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The MISSION of The Merchant Navy Association is to bring all serving and retired Seafarers together in a spirit of
companionship, consideration and commitment towards a united lobby for the Community of the Sea Hi Shipmates,
Please find below more snippets of information since circular #2019-3 was published 1st February 2019
My thanks to MNA National Secretary, Pete Sinke’s daily publication “Maasmond Maritime - Shipping News
Clippings”, Lloyds List, gCaptain, Maritime London, Flashlight and many others from the T’internet, not
forgetting the items sent in by Readers and any other source I can access.
MNA National Contact Points
National Secretary, Nigel Whitaker 51 Penswick Avenue, Thornton-Cleveleys, LANCASHIRE, FY5 3BH
Email : [email protected] Tel: 01253 824349
Welfare & Events, Tim Brant, 9 Saxon Way, Caistor, MARKET RASEN, LN7 6SG
Tel: 01472 85 11 30, Email : [email protected]
National Membership Secretary, Roy Glencross 3 The Maples, Old Main Road, FLEET HARGATE,
PE12 8NT Tel 01406 425 527, Mobile: 07738 425875 Email [email protected]
MNA Slop Chest, The Supply Officer:- Sandra Broom [email protected] 0121 244 0190
If you call her, it may go to an answerphone. Please leave a message and she will call you.
Change of Address???? If any member has changed any of their contact details (Postal, E-mail or
Telephone) it is important that you inform ROY GLENCROSS and copy in Nigel Whitaker, Tim Brant &
myself. If informing by e-mail send to:- [email protected] , [email protected] ,
[email protected] , [email protected]
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MSC CAROUGE arrived Hamburg, assisted by tug VB BREMEN Photo : Hans Schaefer ©
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Pirates Release Six Russians Kidnapped from MSC Mandy in Gulf of Guinea
-Report = January 31, 2019 by gCaptain Photo: MarineTraffic/alfredo moretti
Pirates have released six Russian seafarers kidnapped from
the containership MSC Mandy during an attack off the coast
of Benin earlier this month.
Russia’s TASS news agency reports their release has been
confirmed by the Russian embassy in Nigeria.
The Panamanian-flagged MSC Mandy with 24 crew
members onboard came under attack by armed pirates on
January 2, 2019 as it was underway approximately 55
nautical miles south of Cotonou, Benin. Following the attack, six crew members including the captain
were reported missing. The remaining crew sailed the ship to a safe port.
Russia later confirmed that all six seafarers abducted with Russian nationals.
“We confirm that the Russian sailors have been released. They are alive and well,” a spokesman for the
Russian Embassy in Nigeria told TASS. “The question of sending them back home is being decided.”
According to data from the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre, the Gulf of Guinea
saw a surge in pirate attacks in 2018. During the year, the IMB recorded six hijackings, 13 ships fired
upon, 130 hostages taken, 78 seafarers kidnapped for ransom, making the region one of the most
dangerous places on earth for ships and crews.
Due to the issue, shipping association BIMCO has called for international naval action to help combat
piracy in the region – something we haven’t seen since the scourge of piracy in Horn of Africa region
more than a decade ago.
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Dredging concerns at Aberdeen Harbour by Pauric Clerkin Fishery managers are calling for an end to dredging in Aberdeen Harbour. They say a quarter of all
tagged smolts, young salmon, were lost in the harbour last year when dredge boats were active. Salmon
numbers in many rivers have been experiencing long-term decline and millions is being spent trying to
establish the reasons. Aberdeen Harbour Board has insisted a link between mortality and dredging is
“improbable and speculative”. Scientists have been tracking young salmon and trout on the River Dee
since 2016 by inserting radio devices into the fish while they are upstream. Source : Evening Express
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General average 'likely' as blaze breaks out on a containership APL
VANCOUVER _____________________________________________________________________________________
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Memories of H.M.S. Conway
I was an English master at the above school for two terms in 1971. Two of my students – or ‘cadets’ –
went on to achieve greater things. Iain Duncan Smith was for a while Leader of the Conservative Party
but is probably better known as the main architect of ‘universal benefit’. A few years younger than him
was Clive Woodward – known as ‘Woody’ – who became an international England rugby player and then
the national coach. He led the English team to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup – a feat that has not
yet been repeated – and was subsequently knighted. Woodward was one of the last cohorts who attended
the school when it closed down in 1974.
Another famous ex-cadet was the poet laureate, John Masefield. His book about the origins and history of
this Merchant Navy training ship The Conway was first published in 1933 and a revised edition in 1953
after the ship had run aground in the Menai Straits on its way back to Liverpool. Masefield mentions
Lieutenant Brooke Smith who had been responsible 5 years earlier for helping navigate the ship to a safe
berth on the Straits opposite Plas Newydd, which later became its land base. Brooke Smith, or ‘Brooky’
as he was known, was still teaching navigation at the school when I was teaching there.
Brooky was an eccentric character. Amongst many abiding memories I have of him, one stands out. We
occasionally went to a local pub for a drink on Saturday night. Once he stood on his head – he was still a
sprightly 60-year-old – and managed to drink a pint upside down. Needless to say, I didn’t accept the
subsequent challenge. Another fascinating character was Captain Drake – I never found out his first
name. He had a goatie beard and spoke in a manner curiously resembling Popeye. He resembled his
literary hero, Joseph Conrad, and once told me that, when he was a young cadet himself, he had met the
legendary writer. I was naturally very impressed. Literary buffs might care to know that Conrad’s
ubiquitous narrator, Marlow, was described as ‘a Conway boy’ in his short story Youth. He is most
famous for his narration of Heart of Darkness. That early reference attests to the significance of the
training ship in the 19th century.
Reading the book by Masefield reminded me of many of the traditions and jargon of the Conway. The
school was for boarders and I decided to live in as well. This was more lucrative for me but gave me more
responsibilities such as being a duty officer/master. Every 4th morning I took on breakfast duty. I had my
meal alone at the top table – waitress service – and when I had finished, I stood up, which was a sign for
the cadets to finish. The senior cadet captain rang a bell, and I exclaimed ‘Fall out, lash up and stow!’.
Being an inveterate landlubber, I had no idea what I was saying. I later discovered – and this was
reinforced in Masefield’s book – that the reference was to the cadets’ returning to their quarters to lash up
their hammocks and stow them away prior to beginning their studies or work.
On my first day of teaching, a cadet asked me for permission to ‘visit the heads’. I assumed he needed to
see the headmaster but, after much friendly mirth from the ‘chums’, I was told he merely needed to pop to
the loo. I have many other examples of how the traditions and jargon of the ship had been preserved
despite the school’s being a ‘normal’ building, but space prevents me from indulging in more memories.
Suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent on the Conway and can honestly maintain ‘that a
man who can teach Conway cadets is a real schoolmaster’ (Masefield: 200).
Glyn Welden Banks Contact: [email protected]
Work Cited
Masefield, John (1953) The Conway William Heinemann Ltd.: London.
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Shipping giant Maersk steams ahead with break-up plans _____________________________________________________________________________________
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7 arrested for illegal transaction of marine gas oil Seven men were arrested in Singapore waters over an illegal transaction of marine gas oil, the police said
in a news release on Thursday (Jan 31). The men, aged between 33 and 44, were arrested on Tuesday at
sea off Pulau Sudong by the Police Coast Guard during a joint operation with the Maritime Port
Authority. Three of the men were crew members of a craft belonging to a marine service provider and
another four were crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat, the police said, without specifying
which country. The crew members of the craft were believed to have taken 2.7 metric tonnes of marine
gas oil without their company’s knowledge, and sold it to the tugboat crew, the police said. The tugboat
has been seized for investigations. The three crew members of the craft will be charged in court on
Thursday with criminal breach of trust as servant and the other four will be charged with dishonestly
receiving stolen property. "The Police Coast Guard and Maritime and Port Authority take a serious view
of illegal transaction of marine fuel in Singapore waters. The Police Coast Guard will continue to conduct
enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters,"
the police said. Source : channelnewsasia
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World's top two shipbuilders in deal to merge A photo taken on December 3,
2014 shows a general view of an
under-construction Maersk triple-
E class container ship at the
Daewoo DSME shipyard in Okpo,
60km south of Busan. At some
400 metres long and capable of
carrying over 18,000 containers,
triple-E class ships are the largest
currently in operation. Danish shipping company Maersk has ordered 20 of the vessels across two
contracts totalling some 3.8 billion US dollars, with deliveries to be completed in 2015. Expected to be
deployed on Maersk's Asia - Europe routes, the ships use a combination of engine technology and a
slower cruising speed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and are touted as being considerably
more efficient than rival classes. (AFP/Ed Jones) The world's biggest shipbuilder, South Korea's Hyundai
Heavy Industries, has reached a deal to acquire a majority stake in ailing number two Daewoo from the
government, Seoul said Thursday. The world's top three shipbuilders are South Korean -- Samsung Heavy
ranks third -- but the industry has been hammered in recent years by overcapacity and plunging ship
prices. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has struggled in particular and has repeatedly been
bailed out by the government to avoid collapse, at a total cost of several billion dollars Hyundai Heavy
itself announced net losses of 633 billion won ($569 million) for 2018 on Thursday, blaming higher steel
costs and lower demand. But the state-funded Korea Development Bank (KDB), which owns 55.7 percent
of Daewoo, said Hyundai had agreed to take over its stake. Rather than paying cash, the shipbuilder will
split itself in two and issue KDB shares in a new holding company that will own Daewoo and most of
Hyundai Heavy's existing businesses. The deal would further consolidate Hyundai Heavy's position as the
world's largest shipbuilder, giving it more than 20 percent of the global market. It will go through unless
Samsung Heavy makes a better offer, KDB officials said, with a final decision expected in March. South
Korea's "Big Three" shipbuilders were once hailed as a major driver of the country's export-reliant
economy -- the world's 11th largest. Year after year, they churned out enormous cargo ships, oil tankers
and offshore drilling rigs for shipping firms and energy giants around the world. But a prolonged slump in
oil prices and the global economic slowdown sapped demand for tankers and container ships, while
overcapacity, regional rivalry and competition from cheaper Chinese shipbuilders squeezed profit
margins. Hyundai Heavy's 2018 losses represented a significantly worse performance than the previous
year, when it was 93.4 billion won in the red.The shipbuilder said its acquisition of Daewoo was aimed at
"boosting the competitive edge of South Korea's shipbuilding industry by maximising the synergy effect".
Source: thejakartapost
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Cruise secrets: Crew reveal how cruise lines benefit from changing the
itinerary on route MANY cruise passengers base their bookings on the destinations and calling points crammed into their
action packed itinerary - yet a huge secret about the ship’s schedule shake ups has been revealed. By Beth
Allcock Cruise lines call at a variety of different destinations, allowing passengers the chance to hop on
and off board as they please. Often the boat will have a home port from which the journey begins, before
venturing to a collection of countries usually in similar geographic areas. When the liner pulls into port,
guests have the choice of staying on board to make the most of the plush facilities or venturing to the
local attractions. Here they can explore by themselves or enlist the help of a cruise ship guide. Yet when
there is a switch in the schedule, passengers on board can frequently find themselves in unexpected
locations. According to former cruise ship officer Jay Herring sometimes these schedule changes are not
coincidental, and actually maximise revenue for the cruise firm. He let slip the details in is new book, The
Truth About Cruise Ships, and wrote: “The itinerary of some ships is scheduled to change throughout the
year. “Often when a ship changed its itinerary it often changed its home port, and this was called
repositioning. “to maximise revenue, the cruise line sometimes booked passengers on these repositioning
cruises. “This meant that passengers would embark at one port and disembark at a different port, but often
the ship sailed without passengers while repositioning.” He told how one vessel on which he was
travelling, The Triumph, originally had a home port of New York City, which switched to Charleston in
South Carolina. This later changed to Miami as its final home destination port. Jay added: “It only took a
day to reposition the ship each time, so instead of booking passengers for a one day cruise, the ship sailed
empty.” Meanwhile, passengers may also be advised to listen out for particular language used on board.
