NAUTICAL LOG

It was on a State Visit by the Austro-Hungarian Archduke and his wife to Serbia that the event occurred which set off World War 1.  While visiting Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 a bomb was thrown in a botched assassination attempt which failed to kill the Archduke but injured several bystanders.  Later in the visit the Royal couple being concerned for those injured decided to visit them in the hospital.  Unfortunately on the way there they were spotted by some of the group sent to assassinate them and both were shot dead by a member of that group.  Sadly their act of kindness somewhat rare in those times by such people led to their assassination.    Even worse of course was that the Austro-Hungarian Empire attacked Serbia with artillery fire on July 28, 1914.  This was followed by the various European Nations and Russia taking sides resulting in The First World War which lasted until an Armistice was agreed to beginning on Novemb...

HAPPY WORLD HYDROGRAPHY DAY !!   From NOAA on this first day of Summer;  " Every year the international hydrographic community celebrates World Hydrography Day on June 21.  The 2014 theme established by the International Hydrographic Organization is Hydrography - More than Nautical Charts "   NOAA's Office of Coast Survey invited articles from the public and these have been posted as an  article collection.  The articles illustrate marine ecology, archeology, energy and water resource management and emergency response.  The NOAA Coast Survey blog is at noaacoastsurvey.wordpress.com   Good Watch

UPDATE 06/18/2014: While not directly connected to Biscayne National Park another ocean park has been expanded this week.  The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument which surrounds small islands and atolls controlled by the United States Government was expanded from 87,000 square miles to 782,000 square miles. Area of PRIMNM     Yes well there are plenty of places around the coasts of South Florida but it appears that Biscayne National Park www.nps.gov/bisc/ will no longer be one of them.  Biscayne National Park   This is due basically to both overfishing and destructive fishing methods.  Quietly but steadily under several Park Superintendents the reduction of fishing has been introduced.  Now however it has got to the point that both the fish and habitat are suffering to the level that there will eventually be no fish and a destroyed habitat. Biscayne National Park proposes measures to do several things: Pha...

HAPPY FATHERS DAY !! At last after the same paper the Miami Herald keeps calling it the " boat slip " today it referred to it as the " fully-refurbished deepwater slip " which is what it really is.  The Museum Park officially reopened attended by those same local politicians who were of course at hand to take full advantage of the USCG Eagle sail-training ship arriving to spend the Father's Day weekend.  ( see photo ) USCGC Eagle berthing at the Museum Park deepwater slip It is due to the efforts of such citizens organizations as the Downtown Neighborhood Alliance that the Museum Park, a public park, was not mutilated - once again - to build a soccer stadium to brush the ego of a retired British soccer player and his group of local developers.  The initial dazzlement by this person of at least some of the local politicians faded away to the point that the wishes of the public were recognized and acted upon. Good Watch.

NAUTICAL LOG has added the website Nautilus Live to our Blog List covering the work of Dr. Robert Ballard and his Corps of Exploration in their vessel EV Nautilus.  This is a particularly interesting site not alone for the work being accomplished but the fact that one can watch live from their shipboard and ROV cameras.  The " quad " channel covers all the activity going on deck and underwater with a divided screen and gives a sense of being on board. The EV Nautilus sailed from Port Everglades, FL this week and has already covered their first dive site north of Bimini, Bahamas.  Now they are heading southwards on the Grand Bahama Bank to a second dive site and hope to be active there at 1300 local time. NAUTICAL LOG  shall be following their activity and shall Post as necessary, by entering your e-mail address you can receive reports directly ( well hopefully - nothing so far!!).   Anyway everything is on their website. Good Watch.

In spite of considerable false reporting in describing the two sites proposed by and to the retired British soccer player and his South Florida business group the second Port site got sunk today.    The first site in the Port of Miami which was described as " undeveloped " in  FOX® Business in spite of being the site of a major pollution control corporation and the berth of its response vessel.  The second site was then described in the same publication as a " boat slip " in spite of being a back up berth for cruise ships and visiting vessels. The local fascination with this retired British soccer developer seems to have waned somewhat as today there was a reversal by the Mayor of Miami who together with the Mayor of Miami-Dade County had supposedly supported indeed proposed the second Port site.  The City of Miami officials rejected the retired British soccer player plan to build on the second Port site which would involve tearing up a just recent...

