Maritime Monday 116

The following is posted by Fred Fry:

Welcome to this 116th edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find Maritime Monday 66 here. (Published 09 July 2007)

You can find last week’s edition here.

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]

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This Week’s Photos:

This week’s photos come from the website of Canada’s Algoma Central Corporation:

Algoma Central Corporation is the largest Canadian-flag ship owner on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Waterway.

Incorporated as Algoma Central Railway in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in 1899, the Corporation’s executive offices are located in St. Catharines, Ontario. The Corporation employs approximately 1,400 people.

With assets of approximately $534 million, and revenue of approximately $581 million, the Algoma Central Corporation group includes Algoma Shipping Inc., Algoma Tankers, Algoma Tankers International Inc., Fraser Marine & Industrial, Algoma Central Properties Inc., and a share of Marbulk Canada Inc., and Seaway Marine Transport.

Algoma Central Corporation operates vessels throughout the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Waterway from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, through all five Great Lakes. The Corporation owns 19 Canadian-flag dry-bulk vessels. The operational and commercial activities of the Canadian-flag dry-bulk fleet are managed by Seaway Marine Transport, a partnership with Upper Lakes Shipping Inc., an unrelated company. The Corporation also has an interest in one tug and one barge. – Link

PETER R. CRESSWELL

ALGOSCOTIA

ALGOCAPE

Their homepage can be found here.

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This Week’s Items:

The BBC has “Hundreds missing as ship capsizes” covering the current PRINCESS OF THE STARS ferry disaster in the Philippines.

More than 700 people are missing from a ferry which capsized off the Philippines in heavy seas in the wake of Typhoon Fengshen.

CNN has more details including possible US Navy assistance in “Official: Some passengers may be trapped under capsized ferry“. gCaptain is also on the story here with images of the capsized vessel and links to video reports.

EagleSpeak has “Want more offshore oil and gas drilling? Then you need more ships…and sailors“. And if you want more of them, then it will take time to build and train them. The situation is a bit worse given that STCW 95 makes going back to sea for sailors who move ashore much more difficult than before if not impossible.

gCaptain has “Maritime Academy – Cadet Shipping” and “Waterspouts – Tornadoes At Sea“.

Simple Thoughts posts the 2008 commencement address given at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy by Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, and in the speech gives an update on the US Navy’s three senior Kings Point Graduates, Rear Admiral Phil Greene, class of 1978. Rear Admiral Buz Buzby, class of 1979, and the senior Kings Pointer in the Navy, Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, class of 1971.

Welcome to the Fast Lane (The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.) has “Kings Point Graduates Portend Well for Our Future“.

MarineBuzz has “Graphical Presentation: Coast Lines of Countries” and “Global Need to Develop Submarine Escape and Rescue Systems“.

American Shipper has more fallout for Norway as a result of its tax money grab in “Wilhelmsen prompted to shift to Malta to avoid tonnage tax“. I expect more shipping companies to move operations out of Norway in the near future as well.

American Shipper also has “Congress urged to review shipping regulation“.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer has “Work safety at Hanjin shipyard ‘deplorable’“.

firstcoastnews has “Ship Crosses Safely Under Dames Point Bridge“. The ship was carrying new container cranes. Be sure to check out the video that goes with the story.

The Cutting Edge has “Liquefied Natural Gas Tankers Remain Giant Terror Targets“.

sfist has a salute to the WWII Liberty Ship S.S. JEREMIAH O’BRIEN on the 65th anniversary of its launch.

MaritimeTerrorism.com has “GAO Report on Maritime Security“.

MarEx Newsletter has the latest legal moves in “COSCO BUSAN: Cota’s Attorneys File Motions“. Looks like the Pilot has a good case as well.

Kennebec Captain explains what the “The Maritime Information Sharing Network” is and why it needs your input.

Somewhat along the same lines An Unofficial Coast Guard Blog covers comments by US Navy Admiral James Stavridis, (also mentioned above) Commander, U.S. Southern Command that “Coasties Need to “Read, Think, Write, and Publish.”“.

Bob Couttie’s Maritime Accident Casebook has “The Case Of The Triple Cross“.

Lloyd’s List Newsroom Blog calls for the “the long overdue opening up to public access of IMO documents, particularly submissions to major meetings.“. I agree. Too much of what goes on there is done without proper input from seafarers. Restricting access to the documents of the Organization has been a longtime pet peeve of mine, even though I now have access to them, provided I can remember the password.

Skipper’s Scrivenings the “Blog of Captain Bob Wiley and the 2008 Voyage of Hospital Ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19)” has “Why We Do This“.

Dear Family & Friends,

I am often asked the question: Why is Mercy on this humanitarian deployment? There are many reasons to do a mission like this. For me, the best reason is because – we can. We are, after all, the United States. As such, we have the means to do a mission like this and therefore we should. What’s the point of having such a magnificent platform as USNS Mercy if you’re not going to use her?

Go read the rest. Then read this story of one specific person treated in “…and then a miracle happens!“.