During their downtime, a cruise ship employee has revealed the secret language they use to communicate,
especially during times of stress and disturbance, when a code language may be needed to prevent
passenger alarm. Staff on Royal Caribbean Cruise’s Harmony of the Seas have told how the language can
prove essential in an emergency. Druy Pavlov, veteran cruise director, has told how the phrase “Oscar”
could be a doomed name if uttered by employees. He told how it means “someone’s gone overboard”,
therefore an emergency for the crew to tackle. Meanwhile, the phrase "Echo" also has negative
connotations, as it means the liner is starting to drift off course. "Alpha" is used in a medical emergency,
such as the recent norovirus outbreak on Royal Caribbean’s OASIS OF THE SEAS
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Crewmember Injures Three Shipmates Aboard MSC Boxship A seafarer aboard the container ship MSC MARTA has allegedly injured three of his shipmates with a
knife. On Wednesday, crewmember Dejan Adži? allegedly attacked the vessel's cook, Saša Šnobl, over a
perceived sleight. Adzic's crewmates attempted to restrain him, and two suffered minor injuries during the
altercation. All individuals involved are Montenegrin nationals, according to local media in Montenegro.
Two crewmember were medevaced by a helicopter crew from the Armed Forces of French Guiana,
according to the Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue of the West Indies and Guyana
(CROSS AG). The cook was one of the two evacuees, and reportedly sustained serious injuries in the
attack. Photos published in Serbian media suggest that Adzic was restrained and sedated. He remains on
board during the ship's transit to Santos, Brazil, where he will be handed over to the authorities. The MSC
MARTA is a 5,900 TEU container ship flagged in Panama. She is deployed on MSC's USA to SAEC
String 1 service, which serves six ports on the U.S. East Coast and 11 in South America and the
Caribbean. Source : MAREX
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RNLI to rescue after boat breaks down RNLI volunteers came to the rescue of the occupants of a boat after it broke down off Blackpool. The
volunteers crew from Blackpool lifeboat station was called out at 10.30am on Saturday when a 30ft boat
with three people on board found itself stranded around two miles off the shore. An RNLI spokesman
said: "Our Atlantic 85 lifeboat took the vessel under tow and headed towards Fleetwood before handing
the tow over to Fleetwood RNLI." Source:
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City of Adelaide ship deadline approaches, Buffalo replica to be demolished ABC Radio Adelaide By Eugene Boisvert and Chris McLoughlin Hopes
of securing the future of two of South Australia's most iconic wooden boats are sinking, with one facing
certain demolition and the other effectively adrift. The world's oldest clipper ship, the CITY OF
ADELAIDE, is fast approaching a deadline to move from a Port Adelaide development site. But the well-
known Buffalo at Glenelg in Adelaide's west is facing an even more definite fate, and will be reduced to
rubble next week. The HMS Buffalo replica, which was built in 1980 and operated as a restaurant, fell
into disrepair in recent years. While not a real boat, it has long sat in shallow waters alongside the
Patawalonga River, and its design imitates the ship which brought the first batch of European settlers to
South Australia in 1836.
In 2017, the council
approved an application
by an Adelaide
businessman for a $1
million redevelopment of
the Buffalo. Despite those
plans, the City of Holdfast
Bay has approved an
application for its
demolition. City of
Holdfast Bay Mayor
Amanda Wilson told the
ABC she believed the
final cost would have been higher. "The further he got into the development process he realised that it
was going to be much more expensive than envisaged," Ms Wilson said. She said the Buffalo's appeal to
diners had also diminished. "Looking at the way people go out these days it's not the same as what was
happening in the 80s," she said. "The Buffalo was very much a novelty dining experience in the 80s and it
was before we had the Holdfast Marina, the pier, the alfresco dining in Moseley Square, so people's tastes
have changed." Deadline for clipper fast approaching Meanwhile, South Australian Transport Minister
Stephan Knoll has given the owners of the 155-year-old CITY OF ADELAIDE until March to move it
from Dock One to another part of the harbour known as "Dock 2" in Port Adelaide. It is situated on the
northern side of the Tom 'Diver' Derrick Bridge over the Port River and is difficult to access from the
historic part of Port Adelaide. However, City of Adelaide Preservation Trust director Peter Christopher
would rather the ship be moved to a regional city or interstate than to such an "inaccessible" location. The
group led a 14-year campaign to get the ship's hull returned to Port Adelaide before it was placed on a
barge at Dock One in 2014, where it has remained ever since. The ship brought thousands of migrants to
South Australia in the 19th century but was left to rot on the banks of a Scottish river for decades. Starfish
Developments wants the ship moved before it starts promoting 750 home sites for sale next to Dock One
in February. Managing director Damon Nagel told the ABC more than 400 jobs were at stake. He said the
State Government sold his company the Dock One land with the understanding the City of Adelaide
would be moved "months ago". "You could argue Port Adelaide isn't actually the greatest suburb in
Adelaide and it needs development to get going and this ship is single-handedly stopping it," Mr Nagel
said. "People… buy down there because they want a view of the water and the other side of Dock One.
"It's just not appropriate for a ship of that size to be in that residential environment." He said the ship and
related "paraphernalia" on the dock were at "ground zero" of the development, stopping initial works for
stormwater, sewerage and power going ahead. "The trust owners I think are being difficult in the sense
they've got an unbelievable offer from the Government," he said. Earlier this month, Mr Knoll said the
land at "Dock 2" was the only site the Government had to give away in Port Adelaide. Mr Knoll gave Mr
Christopher's group a March deadline to move the ship during meetings on December 21, 2018, and on
January 4 this year. "All the other parts of the inner harbour have been sold off by the former government
for housing development, so we're working with them to identify what bits of land we have," Mr Knoll
said. "But we can't compulsorily acquire someone else's land to stick the ship on so we have to work on
The CITY OF ADELAIDE in port Adelaide
Photo : Piet Sinke www.maasmondmaritime.com (c)
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the opportunities we have available." Mr Christopher said the clipper could move to the offered site in the
long-term, "subject to a number of conditions, including a road being put in so people could find it".
"Dock 2 is virtually inaccessible," Mr Christopher told ABC Radio Adelaide today. "It's an industrial
wasteland. Nobody could find it even if they had a map to show them there. "So if the ship were to go
there in a temporary situation, it would just be lost." He said the trust was against being forcibly moved
by March, and said the Government had shown a "lack of interest" in the historic boat. Port Augusta in
SA's north has previously expressed interest in the vessel. Source : ABC news
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Popeye the Sailorman at 90 Posted: 03 Feb 2019 04:57 PM PST
We are a few days late in wishing the iconic cartoon
character, Popeye the sailorman, a happy birthday. (Frankly, I
am not sure how one sends birthday wishes to a cartoon character,
in any case.)
Popeye first appeared on January 17, 1929, as a bit player in E.C.
Segar’s comic strip “Thimble Theatre” in the New York
Journal-American newspaper. He turned out to be highly
popular and a few years later was given his own comic strip.
Exactly How Old is Popeye?
Popeye the sailor made his comic strip debut 1929, however,
according to the artist, when he was created the character was 34
years old, born in a typhoon in Santa Monica, California. So,
does that make him 90 or 124? Your choice.
Who Inspired Popeye and OliveOyl?
The character Popeye was said to have been inspired by Frank “Rocky” Fiegel who lived in Chester,
Illinois, E.C. Segar’s hometown. He had a prominent chin, sinewy physique, characteristic pipe, and a
propensity and skill for fist-fighting. Olive Oyl was said to be based on another of Segar’s neighbors – a
very tall, slim woman named Dora Paskel, who usually wore her hair in a bun.
Popeye and Frank “Rocky” Fiegel
Was Popeye a Coastie or a Navy Swabby?
Both and maybe neither. Popeye was, for much of his career,
a merchant seaman. In a cartoon in 1937 cartoon, Popeye the
Sailor Man Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves, Popeye
appears to be in the Coast Guard. By 1941 with World war II
raging, he appears to join the Navy and begins to dress in
Navy whites. After the war, he gave up his merchant sailor
togs and wore the Navy uniform even though he did not
appear to be in the military.
Popeye’s Contribution the English Language
The Popeye comic strip and movies are credited with contributing a series of words to the English
language, including wimp, jeep, goon, and doofus. Not exactly Shakespeare but impressive for a comic
book character.
Important Life Lesson from Popeye
If you have spinach, who needs kale?
The post appeared first on Old Salt Blog.
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Big carriers to use scrubbers, small fry use blends to meet IMO rule _____________________________________________________________________________________
Seeking a Career Change? Three good reasons NOT to be a pilot! https://gcaptain.com/seeking-a-career-change-three-good-reasons-not-to-be-a-
pilot/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.
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Beached as: Super-rare 1870s submarine washes up in landlocked Otago town By : John Bisset
Platypus submarine
stranded in Middlemarch
A landlocked Otago town
is home to an incredibly
rare 19th Century
submarine; and after
years of languishing
beside the Middlemarch
Museum, the townfolk
are determined to see The Platypus restored to its former glory. The 150-year-old submarine is thought to
be one of only two of its vintage still in existence. "In the history of submarines it's quite amazing and
would certainly be the only one ever built in New Zealand," museum curator Dawn Coburn said. The
Middlemarch Museum is desperate to find a missing piece for its 150-year-old submarine, thought to be
one of only two of its vintage in existence. The Platypus had its maiden voyage in Otago Harbour just
three years after Jules Verne released the underwater science fiction classic 20,000 Leagues Under the
Sea in 1870. It was lowered into the Otago Harbour with seven crew inside; powered by paddle wheels,
its ballast tanks allowed the sub to sink and rise. A hatch on top let submariners in, and a hatch below
provided access to the seabed. Curator Dawn Coburn talks to visitors about the submarine. Five hours
later it was raised back to the surface, much
to the relief of those on board who had
been pumping furiously for air and trying
to keep water out that was leaking in.
French-designed and built in Dunedin by
engineering firm Sparrow, the idea for the
submarine was to have a machine that
could dig and sluice for gold underwater on
the Clutha River. After repairs the second
trial was more successful with samples
from the seafloor brought to the surface.
JOHN BISSET/STUFF Middlemarch
Museum curator Dawn Coburn shows
Timaru man Damon Tutty where it is
planned to split the submarine. Unfortunately a lack of investors brought the project to a stand-still and it
languished on the wharf in Dunedin for 10 years before being moved to the city's McLeods Soaps. In
1924 it was cut up into pieces and sold to a farmer in Barewood near Middlemarch where it remained
until it was donated to the Middlemarch Museum in 1991. The small community now needs help to raise
enough funds to preserve the rare treasure and locate a missing piece from the middle of the submarine.
"For the first stage we're looking at $60,000 to construct a custom-made shelter and lift it[the submarine]
off the ground onto a specially designed cradle." Cohan said it was a difficult project to get underway.
"We went to the most logical place first, Te Papa, and we had a very helpful person come and advise us
what needs done. "As it sits the submarine will deteriorate over time so it's important we protect it from
the elements." Once protected the group hopes to split the submarine in the middle allowing visitors to
step inside and experience what it would have felt like inside the 10.6m vessel. As well as donations,
Cohan also needs help in locating a missing piece from the subs midsection. "For years people have
combed the mining area around Barewood looking for it. "We've even heard rumours of it being
someone's water tank. It was at McLeods Soaps factory in Dunedin for many years so there's a possibility
it's still lying on an industrial site somewhere. "So if you have seen anything that looks like it could be
from our submarine we would love to hear from you." Source: Sunday Star Times
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Middlemarch Museum curator Dawn Coburn
shows Timaru man Damon Tutty where it is
planned to split the submarine.
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Relief for Guyanese seamen after 6 years on abandoned oil tanker Six years of living on a Nigerian boat off Claxton Bay has ended for five Guyanese seamen.
They are now back in their home country, the boat, an oil tanker, sold last week Thursday following a
High Court judge ordering its arrest in February 2017. The
MT TUMINI owners in Nigeria abandoned it and the
Guyanese crew in 2013. The men ate and slept on the vessel,
with daily dives into the sea to bathe. A company operating
in Panama purchased it last week for US$500,000 Justice
Devindra Rampersad, presiding in the Hall of Justice, had
ordered the MT Tumini sold within nine months or the court
would have done so by private auction. The crew had sought the court’s intervention, claiming
US$400,000 in wages. The boat is still docked off Trinidad Cement Limited’s jetty in Claxton Bay. The
crew were Rakesh Jim (chief officer); Foy Fredericks (chief engineer); Lawrence Daniel (second
engineer); Mohamed Gadwah (second officer); Neil Rampersaud (assistant engineer/oiler). Gerald
Andrews was the boat’s local agent. He said in an affidavit that via a mortgage agreement between
Petroleum Brokers Ltd and Echo Bank, of Lagos, Nigeria, the latter became MT Tumini’s owner. Jim
said in his affidavit that MT Tumini was in dire need of repairs and since it was abandoned, the Guyanese
crew remained on board because they were not paid their wages. Immigration officers visited them
monthly to update their status when they vowed they were not leaving until they were paid. Using a
dingy, they came to shore and bought groceries while residents helped them with drinking water. Under
maritime law, the crew must be paid from proceeds of the sale of any vessel arrested by the court.
