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The following happen so close to gCaptain Headquarters here in Morro Bay California that our CEO called from his ship to make sure the building was secure and relatives were safe. The future gCaptain was a little close for comfort but all ended well.

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Morro Bay isn’t a friendly inlet so our hats off to the guardsmen on duty that day. Give us a call (805-456-8644) and we’ll walk down some free gCaptain t-shirts for you guys.

More video from Station Morro Bay can be found HERE.

Our friends at the Unofficial Coast Guard Blog and the Coast Guard Report break this story on the USCG’s plans to restrict the blogging activities of those who serve. They write:

Homer Simpson - DOH!
Posted by The Gee Spot

Over at the Coast Guard Report, Thomas Jackson reports that one of his “on scene leaders” at headquarters has told him that a new media policy is in the works. Let’s hope Mr. Jackson is correct when he says, “At the end of the day I’m not sure Coasties need to worry about this just yet.” He notes,

Sadly we are told that the new policy will seek to restrict the First Amendment Rights of Coasties by limiting what they write in Blogs as well as what they can say in comments.

Perhaps by the time the ALCOAST hits the streets, any bold First Amendment restrictions will have been left aside in the re-writes.

I find it interesting that comments are something the Coast Guard is looking to squelch. Aside from the fact that comments are one of the key characteristics of blogs, comments are protected speech… and the publisher of the blog is not responsible for them. Section 230 of Title 47 of the United States Code (47 USC § 230) provides cover for blog publishers when it comes to comments. In short, blog publishers are not responsible for comments left by other people.

Here at gCaptain we love comments and some of the most consistently well written ones come from Coast Guard personnel at vastly different levels and on both the civilian and uniformed side. We hope this policy does not see the light of day.

BYM Marine and Maritime news is reporting:

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging John Joseph Cota, a U.S. Coast Guard and California licensed ship pilot, with making false statements to the Coast Guard concerning his medications and medical conditions in 2006 and 2007. The false statements arose from annual physical examinations that pilots are required to complete every year to maintain their pilot’s license.

Cota, who was the pilot of the Cosco Busan, was previously charged with negligently causing the discharge of approximately 50,000 gallons of oil in San Francisco Bay from the 65,131-ton container ship when he caused the ship to collide with the San Francisco Bay Bridge on Nov. 7, 2007.

The grand jury’s indictment supersedes and includes charges brought previously by a criminal information that charged Cota with violating the Clean Water Act (CWA), as amended by the Oil Spill Act of 1990, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by causing the death of protected species of migratory birds.

The full post is here.

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This post was written by Richard Rodriguez, Rescue Tug Captain, and US Coast Guard approved instructor for License Training. You can read more of his articles at the BitterEnd of the net.

Via CargoLaw

BBC News tells us:

Accident investigators have identified 12 other ships that could suffer the same failure as the container ship MSC Napoli which was beached off Devon and salvaged live on television with explosives.

Urgent strengthening of the ships has been ordered by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

The MAIB blamed the MSC Napoli’s design after a series of large waves left a crack in her hull in January last year.

Vertical cracks could be seen in the hull below the waterline on the port and starboard sides, and the ship’s master assessed that the vessel had “broken her back.”

A “wall of oily water” shot through the cracked hull of the ship before it was safely abandoned, the report said.

The hull failure was due to “lack of buckling strength in the engine room region,” said the MAIB report.

More than 1,500 similar ships were screened following the incident, of which 12 unidentified ships required strengthening work “to bring them up to acceptable safety standards,” said the report.

Stephen Meyer, chief inspector of the MAIB said: “The MAIB has worked closely with the world’s leading classification societies to identify any other vessels that may have the same design flaw as the MSC Napoli. Continue Reading…

You can view the Full MAIB report courtesy of the BBC  HERE.

Early last week the BBC also told us of the operation to recycle the ship:

Now the front section of the MSC Napoli is two weeks away from the smelters’.

The firm that built the Titanic - Harland and Wolff - landed the task of dismantling the cargo ship, which had to be beached on the Devon coast.

At the time there were incredible scenes of people rushing to the beach to take advantage of the unexpected bounty of the sea, in the shape of containers of motorcycles and other goods washed ashore.

The Belfast shipyard became one of the benefactors of the sad destruction of the ocean-going behemoth, keeping 80 pairs of hands busy at the yard.

It has been an interesting assignment for the crews, an estimated five cubic tonnes of waste oil needing removal became an actual 100 tonnes, adding to the workload of staff.

Now the cutting up of the superstructure is nearing completion and is expected to end up leaving 60,000 tonnes of ship-building grade steel, with the exception of one piece that was auctioned off for the BBC’s Children in Need charity. Continue Reading…

They also have photos of the scrapping operation HERE.

Finally, Maritime Accident Casebook shares with us MSC Napoli Crew Knew The Drill, they write:

“It was evident during the investigation that the master had placed a great deal of emphasis on the importance of safety drills and the maintenance of lifesaving equipment, and that the preparation and lowering of lifeboats had been well-practiced in accordance with company policy.”

