NAUTICAL LOG

Here in South Florida, most particularly Miami-Dade County, the Cubans have been celebrating the death of Fidel Castro the revolutionary leader of Cuba.  While it is wrong to celebrate the loss of life who can blame them after fifty years of misery clearly caused by this dictator.  A few famous words modified for him  with acknowledgements to a Jesuit education and William Shakespeare. Amici et Quirites prolesque Iuli, aures praebete.  Veni ad Castro sepeliendum, non ad laudandum.  Malefica superstites maleficis.  Beneficia una cum ossibus lorem luimata sunt.  Fiat sic Castro. Indeed so far one has not heard a single thing about him that was good just tales of families torn apart, some never seen again from the political prisons of that tragic Island of Cuba.  One could also mention the many lost at sea, perhaps thousands we really do not know how many, trying to reach Florida across the Florida Straits in homemade craft.  Now whil...

Many years ago now when one sailed in Andrew Weirs Bankline ships we had Indian crews.  At that time we had some Sikh engineers but no deck officers or even deck apprentices.  Later Indian shipping companies were formed and maritime schools organized to train crews for the Indian Merchant Navy.  It seems the programme has been quite a success as nowadays there are many Indian Masters of vessels including the first Indian women Master.  Captain Radhika Menon has recently been awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for her rescue of fishermen from a sinking fishing boat in severe weather.  The incident occurred off Gopalpur, India in 25 foot seas, winds of 60 knots and torrential rain. Captain Menon has had an interesting career beginning as a Radio Officer then becoming a Deck Officer and rising through the ranks to an appointment as Master.  Coming from a country that has traditions and lifestyle not always easy for women it i...

If you read the header remarks of the Blog you will notice an additional sentence regarding the EU and its beloved Regulations.  Recently though with the pending departure of the British there have been rumblings of discontent from several other Member States.  Sitting in Brussels are vast numbers of petty bureaucrats writing, at great expense, these Regulations which range through all facades of the society.  They cover such things as maritime interests, fishing rights, crop planting, selling your products and yes the design and size of a British teapot.  Good lord is it any wonder that the British populace voted to leave the EU - that sacred and revered object was actually examined, critisised and regulations drafted covering its size, design and usage.  That's it OUT - we are NOT amused !! Now one receives a lengthy notice from the European Union via Google that we blog writers must inform y'all that there are regulations covering blog wri...

It sometimes happens that one is going to write a Post on a subject when lo and behold there is already an excellent one.  Such is the case today; so rather than repeat everything let me refer you to the source of that Post At present we are experiencing Perigean Spring Tides which occur when the Moon is at perigee on its oval path that is the closest point to Earth.  One of the principal results are higher than usual Spring Tides as against the Neap Tides. Should you be interested in the full explanation of this phenomenon then you might like to reference "Old Salt Blog" which has an excellent explanation of this event and uses all the correct terms - quite unlike our Media here in South Florida. Good Watch.

Here in the United States of America and in many Nations around the World it is Veterans or Armistice Day and best wishes to all fellow veterans. After a very scruffy campaign in the USA we have elected a new President the 45th. in our relatively short history.  He has promised to look after veterans considerably better than has occurred in the past, the 44th. Administration was particularly bad at that job, so hopefully those of us who need care will be looked after decently and those of us that can will help. Therefore we should give him the chance to do his job, not expect results in two weeks or even two months after his Inauguration but over the first two years of his term of Office.  Most of us, one believes, were glad he was the choice and not that other candidate who clearly was neither truthful or dependable and thus not capable of doing the job in spite of lengthy political experience.  In fact that experience so misused was what helped bring her down. ...