Confirming with Newsday yesterday, Andrews said that a company operating in Panama, bought the
vessel and it will be leaving Claxton Bay soon. Maritime tracking of vessels along the west coast of TT,
revealed the MT Tumini is getting set to leave for Guyana. The crew have since departed the vessel.
Source : Stabroeknews
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Submarine From 'Hitler's Lost Fleet' Found After 75 Years After the Turkish Navy's discovery, reported by TV channel Russia Today, just one of the six lost
WWII submarines remains missing
The Turkish navy found a WWII German submarine that sank in the waters of the Black Sea and will
showcase its discovery in a new documentary film. According to the television channel Russia Today, the
U-23 submarine was found at a depth of 40 meters and about 4 kilometers off the shore of the resort town
of Agva, near Istanbul. U-23 was one of a series of six German submarines set to attack Soviet ships on
the Black Sea. According to the report, researchers discovered the U-20 – another U-boat from the same
fleet – off the coast of northern Turkey in 2008. Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah says the submarines
participated in 56 operations against Soviet ships in the Black Sea, and according to Russia Today, they
succeeded in sinking dozens of ships. By 1944, three of the fleet of six had been sunken by the Soviets. In
1944, Germany ordered the crew of the three remaining U-boats to scuttle the ships to keep them from
falling into Soviet hands, earning them the nickname "Hitler's lost fleet." Since the end of the war, many
have sought to locate the six submarines. Only one of them remains missing: The U-19, which is thought
to lie on the seafloor off the coast of Zonguldak, Turkey, to the east of where U-23 was discovered.
Researchers estimate that U-19 lies at a depth of about 455 meters. Hakan Aslan, the director of the
documentary, titled "Mavi Tutku" ("Blue Passion"), told Daily Sabah that the film is expected to premiere
soon. "We have been working on German submarines' operations in the Black Sea for a long time," he
said.source : Haaretz
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Britannia rules the waves? After Brexit, it’ll be floundering By Polly Toynbee
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/29/britannia-rules-waves-brexit-
floundering?CMP=share_btn_link The Guardian
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Maersk to Reflag UK Vessels, End Training of Cadets amid Brexit Chaos Danish shipping giant Maersk plans to reflag UK vessels and end training of cadets in advance of Britain
leaving the European Union in March, maritime trade union Nautilus said. As informed, the company
decided to take its remaining vessels off the UK Ship Register, exit the UK Tonnage Tax and end the
training of UK cadets. This decision “will have a serious impact on seafarers jobs and the stability of the
UK industry”, Nautilus has warned. Europe’s largest shipping company is following in the footsteps of
ferry and logistics company P&O which last week announced it was reflagging all its short sea vessels to
Cyprus due to Brexit uncertainty and the desire for its ships to be flagged in an EU member state.
According to Nautilus, Maersk has confirmed it will stop taking in cadets from the UK, following a
decrease in demand for junior officers, as it moves to a different manning structure and model. Although
all current cadets will have their training completed to allow them to gain their Certificate of Competence,
the news adds to the pressure on the future for seafarers, already under threat as the nation moves closer
to exit from the EU at the end of March, Nautilus said. Over a number of years, the UK’s shipping
industry has suffered a huge drop in domestic seafarers – from more than 66,000 in 1977 to just 23,000
today. The trade union is warning that the continuing decline in the number of British seafarers and
vessels is putting the nation’s economic security at risk and could leave it dependent on other countries
for many essential goods and services. “The news coming out of Maersk is deeply concerning for the
future of the UK maritime industry, especially in light of the recent announcement from P&O and
rumours that CMA-CGM is also set to leave the UK register,” Mark Dickinson, Nautilus general
secretary, commented. “Brexit has already put UK seafarer certificates at risk and the ongoing uncertainty
is forcing the hand of large businesses — it has created a perfect storm, threatening the current and future
employment of UK-based workers,” he added. Nautilus will offer support to the cadets affected by
Maersk’s discontinuation of its program, however, the union believes that the government and the
industry should also help curb the decline. Source : worldmaritimenews
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MSC Zoe Incident: Lost Container Count Jumps to 345 https://gcaptain.com/msc-zoe-incident-lost-container-count-jumps-to-
345/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.com%29&g
oal=0_f50174ef03-061a6bf14c-139894965&mc_cid=061a6bf14c&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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Fire Brought Under Control on APL Vancouver Off Vietnam https://gcaptain.com/fire-brought-under-control-on-apl-vancouver-off-
vietnam/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapt
ain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-061a6bf14c-139894965&mc_cid=061a6bf14c&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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The youngest crewmembers of the Danser
van Gent fleet making a snowman at the
middle of the sea
Danser van Gent’s MARIETJE DEBORAH
awaiting bething in Parnu / Finland
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Weymouth lifeboat station celebrates 150-year anniversary To celebrate its 150-year history, Weymouth RNLI lifeboat station held an anniversary dinner for past
and present members. The lifeboat station first opened on January 26 in 1869. In the station’s 150-year
history the lifeboats have launched some 1,700 times and have saved more than 800 lives. The
celebratory dinner was held on Saturday, January 26 at the Crown Hotel on St Thomas Street in
Weymouth. The occasion was used to present RNLI awards to several past and present volunteer crew
and station personnel. Di Ludlow, the former Chair of the Ladies Guild and Events committee, presented
Tye Shuttleworth with a 20 year long service badge Michael Gill was presented with a bronze award and
John Harvey was awarded a Certificate of Service for his time as Branch Chairman Will Bowditch was
given a gift of an engraved paperweight for the medical service that he has provided and Steve Pitman
was presented with a reading lamp for his work as a Deputy Launching Authority. Furthermore, the
Lifeboat Operations Manager Malcolm Wright presented RNLI certificates to Richard Garton, Matt
Green, Jules Hutchings, Kevin Goddard, Ian Taylor, Graham Keates and Andrew Gould for services to
the RNLI and Weymouth lifeboat station. Coxswain of the lifeboat Andrew Sargent said: "It was a great
night that we will all remember. We are now looking forward to the 150th anniversary party at the
Pavilion on the 22nd March." Members of the public are invited to join the volunteers of Weymouth
RNLI at a 150th anniversary party at the Weymouth Pavilion on March 22. Tickets cost £11.50 and live
music will be provided by the popular 10-piece band Soulside that specialises in music from the 60's, 70's
and 80's with some contemporary music as well. As part of the veteran’s parade on June 23 there will be a
parade of RNLI volunteer crew, station personnel, family, friends and supporters. Weymouth RNLI
volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer Ken Francis said "If your grandad or any other relation was one of the
volunteers, then they and therefore you, are part of our history and we would love to see you on the
parade to help us celebrate all of the 150 years of our existence. Then on July 28, to kick-start Lifeboat
Week, there will be a ‘Parade of Sail’ open to all boats of all sizes. The Parade will form near the Pier
Bandstand at 10.55am and enter the harbour at 11am. Several historic lifeboats will be among the huge
number of crafts from the town and further afield that are expected to join in the parade
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Crews Battling Blaze on APL Containership Off Vietnam February 4, 2019 by Mike Schuler
The Vietnamese Coast Guard and salvage
teams are continuing to respond to a cargo fire
onboard the 9,326 TEU containership APL
Vancouver in the South China Sea off the coast
of Vietnam.
Operator APL reported that the fire broke out
in one of the cargo holds as the vessel was
underway from Shekou, China to Singapore
last Thursday, 31 January, at approximately
0430hrs.
All 24 crew members on board are reported
safe. It was not immediately clear on Monday
if some of the crew had been evacuated or if
they remain on board fighting the fire.
The Vietnamese Coast Guard has been on
scene fighting the fire, which has varied in intensity over the last four days, according to reports. Salvage
vessels are also on scene providing assistance.
As of February 1, the ship was located approximately 4 nautical miles from Vung Ro Bay, Vietnam,
according to the Vietnamese Coast Guard.
“The operator is in continuous contact with the vessel’s Master and local authorities to coordinate all
necessary actions to ensure the fire is safely and promptly extinguished,” APL said in an incident
statement. “The situation is being closely monitored and relevant parties have been informed.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
APL Vancouver.
File Photo: MarineTraffic.com/smp
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First Baby Giant Tortoises Hatched on Galapagos’ Pinzón Island in 150 Years Posted: 04 Feb 2019 02:52 PM PST
For the first time in 150 years, baby giant tortoises have been
born on the Galapagos island of Pinzón. Biologists reported
that they had observed ten tiny, newly hatched saddleback
tortoises on the island early last month. They commented
that there may be many more because their size and
camouflage makes them hard to spot. The discovery
indicates that the giant tortoise is once again able to
reproduce on its own in the wild.
In the 1600s, there were an estimated 250,000 giant tortoises
on the islands of the Galapagos archipelago. Indeed, around
1535, Bishop Tomás de Berlanga christened the islands,
Galapagos, an archaic Spanish word for turtle or tortoise. By the 1970s, the number had dropped to only
around 3,000, accompanied by predictions of the extinction of the tortoises which had given the islands
their name.
The Galapagos islands are relatively isolated, straddling the equator, about 500 miles from the coast of
South America in the Pacific Ocean. Their isolation resulted in a large number of endemic species, which
Charles Darwin studied during the second voyage of HMS Beagle. When he visited the islands in 1835,
there were 15 distinct species of tortoise on the various islands of the Galapagos. Only 10 species
survive today.
The islands themselves are relatively arid, generally without good supplies of water or wood. They were
however close to the sperm whaling grounds. Whalers passing by were attracted by the tortoises as a
supply of fresh meat. A 450 pound Galapagos giant tortoise could live for a year lashed to the deck of a
whaling ship, without food or water. Between 1784 and 1860, whalers took more than 100,000
tortoises from the islands. Several species of tortoise on various islands became extinct.
Almost worse than the tortoises the whalers carried off were what they left behind. Rats, goats, and cats
preyed on the eggs and hatchlings of tortoise and birds. When the predation by whalers ended, the rats, in
particular, continued to eat eggs and attack young tortoises. When the Charles Darwin Research Station
Center and other environmental groups began an aggressive tortoise hatching program, they had to raise
the young tortoises for several years before returning them to their respective islands, so that they were
large enough to defend themselves against the rats. Unless the rats could be eradicated, any tortoises
hatched on the islands would be at serious risk.
In 2012, the Galapagos National Park launched Project Pinzón, an ambitious initiative to rid Pinzón
island of rats once and for all. The plan: to helicopter in 40 tons of poisoned rat bait and disperse it around
the island. The poison was specifically designed to target rodents without killing birds or other wildlife on
the island. By December of 2012, the island was declared rat free. Efforts are now underway to eradicate
the rodents on larger islands in the archipelago.
From a low of around 3,000, the tortoise hatching programs have increased the number of tortoises on the
islands to close to 20,000. If the success of hatching baby tortoises on Pinzón island can be replicated on
the other islands in the Galapagos, the giant tortoises may once again have a sustainable future.
Galápagos Tortoises, Santa Cruz Island The post first on Old Salt Blog.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
There are two types of people in this world.
The ones who talk and dream of success
and the ones who go out there, chase their dreams
and get shit done _____________________________________________________________________________________
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Cavell Van returns Dear Sir
I have attached a press release regarding the return of the Cavell Van to Harwich in July next year for the
centenary of the repatriation and state funeral of Captain Charles Fryatt.
Although we are in the early stages of planning, we are confident this will be a major event as the Cavell
Van’s return to Norwich last year for the centenary of Edith Cavell’s repatriation attracted over 10,000
visitors.
I have also attached two photographs of the van although copyright for these may have to be established
with Kent and Sussex Railways.
Please do not hesitate to contact Tony Elliston on the telephone number or email address supplied
alternatively you may like to telephone me on 01255 879303 or email at [email protected] .
