U.S. and Canadian authorities are trying to figure out what to do about barge that broke free and is adrift in the remote waters of the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's North Slope. The U.S. Coast Guard says it was notified on Tuesday that a 134-foot barge had broken free from its tow in Canadian waters during severe weather on Monday, and the barge was drifting westward in the … [Read more...]
US Coast Guard Icebreaker Escorts Russian Tanker Through Arctic Ice [IMAGES]
- by LT Connie Braesch, USCG The Coast Guard has a long history of braving harsh Alaskan elements to rescue mariners in distress, protect the U.S. interests in the international waters, conduct Arctic research as well as bring much needed supplies to remote Alaska villages. The Service's latest Arctic mission to help bring fuel to the ice-encrusted harbor of Nome is just … [Read more...]
Arctic Sea hijackers sentenced in Russian Court
Six men have been sentenced to jail for their role of in the 2009 hijacking of the M/V Arctic Sea that disappeared under mysterious circumstances after passing through the English Channel. The men - a Russian, a Latvian and an Estonia, and three others - were given sentences ranging from 7 to 12 years in jail. The disappearance of the M/V Arctic Sea made international … [Read more...]
Casualty Outlook
Three serious incidents have dominated the past week with the disappearance of the Arctic Sea, its cargo of timber valued at a little under $2m and its crew of more than a dozen Russian seafarers, garnering most of the bandwidth. That's only natural, given the mysterious circumstances. The trouble with speculating about what's happened to the vessel is that there are simply … [Read more...]
Piracy in European Waters?
With piracy along the horn of Africa creating such a buzz in the media, it is a common misconception that the act is confined to this area where onshore conditions have forced many into a life of hijacking ships for ransom. In reality, a look back at the International Maritime Bureau's Live Piracy Maps from previous years, it is obvious that piracy on the high seas is in fact … [Read more...]