Maritime Monday 103

The following is posted by Fred Fry:

Welcome to this 103nd edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find Maritime Monday 53 here. (Published 2 April 2007)

You can find last week’s edition here.

You can find links to all the previous editions at the bottom of this post. To stay informed all week long, be sure to check out gCaptain’s Discoverer site and vote for your favorite stories as well as add ones that you find.

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This Week’s Photos:

This week’s photos come from the website of Spain’s Boluda Group:

The origins of the Boluda Group go back to the year 1920, when Vicente Boluda Marí founded a company in Valencia for the rendering of towing services in the Port of Valencia. With the development and subsequent consolidation of the company in that port, the company’s activity started to grow and spread out to the most important neighbouring ports, until it acquired a major presence along the entire Spanish Mediterranean coast. Specifically, the ports in which we initially performed our maritime towing services were Valencia, Castellón, Cartagena and Tarragona.

Once we had consolidated our position in the provision of maritime towing services along the Spanish Mediterranean coast we started to introduce strategies for growth and diversification of activities. So, with this objective, and taking advantage of the structure of the Group, in 1990 the Boluda Group began its Off-shore and salvage services, along with its marine pollution fighting service. These activities are performed throughout the whole of the country and also in international waters . – Link

Fuel Oil ‘Bunker’ Barge

Fresh Water Barge

More photos can be found at their website here.

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This Weeks Items:

EagleSpeak has “Somalia: Puntland challenges U.S. Navy to do something or go away” and the good news follow-up in “Somali pirates release tug being held off Puntland“

EagleSpeak has for last week’s edition of his weekly series “Sunday Ship History: MoBoard” and for this week, “Sunday Ship History: Airborne Mine Sweepers“

Chaotic Synaptic Activity has for his weekly series Monday Maritime Matters a summary of the career of US Navy LCDR Arthur Elloit, who was killed in action in Vietnam during operations in the Mekong River Delta area.

Maritime Accident Casebook has the surprising news “Cosco Busan Crew Still Detained Without Charge“. Just one more example of how the US treats illegal aliens much better than it treats seafarers. For those not already aware, criminal charges have been filed against the pilot. See gCaptain‘s post “Sailor, Mariners, seafarers and to whom it may concern. Cosco Busan Pilot Charged” for the details.

The Monitor (Canada) has “Icebreaker to the Aid!” as the passenger ferry M/V CARIBOU faces impassable ice for the first time in years.

Shirlaw News Group has “Tips on unjamming an icebreaker” as even the CCGS AMUNDSEN faces challenging ice conditions.

Kiwi at Sea continues to explain what his daily routine is like in “A day at sea – Part 3” and provides a teaser for the final chapter with “A day at sea – The final part.“

Tims Times has “The sea is big“

SAILORS, MARINERS & WARRIORS LEAGUE has “Seamen In Wage Tussle Stranded On Ship” covering the North Korea Flagged (Indian crewed, Greek owned) vessel LADY BELINDA which has been arrested in Singapore.

Steeljaw Scribe has the amazing rescue operation that saved the carrier USS FRANKLIN after a single Japanese plane nearly destroyed the ship off Japan in 1945 killing over half the crew.

gCaptain has the amazing “Coast Guard Interception Of Homemade Submarine” including photos and video.

Alaska Report has “Fishing boat sinking, 4 dead, 1 missing” concerning the fishing vessel ALASKA RANGER.

AFP has “India, Russia end spat over Soviet-era aircraft carrier” where Russia has doubled the price for refurbishing the ex-Soviet Carrier ADMIRAL GORSHKOV for transfer to the Indian Navy.

International Herald Tribune has news of the sinking of the tugboat NEFTEGAZ in “Sailors trapped underwater in Hong Kong after ship collision“

Lloyd’s List has “Shipping given emissions ‘wake up’ call“

Tugster has photos of ships painted orange.

Robin Storm explains what a “LEO-15 Undersea Node” is.

MarEx Newsletter has an update to Joseph Keefe’s mission to get his license back in “Mind the Gap: STCW Compliance Update, Senior Citizen Version“

MarEx Newsletter also has “What the Coast Guard NMC Won’t Tell You“

turnto10.com (Rhode Island) has “Exports Begin From Davisville“

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – For the first time, a ship left the port of Davisville on Monday with cargo.

National Public Radio reports on recent ocean buoy data that has failed to detect any warming of the oceans since 2003.

Treehugger has news of confirmed substantial fuel savings for the BELUGA SKYSAILS which recently completed a round trip as a sail-assisted cargo ship. More coverage at gCaptain.

Calgary Sun has “Four stowaways captured” after they managed to get off the terminal after arriving on the Atlantic Container Lines vessel ATLANTIC CARTIER.

KATU.com Covers the start of shredding of the thousands of Mazdas that were on the CARGO ACE which spent a while listing on its side off Alaska.

ecofriend has another source of energy that can be found in the oceans in “OTEC: harnessing solar power from the ocean“.

Sea * Fever has video of “Monday Morning Motivator – US Brig Niagara rigging it up” showing the ship getting rigged after emerging from winter storage.

