Dear gCaptain Forum Members,

The gCaptain Forums are back up and running.  It appears that a on or around June 29th, an unexpected surge of traffic to gCaptain.com caused a number of errors throughout the site.  As a result, various features and functions of the gCaptain.com Forums were not working as they normally would be, including errors in posting, searches and various threads.

Since becoming aware of these errors, we have been working tirelessly with a number of programmers to ensure that we get the forums back up as quickly and with as little data loss as possible.  We are pleased to announced that this afternoon, we were able to restore the gCaptain.com Forums with little to no data loss, including restoring all comments made to the thread Deepwater Horizon – Transocean Oil Rig Fire.

We would like to thank the number of programmers and database experts who offered help during this time, especially Jay Tillery for his efforts over the past few days.

We apologize for the inconvience and for the amount of time it took us to get the forums back up.  If while searching the Forums you come across any “test” posts or anything of the like, please report using the “Report Post” button located on the bottom of each post.  For questions or other inquiries, please feel free to contact either John or Mike directly at the info below.  Thank you again for your support and patience.

Regards,

gCaptain Team

Admin@gCaptain.com
805-720-6268

After a failed upgrade attempt (and temporary server database crash) the forum is back online and the new version is both more powerful and easier to use!

More details on the upgraded forum to come but, until then, many thanks to RZuber for his help with the databse recovery! If you run into any problems using the new forum please post them HERE or contact the gCaptain team directly.

Every so often a discussion is started on the forum that can truly stand the test of time.  This one in particular has lasted nearly as long as gCaptain itself and has been lost in the archives on multiple occasions only to be brought back to life on the homepage by the most dedicated site searcher.  Without further ado, here is a list of the Best Captain Quotes contributed by gCaptain Forum members.

Don’t turn the ship for any small vessel unless you see the fear of god in the boater’s eye while he’s frantically pulling his outboard’s rip-cord.

When asked the captain why he spends so much time in the office: There comes a time in most men’s careers when they stop being paid for what they do and start getting paid for what they know…. and by asking such a question of your Captain it’s clear to me that if you want a check next month you better go find a chipping hammer.

From a captain to a deck hand: You’re paid from the neck to the deck, I need no opinion from you!

Captain talking to the engineer: This is my f*&%ing boat, your just renting the basment!

The Captain of an Ocean Tug to an AB having just come from supply boats in the Gulf: Son – You’re on a tug now! When we back up to a rig – it means we’re taking the motherf….r with us!

Cadet, whenever you see an aircraft carrier on the horizon just think of the theme song from Jaws and act accordingly.

When the draft of the vessel exceeds the depth of the water, you are aground!

Old Master to a young mate: I thought I made a mistake once, but I was wrong.

I’m hitting the rack. Call anytime just remember… if you need me I don’t need you!
So what’s your best Captain quote?  Let us know in the comments or keep adding to the thread on the forum.

Have a great idea you’d like to share with the industry? Ever think to yourself , “I could do a better job than these gCaptain guys“? Now is your chance to prove your worth.

Created by gCaptain readers, the YOUblog forum features subjects of discussion that are of interest to our members. Anyone can contribute and the best submissions are promoted to the main gCaptain blog!

Here are some tips for creating the perfect blog post:

The short version from Seth Godin;

An appropriate illustration,
A useful (Maritime Related!) topic, easily broadened to be useful to a large number of readers,
Simple language with no useless jargon,
Not too long,
Focusing on something that people have previously taken for granted,
That initially creates emotional resistance,
Then causes a light bulb go go off
and finally,
Causes the reader to look at the world differently all day long.

More detailed tips on writing good blog posts:

• Useful and Unique Content
• Post Length
• Granular (One Topic) Posts
• Using Titles Effectively on Blogs
• Scannable Content
• Basic HTML Tags
• More on Writing Content for your Blog

gCaptain Rules

There are no rules except adding value to the conversation but here are some guidelines in FAQ format:

What topic should I write about?

The one you are most passionate about!  The value of YOUblog is sharing information and ideas with the rest of the maritime industry. Each of us has something they are passionate about, and thus, have just a slight bit more knowledge about than our colleagues. For me these topics include Marine Firefighting, Marine Electronics and Maritime Incidents. But this isn’t about me, it’s about you!  Whether your passion is celestial navigation or marine head repair, if the knowledge or idea is interesting to you then it’s worth sharing.

Can I promote my company’s product or service?

First off, no SPAM, it will be deleted. That being said if you work for an ECDIS manufacturer you probably know more about the systems than the rest of us so we welcome your thoughts and, go ahead, include one or two links to your website. To clarify, it’s not about your product, it’s about the information you share, just make sure your priorities in writing the article are in that order.

Is there anything else like this?

Absolutely, Coast Guard Proceedings Magazine has been doing this for years. Each magazine is written by authors with a common background (their service in the USCG) but each author writes about his own specialized skills.

Which articles will be promoted to the gCaptain blog?

The best (of course)! We will monitor the section for new articles and, based on feedback from the other gCaptain forum participants, pick the ones with the best reader feedback.

Besides fame and glory, what do I get out of it?

Just the knowledge that your blog post will be read by thousands of maritime professionals, some of which may take your idea and implement it aboard their ship. Who knows, your article may improve efficiencies, prevent the next big oil spill or even save a few lives!

Oh yes, and we give out free tshirts, email addresses, invitations and other goodies to our most valued contributors. Get a half dozen of so articles published and we will share ad revenue with you (but it’s not about the money, right?)

How do I get started?

That’s simple, just follow our 4 step process.

1. Register for our forum.
2. Visit the YOUblog section of our forum.
3. Click “New Thread“.
4. Start typing.

It’s really that simple!

Video Introduction

Click here to view the embedded video.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT YOUblog TODAY!

(Note: If you are interested in setting up a real blog like Admiral Thad Allan, Dennis Bryant or Cal Maritime send me an email or call me at +1.805.456.8644. We’d be more than happy to help get you started.)

Coast Guard Photo By CWO Scott Epeprson

I thought I would list a few podcasts, interviews and audio files that relate to the Cosco Busan Incident and the resultant oil spill in San Francisco Bay. If you find any more of interest please leave a comment with link below.

Our first file (click on the player below) is a very informative hour long discussion I heard on the radio earlier today. It is from KQED’s Forum and is nationaly syndicated by NPR. (Direct Link)

With a criminal probe now launched by the U.S. attorney in San Francisco into Wednesday’s crash of the container ship Cosco Busan, Forum looks at whether oil spills are preventable.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:

Debbie Hersman, board member of the National Transportation Safety Board

Paul Rogers, resources and environment writer with the San Jose Mercury News and managing editor of QUEST, KQED’s weekly science and environment program

Rear Admiral Craig Bone, the U.S. Coast Guard’s top official in California; and George Miller, Democratic congressman from California’s Seventh District.

Robert Bea, professor of civil engineering at the University of California at Berkeley

First is the audio file from the US Coast Guard Commandant , Admiral Thad Allen’s meeting with the San Francisco Chronicle. (Direct Link)

Coast Guard talks with Chronicle

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen and Rear Adm. Craig Bone spoke to The Chronicle Monday morning about the oil spill and the Coast Guard’s response time to the incident. Here’s what they had to say:

Also see our related post History’s 10 Most Famous Oil Spills.