No-one was hurt during the evacuation from the ship, and that may be owed to the seriousness with which the master took safety procedures and drills.

The abandon ship did not go without a hitch, “the crewman sitting nearest the forward painter release could not pull the release pin sufficiently far to allow the painter to disengage. He was squeezed between two other crew and his movement was restricted by his immersion suit. The painter was eventually cut by the chief engineer, who had a knife, and was able to reach the painter via the lifeboat’s forward hatch.” Continue Reading…

Here is the ship arriving in Belfast:

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Here is the underwater survey on the damaged section of the ship:

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Here is the MSC Napoli in Photo:

For our previous related discussion click on our MSC Napoli tag.

USCG Capt. Elmo Alexander in better days.

Reading like a chapter from Herman Wouk’s 1951 novel The Caine Mutiny the commander of Coast Guard Cutter Midgett has been relieved of duty.

The Seattle Times is reporting:

The commander of the Seattle-based Coast Guard 378′ cutter Midgett has admitted in an official inquiry that he berated and struck an enlisted man earlier this month when the ship was in Mexico. Alexander “struck an enlisted crewmember in the head while counseling him on his performance as a security watchstander.”

The Seattle Times article is here.

USCG Midgett page

Capt. Alexander’s Bio

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This post was written by Richard Rodriguez, Rescue Tug Captain, and US Coast Guard approved instructor for License Training. You can read more of his articles at the BitterEnd of the net.

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 to say we were excited to learn about the new and innovative AIS site Hi-Def San Francisco would be, well, an understatement. We will be sure to bring you more information on this site as details emerge but till that time enjoy the above image titled “30 Days of SF bay traffic“.

The USCG has intercepted another DIY Semi-Submersible operated by drug smugglers. CNN tells us:

In the past three months the Coast Guard has learned of more semi-submersible vessels smuggling drugs than it did in the previous six years, when there were 23 cases, officials said.

U.S. Coast Guard intelligence officers predict 85 cases this year and 120 next year.

In some instances, the semi-subs are towed behind other vessels and are scuttled if they are detected, Allen said. Authorities are investigating reports that some semi-subs are unmanned and are operated remotely, he said.

Diplomatic agreements give the U.S. Coast Guard drug-interdiction jurisdiction in partner countries’ waters.

Encounters have become so frequent — and the dangers of boarding the vessels so pronounced — that the Coast Guard is pushing for legislation that would make the use of “unflagged” semi-submersibles in international waters a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, even if authorities can’t recover drug evidence because the smugglers scuttle the transports.

“There’s really no legitimate use for a vessel like this,” Allen said.

Earlier this year Eaglespeak and Coast Guard News gave us tour of a similar design:

Despite the cool factor these submarines have one fatal flaw that makes them poor candidates for smuggling efforts. ZeroSix fills us in:

The main problem with real subs is that they are not much more effective than the “semi-submersibles” that are coming out of Colombia (and even Europe). Submarines can only travel underwater, on battery power, for a short time. Otherwise, they are on the surface, or in a “semi-submersible” state, running on diesel power.

The most stunning failure, however, has to be the 100-foot vessel found inside a Bogota warehouse in 2000. The BBC reported:

Police in Colombia say they have found a half-built submarine in a warehouse in a suburb of the capital Bogota.

Police chief General Luis Ernesto Gilibert said Russian documents were found alongside the partially-completed vessel.

He said the 30 metre (100ft) vessel would have been capable of carrying huge quantities of cocaine or heroin.

He speculated that, once completed, the submarine would have been disassembled and taken by lorry to to Colombia’s Pacific or Caribbean coast.

To learn how to build your own submarine check out SubmarineBoat’s Link Page, just make sure to avoid any large ships during the trial run. A warning this NYC artist most likely ignored.

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 be processed not in Admiralty, but in criminal court, where there is a more relaxed and lesser general acceptance for technical qualification and terminology. The urgency in this priority matter may be a limitation in the Statutes or they are not very busy at DOJ. However it should be noted this an accusation for violating two acts, not an allision between a ship and a fixed object. Shaft alley lawyers, don your caps and peruse.

The defendant, JOHN JOSEPH COTA, did negligently (failed to act as a reasonable person might do in similar circumstances) cause (personally did) the discharge of oil in such quantities as may be harmful from a vessel, the M/V Cosco Busan, into and upon the navigable waters of the United States, without a permit. (Can one discharge oil with a permit?) Specifically, on or about November 7, 2007, Defendant Cota, while piloting the M/V Cosco Busan,(it has not been proven that at the time he was directing the navigation and movement of the vessel) caused approximately 58,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil to be discharged from the vessel into San Francisco Bay by acting in a negligent manner,(Supra) that included the following: (a) failing to pilot a collision free course (Supra; made it safely from Oakland to buoy #1); (b) failing to adequately review with the Captain and crew (all of them?) of the M/V Cosco Busan prior to departure the official navigational charts of the proposed course, (only one route out of Oakland) the location of the San Francisco Bay aids to navigation,( not reported as yet; only 18 aids not including bridge) and the operation of the vessel’s navigational equipment; (c) departing port in heavy fog ( term has no professional meaning: although reported as .1 mile) and then failing to proceed at a safe speed (too may variables and special circumstances involved) during the voyage despite limited visibility; (d) then failing to use the vessel’s radar (operational ability unresolved) while making the final approach to the Bay Bridge; (e) failing to use positional fixes during the voyage; and (f) failing to verify the vessel’s position vis-a-vis other established and recognized aids to navigation throughout the voyage. 33CFR164.11 “The owner master or person in charge shall ensure that: (a) the wheelhouse is constantly manned by persons who: (2)Fix the vessel’s position.”

