RIVER SAFETY DATA

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, which keep sending us river cruise information, was not replied too which besides being rather bad mannered makes an experienced Safety Officer suspicious.

Good Watch.

Off the coast of Puntland, Somalia there are some 300 of our fellow seafarers held hostage by pirates. Each day they face mutilation and or death. It would be nice to hear that they had been rescued and freed to their families. So far there are not even plans to do that and NAUTICAL LOG is beyond disgusted with the various Maritime Authorities.

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PAINT LOCKER FIRES

The photographs above are revealing in several ways, lets have a look. Clearly the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) vessel JS "Kurama" impacted the Korean container ship MS "Carina Star" just aft of the turn of the fo'cs'le on the Starboard side. Please note that's the Starboard side, thus it appears JS "Kurama" would have shown "Carina Star" the red port sidelight and "Carina Star" would have shown JS "Kurama" the green starboard sidelight. This impact point would tend to suggest that JS "Kurama" was the 'stand-on' vessel and the MS "Carina Star" is the 'giving-way' vessel. Until there is a complete plot of the tracks made good of both these vessels and the position in the Kanmon Strait of the point of collision no determination can actually be made. As a result of this impact there was severe bow damage to JS "Kurama" and in addition a massive f...

HOW TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET

A popular U.S.-based cruise ship style A popular European ferry style Several times during the year NAUTICAL LOG has had visitors searching for lifejacket instructions. With two just over Christmas we decided to publish something for everybody to see and read. Choose a Coast Guard approved life-jacket and make sure it is undamaged. Make sure life-jackets are readily accessible, never locked away. Check the fit, there are adult, child and infant sizes, the correct one MUST be used. Choose bright colour life-jackets so as to be seen easily by Search and Rescue (SAR). Put your life-jacket ON BEFORE you leave the berth. Make sure you have a light and whistle attached AND they BOTH WORK. Good Watch

CYCLONES AND SENTINELS

USCG Sentinel-class which are based on the Netherlands Damen Stan-class USCGC opened hull view USCG Sentinel-class interior layout USN Cyclone-class In the NAUTICAL LOG Press Release folder comes news of Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, LA. The United States Coast Guard has awarded a $166.1 million option to start production of four ' Sentinel-class' Fast Response Cutters (FRCs). This latest award brings a total of eight FRCs under production at Bollinger with a value of $410.7 million. The current FRC contract contains options for up to 34 cutters and is worth $1.5 billion if they are all exercised. Recently the United States Navy limited operation of its 'Cyclone-class' coastal patrol boats stationed in Bahrain and Norfolk, VA. Any vessel operation would depend on sea state and speed restrictions. This was due to structural damage as the vessels reach the 15 year mark which is considered close to the operational limit. This is apparently not a design fault but ...

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