This and That (For those interesting stories that don't fit neatly anywhere else)

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Miami Hereld.com:

Three tall ships tracing part of Jamestown journey

quote:

JAMESTOWN, Va. -- ``Let's lay aloft and loose all sails!''

This sends Susan Harris clambering up the rigging that stretches like a giant spiderweb from the deck almost to the top of the ship's 72-foot mast.

Hand over sneaker she goes to the yardarm, then inches oh-so-carefully sideways until she is standing on a thin rope five stories above the James River. Cord by cord, Harris loosens the mainsail until the great white sheet bellies out with the breeze.

Off it goes, the Godspeed, borne by the wind into another time, 400 years ago.

''I just love it up there,'' Harris says back on deck. She is no younker, as the young seamen who climbed the rigging were known long ago. At 59, Harris is a new grandmother.

The former ice skating instructor from Williamsburg is one of 60 volunteer sailors who are re-creating the majestic voyage of three tall-masted ships to mark the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English colony in the New World.

Story at http://www.miamiherald.com/126/story/95240.html

Comment: Anyone here ever see the replica of the Golden Hind? I have and it's not what anyone would take for a very large vessel. She's an example of a rqace built galleon which is actually smaller then some modern yard tugboats. The replicas that are the subject of this story are even smaller. It says quite a lot about the courage of the seamen of 400 years ago that they were willing to go to sea in these craft.​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Shipping Times:

AFRICA MERCY sails from UK to Africa

quote:

The world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, set sail for Africa today (Friday) to embark on its inaugural service in war-torn Liberia.

The former Danish rail ferry, has been converted into a state-of-the-art hospital ship at a cost of over £30million and will provide free healthcare and community development services to the poorest people of Africa.

The Africa Mercy is the fourth ship to be operated by the international charity, Mercy Ships, which has provided more than £350million worth of services since its inception in 1978.

Story at http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item539_africamercy.htm​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From China Daily:

Salvage begins of ship with priceless booty

quote:

An ambitious operation to salvage the sunken treasure-loaded ancient boat Nanhai I commenced yesterday off the coast of South China's Guangdong Province.
Archaeologists estimate that there are up to 70,000 relics on the ship, which some cultural experts estimate are worth about $100 billion.

The two-month operation by Guangzhou Salvage Bureau under the Ministry of Communications in collaboration with a British salvage company will cost about 100 million yuan ($12.9 million).

Story at http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/07/content_866561.htm​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Shipping Times:

Princess Royal to commission new NLB vessel

quote:

The Commissioning Ceremony of the Northern Lighthouse Board’s new ship NLV PHAROS by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will take place at 12 noon on Wednesday 9 May 2007 at the Cruise Liner Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh, where NLV PHAROS will be alongside. The ship will be blessed by the Reverend James MacDonald of Crieff Parish Church, and previous Principal Chaplain to the British and International Sailor's Society.

Story at http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item562_pharos.htm​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The San Fransisco Chronicle:

Ship parts poke through sand at Ocean Beach
3-masted freighter went aground in 1878 -- last appeared in 1980

quote:

The sea, a thing of infinite mystery, was up to its mysterious ways Monday on San Francisco's Ocean Beach.

At high noon, in the middle of low tide, two large pieces of a wrecked 19th century clipper ship decided to poke out above the sand and reveal their long-hidden selves to the world.

It was a little piece of maritime history and a great big puzzle. Just the thing for a beachcomber to ponder on a warm and sunny spring day, instead of going to work.

"I don't know what happened here, but it's interesting,'' said lifeguard Sean Scallan, who got out of his dune buggy to check the wreckage, all the while keeping an eye on the nearby swimmers, that being what lifeguards do.

Story at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/08/BAGS0PMLPB15.DTL

Comment: Anyone here ever seen the approaches to San Fransisco? I have! To say that they can be treacherous is something of an understatement and one has to wonder just how many other wrecks remain buried in the sand.​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Shipping Times:

Aberdeen Harbour urges radical rethink on fishing industry

quote:

Aberdeen Harbour Board are urging all involved in the fishing industry in Aberdeen to work together to ensure that the sector is fit-for-purpose in the 21 st century.

