NAUTICAL LOG

On April 15, 2012 it is the Hundredth Anniversary of the RMS Titanic .  There are many recognitions of this tragic event which caused so many lives to be lost.  Some are quite disgusting such as the " Repeated Passage " cruises which shows how far the cruise line industry has sunk to make money.  NAUTICAL LOG studied at the Southampton School of Navigation for all British Certificates of Competency and there are memorials to the crew, which largely came from Southampton, in that City. There is a map of the docklands area showing with a black spot the house where each crewmember came from, there are some streets literally blacked out as just about every family had lost someone.  And this is what the cruise line industry is " celebrating ", how disgustingly insensitive. See website www.dailyecho.co.uk  for an interactive map. During this last week we received an e-mail from Canada Post which is doing something more worthwhile by publishing a series o...

A pirate boats end off Somalia, courtesy Deutsche Marine The last two weeks have been very busy for NAUTICAL LOG and we have not been on the Internet much so have not been Posting - what do you mean you didn't notice!!  Of course when one is away from the Internet things continue to happen and with the volume of data pouring out continuously it is quite impossible to catch up.  Still during the absence we had our 70,000 visitor which was quite a milestone and frankly one we did not envision when we commenced the voyage in this Blog. It is remarkable and makes one frustrated, angry and not knowing how to proceed when NAUTICAL LOG looks at all these visitors from all over the world and sees how little public concern there is for the seafarers held captive as hostages by pirates.  We rarely if ever get a comment about the situation and while there are mentions on several Blogs of piracy events only gCaptain® has a regular weekly update of the overall pi...

The following M-Notices are now available at www.dft.gov.uk if you have any problems contact 023 8032 9391 MIN 426 (M+F) ECDIS-Testing for Apparent Anomalies MGN 445 (M+F) Lifeboats: Fittings of Fall Preventer Devices to Reduce the Danger of Accidential On-load Hook Release Good Watch And please remember 300 of our fellow seafarers are held hostage by pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia.  They face mutilation and or death every day.

It seems to NAUTICAL LOG that more and more we are seeing Masters of ships in trouble with the Law or what passes for it in many countries.  Having spent some 60 years in a sea career of which 50 were actually spent serving at sea from Cadet to Master NAUTICAL LOG does not remember so many Masters being arrested in their own commands.  Knowing the maritime industry all my life since my father was a ship manager with three specialised cargo vessels sailing across the Irish Sea one knows for a fact things were handled differently then than today.  Back in the 50's a Master would be called to the Owners Office or if in a non-homeport to the Agents Office and an issue discussed.  If it was serious there would be a quiet change of command and the vessel crew really did not know much of the details.  Of course over time they seeped out but it was all quite dignified. Nowadays it is just the opposite, make it all as public as possible and shame the Masters invol...

It seems that our first Post of the day was not misplaced.  Gathering at present on Miami Beach are the cruise industry companies for the Cruise Shipping Miami Conference.  It might be termed the Annual Confidence however with two back to back incidents in Costa Cruises of the Carnival Group both that Group and Confidence has taken a serious hit and this is reflected throughout the industry in spite of all the brilliant spin from the PR persons.  To this one could add in stomach virus though in fact that is usually brought on board by passengers whom though ill are determined to take their cruise regardless.  Then there are these cases of persons going overboard for various reasons.  This year in addition is the 100th. Anniversary of the loss of RMS Titanic and incredibly one cruise line is having a " repeat the passage cruise " - how very sick is this - and further the ship being used is a British ship named after one of their Queen's homes.  This ...

River cargo barge River passenger barge For some time now NAUTICAL LOG has been trying to find out about the protocol, procedures and equipment in European Rivers cargo barges and passenger barges.  We would greatly appreciate an experienced River Patent /Schifferpatent holder and or River Navigation School Instructor sending us the data and or the sources for that data. We receive on a regular basis brochures to take a river cruise but safety data is never included and protocols are never mentioned.  As a former ocean cruise ship Safety Officer this gives some concern and we most certainly are not going to book a European River cruise without that safety data. There have been barge accidents in the Rhine River which include the loss of life of crewmembers and recently a Pilot (Lotse) whom it took some time to rescue and who died as a result of time spent in the icy river.  Our request for information directly to Viking River Cruises, ...