Kind regards
Deborah Lear JP, Administrator
Harwich Mayflower Heritage Centre
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Fishermen pulled from water after boat sinks The men were at Ardtoe Bay on the Ardnamurchan peninsula on Scotland’s west coast when their 30ft
fishing vessel went down. The Coastguard was alerted and the Mallaig lifeboat sent to the scene with the
crew pulling the men from the water at around 3.30pm on Sunday. They were then transferred to the
Coastguard rescue helicopter and flown to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment. It is thought the
men may have been in the water for around an hour. A Coastguard spokeswoman said: “We were
involved in a rescue off of Ardnamurchan. “A fishing vessel went down and two fishermen were rescued
out of the water. The Mallaig lifeboat located the casualties. “The Salen and Mallaig Coastguard rescue
teams were sent to assist along with the Coastguard rescue helicopter, which transferred the casualties to
Raigmore Hospital.” Source: eveningexpress.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
U.S. Coast Guard Offloads More Than 34,000
Pounds of Cocaine Seized During Eastern Pacific
Patrols https://gcaptain.com/u-s-coast-guard-offloads-more-than-34000-
pounds-of-cocaine-seized-during-eastern-pacific-
patrols/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campa
ign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.com%29&goal=0_f50174
ef03-ca672223b3-
139894965&mc_cid=ca672223b3&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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D-DAY FLAG DISPLAYED IN ROTTERDAM MUSEUM By Janene Pieters
An important American flag from the Second World War
will be displayed in the Kunsthal in Rotterdam for two
weeks, starting Monday. The D-Day flag flew on landing
ship LCC 60 on 6 June 1944, the only landing ship that
managed to reach Utah Beach during the Allied invasion of
Normandy. According to experts, this is one of the most
important objects of the invasion that is still in private hands,
RTL Nieuws reports. Rotterdam art collector Bert Kreuk
bought the flag in 2014 for over 450 thousand euros. "It is
one of the most important flags in existence. It is a sign of
the liberation and the sacrifices that have been made. The symbolism appealed to me", he said in an
interview, according to the broadcaster. With the 75th anniversary of D-Day coming up, Kreuk decided to
donate the flag to the United States. That's where the 'stars and stripes' belong, he said. Until recently, the
flag was displayed in the National Military Museum in Soest. The flag will be brought to the Kunsthal
with a military guard and will be received there by Minister Ank Bijleveld of Defense and Pete Hoekstra,
the American ambassador to the Netherlands. The flag will be displayed in the museum until February
17th According to Hoekstra, president Donald Trump may come to the Netherlands to receive Kreuk's
donation. Source: NLtimes
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Singapore-flagged ship seized off Cameroon A Singapore-flagged ship with 26 crew
members on board has been seized off
Cameroon in central Africa in an apparent
commercial dispute, it was learnt on Sunday
(Feb 3). The vessel, BARENTS SEA, was
seized by local Cameroonian private
militiamen armed with AK-47 submachine
guns at the Sonara refinery in Limbe,
Cameroon, Singapore-based ship management company Eastern Pacific Shipping said in a statement late
on Sunday. "Eastern Pacific Shipping confirms that while performing standard discharge operations, its
managed Aframax M/T BARENTS SEA has been illegally seized by DSC Marine, a local charterer, and
local Cameroonian military forces armed with AK-47 submachine guns in the Sonara refinery in Limbe,
Cameroon," the statement said. It alleges that Mr Jules François Famawa, owner of DSC Marine, "used
illegitimate means to seize the vessel for the purpose of holding its owners to ransom in clear violation of
Cameroonian and international law". "Eastern Pacific Shipping condemns this act of unprovoked
aggression and strongly urges the Cameroonian government to enforce its security forces to safely and
immediately release the vessel and the 26 crew on board in accordance with international law," the
statement said. "The safe release of our crew, which includes nationals from India, Ukraine, China,
Philippines and Turkey is our main priority. There have been no reports of physical injuries." Source:
Straitstimes
_____________________________________________________________________________________
CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died.
After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly.
She says, “What's the story?”
He replies, “Just crap in the carburettor.”
She asks, “How often do I have to do that?” _____________________________________________________________________________________
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As Magnetic North Pole Zooms Toward Siberia, Scientists ... As Magnetic North Pole Zooms Toward Siberia, Scientists Update World Magnetic Model
By Francesca Paris - NPR.org, February 4, 2019 ·
North is on the move, and that's a problem for your smartphone's maps.
Earth's geographic north pole is fixed. But the planet's magnetic north pole — the north that your compass
points toward — wanders in the direction of Siberia at a rate of more than 34 miles per year.
That movement may seem slow, but it has forced scientists to update their model of Earth's magnetic
field a year earlier than expected so that navigational services, including map-based phone apps, continue
to work accurately.
The drift results from processes taking place at the center of the planet. Molten iron and nickel slosh and
spin in the planet's core, essentially serving as a metallic conductor for Earth's magnetic field. Changes in
that fluid flow lead to changes in the magnetic field.
As a result of those changes, the accuracy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
World Magnetic Model (WMM) — a mathematical representation of the magnetic field — slowly
deteriorates in the five-year periods between updates.
The next update was due in 2020. But "unplanned variations" have degraded the quality of the WMM so
greatly that NOAA published an out-of-cycle update Monday. It was delayed from January by the partial
government shutdown.
Researchers had known that the model was in trouble for about a year, Nature reports. Arnaud Chulliat, a
geomagnetist for NOAA, spoke to a meeting of the American Geophysical Union last year about realizing
how inaccurate the model had become.
"That was an interesting situation we found ourselves in," said Chulliat. "What's happening?"
The explanation was twofold, he said. The pole's continuous movement away from the Canadian Arctic
was a problem for the model, as usual. Add in a 2016 geomagnetic pulse beneath South America that
shifted the magnetic field, and you had a model too inaccurate to wait for next year's update.
The new version of the WMM should stay relatively accurate until the 2020 update comes out as planned.
The early release is good news for a wide array of federal, commercial and military services that rely on
the model. Services like undersea navigation and air traffic management wouldn't function properly
without an accurate model, according to NOAA.
Smartphone maps count on magnetic sensors — and the WMM — to figure out the direction of magnetic
north. (Think of how Apple and Google Maps show you which way you're facing as you turn a corner or
rotate your phone.) And the U.S. Forest Service and NASA rely on the model as well.
Earth's magnetic north pole has been moving toward Russia at least since the pole was discovered in
1831, according to NOAA. And rock sampling shows that Earth's magnetic field has been shifting for
millions of years.
Migratory animals, including birds, butterflies and whales, make use of the magnetic field for directions.
Other animals can also sense the field, including cows, which tend to orient themselves toward a
magnetic pole while grazing.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Record cocaine seizures at Rotterdam port, total tips 19 tonnes Public Prosecution Department Police and customs
officials found a record 19 tonnes of cocaine hidden in
shipments at Rotterdam port last year, the public
prosecution department said. In total,18,947 kilos of
cocaine were discovered in 109 separate deliveries. This
is three times the amount of the drug found in 2017. One
of the most notable seizures was that of 1,300 kilos
hidden in frozen chicken livers, the OM said. Another
novel hiding place was the petrol tank of a Range Rover.
Officials also found 3,378 kilos of hashish, 241 kilos of marijuana and 58 kilos of heroin destined for the
Dutch market source: DutchNews
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CrimeSociety February 6, 2019 Photo:
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Extremely hazardous': woman who died on cruise ship identified By Lucy Cormack Hazardous material teams recorded "extremely hazardous" levels of hydrogen sulfide
in a toilet cubicle of a luxury cruise vessel in the hours after a woman's body was found on Saturday
afternoon. The woman, who can now be identified as Shalina Abdul Hussien, was found slumped in a
confined toilet cubicle on the LADY ROSE, a three-level vessel owned by cruising company All
Occasion Cruises Pty Limited. It is now understood that while earlier readings conducted by Fire and
Rescue teams on Saturday afternoon were "not alarming" and reflected a "safe atmosphere," by 8.30pm
on Saturday further testing by HAZMAT teams recorded "extremely hazardous" levels of hydrogen
sulfide, that reached the highest possible levels that could be recorded by testing machines. Despite these
findings, a spokesman for Fire and Rescue NSW disputed them, saying that the levels were "not
consistent with what we found on Saturday," adding that the readings taken at the time of the incident
were of such a safe atmosphere that crews did not even return to the vessel for further testing on Sunday.
Ms Hussien's body was found on the LADY ROSE after she was reported missing by her friends and
fellow passengers, who had begun complaining of an overpowering gas-like smell. The 39-year-old was
attending a four hour birthday party on the privately chartered vessel, with around 100 other guests, when
her body was discovered by a deck hand. The LADY ROSE is licensed to carry up to 475 passengers. It is
understood complaints about a gas-like smell were reported to the vessel's crew, prompting the master to
attempt to empty the base tanks of the vessel, after which Ms Hussien's friends told crew members she
could not be located. Ms Hussien is said to have been using one of the confined toilet cubicles towards
the stern, or rear of the vessel, and was likely overcome by gases emanating from tanks in the vessel. The
smell was not thought to be fuel-related. The LADY ROSE returned to the White Bay Terminal at Robert
Street, Balmain at 4pm, to waiting police, emergency services and fire trucks. Despite the efforts of four
paramedics, Ms Hussien could not be revived. The Herald understands the smells on the Lady Rose were
so bad that once the passengers had all alighted, specialist HAZMAT team had to clear the vessel before
it could be forensically examined by police. On Saturday police sources said that no suspicious
substances were found by the HAZMAT team, however on Sunday a police media spokesperson
confirmed the updated findings that indicated the hazardous levels. All Occasions Cruises did not respond
to questions from the Herald on Sunday, but in a statement a spokesman said it would work closely with
investigators to understand what happened. "The LADY ROSE has carried tens of thousands of
passengers for quality Sydney Harbour cruise events for many years, without major incident. This tragic
event is very upsetting to the whole crew and operations team and we send our deepest condolences to the
lady’s family," he said. "We do not believe it at all appropriate to speculate on this tragic incident and will
comment only when the facts are known." On Saturday a partygoer who was on the boat at the time of Ms
Hussien's death said it was "just a very sad, unfortunate circumstance". Investigations by police are
continuing, with the assistance of investigators from Roads and Maritime Services. A report will be
prepared for the coroner. On its website All Occasions Cruises states it has been operating for more than
20 years, as "the best private Sydney Harbour concierge," whose guests are "the heart and soul" of its
business. LADY ROSE is one of six charter and luxury vessels owned by the company. Other vessels
owned by the company have hosted high profile celebrities including Hillary Clinton, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Jason Derulo and Niall Horan.
Clarification: The substance was initially reported to be hydrogen sulphate, however it is now understood
to be hydrogen sulfide. Source : The Sydney Morning Herald
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Tanker Crewmen Injured in Lifeboat Accident Off Virginia Two crew members of a tanker were injured Wednesday after falling overboard when a lifeboat
unexpectedly released off the coast of Virginia.
The U.S. Coast Guard says aircrews recovered the men from the water and flew them to a hospital in
Norfolk due to injuries that included a stomach laceration and broken leg.