Colin Parker, the Board’s Chief Executive, said: “Despite some optimism over future landings, the rapid decline in recent years as a result of quotas and vessel decommissioning is a serious concern which calls for a radical rethink on how the industry operates.”

The tonnage of white fish landed and consigned at Aberdeen dropped 59% between 2002 and 2006, while the number of processors in the Aberdeen Harbour area fell from 48 to 26 in the same period.

Story at http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item582_aberdeen.htm​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Gaurdian:

Veteran mariner hit by mishaps abandons latest record bid

quote:

The veteran sailor known to some as "Captain Calamity" because of his catalogue of mishaps yesterday abandoned his attempt to set a round-the-world record after only 10 days at sea.
Tony Bullimore's problems began even before he set out from Hobart, Tasmania, on May 1, hoping to beat Dame Ellen MacArthur's record of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes.

The 68-year-old Bristol-based yachtsman embarked on the 27,000-mile trip four months behind schedule.

Story at 2077902%2C00.html,http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2077902,00.html

Comment: Captain Calamity? Remind me not to sign on with this guy!​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From MSNBC.com:

400 years later, John Smith’s ship sails again

quote:

JAMESTOWN, Va. - A group of modern-day John Smiths rowed away Saturday in a small, open boat from the site of the first permanent English settlement in America, which Smith helped found 400 years ago this weekend.

The replica of a boat like one Smith used to explore the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries shoved off as the commemoration of Jamestown’s anniversary entered a second day filled with concerts, cultural and artistic demonstrations and military drills.

Story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18633914/

Comment: Wait until you see the little spitkit that they spent 121 days in while covering over 1500 miles!​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From the IMO:

New international treaty on wreck removal set for adoption

quote:

A new international convention, which will set out the legal responsibilities under which States can remove hazardous shipwrecks, is expected to be adopted at the end of a five-day Diplomatic Conference to be held from 14 to 18 May 2007 at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON), Kenya.

>snip<

The new convention will make shipowners financially liable and require them to take out insurance or provide other financial security to cover the costs of wreck removal. It will also provide States with a right of direct action against insurers.

Story at http://www.imo.org/Newsroom/mainframe.asp?topic_id=1472&doc_id=7990​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Marine Link.com:

Panama Canal: First Tender for $5b Expansion

quote:

Monday, May 14, 2007

On Monday, May 7, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) got one step closer to beginning its historic expansion with the release of the first construction project tender (request for proposal submission) for dry excavation along the north access channel on the Pacific end of the Canal.

Story at http://www.marinelink.com/Story/Panama-Canal%3a-First-Tender-for-%245b-Expansion-207128.html

Comment: And so it begins. It's a project that really needs to be done if the Pnama Canal is to remain both competitive and relevant but it's going to be years in the making.​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Canada.com:

Sinking a war ship not always a precise science

quote:

ONBOARD HMCS REGINA -- This ship's first shot on the former HMCS Huron put a hole in the bow of the decommissioned warship but whether everything went as planned has yet to be determined.

HMCS Regina was given the first chance to perform a live fire exercise on the former HMCS Huron, in an exercise referred to by the crew as Sinkex. Taking place about 100 kilometres off the coast of Vancouver Island, the firing on and subsequent sinking of the ship is considered the main event during Exercise Trident Fury, a nearly two-week-long exercise engaging both naval and air force elements from Canada and the United States.

HMCS Regina, Algonquin, Vancouver and Saskatoon are the four Canadian Pacific Fleet ships taking part, along with four naval vessels, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel and roughly 40 aircraft from both countries air forces.

For the rest of this two page story, go to http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=33e23fc9-bc39-431e-b291-c58b5cb2860d&k=54823​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Here's a wierd one from The Shipping Times:

Pirates strike again - and steal dead ship!

quote:

Pirates reported to have stolen a ship destined for the scrap yard

A ship, officially classed as a 'dead' ship has been stolen by pirates. The TAHOMA REEFER (ex FRIO CANADA, ex FROST PEGASUS, ex FROST OLYMPOS, ex FRIGO EUROPA) was docked in Monrovia after developing engine problems, the captain is reported to have said.

