For the past few years thousands of trucks have been showing up at Google’s campus, discharging piles of books and picking up yesterday’s delivery. In what is now called Google’s Moonshot, the reason behind this strange occurrence was recently revealed…. Google Books.

The NY Times gives us the background of the project:

Google Book Search is the ambitious plan to digitize every book — famous or not, in any language, published anywhere on earth — found in the world’s libraries, as part of the company’s core mission “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Beginning in 2002 as a “secret books project,” according to an official history at the Google site, Google Book Search has become a planned multibillion-dollar effort that has had to overcome many obstacles, both the sheer effort of scanning so many pages of text as well as conforming to copyright laws.

So what does this mean to the average mariner? Quite simply, instant access to millions of pages of text filled with nautical know-how. [Continue Reading →]

For this week’s pick of Bizarre Marine Technology we wanted to go with Glacier Blankets but, although they would likely be transported to the Artic on ships, the relationship to marine transport is thin. But don’t worry, we have an equally interesting technology for you today… ocean tubes. We’ll let Atomocean, the company developing this technology, explain: [Continue Reading →]

This week gCaptain was excited to learn of a new organization that looks to provide leadership to the international community of mariners that specialize in dynamic positioning systems. The IDPOA’s Executive Director, Steven Jones, tells us:

The new not-for-profit professional body provides a representative voice to the maritime industry, while working to enhance and improve the professional interests of DPO’s and related companies worldwide, offering news, industry debate, training, recruitment and careers guidance.

Membership of IDPOA is available across different grades, from the most experienced DP Masters, Senior and Junior DPO’s, to those on the technical side, and those with a desire to work with DP. Bringing together a truly global DP community, members benefit from professional recognition, a support network of experts and mentors, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) tools and access to the very latest DP jobs. [Continue Reading →]

After the successful launch of gCaptain’s new Maritime Jobs Board we are ready for the next big idea. The jobs section was built to help solve a problem, clear away the clutter of existing job platforms and equip gCaptain community members (the best mariners in the world!) with a tool to find jobs that excite and inspire. This article is written to announce the next idea… a product that will change the way you operate and manage ships. The product will be available for purchase at  third party retailers for a modest price and, a warning, Version 1.0 will be dead simple. Many of you will ask why a maritime publication would build a product and worry about our level of commitment in bringing you the best maritime news and ideas you enjoy every day on this blog. Once we announce the product you will likely have more questions like “What does this have to do with maritime publishing?”. While I can not talk about specifics I do want to help you understand what we do here at gCaptain and give you a broad outline on the future of this site.

The Secret

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Cittia De Salerno Sailboat Rescue At Sea

This week’s incident photo of the week is the rescue of the sailboat Cittia De Salerno’s captain, Gianfranco Tortolani, on the USA to UK segment of the the Original Single Handed Trans-Atlantic Race. AMVER tells us: [Continue Reading →]

Prior to using a fixed fire system, especially CO2, always have a full muster! Why? This Navy video shows the inside view of what happens when this deadly gas is released.

How about when a 75lbs bottle explodes:

Why not to use CO2 on a Class D fire:

Some facts from the EPA: [Continue Reading →]

Today we continue our interview (click HERE for part 1) with Ralph Mellusi, an admiralty lawyer specializing in marine license defense. Ralph Mellusi has represented a high number of mariners on behalf of MOPS, the leading provider of Marine License Insurance in the United States.

What does the insurance provide the mariner? What is not covered by this type of insurance?
The amount and extent of coverage depends on what the Mariner selects. Mariners face multiple exposures, the first is to the license, the second is Civil liability and the third is Criminal Liability. In any one incident, one exposure or all three can be present.

Starting with Coverage for the first exposure, - the license- a mariner can purchase coverage which only pays for the legal expenses of an Admiralty Attorney. Under the Mops Policy which I am associated and familiar with, the coverage is unlimited which means there is no cap on the amount of attorney fees which the policy will cover. The premium cost increases with higher license grades.
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While we have covered eLoran before, most notably in this eLoran FAQ early last year, new headlines provide the need for revisiting the topic. In an article titled “Will Obama Kill Navigation Backup System as GPS Threatens to Fail?” Popular Mechanics tells us:

Even as a government watchdog agency warns that GPS navigation satellites could fail, the Obama administration’s proposed fiscal 2010 budget has quietly killed the nation’s backup navigation system.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report last week warning, “It is uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected.” The report also notes that the current program is about $870 million over budget and the launch of its first satellite has been delayed to November 2009, almost three years late.

This GAO report comes at a bad time for the Obama administration, which cut funding for the nation’s only backup to GPS from its 2010 budget. The LORAN system, which stands for Long-Range Aids to Navigation, is a network of terrestrial transmission stations, equipped with antennas as tall as 900 feet and staffed with Coast Guard personnel.

The network has been on the verge of obsolescence because GPS has a wider range and can transmit more precise information. That’s why Peter Orszag, director of Obama’s Office of Management and Budget, in an online posting on the White House’s websitewrote the “long-range, radio-navigation system has been made obsolete by GPS.” (Full Article Link)

From its invention by Alfred Lee Loomis to assist the Navy and Air Force during WWI to the wide scale adoption of GPS in the 90’s, Loran served the navigation needs of mariners in coastal waters. While Loran-C receivers have been taken off the bridges of most merchant ships it’s replacement, GPS, suffers from enough faults that every mariner is still required by the US Coast Guard to learn both terrestrial and celestial navigation. [Continue Reading →]

How is a cabin is built in this day of containerization and commodization? Remotely of course. Eurodam News, Holland America’s blog showcasing the shipyard activities around their latest new build project, brings us photos of the stateroom installation.

Of potential interest to readers of this blog the method shown here is very similar to how accommodation blocks are built aboard modern commercial ships. In conjuntion with this trend is the movement towards equality among crew members, which means the Captain’s cabin is often identical to that of the most junior crew member minus the extra rack. This is in stark contrast to my first ship, a Wrecks Act tanker built in Japan, which contained bunkrooms for junior crew members and a four room (day room, office, sitting room, cabin) suite for the Captain. [Continue Reading →]

On June 12, 2009 Rear Admiral Ronald J. Rábago assumed duties as the new Assistant Commandant for Acquisitions and Chief Acquisition Officer of the United States Coast Guard.  Previously, Rear Admiral Ronald J. Rábago served as the Coast Guard Program Executive Officer (PEO) on a two year assigment.  His duties as PEO included management oversight of all Coast Guard acquisition programs and projects, including Deepwater, which provides for the sustainable, modernization, and recapitalization of surface, air, command and control, and logistics assets for the Coast Guard’s multiple maritime missions.  A press release issued today from the USCG states of his new duties:

The Coast Guard’s newest two-star admiral is Rear Adm. Ronald J. Rábago, a 1978 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy.  Rábago previously served as the Coast Guard Program Executive Officer and Director of Acquisition Programs since the establishment of the Acquisition Directorate July 13, 2007.  Rábago’s new duties include direction of all Coast Guard acquisition programs and related procurement management, contracting and research and development activities to support the service’s $27 billion acquisition investment portfolio.  That portfolio consists of 22 major acquisition projects which deliver the systems, products and services necessary for mission execution. Read Full Release

While serving his previous assignment as PEO, gCaptain was lucky enough to speak with Rear Admiral Ronald J. Rábago about the Aquisitions program and its Rescue 21 system.  The interview is previded below. [Continue Reading →]