https://gcaptain.com/tanker-crewmen-injured-in-lifeboat-accident-off-
virginia/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapta
in.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-aa90775398-139894965&mc_cid=aa90775398&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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Double lifeboat rescue after memorial ceremony By : Joseph Verney The Cleethorpes RNLI lifeboat crew were sent on two rescue
missions after scattering the ashes of a much-loved
fundraising couple over the weekend. The volunteer crew of
Cleethorpes lifeboat scattered the ashes of David and Diane
Tovey, who raised funds for them for money years, as they
bid farewell to the couple on Sunday, February 3. After a
brief ceremony in the mouth of the River Humber the crew
continued with their planned exercise. However, it wasn’t
long before their assistance was needed. Lifeboat Operations
Manager at Cleethorpes RNLI Mick Fowler said: “Everyone here misses David and Diane, they were
great supporters of the station. It was an honour to be able to assist in their last goodbye, and they would
have been delighted that the boat was involved in two rescues while taking them to their final resting
place.” The crew were soon flagged down by a fishing vessel which had engine problems and requested a
tow to Grimsby. After getting the boat and her two crew safely to Grimsby Marina, the lifeboat returned
to Cleethorpes. It had only just refuelled when another leisure fishing vessel in the river radioed for
immediate assistance due to losing power. It was anchored in the main shipping channel near Grimsby,
directly in the path of large cargo vessels leaving the port. The Cleethorpes crew quickly relaunched to
the scene before passing the tow over to the Humber Lifeboat, which had also been called due to the size
and location of the incident. The Humber Lifeboat Crew then towed the boat, which had five people on
board, into Grimsby Marina. Source: lincolnshirereporter
_____________________________________________________________________________________
IMO to finalize safe mooring rules IMO work to preventing accidents when ships are being moored at their berth in a port continues this
week. A draft SOLAS regulation aimed at better protecting seafarers and shore-based mooring personnel
from injuries during mooring operations is set to be finalized by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and
Construction (SDC 6). The meeting (4-8 February) also aims to complete draft guidelines on the design
of mooring arrangements; and on their inspection and maintenance; as well as to revise existing
guidelines on shipboard towing and mooring arrangements. Safety measures for non-SOLAS ships
operating in Polar waters, not currently covered by the Polar Code, are also on the agenda. The Sub-
Committee will consider the first draft set of recommendations for safety measures for fishing vessels of
24 m in length and over, as well as pleasure yachts above 300 gross tonnage not engaged in trade,
operating in polar waters. Another important agenda item is the ongoing development of a draft new
SOLAS chapter XV on Safety measures for ships carrying industrial personnel and the associated draft
Code, aimed at providing minimum safety standards for ships that carry industrial personnel, as well as
for the personnel, so as to ensure their safe transit prior or after their deployment in relation to the
construction, maintenance, decommissioning, operation or servicing of offshore facilities. The Sub-
Committee will also continue its work on developing second generation intact stability criteria, including
preparing guidelines on the specification of direct stability assessment; the preparation and approval of
operational limitations and operational guidance; and vulnerability criteria. Source: portnew
_____________________________________________________________________________________
UK Government Scraps Seaborne Freight’s No-Deal Ferry Contract https://gcaptain.com/uk-government-scraps-seaborne-freights-no-deal-ferry-
contract/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapt
ain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-3958ba4e2c-139894965&mc_cid=3958ba4e2c&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Incident Video: Malaysian Vessel, Greek Bulk Carrier Collide in Singapore Waters https://gcaptain.com/malaysian-vessel-greek-bulk-carrier-collide-in-singapore-
waters/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptai
n.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-1c5d061623-139894965&mc_cid=1c5d061623&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
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Container ship held at berth after crane collapse set to leave Vancouver port The container ship that was struck by a ship-to-shore crane boom at Global Container Terminal (GCT)
Vanterm should be able to leave the Port of Vancouver by Thursday. MV EVER SUMMIT has been held
at a berth at Vanterm since the early morning hours of January 28, when the ship’s contact with the crane
allegedly caused it to collapse onto the containers stacked on the ship deck. In a statement to Daily Hive,
GCT spokesperson Louanne Wong said work is progressing on freeing the vessel from the berth and
returning terminal operations to normal. “The impacted ship-to-shore crane boom was removed from the
vessel this morning,” said Wong. “Subsequently, the ship was relocated to the appropriate position on the
berth and is currently being worked on, with a focus on removing damaged Vancouver-destined
containers.” Full vessel operations resumed late this afternoon, and it is expected that the vessel will be
able to leave the Port of Vancouver to travel to its next port-of-call early Thursday afternoon “We would
like to take this opportunity to thank GCT’s amazing engineering and maintenance teams, as well as our
outside contractors,” she continued. “Together, this group worked tirelessly to safely and expeditiously
return us to full operations. As always, our primary concern is for the safety of all those individuals
working at or interacting with our terminals and the vessels that call us.” “We appreciate the
understanding from our valued customers as we work to minimize any further interruptions and return to
the regular operations cycle.” Federal safety investigators were deployed to the terminal last week to
determine the cause of the incident. Source: dailyhive.com/vancouver
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Long, Strange Trip: How U.S. Ethanol Reaches China Tariff-Free By Chris Prentice and A. Ananthalakshmi NEW YORK/KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (Reuters) –
In June, the High Seas tanker ship loaded up on ethanol in Texas and set off for Asia.
Two months later – after a circuitous journey that included a
ship-to-ship transfer and a stop in Malaysia – its cargo arrived
in China, according to shipping data analyzed by Reuters and
interviews with Malaysian and Chinese port officials.
At the time, the roundabout route puzzled global ethanol
traders and ship brokers, who called it a convoluted and costly
way to get U.S. fuel to China.
But the journey reflects a broader shift in global ethanol flows
since U.S. President Donald Trump ignited a trade war with
China last spring.
Although China slapped retaliatory tariffs up to 70 percent on
U.S. ethanol shipments, the fuel can still legally enter China tariff-free if it arrives blended with at least
40 percent Asian-produced fuel, according to trade rules established between China and the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the regional economic and political body.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Collapsed crane removed from Port of Vancouver after 8-day operation A large crane collapsed onto a container ship at Port Metro Vancouver's Vanterm facility in Vancouver
on Jan. 28. Global Container Terminals, which owns the crane, said it was removed earlier this week.
(Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) Eight days after it came crashing down on a container ship, a crane that
collapsed at the Port of Vancouver has been removed. The ship-to-shore crane tipped over after the
vessel, named the EVER SUMMIT, ran into it while trying to berth at Vanterm in the middle of the night
on Jan. 28. No one was hurt, but operations at the terminal — the main spot for container loading and
unloading at the Vancouver port — had been crippled ever since. Global Container Terminals (GCT)
brought in a floating crane known as "The Beast" to lift its orange crane — which is almost 10 times
heavier than a blue whale — off the aft side of the ship. The last of the crushed containers were removed
late Tuesday. Last week, freight handlers said the port slowdown was costing "hundreds of thousands" of
dollars in business because products were stuck at the port rather than sitting on shelves. It's unclear how
the collision happened. The Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Source : CBC news
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Estimate Rises for Lost Containers from MSC Zoe The container ship MSC ZOE lost hundreds of boxes off the German
island of Borkum last month, and it appears that dozens more
containers went missing than originally believed. Initial estimates put
the number of lost containers in the range of 250-290. On January 4,
MSC ZOE put into port at Bremerhaven, discharged a small amount of
damaged cargo and underwent an assessment to determine the extent of
the loss. She departed Bremerhaven on January 16, and during her next
port call in Gdansk, Poland, more containers were reported missing.
The tally of lost boxes is now "at least 345," according to Dutch
maritime agency Rijkswaterstaat. The agency is still awaiting a final
count. Salvage experts have suggested that the casualty was the result
of heavy weather and lashing failures, but MSC has declined to
comment on the cause, citing ongoing investigations.
Dutch authorities have launched a criminal inquiry into whether the
incident violated any national anti-pollution laws, as the containers'
contents washed up on the shores of the islands of Terschelling and
Vlieland. Most of the lost containers sank, and MSC has undertaken a
multi-million-dollar effort to find and recover hundreds of them from the
seafloor. Two subsea construction vessels, the GEOSUND and the
ATLANTIC TONJER, have been chartered to raise the boxes and bring
them to shore. Initially, the broken containers will be "taken out of the
sea with a gripper," according to the Rijkswaterstaat, and the less-
damaged ones will be marked for removal at a later point in the process.
Several fishing boats are working alongside these ships to scoop up any
cargo debris that washes loose during the operation, and six survey
vessels are supporting the effort to locate the missing boxes. Source:
MAREX
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Maersk to introduce virtual assistant By : Anna Okon
Maersk Shipping Line has announced that it will enhance its Remote Container Management platform by
introducing a virtual assistant named “Captain Peter” who will assist customers with the journey of their
cargo. The firm added that the programme was currently being tested by a group of select customers and
technical improvements were being put in place to simplify the processes integrated into the RCM
platform. “Our goal is for the RCM product to look and feel like your favourite smartphone app. “There is
still a lot of paperwork and difficult processes in global trade,” the firm noted in a statement on
Wednesday. Head of Global Reefer Management at Maersk, Anne-Sophie Zerlang Karlsen, explained
that Captain Peter would help take care of some of the complexities of global trade by seamlessly
engaging with the customer from end-to -end in the supply chain. She said, “In the beginning, Captain
Peter will follow some simple rules, sending up-to-date information via customers’ preferred channel, for
example, SMS or e-mail, on container temperature and atmosphere conditions, as well as a timeline on its
end-to-end journey. “Should any deviations be observed, or the shipment be delayed, Captain Peter will
notify the customer “Once the container has arrived at its destination, Captain Peter will also check on its
state and send an update to the customer. In time, customers will receive information configured to their
specific needs.” Maersk disclosed that the RCM technology “makes a reefer’s location, temperature,
humidity and power status easily available to the customer, adding, “Should any issue be detected, the
customer can alert his supplier or have the shipment checked by local surveyors, potentially saving the
customer millions of dollars in lost cargo.” “With the number of active users of the RCM platform
constantly growing, the aspiration is for Captain Peter to gather enough information to be able to predict
potential cargo damage and provide configuration suggestions before containers are shipped,” Zerlang
Karlsen said. Source : Punch
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The ATLANTIC TONJER
recovering the lost containers
of the MSC ZOE Photo :
Flying Focus Aerial
Photography
www.flyingfocus.nl ©
The FRIENDSHIP operating
during the recovery of the
containers lost by the MSC
ZOE Photo : Flying Focus
Aerial Photography
www.flyingfocus.nl ©
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State of Hawaii Files Notice of Public Auction for the Falls of Clyde Posted: 08 Feb 2019 08:34 AM PST
Even though it was expected, it still comes as a shock. Yesterday,
the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Harbors
Division filed a public notification that the historic windjammer,
Falls of Clyde, is being offered for sale by auction.
Those who wish to bid on the ship must post a performance bond
in the amount of $1.5 million guaranteeing removal of the vessel
from Honolulu Harbor within 60 calendar days from the bill of
sale. The 280 foot long, iron-hulled, four-masted ship will be
available for inspection to potential bidders on February 15. Sealed
bids are due by 11 AM on February 28th. The winning bidder will be announced later that day. If no bids
are received the State reserves the right to sell the ship by negotiation, to scrap it or to dispose of it by any
other legal means.
The ship has been owned by the non-profit group Friends of the Falls of Clyde, (FFOC) for roughly ten
years. The Bishop Museum, the previous owner, planned on scrapping or sinking the ship until the group
purchased her for $1 in 2008.
The State of Hawaii has provided rent-free dockage for the ship at Pier 7 in Honolulu since 2009.
Attempts by the FFOC to raise funds for drydocking and refurbishment were not successful. Citing
concerns over the ship’s condition, the ship was impounded by the State in 2016.
Recently, an attempt by a new group, the International Friends of the Falls of Clyde, to charter a heavy
lift ship to carry the old windjammer back to her birthplace in Scotland, fell through.
Then, last week, the ship began to sink at the dock due to cracks and open seams in the hull plates. Divers
were able to make emergency repairs and salvage pumps removed excess water.
Apparently, the State of Hawaii has simply had enough. As reported by the Star Advertiser:
“We’ve given 10 years to the process and repeatedly we’ve heard the same thing — we just need time,”
said Transportation Department spokesman Tim Sakahara. “There’ve been numerous attempts at
fundraising and removal, and all have been unsuccessful. Given the current state of this ship and
continued deterioration, it needs to be moved now. We’re moving forward with the next step, which is the
auction.”
Built by Russell & Co. in Port Glasgow, Scotland, in 1878, the Falls of Clyde is the last surviving iron-
hulled, four-masted full-rigged ship, and the only remaining sail-driven oil tanker.Source: Old Salt Blog.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Penlee Lifeboat sent to drifting life raft off Newlyn A life raft spotting drifting off the coast has sparked a
rescue operation in west Cornwall. A member of the public
walking the coast path near Lamorna spotted the life raft in
the sea and rang 999, concerned that someone could be in
trouble. The all-weather Penlee lifeboat was launched from
Newlyn, after being sent to search the area by Falmouth
Coastguard Operations Centres. Despite the stormy
conditions and rough sea, the volunteer crew of the Ivan
Ellen - made up of coxswain Patch Harvey, mechanic Tony
Rendle, Marcel Le Bretton, Jack Shannon, Andrew
Stevens, Amy Smith and Will Treneer - soon found the 24-man life raft floating 2.5 nautical miles from
Newlyn, with no one onboard. A spokesperson for Penlee Lifeboat said: “It was full of water which made
recovery quite difficult. After several attempts the crew managed to get the life raft alongside and it was
conveyed back to Newlyn.” Back on shore, the life raft was identified as coming from HMS MERSEY, a
patrol vessel that monitors the UK waters and up to 200 miles into the Atlantic, making sure that fishing boats
and trawlers stick to internationally-agreed fish quotas. The crew had previously reported losing a life raft, to
the Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre. “The life raft will be collected by the Royal Navy early this
week,” added the lifeboat spokesperson. Source: falmouthpacket
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photo via Navy Lookout/ Twitter
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Cause of explosion which caused sailor’s death still uncertain despite second
inquest By : Jake
Foxford A jury could not establish
the exact cause of a boiler
explosion that resulted in
the death of crewman in
Felixstowe. The Manhattan
Bridge, a Japanese-
registered ship, was
travelling between Felixstowe and Rotterdam when the boiler exploded Celso Banas, a 35-year-old sailor
from The Philippines, was on board when the boiler exploded in January 2017. The jury heard that Mr
Banas died after suffering multiple burn-related injuries, lacerations and skull fractures. Despite the best
efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene. After two years and two inquests, on
February 6 a jury returned a narrative conclusion to the case - meaning that they are able to create a
sequence of events from the day but cannot agree a cause of death.The jury returned the conclusion
unanimously after a little over an hour of deliberation. At the opening of the second inquest, the court
heard details of the catastrophic boiler explosion that happened on board the Japanese registered container
ship on a voyage from Rotterdam to Felixstowe. The court heard how Jose Pagahacian, an engine boy on
board the ship, rushed to the scene after hearing an explosion followed by a fire alarm. On arrival, he said
he saw “black smoke” and Mr Dongon suffering from severe burns following the explosion. He then
caught sight of Mr Banas with his leg “on fire”. Riomer Bugas, chief officer on board the Manhattan
Bridge at the time of the incident, said he knew the boiler had exploded because he could “smell carbon”.