This article appeared in the online BBC News Asia this morning.  This is a  NAUTICAL LOG edited quote: " Japan ends its whaling season with less than a third of its annual target said the country's fishery agency.  The whaling ships headed home from the Antarctic Ocean this week with 266 minke whales and one fin whale.  Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd which follows the Japanese fleet south every year in a bid to disrupt its hunt announced on its website Thursday that the whalers had left the Southern Ocean." Well now that's interesting as just the other day the SSCS seagoing Cult reported that the MS Bob Barker had attempted an attack on the factory ship MS Nisshin Maru and had been chased off by the JWF security ships.  They were really scared by the resistance too, its not fun to be on the receiving end of these tactics as they found out.  Since the JWF was preparing to head for home there would seem to be yet more wind from " Operation Divine Win...

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. NAUTICAL LOG was so astonished to receive this from one of our international correspondents that it sat there brewing up nicely preparing to be published. One wonders just where a modern politician got the personal courage to write and give this speech.  It is something that has needed to be aired in many countries for some time.  So without further ado NAUTICAL LOG quotes that which is credited to Madam Prime Minister Julia Gillard: "Immigrants, not Australians must adapt.  Take it or leave it.  I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture.  Since the terrorist attacks in Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. T"his culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of  men and women who have sought freedom. "We speak mainly English , not Spanish, Lebanese, A...

More drama from both the Japanese Whaling Fleet (JWF) and the SSCS seagoing Cult.  A dramatic Press Release complete with video (see our Video Bar) from the SSCS Chief Windbag actually confirmed by the JWF on their website describes a "night attack" (the SSCS term ) by the JWF security vessels MS Yushin Maru #2 and MS Yushin Maru #3 on the SSCS MS Bob Barker . Telephoto lense picture of MS Nisshin Maru , this is as close as the MS Bob Barker ever got!! The MS Bob Barker had found the factory ship MS Nisshin Maru  on its return from Wellington, NZ and to prevent her being harassed the two JWF vessels moved in on the MS Bob Barker in a defensive security operation.  Always fraught with danger when three vessels manoeuvre at speed on the High Seas it was clear the two Japanese knew exactly what to do and did it well.  They applied the SSCS seagoing Cult tactics against them by deploying towed buoyed lines and illuminating the Bridge of the MS Bob Barke...

The pre-trial hearing into the Costa Concordia accident opened this morning.  With its flair for drama in an already dramatic affair the Italians instead of using the Grosseto Courthouse they used the local Moderno Theatre which is located outside the City walls.  This gave more room for those attending including the more than 70 lawyers those 'caped crusaders' of the Italian Legal System, for all parties involved, including Captain Schettino, whose lawyers slipped in the back door to avoid the Media.  Italian Law allows injured parties to attach civil lawsuits to criminal lawsuits as a result they and or their lawyers are allowed to attend hearings closed to the general public and media.  As usual in Italy, which has the largest law enforcement force in Europe some 324,339 personnel, there was a baffling array of uniformed officers complete with dazzling cap badges and insignia. Thirty-two (32) people either died ...

1. This has been a busy week on the Blog.  NAUTICAL LOG had the most 'hits' ever both per diem and for the week as a result of the SALVAGE RIGHTS Posts.  Also we were mentioned in OLD SALT BLOG , thank you Rick, and listed prominently as a reference on Google®.   The SSCS also drew attention to themselves with the usual 'Chief Windbag' Press releases and the Post on the SSCS seagoing Cult generated a few comments, remarkably not a single one in their favour - how that has changed over the years since NAUTICAL LOG first wrote about them!! 2. Congratulations to the Captain of the FV Trevignon for a job well done towing the MS Costa Allegra safely to Port on Mahé, Seychelle Islands.  This powerful tuna seiner has earned the salvage rights to a nice award as a result of its successful 'cure' under LOF.  It is remarkable how the Media are always able to find a couple of passengers, 'Americans' this time to moan and groan, about these incidents they...

The following M Notices are available at www.dft.gov.uk/ if you have any problems call 023 8032 9391 for assistance. MIN 424 (M) Life-Saving Appliances; Lifeboats, Rigid Rescue Boats, Launching Appliances and On-load Release Gear - Acceptance of Service Suppliers. MIN 425 (M+F) M-Notices: M-Notice Paper Subscription Service Ends 31 March 2012. Good Watch. What does NOT end and none is in sight is the fact that 300 of our fellow seafarers are still held hostage by pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia.  They are under threat of mutilation and or death every day.  It would be really nice if the various Maritime Authorities cared enough to do something about all this but so far nothing.