gCaptain.com

The most elegant ship built in decades has caught the inspiration of artists, photographers and ship spotters worldwide. She is elegant, record breaking and capable. She’s also a YouTube Star! Here are two video that have reached over 25,000 viewers and for good reason. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AX4OJZdiBY

The liner Queen Mary 2 slips under the Golden [...]

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Today’s AP wire tells us:
The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit six months ago accusing the pilot and the owner of the Cosco Busan of breaking environmental laws when the ship struck a bridge support and spilled 53,000 gallons of toxic oil.
In legal papers filed Thursday, Hong Kong-based ship owner Regal Stone argues that the [...]

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Our friend Bob Couttie of Maritime Accident Casebook asks; Pirates, A Doom With A Q? He writes:
Earlier this week the US and France introduce a draft UN Security Council resolution co-sponsored by the UK and Panama, to combat piracy along Somalia’s nearly 2,000 mile coastline. Is it enough?
Faster than you can say “dead man’s chest” Somali pirates bounced [...]

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Not Being John Cota

by Bob Couttie

“Capt. Cota acknowledges the lack of situational awareness and does not expect it to happen again.”
Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays: Investigation into the grounding of the M/V Pioneer…on 20 February 2006.
Bay pilot John Cota’s week it wasn’t, starting April 8, 2008. Since the US Department of Justice has [...]

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TROUBLE ON OILY WATERS.
MV COSCO BUSAN vs THE BRIDGE ON SAN FRANCISCO BAY
BY John G. Denham
On Wednesday 7 November 2007, it started as a short 10 AM radio news item. A tanker hit the bay bridge and some oil was spilled. Just another boating accident. By noon it was reported that the slight [...]

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Click Image For Hi-Resolution Version/
Being technologically oriented ship drivers we are easily excited by new web sites that combine these interests. Having worked closely with web based AIS (Digital Seas, EarthNC, ActiveCaptain, VslTrax… to name a few) providers during the Cosco Busan incident we are also increasingly becoming interested in digital ship tracking technology so [...]

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Photo By OneEighteen
The interesting and disturbing news that the “COSCO BUSAN CREW DETAINED WITHOUT CHARGES” raises the concern that it can happen to U.S. mariners too. Asian jails are not comfortable.The fact the Captain and six crew members are available for testimony is encouraging as they may be able to fill in the blanks [...]

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Sailor, Mariners, seafarers and to whom it may concern

by Captain John Denham

The Department of Justice has submitted “information relative to a criminal action ” in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California; an accusation against a mariner for violating The Clean Water Act and The Migratory Bird Treaty Act. As a criminal case it will [...]

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AP Photo: The damaged Cosco Busan is seen in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007
The Associated Press is reporting that criminal charges were filed today against Capt. John Coda in the Cosco Busan allision with the San Fransisco Bay Bridge, back in November 10, 2007.
Here’s an excerpt:
Capt. [...]

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The following post is written by Fred Fry:
This is from the 13 December 07 Haight’s Maritime Items email newsletter:

San Francisco sues everyone re oil spill - The Office of the City Attorney issued a press release stating that it filed suit under state law against parties allegedly responsible for the November 7 oil spill in [...]

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