“In 11 years I have never experienced anything like this,” he said. The inquest also heard from Leo
Tagala, first engineer, who saw the repairs made to the ship in Hamburg after the incident. Mr Tagala said
the boiler’s burner filter was “blocked with wax” - which can build up in a filter in cold conditions if a
ship’s fuel is not treated with the correct chemical, Octomar Winter. The ship’s first engineer, Marrano
Malunao, said that the ship was not carrying enough of the chemical despite instruction from the ships
management company, Nigel Parsley, Suffolk’s senior coroner, said the purpose of the inquest was to
determine how Mr Banas and reiterated that it was not the role of the Coroner’s Office to apportion blame
in the case. Source : Ipswich Star
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When warship preservation goes wrong... ex-HMS BRONINGTON as she is today, West Float, Birkenhead HMS
BRONINGTON was a Ton-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy, launched
on 19 March 1953. This mahoganyhulled minesweeper was one of the last
of the "wooden walls" (wooden-hulled naval vessels). Originally
commissioned as HMS HUMBER on 4 June 1954, the vessel was renamed
BRONINGTON in 1959. The vessel was converted into a minehunter at
Rosyth Dockyard between 1963 and 1965, and was commissioned to,
initially the 5th Minesweeper Squadron, and the 1st Mine Countermeasures
Squadron on 5 January 1967. After being decommissioned from service, the
ship was purchased in January 1989 by the Bronington Trust, a registered charity whose patron, Charles,
Prince of Wales, commanded this vessel between 9 February and 15 December 1976. For some time, the
ship was berthed in the Manchester Ship Canal at Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, England. On 11
July 2002, she became part of the collection of the Warship Preservation Trust and was moored at
Birkenhead, Merseyside. After the closure of the Warship Preservation Trust, she remained in storage,
formerly alongside the Rothesay-class frigate HMS PLYMOUTH, at Vittoria Dock, Birkenhead, and
latterly in the West Float of Birkenhead Docks. On 17 March 2016, HMS BRONINGTON sank at her
moorings. The decision was taken to scrap her due to her condition
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The MANHATTAN BRIDGE moored in Singapore in 2016
Photo : Piet Sinke www.maasmondmaritime.com (c)
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MCA chief reaffirms commitment to UK flag amid Brexit threat By : Janet Porter & David Osler
THE new head of Britain's Maritime & Coastguard Agency has reaffirmed his commitment to expanding
the UK Ship Register, despite the uncertainties of Brexit that are unsettling a number of shipowners.
Recently appointed chief executive Brian Johnson said the register was still attracting new tonnage, while
feedback from customers remained excellent. “We remain committed to the growth of the UK Ship
Register,” he said. Mr Johnson was responding to reports that a number of prominent shipping companies
with vessels on the UKSR are reconsidering their position as Britain’s departure from the European
Union draws closer without a deal in sight. As Lloyd’s List reported, some ships have already been
reflagged, in part because of Brexit concerns, but many more are at risk of leaving the UKSR in the event
of a no-deal withdrawal from the EU. In a statement, Mr Johnson acknowledged those concerns and said
that the MCA was in regular dialogue with shipowners about the situation. “Our customers trust us to
discuss these issues with them in confidence,” he said. “We have a marketing strategy, which is reviewed
annually and adapted according to circumstances and events. That will, of course, include post EU-exit.”
The UKSR, which had been slowly shrinking for some years, has since reversed that decline, helped by a
new structure within the MCA which had given it greater autonomy, and the ability to tailor its services
more closely to shipowners’ needs. The register was also central to the government’s commitment to
strengthen the country’s maritime cluster, with a target set in 2017 to double the size of the register in the
years ahead. The flag now stands at around 16.5m gt, compared with just below 14m gt in late 2014, but
under the 2011 peak of 18m gt. The growth plan included a new position of chief executive for the
UKSR, but the first person to be appointed quit within a few weeks, while Doug Barrow resigned in
December after less than two years in the post. Nevertheless, the UKSR is highly-regarded in shipping
circles with some blue-chip names on the register, including CMA CGM, Evergreen, and Zodiac
Maritime. “The UK Ship Register offers technical expertise of MCA surveyors, which is recognised by
our customers as being among the best in the world,” said Mr Johnson. He added: “Clients have a choice
of whether to use flag or classification society to carry out vessel audits. We offer 24/7 support to our
customers for registration and post registration support and the UKSR is one the few registries that do
this.” According to one industry expert, however, the UKSR was unsustainable, in part because of
competition from other Red Ensign Group flags. This is a group of ship registers comprising the UK,
Crown Dependencies Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man, plus the UK Overseas Territories of
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St
Helena and the Turks & Caicos Islands. Any vessel with one of these registers is regarded as a British
ship, and is entitled to fly the Red Ensign flag. “The only rational way forward is to provide a unified Red
Ensign with truly global reach,” said former Nautilus official Allan Graveson in response to questions
over the future of the UKSR. Source: lloydslist
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Seaborne Freight contract cancelled The British Government has cancelled a £13.8M contract awarded to Seaborne Freight to run
accompanied ferry services between Ostend and Ramsgate in the event of a "no deal" Brexit after a key
backer for Seaborne pulled out The contract awarded at the start of this year has been cancelled by the
DfT, after a key backer for Seaborne, Irish shipping company, Arklow Shipping, pulled out of the deal,
making it impossible for Seaborne to secure the ships in time. A Department for Transport spokeswoman
said [Reuters reporting]: "It became clear Seaborne would not reach its contractual requirements with the
government. We have therefore decided to terminate our agreement,” she said. “The government is
already in advanced talks with a number of companies to secure additional freight capacity — including
through the Port of Ramsgate — in the event of a no-deal Brexit.” …… There are infrastructure issues in
Ramsgate and the Port of Ostend has sought guarantees about security because of fears that migrants
would move up the coast from Calais. Thanet District Council is considering withholding funding from
the Port of Ramsgate, making it less and less likely for the port to be able to receive ferries by the end of
March. A further question is why the government has apparently not considered supporting extra Channel
tunnel through rail freight services in the event of a no deal Brexit. Source : Worldcargo news
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Mystic Cruises Announces Trio of Captains for World Explorer Mário Ferreira, owner of Mystic Cruises and Nicko Cruises, introduced the three experienced captains
who have been working with him for the last year, developing a sophisticated and technological advanced
series of hybrid propulsion expedition ships. The World Explorer will be the first in a series of at least
three 200- guest ships, with sisters following in 2020 and 2021. The captains are: Alex Zakalashnnyuk
from Russia, Filipe Sousa from Portugal and Terje Willassen
from Norway. "The World Explorer will take passengers to
unique locations of great beauty and unspoiled landscapes,
such as Antarctica, the Arctic or the Norwegian Fjords.
These are also very demanding destinations in terms of
navigation that require great knowledge and trained
skillsets," Ferreira said. Added Captain Willassen: “These
kind of expedition vessels are special in everything, but I like
in particular the very secure maneuverable small size vessel
and the luxurious modern style of design." The company also
announced the ship will be christened on April 6, and it will open a sales office in Ft. Lauderdale ahead of
placing the World Navigator into the North American market in 2021. Captain Sousa noted: “I joined this
project because I like the challenge of steering smaller ships into beautiful scenery. They offer unique
challenges in terms of navigation skills and time seems to run faster. I love working on the cruise
industry, meeting new passengers each week, and this is a
project that will allow me to continuing doing so, and travel
to some more new destinations”. Captain Zakalashnnyuk said
he was look forward to commanding "an ultra well-equipped
ship for expedition and exploring style cruises, with the latest
and more advanced equipment, that was included in its
construction, all the knowledge and sophisticated technical
improvements developed on the last decade in the maritime
industry are onboard giving us a feel like we are on the
bridge of a large yacht”. For Mystic Cruises, recruiting these three experienced captains represents a
significant long-term investment. "We're very happy with the team we built. We've got three
exceptionally experienced captains, that will ensure our ship is in the best hands, but that will also help us
develop our fleet, something they've already been doing for about a year, and train the next generation of
Mystic Cruises captains," added Ferreira. Willassen brings more than 30 years of experience to Mystic,
and is a veteran of the Norwegian Fjords and Nordic Sea sailings. A safety specialist, he has worked with
several high profile companies during his long career. Captain Sousa hails from Portugal and brings 25
years of experience at sea, with considerable experience in the cruise industry. Finally, Captain
Zakalashnyuk brings 21 years of Polar Region experience to Mystic. Source: cruiseindustrynews
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Ex-Navy captain sentenced in sweeping corruption case A former Navy captain has been sentenced to six months in prison for moonlighting for a Malaysian
contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” at the center of one of the maritime service’s worst corruption
scandals. Former Capt. Jeffrey Breslau was sentenced Friday by a federal judge in San Diego after
pleading guilty to criminal conflict of interest. He was fined $20,000 and ordered to pay the Navy the
$65,000 he earned moonlighting. Prosecutors say Breslau ghostwrote emails and provided talking points
to the contractor, Leonard Francis, to help him win over five Navy admirals and land lucrative contracts
for his company that supplied ships in the Pacific. Prosecutors say Francis overbilled the U.S. Navy by
more than $35 million for services for ships. Nearly two dozen people have pleaded guilty in the case.
Source : WGEM
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Ship damaged by collapsed crane in Vancouver harbour now back at sea _____________________________________________________________________________________
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The Pulse
Beautiful photo showing the shadow of the SEABOURN QUEST at Iceberg A57A, whilst navigating
Antarctica… Photo : Capt. Joost Eldering Master Seabourn Quest ©
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Demurrage Calculation App Developed for Oil Tanker Industry At last, the oil tanker industry has an app for calculating demurrage claims on the go. Smartphone apps
have been one of the biggest innovations in the turn of the decade, and that has led to a rocketing amount
of dependency on apps for work-related purposes. Similarly, the oil tanker industry witnessed immense
increase of the demurrage and associated costs. Its constantly evolving and expanding functionality
makes it one of the most prominent fields in the industry. However, oil tanker owners and charterers
continue to face the challenge in demurrage claims, that stand a risk of being rejected due to late
submissions beyond agreement time bars. In a first, the I-Demurrage app has been created to make the
time-consuming process of calculating demurrage easier. I-Demurrage enables the user to calculate
demurrage in a simple and effective format and email calculations to the user’s email ID. The app aspires
to save millions in the process. Leena Asher, the brain behind the I-Demurrage app, is a Specialist
Demurrage Analyst and a subject matter expert in her industry on demurrage. She says, “I identified
there’s a need for an app to calculate demurrage after interacting with my industry peers. The process can
be made simpler and since we’re in a tech-savvy generation, I decided the app was the need of the day.
