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(Image courtesy: Press-Telegram)

NOAA ship strike reduction rule made major strides recently with its passing of a 10 knot speed limit for large vessels near various high traffic ports along the east coast, however, covering just one of our coasts with a speed limit is only half (at best) the battle.

This past weekend, a large container ship struck and killed a 48-foot fin whale while traversing a major shipping lane leading to the port of Long Beach.  With no knowledge to the captain, the vessel proceed to the port with the whale carcass slumped over its bow.

While the west coast doesn’t have the highly endangered right whale population of the east coast, large vessels pose the same threats to fin whales and blue whales.  Critics say that without a speed limit imposed, fatal collisions with blue and fin whales will continue to occur.

MarineBuzz brings us photos of the M/V Bohai Challenge, being launched on what appears to be Yokohama Fenders (official they’re not Yokohamas). They tell us;

Qingdao Yongtai shipping supplies co.,ltd has come out with a novel product called Intense pneumatic tire for ship lifting, loading and floating. These highstrength pneumatic tubes are useful in cargo boat launching and landing, clog lifting and moving, sunken ships salvaging and stranded boats saving. The product is suitable to launch ships up to 7000 tons.

CLICK HERE for more photos from Marine Buzz.

Also, in researching this post, I came across an excellent transcript from a Nautical Institute presentation by Captain Eric Southworth, Director of FenderCare. He tells us;

Originally, Japanese ships used dead whales as large fenders. They were replaced after WW2, when the Japanese tyre manufacturer ‘Yokohama’ was asked to come up with a suitable man made alternative, hence the birth of “‘Yokohama” fenders. Before 1975 wheel type fenders were commonly used in positions 2 & 3, with “Yokohama “pneumatic fenders in positions 1 & 4. (All four positions are along the parallel midbody). Smaller secondary fenders may be used to protect the bow and stern plating from inadvertent contact during mooring and unmooring.

Read Captain Eric’s full transcript on fender history, use and maintenance HERE.