You can find links to all the previous editions at the bottom of this post. You are encouraged to participate using the comment link/form at the bottom of the post. If you have photos or stories to tell, do email me at [email protected].
—————————————-
This Week’s Photos:
This week’s photos come from the website of Germany’s Senator Lines, which announced last week that it is closing down:
Senator Lines of Germany today announced it will wind down its liner services with immediate effect as the deepening slump in container shipping claimed its first high-profile casualty.
Senator, which is majority owned by Hanjin Shipping of South Korea, said it is halting operations in the face of reduced cargo volumes, overcapacity and increased competition, especially on the major east-west trade routes.
The carrier, which was established in 1987, will continue trading until it has delivered all of its cargoes.
gCaptain has “Mariner Shortage – Your Opinions“. I blame STCW 95. In the past sailors would move ashore when shipping was bad and go back out to sea when shipping was good again/when there were shortages of seafarers. Now, with STCW 95, it gets very difficult to maintain your license and training if you are working shoreside. A shipping company has no problem with sailing staff going off to collect some training during vacation time, but good luck trying to duck out of the office for a couple weeks to do some refresher training. Or you can try to do it during your vacation time, but that won’t go over well with the rest of the family, not to mention not having enough vacation time to cover all the training requirements.
Built in 1939 in the Netherlands for Lisbon based owners Parceria Geral de Pescarias, «ARGUS» has been cruising in the Caribbeans since 1976 under the name «POLYNESIA II». Sold by Parceria in 1974 to Canadian interests (White Fleet Cruise Ships), she was resold in 1975 to Windjammer Barefoot and converted to carry 126 passengers. However, this company has gone bankrupt… and we are affraid that «ARGUS» will be «left outside alone»…
Master of Towing Vessels Association Forum has comments on having a ‘dangerously sharp’ knife around for those times when you absolutely, positively want to disconnect your ship from what’s on the other end of that mooring/tow line in “Wicked Shahp!“. One of my sailor knives had extreme serrations on it. The old bosun on one ship didn’t believe that I was able to slice through the mooring line in seconds as we got down to re-splicing it.
Ananova has “Bananas ship seizure“. The ship has been detained for five months now. The whole port is complaining about the stench.
The Ukrainian secret service – the SBU – impounded a Greek-owned cargo ship loaded with bananas as part of a drug smuggling investigation.
No drugs have been found but security chiefs have said they will not release the ship which is being held in Odessa.
Now the ship’s crew has been issued with nuclear war-style bio-hazard suits and respirators to protect them from the toxic rotting bananas.
…America’s vast domestic oil and natural gas resources [have] been kept off-limits by Congress for decades [and] could generate more than $1.7 trillion in government revenue, create thousands of new jobs and enhance the nation’s energy security by significantly boosting domestic production, a study released Monday shows.
AND
According to the ICF study, U.S. crude oil production would rise by 36% by 2030 if development is permitted in the studied areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR and the Rockies and domestic natural gas production would rise by 10%. This activity would create 160,000 jobs in 2030. – ( See ‘Off-limits US oil, gas worth $1.7 trillion to government: study‘ by Energy API Study
I have pointed out in last week’s edition of Maritime Monday on how the Obama Administration has stopped further offshore oil development approved in the tail end of last year’s Congress.
Bob Couttie’s Maritime Accident Casebook has coverage of an anti-piracy guide in “OCIMF – Put A Pirate In Your Pocket“. Click the image below to open the PDF format guide.
Example of a warning sign in Somali, which states – DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC BARRIER
Good idea, provided they know how to read. Probably wouldn’t hurt to use it, with or without electricity…
The suit claims that the underwater rock the Jebsen bulk carrier Rocknes hit in Vatlestraumen south of Bergen on 19 January, 2004, was not marked on the charts. According to the P&I club Gard, the Norwegian Hydrographic Services (NHS) had known the rock’s exact location since 1995.
LONDON: Shipping investor Nobu Su plans to offer his fleet of 20 supertankers to speculators who want to store oil and bet they can sell it later in the year for a profit.