The Washington Post has “District Ill Served When Nominations To Service Academies Go Begging” covering Washington, DC’s Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton failure to use anywhere near her 40 annual service academy nominations. (In order to attend West Point, the Naval, Air Force and Merchant Marine academies.) Her office claims a lack of interest, while interest in the neighboring states continues to far outstrip supply. (I was nominated to the US Merchant Marine Academy by my local congressman but was already working to get a nomination from a Manhattan congressman as some there also suffer from a ‘lack of interest’ from their constituents, even before the Iraq War. The first one.)

Maritime Compass covers “the recent discovery of the wreck of the HMS Ontario“. She sank in 1780.

Molten Eagle has “More on Fleet Expansion“.

Dark Roasted Blend covers “Amazing Submarine Concepts“. (Found at Mr. Boat Blog)

THE PRIVATE ISLANDS BLOG has “Tofua Island’s History” which just happens to be the first island Captain Bligh stopped at after the mutiny on his ship the BOUNTY.

SAILORS, MARINERS & WARRIORS LEAGUE has “Blaze Engulfs Oilrig Support Ship Berthed At Leith Docks“. The ship is the VIKING VULCAN.

BitterEnd asks “What’s in your DC (Damage Control) Kit“.

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Safe Cruise has “100 People have gone Overboard since 2000: Cause of Death May Never be Solved Since Ships have no Independent Law Enforcement” covering a recent incident on the NORWEGIAN DAWN.

Maritime Links Editor’s Blog has “Chief Mate/Master Management Program“.

Finally completed the 12 weeks of courses required to sit for the Chief Mate/Master license exam. I’m glad that it is done yet disappointed with what I got out of it.

Definitely a must read for anyone getting ready to move up to a ‘Management-Level’ License.

Shipping Times has “Largest ever channel ferries ordered from Aker shipyard“.

Never Sea Land has “Disabled sailor to round Britain“.

Offshore Magazine has “Operators push limits of deepwater Gulf of Mexico“.

Life at SEA has “Why foreign flags attract Indian seafarers ?“. The simple answer is money. A more complicated answer might be that many do not have Indian Certificates to sail on Indian-Flag vessels.

Sea * Fever has “Be a Virtual Lobsterman“. The lobsters are real.

Robin Storm – In Search of Severe Weather has “Space Weather: Interfering With The Global Positioning System“.

Tugster has photos of “Random Ships 4” including of the fruit juice tanker ORANGE STAR.

Freaque Waves has the story of a man washed into the Pacific Ocean in Australia by a freak wave. He remains missing and is feared dead.

Free Ship Plans has “Russian Tugboat Plans“.

Kiwi at Sea has “Anchoring a multi-cat*“.

Jones Act lawyers of Williams Kherkher has “Seaman’s Exposure to Benzene Caused Lymphoma“.

Hellenic Shipping News has “Cyprus shipping is 80% foreign-owned“.

The Yankee Sailor has “Converted To Inactive Status” as ‘it’s become a distraction from bigger projects and I’m almost convinced it’s worn out its usefulness. ‘.

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Haight’s Maritime Items has:

UK – seafarer statistics 2007 – The UK Department for Transport issued the Seafarer Statistics 2007. This report indicates that, in 2007, approximately 23,500 UK nationals were seafarers working regularly at sea. This is about 9% lower than the numbers for 2002. It is projected that the number of certificated officers will be reduced in the year 2023 by more than 40% from the current level of 12,100. (6/19/08). – Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage (Used with Permission)

Fairplay Daily News has:

Delta militants attack FPSO – ARMED raiders have attacked Shell’s FPSO Bonga, 75n-miles offshore Nigeria – and some could still be hidden on board.

SEABORNE raiders this morning attacked Shell’s 312,500dwt FPSO Bonga, 75n-miles offshore Nigeria – and it is believed that some could still be hidden on the vessel. Shell stopped operations in the oilfield after the attack, shutting in a reported 200,000bpd. Details of damage or injuries to the FPSO’s personnel or infrastructure, or to the raiding gang, have not yet been disclosed. Rainer Winzenried, Shell International’s European media manager in The Hague, told LR-Fairplay’s Sea Sentinel today that details of the raid were not yet clear and that an investigating team flown in to the oilfield was still establishing facts and searching assets.

The unprecedented offshore attack, claimed in as-yet unsubstantiated reports by high profile Nigerian militant group MEND, took place under cover of darkness. An unknown number of persons succeeded in boarding the Bonga, Winzenried conceded, and “there was shooting”. Winzenried confirmed that Shell personnel were currently in control of the FPSO, but said it was still possible that one or more raiders remained concealed on the huge tanker.

Other companies’ vessels and infrastructure in the field – at least two supply vessels and two drill rigs – were also targeted in the raid. Winzenried confirmed news reports that an expat has been kidnapped from one of the supply ships, but was unable to give details of his nationality or employer.

A purported MEND spokesman is quoting as telling The Associated Press that raiders in a number of open boats reached the giant tanker with the aim of crippling the computer room controlling oilfield operations, but that they had been unable to achieve that objective.

News of the raid led briefly to a spike in oil prices this morning, according to news reports. While Bonga field production was immediately shut down for security reasons after the raid, Winzenried said, the company has not declared force majeure on its output. www.sea-sentinel.com – 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.

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