As a former instructor in Maritime Law NAUTICAL LOG was interested to read the recent Press Release from BoatUS® which can be accessed in our Blog List.  If a Good Samaritan charges for the assistance the entire "G ood Samaritan " status changes in accordance with both State Law and Federal Law.  Remember if you are in a different State to your home State then that State Law could be different from your home State also.  Basically with a fee you are now in the rescue towing business, would need a USCG license, a business operational permit from local government and of course your legal responsibilities have also changed. Federal Statue 46 USC 2304 requires a vessel operator to respond if possible to a vessel or person in maritime trouble.  Visit the Good Samaritan protocol at www.uscg.mil for full guidance on your response remembering that your first responsibility is to your own vessel and the people on board.  The USCG Protocol states the parameters...

Normandy Beaches where landings took place June 06, 1944 - June 06, 2014 seventy (70) years ago today at that time NAUTICAL LOG was eight (8) years old.  The Americans together with British, Canadians and French troops landed on the beaches of Normandy to breach the Atlantic Wall of the Nazi Third Reich.  Their sacrifice won for us the ability to follow our dreams and lead our lives in my case for so far seventy-eight (78) years.  While it has been a very difficult 70 years in the World the aim of that time in 1944 to be free of the Third Reich was successful. By the twists and turns of life the flag of the Americans became my flag and since it is 0800 NAUTICAL LOG has just raised it in front of our home in South Florida to say THANK YOU !! Good Watch.

Hopefully BlogSpot ® will introduce some new templates and have a more friendly access when there is a problem.  In the meantime NAUTICAL LOG decided to change the Blog appearance with a new look for the Summer - and the Hurricane Season!! Good Watch.

The following M-Notices are now available at www.dft.gov.uk/mca If you have any problems contact 023 8032 9391 MIN 481 (M)  Passenger Ships: United Kingdom Ratification of Athens Protocol, 2002 MIN 485 (F) Written examination dates 2014/2015: Deck Officers Fishing Vessels MGN 503 (F) Procedure for carrying out a roll or heel test to assess stability for fishing vessel owners and skippers MGN 507 (M+F) Oil Pollution: Liability and compulsory insurance for bunker oil MGN 508 (M) Oil Pollution: Liability and compulsory insurance Good Watch.

We have now come to the final Rule under Steering and Sailing Rules and it is so very important Rule 19 has its own Section III.  It covers the Conduct of Vessels in Restricted Visibility which are conditions that no sensible seafarer likes being at sea in.   The recreational boater who has paid attention to the local weather forecasts most likely would not be out on the water that day. International: Rule 19:   There are five (5) points that direct seafarers how to behave in restricted visibility when they may know that the other vessels are there but of course cannot see them.  Point (d) covers the use of radar and has two (2) sub-parts which direct course changes based ONLY on data obtained by radar. Point (e) directs the navigator if it is determined risk of collision to exist. Inland: Rule 19:   The information and direction given is the same as the International with the five (5) points and point (d) having two...

As the BTR Series continues with the Steering and Sailing Rules we come to Rule 18 which addresses the Responsibilities Between Vessels.  This Rule instructs a vessel underway normally how to react when it meets a vessel that is not underway normally. International: Rule 18:   Except where Rules 9, 10, and 13 apply there are six (6) points which instruct the give-way vessel.  Point (a) has four (4) sub-parts which describe the type of other vessel.  Point (b) has three (3) sub-parts which deal with a sailing vessel ( that is a vessel under sail only ) meeting with certain other vessels.  Point (c) has two (2) sub-parts and deals with fishing vessels meeting certain other vessels.  Point (d) has two (2) sub-parts instructs any vessel meeting certain vessels showing special signals as per Rule 28  of the Lights and Shapes section.  Point (e) addresses meeting seaplanes on the water.  ( If you think this is rare try...