Su’s Taipei-based company, TMT Co Ltd, will lease out its two-million-barrel vessels at below-market prices in return for a share of any profit his customers make on the trade in oil. His fleet, able to hold enough crude to supply Europe for two days, is available for immediate hire, he said.
Its all good until everyone tries to sell their tanker loads of oil at once, right…
Never Sea Land has Vendee Globe Around the World Solo race video with “Roxy Sailing“. Yes, that really is fast for any type of boat, especially a sailboat!
9 News (Colorado) has unfortunate trouble for a future Merchant Marine Academy Midship-woman in “Student faces expulsion for fake drill team guns“. Actually they were real, drill-team drill rifles, which of course are fake rifles.
Maritime Information Centre has “Scrap yards full as owners cut their losses“. You can bet that these ships were making good profits for their owners until recently, which is why they were kept sailing past their useful life. Lets see how many were wise enough to put away enough money to buy nice new replacements for these vessels. So whatever they might lose for selling their all-of-a-sudden ‘rustbucket’ into low scrap prices, they are sure to earn back and then some getting a slightly used ship for a much better deal than the original owners did.
With less global consumption brought about by the recession, companies are turning to the sea to transport goods rather than air, according to shipping recruiters.
BitterEnd has “WSF could save millions, reports Captain Twohig“. The example is for Washington State Ferries. The question is are people willing to accepted reduced speeds? If so, then why not slower speeds for cars too? Then again, what if people are willing to pay for the faster transit even if it is only 3-4 minutes faster?
The announcement, at a press conference at Canary Wharf in London, is set to open a row over the contents of the ship, which is thought to be lying in international waters. Because it is a military wreck, the ship is protected by “sovereign immunity” and belongs to the state.
Traditionally, large numbers of documents are required by customs, immigration, health and other public authorities pertaining to a ship, its crew and passengers, baggage, cargo and mail. Unnecessary paperwork is a problem in most industries, but the potential for red tape is probably greater in shipping than in other industries, because of its international nature and the traditional acceptance of formalities and procedures.
Allusions to an underwater El Dorado are common in Western literature—such as the hymn by 16th century British poet Thomas Campion. A seafloor encrusted with hidden treasures awaits discovery to only the bravest who dare venture where the sun never shines.
On the brink of this quest, Nautilus Minerals is just steps away from testing the waters. Using technology developed by the offshore oil industry, the Canadian mining company is embarking on the world’s first deep-sea mining project.
Information Dissemination has “Israel Impounds Aid Ship“. The ship was coming from Lebanon, where I suspect there are enough people who need aid and are ignored by these same people simply looking to make a statement.
Israel Matzav has more on the ship which is currently named MONCHEGORSK (Some stories state that the ship had changed name and flag) in “Surprise: Iranian cargo ship was carrying weapons to Gaza“. The ship is Cyprus Flag and oddly enough, has been detained in Cyprus.
Crew members aboard Japanese harpoon whaling ship, the Yushin Maru No. 3, give Sea Shepherd activists a middle finger while using an LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) sonic weapon developed for the military. Photo by Adam Lau/Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Better a finger than some LRAD in the face, right?