All alleged in violation of Title 33, United States Code, Sections 1319(c)(1)(A) and 1321(b)(3), a Class A misdemeanor. Reviewing the above it is obvious that owners, masters and person in charge of vessels should make all employees aware of the possibility of enforcement by government of these acts, The media has correctly expressed, “they intend to make examples.” The courts, including those selected as jurors , under instruction, will expect a high professional standard of performance of licensed and documented mariners, seafarers and private boaters. It is possible with a proper defense, one may escape penalty, but the experience is devastating and costly.

This article was written by Captain John Denham, a veteran of 66 years maritime experience in seamanship, ship handling, navigation, piloting, and education. He is also author of The Assistant and DD 891.

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The following is the documented federal charges against Cosco Busan pilot John Cota. [Continue Reading →]

US Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen

US Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen said in a recent email:

“USCG activities involving U.S. and foreign professional mariners and maritime organizations will be conducted with utmost professionalism and respect. Licensed and documented mariners are professionals who share our interests in a safe, secure, and environmentally compliant industry. Alexander Hamilton’s charge - to keep in mind that our countrymen are free men, and as such, are impatient of everything that bears the least mark of a domineering spirit - applies as much today as it did in 1790 and equally to international mariners and our trading partners .I have received reports from highly respected professionals recounting Coast Guard boardings, inspections, and investigations not displaying professionalism. additionally, some have said they lost the complete trust they once had in the Coast Guard and are fearful of retribution if they challenge the Coast Guard’s conduct.”

The complete text of Admiral Allen’s comments are HERE. Wired.com blog post: Coasties Get Sloppy Around Boaters It should be noted that my experiences with boarding teams have been positive. While Coasties do put on a game face when conducting boardings they are by in large fair in their approach. Voyages are terminated in only the most egregious of circumstances.

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This post was written by Richard Rodriguez, Rescue Tug Captain, and US Coast Guard approved instructor for License Training. You can read more of his articles at the BitterEnd

INTERVIEW WITH USCG RESCUE HELICOPTER CREW

This past July, in a gCaptain and Robin Storm exclusive, we brought you the Lessons Learned by North Atlantic freak wave survivor Jean Pierre de Lutz. Just two months prior to that article Jean was aboard the sailboat Sean Seamor II when he found trouble in the north Atlantic. In the final logbook entry he writes:

On or around 7 May 2007 the s/v Sean Seamour II was struck by a what is believed to be a “freak wave”, during Subtropical Storm Andrea. The sailboat was broadsided by a wave that did an great deal of damage to the boat and sent the crew flying about the cabin doing 360’s and causing its Master to break his ribs. The wave caused the sailboat to immediately list starboard.

After a harrowing time riding the waves a EPIRB signal was received by the USCG and a C-130 over fight located the wave riding crew. A J-Hawk Helicopter was dispatched to the area and launched a rescue swimmer, who injured his back during the insertion into the water, when a wave dropped from beneath him and he dropped some 50 to 70 feet. All of this done in 50 to 70 foot seas, with winds estimated at 80 knots.

Today we bring you an MAIS Podcast interview with the entire crew of the J-Hawk Helicopter that came to their rescue. It’s a story of survival in nature’s harshest conditions so be sure to listen.

THE HEROS

Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Drew D. Dazzo, H-60 Rescue Swimmer
Lieutenant Commander Nevada A. Smith, H-60 Aircraft Commander
Lieutenant Junior Grade Aaron G. Nelson, H-60 Copilot
Aviation Maintenance Technician Second Class Scott D. Higgins, H-60 Flight Mechanic

Read the Award Ceremony Minutes HERE.

THE VIDEO

Background Reading

• 10 Lessons Learned For Sailing in Severe Weather
• s/v Sean Seamour II - the final log entry
• Rogue Waves - A Call To Action
• EPIRB Failure aboard the “Sean Seamour”
• Top 10 Rescue at Sea Videos from the U.S. Coast Guard
• The Deadliest Catch - Rogue Wave Edition
• The Sean Seamour III

MAIS Special Report - Rescue on The High Seas;

 

 Messing About In Ships Podcast #12 - Special Interview of US Coast Guard Rescue of Sailors Aboard the Yacht Sean Seymour II: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download