Monday, December 31

Maritime Monday 91

Welcome to this New Year's edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find Maritime Monday 41 here. (Published 08 January 2007)

You can find last week's edition here.


Have a Happy New Year and be sure to celebrate with a little noise.


This Weeks Photo:
This weeks photo comes from the website of The Interlake Steamship Company which has been operating on the US Great Lakes since at least 1913.


(STR. HERBERT C. JACKSON)



(STR. HERBERT C. JACKSON)



(M/V JAMES R. BARKER)

M/V James R. Barker was the first 1000-foot class vessel constructed entirely on the Great Lakes, where she was built by American Ship Building Company at Lorain, Ohio. Her self-unloading system includes three cargo hold belts and a 250-foot boom, and is capable of discharging a cargo in about eight hours. The James R. Barker is named for Interlake's President and Chairman of the Board. The ship has always been part of the Interlake Steamship fleet. - Link




(STR. JOHN SHERWIN)



(STR. JOHN SHERWIN)


The Steamer John Sherwin is one of the last straight deck (non-self-unloading) bulk cargo vessels on the Great Lakes. Named for a former chairman of Pickands Mather & Co., she was built in 1958 by American Ship Building Company, Toledo, Ohio, and has always been in the Interlake Steamship fleet. In 1973, she was lengthened by 96 feet at Fraser Shipyards, Superior, Wisconsin. The Sherwin has been in long-term layup at Superior since November 1981. - Link

That is a long time to hold onto something, yet thanks to the fresh water of the Great Lakes, it is possible to do so.

Many more photos can be found here in their photo gallery.

This Weeks Items:

Eagle Speak has "Somalia: Puntland home of the pirates?"

Also be sure to check out Eagle Speak's weekly series "Sunday Ship History: PROJECT WHALE TALE"

Chaotic Synaptic Activity has the December 7th story of the Battleship USS OKLAHOMA Seaman First Class (and Medal of Honor recipient) James Richard Ward for his weekly series Monday Maritime Matters.

gCaptain has "Top 10 USCG Resuces of 2007 - Video"

gCaptain also has "The Queen Mary 2 - Time Lapse Video"

Tims Times covers the running aground of the WILSON GARSTON off Helsingborg, Sweden on Christmas Eve - not because the Mate on Watch was drunk, which he apparently was, but because he was asleep. Keep in mind that unless he was up there drinking on the bridge, he relieved the mate on watch in that condition, so what was that guy thinking? Perhaps he was also drunk or eager to head off to the party to get himself that way. If that was the case, why not just have the party on the bridge. (No, this is nowhere near an original idea, and yes, it is a serious suggestion.) At any rate, the mate on watch is not the only guilty party in this accident. Lets see if the investigation sees it the same way.

Bitter End has "Security Zones: A reader writes"

Bitter End also points to the Wired Magazine photo story "Aboard the Swedish Icebreaker Oden"

Cruise Talk Central has an amazing sequence of photos of the December collision between the cruiseship NORWEGIAN DREAM and a container barge.

Marine Buzz has "Rinspeed Ready to Launch Zero Emission sQuba Underwater Car" and "Global Warming takes toll of Walrus due to Stampede"

Marine Buzz also has an update to Norway's Ship Tunnel plan which includes illustrations.

The Stupid Shall Be Punished
notes the sudden passing of US Navy submariner CDR (Sel) Chris Riley. (USNA Class of 1992)

Typically Spanish has an update on the removal of the NEW FLAME still laying half-sunk off Gibraltar.

MarEx Newsletter has "President Bush Signs Marine Highway Legislation"

Tugster has the issue of "Moving Fuel" by water.

