By Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Collision avoidance requires all members of a bridge team to have certain traits. Observation skills, quick thinking, intuition, pattern recognition and the ability to make and act upon decisions quickly in a complex environment. A prudent watch officer must also be able to recognize when the only good option is to turn the ship around to cut … [Read more...]
Five Missing After Dredger Capsizes Following Collision with Tanker Off Singapore
Five crew members of a Dominican-registered dredger were missing after a collision with an Indonesian-registered tanker in Singapore's territorial waters on Wednesday, Singapore's Marine Port Authority (MPA) said. The collision involved the Dominican-flagged dredger JBB DE RONG 19 and the Indonesian-flagged tanker Kartika Segara and occurred at 12:40 a.m. (Singapore time) on … [Read more...]
Trump Says Hurricanes Have Improved Coast Guard’s ‘Brand’
President Trump said Sunday that the major hurricanes hitting the United States in recent weeks have been a great "branding" opportunity for the U.S. Coast Guard. Trump made the off-the-cuff remarks while speaking to reporters upon his return to the White House from Camp David, where he had been monitoring Hurricane Irma over the weekend. "I’ll tell you what, we have … [Read more...]
DHS Secretary Duke Signs Jones Act Waiver to Secure Fuel After Major Hurricanes Irma and Harvey
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday said it was temporarily waiving the Jones Act for tankers to ensure enough fuel reaches emergency responders and affected areas during Hurricane Irma and in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The waiver was signed Friday by Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke and will be in effect for seven … [Read more...]
The Chennai Six – Justice for Crew of M/V Seaman Guard Ohio
By Captain George Livingstone - Some stories are worth telling over, this is one. Perhaps the reader will recall a rather spectacular international story from 2013 regarding an anti-piracy ship called the ‘Seaman Guard Ohio’. It was a floating armory ship owned by an American company named AdvanFort. The ship contracted and supplied mobile ‘anti-piracy’ … [Read more...]
Irma Is Now The Atlantic’s Most Powerful Storm EVER
By Brian K Sullivan (Bloomberg) Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to form in the open Atlantic Ocean, was barreling toward Puerto Rico late Tuesday on a path that may bring it ashore in Florida and destroy so much property that damages may surpass Hurricane Katrina. Irma has sent cruise lines and insurance stocks plunging, with Barclays … [Read more...]
MARAD Activates TS Empire State and TS Kennedy for Harvey Relief
The maritime academy training ships TS Empire State VI and TS Kennedy have been ordered to get underway to Gulf of Mexico to support ongoing relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) activated the two National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels on Friday for a pre-scripted Federal Emergency … [Read more...]