by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Today the United States Coast Guard issued the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) report on the S.S. El Faro. The 189 page report reveals serious failures by Tote managers, USCG personnel and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) but recommended few penalties against them. Some marine experts assumed the report would recommend that Tote be … [Read more...]
El Faro – An Open Letter To Investigators
Editor's Note - The following letter was written by Captain John Loftus, a Master Mariner and acclaimed whistleblower with 42 years experience aboard American flagged ships, to Captain Jason Neubauer, Chief of the U.S. Coast Gaurd's Office of Investigations & Analysis. This letter was published unabridged with the permission of Captain Loftus and … [Read more...]
El Faro, Top 10 Failures Of The NTSB Investigation – gLive E21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUsfE6dI8Ko In today's episode of gCaptain LIVE, Captain John Konrad discusses the NTSB/USCG hearings into the El Faro and identifies the Top Ten investigative failures submitted by gCaptain readers. LINKS: Yesterday's Show: gCaptain LIVE E20 - El Faro, An Emotional Response To The Latest Findings BOOKS … [Read more...]
NTSB Refuses El Faro Widow’s Request To Redact Comments
Theresa Davidson, the wife of Captain Michael Davidson, has never spoken publicly about the sinking or her husband's death aboard the El Faro but she did talk with a team of NTSB and federal investigators on Jan. 5 of this year. Yesterday the NTSB released the full transcript of the interview despite her written objections. Multiple times during … [Read more...]
Search Finds Oil Sheen But No Sign Of Alaska Juris
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The United States Coast Guard (USCG), has called off the search for the missing fishing vessel Alaska Juris which is presumed sunk in approximately 5,400 feet of water in the Bering Sea. The Alaska Juris has been lost and abandoned since Tuesday morning when crew members reported flooding in the vessel's engine room, donned survival suits and departed the … [Read more...]
ClassNK Strengthens U.S. Services with Coast Guard ACP Authorization
Japanese classification society ClassNK has received U.S. Coast Guard authorization to participate in the Coast Guard's Alternate Compliance Program (ACP), providing U.S.-flagged shipowners and operators more flexibility when it comes to surveys and inspections of their vessels. The ACP was developed as an alternative method for U.S.-flagged vessels to fulfill the regulatory … [Read more...]