As the creator, I hope I-Demurrage saves my industry peers’ time and money in their busy work-
routines.” More information is available from [email protected]
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Stricken boat taking on water at Inchkeith towed to safety by Kinghorn RNLI
by Leeza Clark Kinghorn RNLI lifeboat helped tow a boat taking on water to
safety on Sunday. The volunteer crew – Neil Chalmers,
Megan Davidson, Paul Stather, Kerr Milne, and Guy Harding
– was called out to the incident at Inchkeith harbour at
12.40pm The lifeboat, which had been out on a morning
exercise, was relaunched and was quickly on the scene to
give the stricken 20ft vessel a tow back to Burntisland. The
two people on board were then able to make arrangements to
get their boat out of the water. Trainee helm Megan said: “The vessel had suffered mechanical difficulties
while on a trip from Dysart. “This had caused the boat to begin taking on water, so the owner took the
correct decision to take refuge at Inchkeith where they contacted the coastguard. “We were on scene
within six minutes of launching and were able to take the boat under tow. “The vessel was taken to the
slipway at the Beacon leisure centre to allow the owner to make arrangements to get the boat out of the
water.” Megan urged boat owners to make sure their vessel was well maintained and equipped with a
suitable auxiliary engine before going to sea. She added: “We’re grateful to Kinghorn Coastguard and
South Queensferry Coastguard Rescue teams who provided assistance at Burntisland.” Source: The
Courier
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The Pulse
MV Marine Electric: The Shipwreck that Changed the Coast Guard https://gcaptain.com/mv-marine-electric-the-shipwreck-that-changed-the-coast-
guard/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain
.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-3e1896337f-139894965&mc_cid=3e1896337f&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The RRS SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH getting a bit of a winter top coat at Cammell Laird.
Painty McPaintface
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Crew Health Advice: Eliminating shipboard bullying and harassment https://www.ukpandi.com/knowledge-publications/article/crew-health-advice-eliminating-shipboard-
bullying-and-harassment-147296/?dm_i=33T,64LTF,LGE99N,O302Z,1
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Review: Disasters at Sea — Deadly Neglect, the Loss of the Marine Electric Thirty-six years ago this week, the SS Marine Electric sank off the coast of Virginia with the loss of 34
officers and crew. There were only three survivors. The tragedy resulted in major reforms in ship
inspections and operations and ultimately saved many lives. Last month, a new documentary series
premiered on the Smithsonian Channel, Disasters at Sea. The second episode of the series, Deadly
Neglect, examines the sinking and subsequent investigation and aftermath of the loss of the SS Marine
Electric.
Read a review:-
https://gcaptain.com/loss-of-the-marine-electric-disasters-at-sea-
review/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptai
n.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-7de3524871-139894965&mc_cid=7de3524871&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
Documentary shown on Smithsonian Channel. 18 Feb
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The Pulse
1st Quarter Advice Update from SAIL
ADVICE AREA
SUBJECT
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Consumer Scams Martin Lewis from MoneySavingExpert.com announced Citizens Advice will set up a Scams Action project to protect consumers, and there’ll be a scam advert reporting tool on Facebook. The TV Licence scam has been particularly widespread. Separately a ban on pension cold-calling has come in to effect.
Consumer Loyalty penalties The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that consumers are suffering significant loyalty penalties and made recommendations in 5 different markets. The most common loyalty penalties are in mobile phone contracts, TV and broadband.
Consumer Switching energy provider
Many people are switching away from the ‘Big 6’ energy providers. It’s one of the easiest ways to save money. Citizens Advice’s price comparison website is excellent.
Debt Overdraft fees The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is planning to ban unarranged overdraft fees. It has launched a consultation.
Benefits Universal Credit (UC)
Across the UK all new claims are now for UC. The migration of legacy benefits to UC has been slowed. For ‘mixed age’ couples where only 1 is over State Retirement Age new UC claims will be much less than in the previous benefit system. If you have UC problems please contact us.
Benefits PIP Appeals Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit appeals can now be done online in England and Wales. SAIL can help with all benefit appeals.
Benefits State Pension Age As of October 2018 the State Pension Age for both men and women is the same, for the first time.
If you need more information, please contact SAIL free on 0800 160 1842 or email [email protected]
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Gauge 1 Live Steam Merchant Navy Loco 35028 Clan Line https://youtu.be/YxPUU87OIEA
This one for the rail enthusiasts
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The Pulse
ITF Blames BHP for Starving Crew in Australia Thirty-six years ago this week, the SS Marine Electric sank off the coast of Virginia with the loss of 34
officers and crew. There were only three survivors. The tragedy resulted in major reforms in ship
inspections and operations and ultimately saved many lives. Last month, a new documentary series
premiered on the Smithsonian Channel, Disasters at Sea. The second episode of the series, Deadly
Neglect, examines the sinking and subsequent investigation and aftermath of the loss of the SS Marine
Electric. Here is a review.
The converted T2 bulk carrier, SS Marine Electric, sailed from Norfolk, Virginia on February 10, 1983,
bound for Somerset, Massachusetts with a cargo of 24,800 tons of granulated coal. It was caught in a
Nor’easter with seas over 25 feet and winds of 50 knots. The ship was further delayed after the US
Coast Guard asked that it stand by the Theodora, a fishing boat which was taking on water in the heavy
weather. Once the Coast Guard was able to lower pumps to the fishing boat, the Marine
Electric continued on her voyage until forced to heave to in the worsening storm. On February 12,
Captain Phillip Corl radioed to the Coast Guard that the ship was down by the head. The ship began to list
heavily. The captain ordered the crew to abandon ship but the ship capsized before they could launch the
lifeboats. All aboard died except for the Chief Mate Robert Cusak, the Third Mate Gene Kelly, and AB
Paul Dewey. They each barely survived after more than 90 minutes in the icy Atlantic.
In the investigation which followed, ship owner, Marine Transport Lines claimed that the ship had been
seaworthy and initially blamed the sinking on the ship touching ground when standing by
the Theodora. When that was ruled out, they blamed the ship’s crew for not properly securing the main
deck hatch covers. The testimony and records kept by the Chief Mate Bob Kusak, however, showed a
pattern of poor maintenance and neglect that ultimately doomed the ship. The investigation also revealed
lax inspection by both the Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping.
Disasters at Sea — Deadly Neglect does an excellent job of telling a fascinating and complex story. The
documentary uses actors cast to look like the individuals aboard the ship and involved in the
investigation. The reenactment features shipboard sets blended with good quality computer graphics to
create a gripping and rather harrowing recreation of what was going on as the tragedy progressed.
The reenactments are interspersed with interviews. To the extent possible, the documentary lets those
involved in the tragedy and the investigation which followed tell their own stories. Gene Kelly, the Third
Mate, describes what he saw and felt in the terrible hours before and after the sinking. Chief Mate Robert
Cusak died in 2013, so his daughter Carol Cusak provides background on her father. James McCann,
former Navy Rescue Swimmer, recounts swimming to the point of exhaustion to recover both the
survivors and the causalities of the sinking.
Captain Peter Lauridsen and Robert Ford, former investigator for the Coast Guard and the NTSB
describe how they worked to solve the mystery of the sinking. Robert Frump, award-winning former
maritime writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer and author of a book about the Marine Electric, also
provides his commentary.
Master Mariner Michael Carr and retired U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Mario Vittone provide
additional context to the story. I also appear briefly with a few comments.
Disasters at Sea — Deadly Neglect is an engaging look at a needless tragedy that ultimately resulted in
significant and important reforms. Without being exploitative, it is gripping and vivid. Well worth
watching.
In the United States, the series premiered on the Smithsonian Channel on January 20th but is still
available to stream on many outlets. To learn where and how to watch this and other episodes of the
series, click here. If not available on cable, the episode is available for sale from Amazon, Google
Play, Vudu, iTunes, and FandangoNow for about $2. The series is expected to premiere in Canada in
April.
Disasters at Sea is produced by Exploration Production Inc. in association with Smithsonian Networks
and Discovery Channel (Canada).
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The 1998 built CYP flag ro/ro MSC BRIDGE underway offshore Malta on Saturday 9th February, 2019.
Amongst 5 former names she's the former RFA SEA CENTURION A 98 that was chartered from 1998 to
2002. Photo : Capt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com (c)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
RNLI - A year of rescues in 80 seconds https://rnli.org/magazine/magazine-featured-list/2019/january/2018-watch-a-year-of-rescues-in-80-
seconds?utm_source=rnli_volunteer_e-
newsletter_february_2019&utm_medium=email_team&utm_campaign=rnli_volunteer_email&utm_conte
nt=2018_video_image
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Boat Made of Flip-flops Sails for Cleaner Seas By Wesley Langat It was 6pm when an unusual rainbow-colored boat, made of recycled
plastic waste and discarded flip-flops gathered from beaches and
roadsides, dropped anchor off the beach at Mtwapa, near Kenya's
coastal city of Mombasa. The 9-meter-long dhow, "The Flipflopi", was
sailing south along East Africa's coast to raise awareness of the threat
plastics pose to the oceans, said chief boatbuilder and captain Ali
Skanda. Beaches and marine ecosystems have been badly affected by
plastics, Skanda said, adding it was time to change local people's
mindset on how they handle and dispose of waste. "That's why we
started this voyage - to reach out to communities in East Africa, and also
globally," he said. The boat's voyage took it 500 km (311 miles) south from Lamu island in Kenya to
Zanzibar in neighbouring Tanzania over two weeks starting on Jan. 23. Along the way the boat made six
stops, with its crew joining local people, schools and officials for beach clean-ups and events highlighting
the effect of plastic pollution on the seas. The motivation for boat-builder and fisherman Hassan
Mohammed, 56, was seeing how much has changed in recent decades. Until 20 years ago, the shore at
Mtwapa was free of pollution, he said. But tourism has meant increased use of plastic carrier bags and
bottles, which has harmed the ocean. "When I started fishing, the only people around were fishermen and
fisherwomen - and we used woven baskets and no plastics," he said. "Nowadays, many people have
started local businesses, like hotels along the shores, and contributed to a huge mess - as you can see, the
place is littered with plastic bottles," he added. The Flipflopi, built from 10 tonnes of plastic waste, was
first launched late last year. Co-founder Ben Morison told the Thomson Reuters Foundation he began
working on the project in 2016 "to transmit the message about the impact that plastic is having on marine
ecosystems, how this affects us, and most important of all, what we can do about it". …….. Reuters
(Reporting by Wesley Langat; Editing by Robert Carmichael and Megan Rowling.)
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Incident Video: Norwegian Epic Takes Out Mooring Dolphins in Puerto Rico February 14, 2019 by Mike Schuler
https://gcaptain.com/incident-video-norwegian-epic-takes-out-mooring-buoys-in-puerto-
rico/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.c
om%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-2d127c83ba-139894965&mc_cid=2d127c83ba&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
_____________________________________________________________________________________
U.S. Subsea Firm to Commence Search for Missing Stellar Daisy in Remote
South Atlantic https://gcaptain.com/u-s-subsea-firm-to-commence-search-for-missing-stellar-daisy-in-remote-south-
atlantic/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCapta
in.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-1c5d061623-139894965&mc_cid=1c5d061623&mc_eid=4c72dd3685
_____________________________________________________________________________________
BHP ignores pleas to help starving crew Crew aboard a ship at a BHP terminal in Queensland claim they are being starved and underpaid, in yet
another instance of the coal giant’s veil of secrecy over its operations in Australian waters. A seafarer
aboard an 80,000-tonne bulk carrier, the VILLA DESTE, contacted the International Transport Workers’
Federation (ITF) pleading for help. The starving crew claims to have no food and no onboard wages, and
being fed on a $4 food budget per day. BHP is continuing to block ITF’s requests to inspect the vessel,
currently at anchor at BHP’s Hay Point Coal Terminal in Mackay, north Queensland, which is due to
berth tomorrow.
“Seafarers are starving at BHP’s terminal in Queensland, and if BHP continues to deny the ITF access,
ignoring these seafarers’ most basic rights to be fed and paid, then it is no better than the worst Flag of
Convenience operators,” said ITF national coordinator Dean Summers.
“BHP told media today that the vessel was not chartered by the company, but it’s BHP coal being sold
and loaded onto the VILLA DESTE. To now claim that they have no responsibility for the conditions
onboard these vessels when they arrive at their port, to load their coal, demonstrates an extraordinary
failure to uphold basic ethical standards in their global supply chain. “ITF inspectors along with faith-
based welfare providers have rights to access ships clearly defined in the international maritime security
code and Australia's national security legislation. BHP claim to have a process for access, but continue to
refuse our requests and question our legitimate right of entry,” he said. The Liberian flagged VILLA
DESTE is owned by a Greek company Evalend Shipping Company S.A..
The ITF also inspected another vessel owned by the company, the PENELOPE L. on 3 July 2018 at the
Port of Fremantle and found the same issues, employing seafarers on the lowest conditions possible and
supplying decaying food to the crew. The ITF has previously contacted the Department of Home Affairs
about BHP’s denial of grant access for ITF inspectors to inspect ships at Hay Point. The Department has
simply responded saying “approval to access a port facility is the responsibility of the port facility
operator” dismissing the ITF’s concerns. “By dismissing the ITF's concerns the Department of Home
Affairs either unknowingly, or by design, has sided with BHP to even further isolate and abuse seafarers’
rights,” said Summers.