Sea * Fever has "Experiential Education: At Sea, Under Sail"

Robin Storm has "NASSG Oceanographers Guide Ships Through the Storm"

Shirlaw News Group has "Russia hands over six detained fishermen to Japan"

Cruise Bruise has another example of a passenger being removed from a cruise and being left to find their own way home in "Victim In Cruise Ship Assault Thrown Off Ship"

Cruise Bruise also covers the third cruise accident this year in the Antarctic as the MS FRAM has struck an iceberg this last Friday. But hey, it's alright, as the passengers got free drinks for the scare. Just make sure that you are not on the last cruiseship to sink down there as there won't be anyone left to save your butt.

Freight Dog has the news of the upcoming meeting of the three Cunard QUEEN oceanliners in New York Harbor this upcoming January.

Freight Dog also has some "Thoughts about APL's new 53 ft. ocean containers". Hmmm, written by a P&O Containers/PONL veteran like myself.

SAILORS, MARINERS & WARRIORS LEAGUE has "Vessels Assist Disabled Container Ship Near Nantucket" as the cargoship AGAMON lies dead in the water while plying the busy Canada-Cuba trade route.

Maritime Accident Casebook predicts increasing arrests of seafarers in 2008 including for non-compliance with MARPOL Regulations.

AfricanLoft has the news "Africa's First Deep-sea Container Port Proposed for Nigeria". Hopefully this has side benefits like providing a paying customer for public utilities as one example. Of course they will need to build it first.

The Road to the Horizon has "News: Somalia - An Uphill Aid Battle" covering efforts to get aid into the country through the Port of Merka. A previous post with photos can be found here.

Click on the photo for the related photo set:

(Port - yes, Dock - no)

Pirates were just the first problem.

Toons at War covers the Disney-produced insignia for the WWII fleet re fueler USS HOUSATONIC.

Penraker has "Why Chinese Subs Are Dangerous"

WorldChanging has "Greening Shrimp" covering the first certified sustainable shrimp farm in the US and world.

The Alaska Public Radio Network has the podcast "Sustainable fisheries gaining commercial support"

Never Sea Land covers nude cruising.

Haight's Maritime Items has:

UK – report on gas carrier-yacht collision - The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued the report of its investigation into the collision between a gas carrier and a sailing yacht six miles ESE of Lowestoft on 16 April 2007. The incident occurred at night in heavy fog. Both vessels were proceeding at speed and neither was sounding fog signals. Both vessels detected the other on radar, but neither of the individuals on watch on the vessels fully understood or utilized the radar information. The radars on both vessels had deteriorated performance and accuracy. Fortunately, there was no loss of life and little damage as a result of this avoidable collision. Report 25/2007 (12/21/07). - Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage (Used with Permission)



Fairplay Daily News has:

Ports snub Madrid on privatisation - MADRID, December 21 – Numerous Spanish port authorities have upstaged central government by approving the privatisation of stevedore companies. The movement from individual port authorities follows months of legal uncertainty over the status of stevedore companies. The Spanish government has failed to win parliamentary support to modify legislation initially approved in 2003. The implementation of legislation was postponed until 21 August 21 this year. However since then the government has tried to block any moves to implement the privatisation of stevedore companies, which is supported by both dockers and stevedore management companies. According to industry sources, the government has aimed to maintain a share in stevedore companies because it fears unions and stevedore management companies have sealed a pact between themselves to increase handling prices at ports. Earlier this week Barcelona port authority was the first port in Spain to approve the privatisation of its stevedore company Estibarna. A spokesman today said it was simply implementing the law by approving the legislation. Spain's state ports entity, Puertos del Estado has declined to comment on the issue, but Spain's shipowners association Anave, has forecast "complicated times" ahead for Spanish ports in the new year. The legal uncertainty prompted Spain's largest dock worker union, La Co-ordinadora, to launch week long strike action starting on January 14th. With parliament in recess ahead of Spain's general election of March 9 next year, the government may modify the privatisation legislation by royal decree, a political tool dating back to the era of the Franco dictatorship. - Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)



Submissions for future editions:
Please submit articles for inclusion in next week' edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email photos for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest area of coverage.

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