Warsaw Business Journal reports good news in “Polish ports expand at breakneck speed“

The Telegraph (India) covers the delivery of the new ‘research’ ship SAGAR NIDHI in “Seabed mining ship for India“

VietNamNet explains the country’s need for a container terminal.

MarineBuzz has “10 Easy Ways to Sink a Ship” and “Why to Replace Paper Log Books in Ships with Electronic Log Books“.

Long Island Newsday has “Book chronicles history of Kings Point USMMA“

BitterEnd has photos of the IMR GRANT CANDIES. Go find out what IMR stands for.

GEO Television has “First cargo ship anchors at Gwadar Port” in Pakistan.

Asian Energy Today has “China’s energy quest and the Indian Ocean” which includes the following comment on who is behind Pakistan’s Gwadar Port:

China’s building of the Gwadar port in Pakistan at the mouth of the Straits of Hormuz was more to protect its oil supplies coming from the Persian Gulf than to help Pakistan. It is a strategic location where China can police its own as well as Western supplies. At the moment Chinese interests are taking a back seat in the Middle East, but the Chinese are determined to alter this equation, especially if their supply line is threatened.

The Wall Street Journal has “Throwing In the Towel” over an international spat between German and British passengers on the cruiseship OCEANA.

The BBC has “Fish key to reef climate survival“

National Geographic announces the launch of their new America’s Port Blog as to compliment their new TV series on US Port Operations:

Mondays 10P et / 7P pt – America’s Port provides an unblinking view of this vibrant and colorful nerve center for global trade—the Port of Los Angeles. Get an inside look at this massive complex and the intrepid individuals charged with keeping it running smoothly and securely 365 days a year. It’s a dynamic and dangerous 24/7 operation.

Click the image to start catching up on their blog entries.

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Haight’s Maritime Items has:

Vessel carrying shark fins is not a fishing vessel – The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a US vessel documented without a fishing endorsement is not a fishing vessel for purposes of the Shark Finning Prohibition Act. In the instant case, the US Coast Guard detained a US vessel that have purchased over 64,000 pounds of shark fins from foreign fishing vessels on the high seas and was preparing to deliver the shark fins to a port in Guatemala. The vessel had previously been registered with a fishing endorsement on its USCG Certificate of Documentation, but had changed its documentation prior to this voyage. The US Government filed a civil complaint for forfeiture of the vessel for violation of the Act and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regulations implementing the Act. The Act and regulations make it unlawful for any person on a US fishing vessel to possess shark fins obtained through prohibited “shark finning”. The court held that, because the statute and regulations specifically limited their application to fishing vessels and because the vessel in this case was neither directly engaged in fishing nor documented as a fishing vessel, the defendants were not put on fair notice that the activities were prohibited. United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins, No. 05-56274 (9th Cir. March 17, 2008). – Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage (Used with Permission)

Fairplay Daily News has:

Five charged over Chesapeake fracas – BALTIMORE 18 March – Five seafarers aboard the Malta-flagged cargo ship Ocean Victory have been criminally charged over a fracas last week that led to the vessel being detained as it was leaving Baltimore. Wojciech Kowalski, 63, of Poland, master of the 6,000 dwt general cargo vessel, was charged with failing to ensure the wheelhouse was staffed by a competent crew member and with failing to notify the Coast Guard that the ship did not meet minimum staffing requirements, the Maryland US attorney’s office said in a statement. Four other crewmen were charged with being drunk on duty. According to court documents, crew members admitted they bought a case of beer and that one crew member had drunk eight beers before departing from Baltimore. The crew members charged with being drunk face a maximum one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. The Coast Guard boarded the ship at the mouth of the Patuxent River, near Drum Point on 10 March after receiving a call from a pilot who reported a dispute onboard. The pilot reportedly smelled alcohol on the breath of the helmsman and he and a second crewman departed the bridge – leaving the pilot alone. After being alerted to the situation, the captain sent another crewman to the bridge but he allegedly shoved the pilot and threatened him with a “large knife”. The pilot then dropped anchor and departed the vessel – which remains detained. – Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

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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.

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Previous Editions: As linked below or click on the tag ‘Maritime Monday’ for all gCaptain editions.

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20 – 21 – 22 – 23 – 24 – 25 – 26 – 27 – 28 – 29 – 30 – 31 – 32 – 33 – 34 – 35 – 36 – 37 – 38 – 39 – 40 – 41 – 42 – 43 – 44 – 45 – 46 – 47 – 48 – 49 – 50 – 51 – 52 – 53 – 54 – 55 – 56 – 57 – 58 – 59 – 60 – 61 – 62 – 63 – 64 – 65 – 66 – 67 – 68 – 69 – 70 – 71 – 72 – 73 – 74 – 75 – 76 – 77 – 78 – 79 – 80 – 81 – 82 – 83 – 84 – 85 – 86 – 87 – 88 – 89 – 90 – 91 – 92 – 93 – 94 – 95 – 96 – 97 – 98 – gCaptain Editions: 99 – 100 – 101 – 102 – 103 – 104 – 105

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