“While BHP ignores a rapidly deepening crisis at anchorage at their Hay Point terminal, and the Federal
Government's security agencies deny unions rights to access foreign ships in Australian waters, the Greek
shipowners go about their business of abusing human rights and denying these allegations in the name of
bigger profits. “The national security legislation clearly endorses our rights to access BHP’s terminal to
protect and safeguard international seafarers after the Morrison Government, BHP, and their shady Greek
employers have failed them so brutally. “The plight of these seafarers, and the failure by BHP to take
responsibility for their welfare, highlights why it is essential that ITF inspectors are provided access
through BHP’s terminal. ITF needs to ensure the seafarers are fed, their wages are paid and appropriate
human rights conditions are in place. “We call on the Minister to immediately intervene in his
Department's maladministration and facilitate our inspectors’ access to the VILLA DESTE to answer the
seafarers’ urgent call for help,” said Summers
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AMSA: Crew Aboard Ship at BHP Ship Terminal Have Sufficient Food Crew members aboard the MV Villa Deste bulk carrier who
claimed to be underfed, according to an International
Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) statement from
Wednesday, have sufficient provisions until February 15, the
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.
A spokesperson from AMSA told World Maritime News
that the maritime body spoke to the ship’s agent and vessel’s
Master who supplied photographs of the store rooms on
board which confirmed the state of the ship’s provisions.
MV Villa Deste crew made a complaint to the ITF on
February 8 claiming they were underpaid and had
insufficient food supplies.
The Master informed AMSA an order of extra provisions
had already been ordered. AMSA confirmed this with the
ships agent and provedore and additional provisions are
being supplied to the vessel today via helicopter.
The vessel was scheduled to berth at BHP’s Hay Point coal terminal in Queensland on February 14,
however, a BHP spokesman said that the MV Villa Deste’s loading operation was pushed to next week.
AMSA said its inquiries into the non-payment of crew wages were ongoing.
The maritime body will attend the vessel for inspection once it berths in Hay Point next week.
World Maritime News Staff
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Navy Admiral comments on 17 deaths in ship collisions:
Don’t forget the 280 ships that didn’t collide
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Some of the More Than 34,000 Pounds of Cocaine Seized by U.S. Coast Guard During
Eastern Pacific Patrols _____________________________________________________________________________________
zoom Illustration: Image Courtesy: AMSA
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Maersk Honam Section on Its Way to South Korea Maersk Honam Section on Its Way to South Korea
The sound part of the Maersk Honam, which was hit by
a serious fire in March 2018, is now on its way to South
Korea, where it will be rebuilt.
The containership’s 228.5-metres-long section from midship
to stern section was loaded aboard the heavy-lift vessel Xin
Guan Hua on open waters outside Dubai on February 2.
Currently in transit, the vessel is expected to pass Singapore
Strait on February 18, 2019.
The heavy-lift unit is scheduled to deliver the section at
Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in South Korea in
March, the same yard that built the ship in 2017. Once there,
the sound section of Maersk Honam will be joined with a newbuild forward section.
Maersk informed that the former forward section is moored at Drydock World Dubai for continued
removal of damaged containers and debris.
The company added that, once cleaned, the damaged section would be recycled in accordance with
Maersk’s Responsible Ship Recycling Standard (RSRS). The company is investigating and evaluating
relevant recycling options.
The rebuilt vessel is expected to resume service again in the second half of 2019.
Image Courtesy: Maersk
The sound part of the Maersk Honam, which was hit by a serious fire in March 2018, is now on its way to
South Korea, where it will be rebuilt.
The containership’s 228.5-metres-long section from midship to stern section was loaded aboard the
heavy-lift vessel Xin Guan Hua on open waters outside Dubai on February 2.
Currently in transit, the vessel is expected to pass Singapore Strait on February 18, 2019.
The heavy-lift unit is scheduled to deliver the section at Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in South
Korea in March, the same yard that built the ship in 2017. Once there, the sound section of Maersk
Honam will be joined with a newbuild forward section.
Maersk informed that the former forward section is moored at Drydock World Dubai for continued
removal of damaged containers and debris.
The company added that, once cleaned, the damaged section would be recycled in accordance with
Maersk’s Responsible Ship Recycling Standard (RSRS). The company is investigating and evaluating
relevant recycling options.
The rebuilt vessel is expected to resume service again in the second half of 2019.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Ship runs aground off Solomons coast A ship has run aground off the southern coast
of the Solomon Islands and officials say bad
weather is hampering efforts to salvage the
vessel. Shipping agent Tony Saliga said the
MV SOLOMON TRADER hit the reefs in
Kangava Bay off Rennell Island on 5
February. He said the vessel was loading
bauxite from the nearby Bintang mine when
the incident happened. Mr Saliga said the
strong winds and rough seas may have pulled the ship towards the reef. He said there had been some
damage to the reef, but added the vessel wasn't listing and there was no oil spill.Mr Saliga said efforts to
salvage the ship were being made by the insurers, the shipping company that chartered the vessel and the
mining company. Source : Radio NZ
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Image Courtesy: Maersk
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Finnish Seafarers Threaten to Strike From March 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth returns to Australia Cunard announces record season Down Under Luxury cruise line Cunard has announced that its second
largest ship, Queen Elizabeth will return to Australia for an unparalleled 118 days over from November –
February 2020-21 fully embracing Australia’s summer season. The season will also feature visits from
flagship Queen Mary 2 and sister ship Queen Victoria during their world voyages, with the royal trio
spending a record 49 days in Australian ports between them. Source : eturbonews
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Container list reveals sunken treasures off Newcastle from Yang Ming's YM
Efficiency By: Max McKinney
TWO Chevrolet Silverados worth a combined $300,000 are sitting on the ocean floor somewhere off the
coast of Newcastle, according to documents detailing the contents of containers lost from the YM
EFFICIENCY last year. The container manifest, obtained exclusively by the Newcastle Herald under
freedom of information laws, reveals the array of products lost at sea when the ship struck bad weather
last June. The previously unreleased information finally sheds light on what was in the containers that fell
overboard. To date, only small plastics, yoga mats and food products have washed ashore at locations
along the NSW coast spanning Merewether to Coffs Harbour. Some of the more bulky items lost include
electric scissor lifts, commercial laundry machines, industrial vacuum cleaners and stacks of mountain
bikes.The bikes were one of the products commercial fishers had reported seeing in the weeks after the
incident. One item that would have caught the eye of authorities when they first viewed the cargo list was
the chemical sodium polyacrylate. More than 40 tonnes of it was stored in two containers. The Australian
Maritime Safety Authority told the Herald this week sodium polyacrylate was a non-toxic polymer and of
the products lost it was less of a concern. “The most serious environmental concern for AMSA is the
large amount of plastics contained in the lost containers in the form of consumer products and
packaging,” an AMSA spokesperson said. “Sodium Polyacrylate is a functional polymer, a type of
plastic. "It is not a dangerous or hazardous good and is commonly used as an absorbent in products such
as nappies and pet pads." The product can absorb and lock away huge amounts of water hundreds of
times its mass, and is commonly used as a thickener in hair gels and in jelly-filled cold packs that are
placed in the freezer. Five containers lost held pre-engineered and manufactured bathroom pods, which
are becoming popular in commercial buildings to reduce construction time and lower costs. Massive
amounts of toilet paper and kitchen paper towel, which would have faced a tough time staying absorbent
in the Tasman Sea, were packed into at least nine containers. Medical supplies, glassware and china,
office chairs, car and auto parts, and noodles were some of the other products that went astray. When the
clean up began almost immediately after the maritime incident last year, one of the most removed items
off the beaches in Port Stephens was plastic containers of Emu Oil. Car tyres have also been found close
to the shore around Fingal Bay. The owner of the YM EFFICIENCY, Taiwanese shipping company Yang
Ming, said at the time of the incident it would “take full responsibility to recover and to minimise the
impact to the marine environment”. When the company made no attempt to instigate a search and
recovery effort, AMSA intiated a search for the containers that began in December. Contractors have
been using remotely operated underwater vehicles over the past couple of months to confirm the locations
and assess the condition of the containers. “AMSA is currently working with maritime experts to assess
the condition of the containers and their suitability for recovery and removal,” the spokesperson said. “All
the lost cargo is of concern as marine pollution and hazards for fishing. “AMSA maintains that the
responsibility for removal of the containers and mitigation of any environmental impacts remains with the
shipowner Yang Ming and their insurers." A final report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau
about the YM EFFICIENCY container spill will be released in the second quarter of 2019. The AMSA
inspection operation is continuing. Source: The Leader
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Chilean Navy ship grounding in Beagle Channel, Cape Horn _____________________________________________________________________________________
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If you've ever owned your own business, been an entrepreneur, or wondered
what it's like doing so, this is as close to reality as it gets.
The IRS suspected a fishing boat owner wasn't paying proper wages to his Deckhand and sent an agent to
investigate him.
IRS AUDITOR:"I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them".
Boat Owner: "Well, there's Clarence, my deckhand, he's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $1,000 a
week plus free room and board. Then, there's the mentally challenged guy. He works about 18 hours
every day and does about 90% of the work around here. He
makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board,
and I buy him a bottle of Bacardi rum and a dozen
Budweisers every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He
also gets to sleep with my wife occasionally".
IRS AUDITOR: "That's the guy I want to talk to, the
mentally challenged one".
Boat Owner: "That would be me. What would you like to
know"?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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The Lion story
Guy: 'Doctor, my girlfriend is pregnant but we always use protection and the condom never
broke. How is it possible?'
Doctor: 'Let me tell you a story... There was once a hunter who always carried a gun wherever
he went.
One day he took his umbrella instead of his gun and went out. A lion suddenly jumped in front
of him.
In order to scare the lion, the hunter used the umbrella like a gun, and shot the lion and killed it!'
Guy: 'Nonsense! Someone else must have shot the lion.'
Doctor: 'Good! You understood the story. Next patient, please.' _____________________________________________________________________________________
DIPLOMACY A woman is standing nude looking in the bedroom mirror.
She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband...
'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Joke Time - MNA Flu Avoidance
How to avoid Flu. You’ve got to...................................
Eat correctly - Make sure you get your daily dose of fruit and veggies. Take your vitamins and bump up
your vitamin C.
Get plenty of exercise because it builds your immune system.
Walk for at least an hour a day, go for a swim,
Take the stairs instead of the lift, etc.
Wash your hands often. If you can't, keep a bottle of antibacterial stuff around.
Get lots of fresh air. Open doors & windows whenever possible.
Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can.
Important get plenty of rest.... Or.......
You could take the MNA doctor's recommended approach. Think about it... When you go for a flu jab,
what does the Nurse do first?
They clean your arm with alcohol... Why? Because Alcohol KILLS GERMS. So use the MNA Model
............
Walk to the pub. (exercise); Put lemon your Vodka and Gin...(fruit);
Celery in your Bloody Mary (veggies) Drink outdoors on the patio (fresh air) Tell non-PC jokes and
laugh....(eliminate stress) Then pass out. (rest)
MNA policy is;
Keep your alcohol levels up, flu germs can't get you! And Remember:
'A shot in the glass is better than one in the ass!!’
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A petrol station owner in Dublin was trying to increase
his sales, so he put up a sign that read, 'Free Sex with
Fill-Up!'
Paddy pulled in, filled his tank and asked for his free
sex. The owner told him to pick a number from 1 to 10.
If he guessed correctly, he would get his free sex.
Paddy guessed 8, and the proprietor said, "You were
close. The number was 7.. Sorry. No sex this time."
A week later, Paddy, along with his friend Mick, pulled
in for another fill-up. Again he asked for his free sex.
The proprietor again gave him the same story, and asked him to guess the correct number.
Paddy guessed 2. The proprietor said, "Sorry, it was 3. You were close, but no free sex this
time."
As they were driving away, Mick said to Paddy, "I think that game is rigged and he doesn't really
give away free sex at all."
Paddy replied, "No, no, it's genuine enough Mick. Me wife won twice last week."
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
That’s all from me now folks.
Good Health, Fair Winds and Calm Seas. Take Care.
Yours Aye,
Malcolm
Malcolm Mathison
National Vice-Chairman
Merchant Navy Association
Tel: 01472 277 266 Mob: 07831 622 312 Email: [email protected]
www.mna.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1135661
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