NAUTICAL LOG

The following M-Notices are now available electronically on the MCA website: MGN 433 (M) Helicopter Aviation Inspection Bodies. MIN 412 (M) Navigation: Vessel Traffic Services V103 and Local Port Services Course Dates 2011 - 2012. MIN 413 (M+F) MARPOL - Amendments to MARPOL Annex 1 to add Chapter 9 - Special Requirements For the Use or Carriage of Oils in the Antarctic Area . To download the PDF please click:  http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/ (notice number).pdf If you experience any difficulties, please contact the M-Notice Administrator on 023 8032 9391 Good Watch Please remember our fellow seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia.

Hook Lighthouse Crooke Church entrance Crooke Church This expression is often slightly misquoted, the correct one is " By Hook and by Crooke ".  These are the old sailing marks for entering one of Ireland's most magnificent harbours and  NAUTICAL LOG's birthplace of Waterford, Ireland.   See Charts BA 2049, Kinsale to Wexford, BA 2046, Waterford Harbour and Ireland Ordinance Survey map East. The ships enter by opening up the three mile wide estuary of the river Barrow, Nore and Suir clear around of the Hook Lighthouse and watching for Crooke Church opening up clear of Creaden Head.  Nowadays they head across to the western side to pick up the Waterford Harbour Commission Pilot at Dunmore East.  Then up the river to Passage East, Co. Waterford, the narrowest part between that village and Ballyhack, Co. Wexford, there is a ferry service across the river which connects Wexford and Waterford counties.  It saves a considerab...

The Waterford Tall Ships 2011 was an amazing event excellently organized  This being the first of several Posts about my birthplace let me explain our City Arms.  Waterford is a Viking city first settled by Vikings in 873 but actually permanently settled in 914 CE and is Irelands oldest City.  On the later arrival of the Normans, themselves descended from Vikings their leader Strongbow married the Rí of Leinster's daughter Aoife on August 29, 1170.  This led to the two Viking descended peoples living, learning and working together thus developing a unique Port City and people, somewhat different from the rest of the Irish. The Arms describe the City, at the top is the lion and harp indicating an Irish Royal City.  The golden lion indicates a Royal City and the silver seahorse a Port City.  The three leopards on the red background are the Royal mark and below them are three Viking longships indicating the Vik...

We are back!  Just to let our anxious readers (!!) know  NAUTICAL LOG has returned home ( our American one ) and no doubt once the travel tiredness has abated we shall be posting Posts about our trip home ( our Irish one ) to Waterford, Ireland and the Tall Ships Gathering and Race. Welcome aboard Sapphire Moon thank you for your interest, feel free to ask questions and comment.  So for now y'all, Good Watch Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia.  Have they now been forgotten?

Alright the moment has arrived NAUTICAL LOG must head off to Miami International Airport and fly to Ireland for two weeks including the Waterford Sail Training Festival (WSTF).  No problem right? Well you see NAUTICAL LOG is what could be best described as an apprehensive flyer.  But then how else does one cross 'the Pond' these days as a passenger, the wonderful Transatlantic Liners are long gone. While we hope to write some Posts it may be that they will have to wait until our return but we have been reading up on a new camera and hope to have shots of the locales and the vessels visiting Waterford.  Of course we really hope to make contact with reraders who are in the area and visiting the WSTF.  You can contact and the addresses given in the previous Post.  Good Watch. Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia - let us really work to free them.

Looking out for you!!  This has been a hectic week for NAUTICAL LOG because at the last moment arrangements were made for travel overseas.  Next week we leave for two weeks in Ireland to visit fellow seafarers and go to Waterford, my birthplace, for the Waterford Sail Training Festival ( there is a link in 'My Link List' ) over the weekend of June 30, to July 03, 2011. If any readers are also going to be in Ireland and would like to meet up please leave a message: Attention of : CAPT. D. Peter Boucher Royal Marine Hotel Dún Laoghaire Co. Dublin. From: June 22, to 25, 2011. The Tall Ships Race Office 41 The Quay Waterford. or The Granville Hotel Waterford. From: June 25 to July 05, 2011. Perhaps we can meet up for a 'pint' and " Talk of many things, Ships, Sails, Sealing wax, Cabbages, Kings".    Should be a fun trip and NAUTICAL LOG is quite excited going home after all these years. The next item is the p...

The IMO are at it again fellow seafarers but this time it does make sense - thankfully.  The 2011 Edition of The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) has been published by IMO Publications.  It is available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and online as an e-book. Good Watch. Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia.  We live in hope something will be done to free them one day!!