk/mca contact the M-Notice Administrator on 023 8032 9391 for assistance. MIN 420 (M+F)  M-Notice Consultation MIN 421 (M)  Approved Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Small Vessel Certifying Authorities MSN 1734 Amendment 5 (M+F) Approval of Marine Equipment (EC Notified Bodies) MSN 1735 Amendment 5 (M+F) Type-Approval of Marine Equipment (UK Nominated Bodies Good Watch. Some 400 of our fellow seafarers are still held captive by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Having been a bit busy with various things NAUTICAL LOG just noted it was several days since we had written a Post.  Wondering who had been looking at the Blog during that time was easy, refer to Sitemeter® but it is surprising to see how many countries the visitors came from.  Lets have a look: Australia Belgium United Kingdom Canada Hungary (the 56,000th.) Ireland Pakistan Netherlands Egypt Norway Portugal Sweden Singapore India New Zealand United States Pretty much up and down and across our World.  Wonder if they are all interested in ships, the references seem to indicate at least some interest.  Thank you for visiting, drop by any time. Good Watch. Sadly those fellow seafarers of ours are not getting any attention though for over a year now NAUTICAL LOG has been trying.  There are still some 400 held captive by pirates off the coast of Somalia.  Now the pirates are planning to stop squabbling amongst thems...

USS Biscayne AVP-11 Today here in the United States we remember all the Veteran's both ours and around the World.  As a Veteran NAUTICAL LOG is thinking of those who did not come home with us, who have passed on since, are still serving in various parts of the World for various political reasons and by no means least those who came home wounded.  They are the ones who need our help most of all.  The politicians who got us into action in the first place, by not being astute enough to avoid war as a political solution, are again the ones letting-down the returned wounded Veterans.  Why do we who served tolerate such people?  So far in the history of the World nobody has come up with the answer.  The USS Biscayne AVP-11 was named after Biscayne Bay, Miami FL.  While she never served down here she did at Anzio, Italy.  In the new military museum under construction in Miami, FL she will be recognized by her own monumen...

Kristallnacht results Coming up on Friday is the " Eleventh Hour " known in the United States as Veteran's Day.  The famous remark made at the time was " today the guns fell silent on the Western Front "  the time of cease fire for World War 1, the 11th. hour of the 11th. day of the 11th. month, 1100/11/11/1918.  Sadly it did not last for just 20 years later things had fallen apart once again in Europe and World War 2 started.  It was acts like Kristallnacht (Broken Glass Night) 73 years ago today which fanned the flames of animosity and outright hatred.  NAUTICAL LOG was nearly two years old at the time, living in Europe, so began the greatest influence on my life.   Kristallnacht was a major act in what led to Shoah , the event that led to the destruction of nations, the formation of nations, formation of the United Nations, the European Union and deeply influenced world political thinking. Friends of my parents who had fought in WW1 ...

NAUTICAL LOG does not usually recommend fundraising efforts or the support of charities.  On this occasion however we wish to inform readers of a British charity  SEAFARER SUPPORT which is duly registered under British Law as No. 212799.  Seafarers are not necessarily the best with finances and their families can find themselves suddenly in difficult situations.  Also retired or injured seafarers all too easily find themselves needing support.  Even in the socialist welfare state of the United Kingdom ( or perhaps because of it ) they may need a helping hand. The organisation Seafarer Support www.seafarersupport.org   Telephone: 0800 121 4765 is for working and former seafarers and their families as well as people who work to improve the lives of seafarers and their families. Please visit and inform yourself of their work and it may be that you can help seafarers less fortunate than yourselves. Good Watch One group of seafarers that need help...

The following United Kingdom M-Notices are available at www.dft.gov.uk/mca .   If you experience any difficulties contact 023 8032 9391. MIN 416 (M) Approved Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Small Vessel Certifying Authorities MIN 418 (M) Advice Regarding Reefer Container Incidents. Illustration by NAUTICAL LOG a reefer container **Note reefer containers that had been reported serviced in Vietnam exploded causing the deaths of port workers.** Good Watch Armed guards may now be carried by vessels in defence against pirates.  400 of our fellow seafarers are being held captive by pirates off the coast of Somalia.  They need to be rescued immediately please do what you can to expedite this.

Victoria the only one of his five ships to return Hernando Magellan Railcar 1480 - 1521 Several decades ago NAUTICAL LOG had a maritime consulting firm named Magellan Enterprises.  Magellan was a excellent navigator who for some strange reason sailed close too but never really made serious discoveries on his way to the Phillipines.  Magellan Enterprises had much the same luck, however one contract did lead to  NAUTICAL LOG  meeting a Chilean lady, we have now been married for 42 years with children and grandchildren - so one never knows. Of course the Strait of Magellan runs along the coast of Patagonia, through southern Argentina and Chile in the area known by Chileans as the Chilean Antarctic Territory.   It is also the name of a Sea, Space, and recently Posts of rather liberal-socialist political and economic opinions, Blog called " Strait of Magellan ".  However there is not anything about the Strait of Magellan ...

As regular readers know NAUTICAL LOG does not have Facebook®, Twitter®, RSS® or some such so our numbers are direct visitors from the Internet who know of or have found our website.  Today we reached 55,000 the 55,000th. visitor being from Kristainsund, More og Romsdal, Norway. We have now decided to continue publishing NAUTICAL LOG , it will continue to be an activist maritime blog, a courteous one but on occasions shall stir-things-up, perhaps even 'rant' when we feel moved to the occasion.  Also we are back to commenting in response to other Blogs Posts when we feel that is warrented - so be warned. Thank you for visiting, enjoy the Posts, please comment and  make suggestions following our Blog rules!! Good Watch Armed guards are now officially sailing in many ships that of necessity have to transit the Horn of Africa piracy region.  However we must not forget that 400 of our fellow seafarers are still held captive by ...