Hearing on international piracy on the high seas – On February 4, the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted a hearing on International Piracy on the High Seas. Opening statements were made by Committee Chair James Oberstar (D-MN) and Subcommittee Chair Elijah Cummings. RADM William Baumgartner, JAG, USCG testified that coordinated application of naval force and legal authorities is required to suppress piracy off the coast of Somalia. RADM Ted Branch, USN testified concerning the increase in the number of naval vessels operating in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. Mr. James Caponiti, Maritime Administration, testified concerning that agency’s efforts to facilitate coordination and cooperation among the various stakeholders impacted by the piracy problem. Mr. Peter Chalk, RAND Corporation, testified that, among other things, defensive technologies should be more widely used and basic security protocols should be adhered to. Captain Phil Davies, OCIMF, testified regarding the special risks presented by tankers and implementation of best maritime practices. Dr. Peter Swift, INTERTANKO, testified that re-establishment of law and order on the high seas is largely a task for governments, not industry. Mr. Giles Noakes, BIMCO, expressed concern regarding weaknesses in the international and national legal systems that make it difficult to bring pirates to justice. (2/4/09). – Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage(Used with Permission)
AND:
EPA – NPDES VGP program – reminder – This is a reminder to the regulated community that the EPA’s Vessel General Permit (VGP) program comes into effect on February 6. Following is our earlier report on this development: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice announcing the Vessel General Permit (VGP) program as part of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA). A federal court previously ruled that the long-standing exemption from the NPDES permitting requirement was invalid and directed that the exemption be vacated as of December 19, 2008. The VGP program has been developed in response to that ruling. The program addresses 28 separate discharges from ships including, but are not limited to, ballast water discharges, deck washdown and runoff, bilge water, gray water, seawater cooling overboard discharge, controllable pitch propeller hydraulic fluid, and hull husbandry. Covered vessels (basically commercial vessels, foreign and domestic, of 79 feet in length and greater) operating on navigable waters of the United States have to adopt best management practices for each of these waste streams. In addition, covered vessels of 300 gross tons and greater will have to submit Notices of Intent (NOIs) relating to these discharges. The EPA also released its 162-page VGP permit and a 125-page Fact Sheet and a 179-page Economic Analysis. Finally, to further complicate an already difficult situation, it released the State and Tribal Certifications related to the VGP program. The EPA also issued a news release stating that the program affects approximately 61,000 domestic vessels and 8,000 foreign vessels. Note: Subsequent to the signing of this notice, the federal court granted a motion to delay implementation of the VGP program until February 6, 2009. This is a work in progress and there are certain to be further developments. 73 Fed. Reg. 79473 (December 29, 2008). – Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage(Used with Permission)
Spain’s maritime safety agency said the vessel was intercepted about 60 n-miles south of Gran Canaria Island. Three dead bodies were also found in the wooden boat.
Spanish authorities said the migrants left West Africa more than eight days ago. The survivors were taken today to Areguineguin on Gran Canaria.
The total number of migrants rescued in winter weather off the Canary Islands and West Africa exceeds 250 over the past six days, the agency said. – Fairplay Homepage(Used with Permission)
AND:
Tanker crewman stabbed to death – AN OIL tanker crewman has been stabbed to death following an argument with another man on the ship, the Philippines Coast Guard has said.
The dead man has been identified as a Filipino cook aboard the Greek tanker Stresa.
The incident occurred in the galley where the two Filipino crewmen had a heated argument that led to the stabbing while the tanker was off Itbayat, Batanes in the Philippines. The captain reported the incident to PCG. The attacker could not be found and is believed to have jumped ship.
The Stresa came from Kuwait and was heading for South Korea when the incident occurred. – Fairplay Homepage(Used with Permission)
—————————————-
Submissions for future editions:
Please submit articles for inclusion in next week’s edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email stories and photos to [email protected] for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest areas of coverage.
—————————————-
Previous Editions: As linked below or click on the tag ‘Maritime Monday’ for all gCaptain editions.
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.
By Yimou Lee TAIPEI, March 7 (Reuters) – China has stepped up grey-zone warfare against Taiwan, aiming to make the areas around the democratic island “saturated” with balloons, drones and civilian boats,...
Austal USA has kicked off plans to construct a new manufacturing facility, marking a significant expansion of its shipyard capacity in Mobile, Alabama in support of U.S. Navy and Coast...
Oldendorff and Norsepower have announced an agreement to install three Norsepower Rotor Sails™ on board a modern bulk carrier to reduce its emissions. The vessel, Dietrich Oldendorff, will be equipped...
February 5, 2024
Total Views: 834
Why Join gCaptain Club?
Be Informed: Stay updated with the latest maritime news and trends.
Connect: Network with a community of maritime professionals and enthusiasts.
Gain Insights: Receive exclusive content and personal perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.