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bob.couttie

Bob Couttie has written for a number of maritime industry publications, including the prestigious Lloyd’s List International daily newspaper and Lloyd’s Ship Manager magazine. His reportage on problems with ship’s officer certification examinations in the Philippines in the late 1990s influenced the adoption of computerized examinations for ship officers by the country’s Professional Regulatory Commission. . Bob's current work, Maritime Accident Casebook, draws episodes from investigations around the world to explore in a informal, entertaining and accessible way how and why such incidents happen and how they might be avoided. Each casefile consists of an audio podcast, accompanied by a transcript with illustrations and links to further information. Except where otherwise indicated, opinions and recommendations are those of the author.


Saturday, September 11, 2010
Uncategorized

Magellan Star Pirate Take-Down – Give The Master A Pat On The Back For A Text-Book Defence

US Marines who took the Magellan Star from the pirates who boarded it the previous day are being roundly and properly congratulated for their professionalism

September 11, 2010
Total Views: 140

Saturday, August 7, 2010
Uncategorized

Drunk Chief Engineer Refused Lifejacket, Died

Three time a chief engineered refused a lifejacket as he attempted to transfer from a snow and ice-covered launch to the oil and chemical tanker OW Copenhagen

August 7, 2010
Total Views: 34

Uncategorized

Home-Made Bomb Hit M Star Tanker Claims UAE – May be Wrong Tanker

 Claims by WAM, the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates, that the Japanese tanker M Star had been attacked by a suicide bombers are being

August 7, 2010
Total Views: 4

Monday, August 2, 2010
Incidents

BSU Releases MOB Report – No Lifejacket, Again

Germany’s Bundesstelle für Seeunfalluntersuchung, Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation, has released its report of a man overboard in the

August 2, 2010
Total Views: 3

Incidents

Cadet’s Death Is Just The Tip Of A Dirty Iceberg

Like many youngsters Akhona Geveza had her own Facebook site but unlike many youngsters she was a seafarer so the opportunity to update her page came few and

August 2, 2010
Total Views: 997

Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Lifesaving Incidents

Brazil Awaits Triple 5 Lifeboat Hook Check

Brazil’s Maritime Casualty Investigation Department of the Brazilian Navy’s Directorate of Ports and Coasts is awaiting a report on a Triple 5

July 20, 2010
Total Views: 100

Friday, April 23, 2010
Uncategorized

Close Call On Rig – Explosion Danger When Welding Tank

An alert rig site senior mechanic spotted a welder carrying out a job that could have led to an explosion. It is a reminder to check thoroughly what’s

April 23, 2010
Total Views: 7

Thursday, April 15, 2010
Oil Spill

Shen Neng 1: Fatigue, Inexperience, Wrong Chart

In essence, a simple succession of errors on the part of a very tired crew member resulted in the grounding of Shen Neng 1 on Douglas Shoal, part of

April 15, 2010
Total Views: 90

Thursday, April 1, 2010
Incidents

Cowards On The Bridge

Cowardice is rarely an adjective that MAC has ever applied to seafarers. It is one that we do so now, for a particularly shameful breed of gutless and

April 1, 2010
Total Views: 4

Saturday, March 6, 2010
Uncategorized

Lashing@sea and Containers – A Disappointment

MAC has a particular distaste for psuedoscience. If someone makes claims that they refuse to back up with solid, peer-reviewed evidence he shows them the door.

March 6, 2010
Total Views: 24

Friday, March 5, 2010
Lifesaving Incidents

S/V Concordia and the Nautical Goat

It was not so much Transport Canada’s decision to investigate the capsize and sinking of the Barbados-flagged  sailing vessel Concordia that raised

March 5, 2010
Total Views: 87

Friday, October 23, 2009
Uncategorized

Flogging and Mutiny in the 21st Century

When Captain Doug Pine talks of floggings, mutiny and physical fear it’s not a tale of past centuries, but of today. Indeed it’s probably going on

October 23, 2009
Total Views: 43

Friday, August 28, 2009
Uncategorized

Casualty Outlook

Those of us who spend our time reading casualty reports often end up scratching our heads and muttering “Why the hell did he do that?” Mostly

August 28, 2009
Total Views: 10

Thursday, August 13, 2009
Uncategorized

Casualty Outlook

Three serious incidents have dominated the past week with the disappearance of the Arctic Sea, its cargo of timber valued at a little under $2m and its crew of

August 13, 2009
Total Views: 2

Friday, July 31, 2009
Ports

Playing Russian Roulette At UK container ports?

By William Redmond MAC UK Correspondent A container crane collapse during ship loading at Southampton Container Terminal on July 13 has raised serious issues

July 31, 2009
Total Views: 20

Uncategorized

Maritime Safety & Security News – 31 July 2009

Coast Guard Ends Search for 67 Haitians Missing after Shipwreck Latin American Herald Tribune Fifteen Haitians died and 119 were rescued in a joint operation

July 31, 2009
Total Views: 1

Thursday, July 30, 2009
Uncategorized

Casualty Outlook

It’s been a week of fire, ferries and fortunate rescues, as well as tragedies. Sweden saw the collision of two ferries, Gotlandia and Gotlandia II, at

July 30, 2009
Total Views: 2

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Uncategorized

Casualty Outlook

Captain  Hristo Papukchiev, pictured right, is an unhappy man. How unhappy? Until April this year he was lead investigator for the Bulgarian Maritime

July 23, 2009
Total Views: 16

Friday, July 17, 2009
Uncategorized

Master Of The Alien Invasion – Captain First to be Charged Under US Anti-Invasive Species Law

Master Of The Alien Invasion Chief Officer Charles P. Posas, has scored a dubious first in legal history. He is the first person to be charged with a violation

July 17, 2009
Total Views: 10

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Uncategorized

Casualty Outlook

Look on the bright side, the Kung Pao Chicken was great even if the ship was sitting on a reef. That was the experience of the nine-strong crew of

July 16, 2009
Total Views: 6
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