Pirates in two fishing vessels boarded the vessel on Saturday and threatened the crew and captain with machetes. They forced the crew off the vessel then towed the dead ship off in the direction of the Ivory Coast.

Story at http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item604_pirate_theft.htm

Comment: Say what? Why steal a ship bound for the scrapyard?

Also:

Pirates attack cargo ship with rocket launchers

quote:

Pirates off Somalia coast attack United Arab Shipping vessel and destroy crew accommodation

A United Arab Shipping Co vessel was attacked by pirates yesterday (Monday 14th May 2007) 180 nautical miles off the Somalian coast.

Three men in a small craft armed with machine guns and rocket launchers approached the conventional cargo ship as she made her way from Durban in South Africa to Jebel Ali in Dubai.

Story at http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item603_pirate_attack.htm​

 

[James Carey]

Shipwreck Yields Estimated $500M Haul

TAMPA, Fla. – Deep-sea explorers said Friday they have mined what could be the richest shipwreck treasure in history, bringing home 17 tons of colonial-era silver and gold coins from an undisclosed site in the Atlantic Ocean. Estimated value: $500 million.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/18/treasure.ship.ap/index.html

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I don't know why your link didn't take but you can try http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/18/national/main2824740.shtml as well. $500 million is quite a haul.

Putting http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/18/treasure.ship.ap/index.html on to see if it goes live and it does.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Baltimore Business Journal:

Feds seize Inner Harbor tall ship

quote:

The U.S. Marshals Service seized the Clipper City Tall Ship Friday afternoon after a federal court ruling in favor of defendant Regal Bancorp Inc., the ship's mortgage lender.

Two signs with red, white and blue shields that read "U.S. Marshals No Trespassing" were posted on the swing door on the boat's side around 3 p.m.

Story at http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2007/05/14/daily41.html

Comment: I'm not sure what's going on but if This Article is any indication, part of the problem includes $30,000 owed in back taxes as well as what's owed to the lender.​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Newwstand:

"Ike", Anzio Aid Stranded Vessel

quote:

ABOARD USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, At Sea (NNS) -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68) aided the small vessel, Elena, a Hylas 46 Sloop, by supplying them with fuel and fresh fruits and vegetables May 19, approximately 500 miles west of the Azores.

Charles P. Drakos of Cold Spring Harbor, New York, and Rudy Halbart of Huntington, New York, left St. Martin on May 4, bound for the Azores on their first Atlantic crossing.

Story at http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=29511​

 

[Dennis Smith]

Michael,

Thanks for posting that info about the "Ibn Younus" - as usual they spelt the name wrong. As it happens, this was my first ship as senior R/O.
(Bloody glad I wasn't on her recently) United Arab were a good company to work for and the only reason I left them was because of the Iran - Iraq war, a few of our ships had been hit with missiles and others had been "Escorted into Iranian Ports!!". If the red ensign had been fluttering on the stern I would have stayed, but an Arabian flag does not give you the same incentive.

Thanks again for the post -

Best wishes and Rgds

Dennis ++++

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From the BBC:

Pirates halt Somali aid shipments

quote:

Deliveries of food aid to Somalia by sea have been halted, after an attempt by pirates to seize a ship chartered by the UN food relief agency.
The head of the World Food Programme said their programme to feed one million Somalis is under threat.

The WFP-chartered vessel was attacked on Saturday off the Somali port of Merka after it had just delivered 4,000 tons of food.

The pirates killed a guard who was among a group sent to intercept them.

Following the attack, the agents for a ship loaded with food in Mombasa in Kenya have refused to allow the vessel to set sail for Somalia until they are given an armed escort.

Story at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6675117.stm

Comment: I'm starting to get the idea that I need to start a seperate thread for pirates. These guys have become a really serious problem and not just off Somalia. In this case, thousands may starve as a result.​

 

[Tom Roesser]

Hello,

I guess pirates really are a threat to shipping in areas off of Africa. People who attack and rob ships at sea are bad enough, but them robbing UN food relief agency ships is just absolutely disgusting. Just think of all of the needy people in Africa that these heartless people can affect.

Sincerely,
Tom

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>I guess pirates really are a threat to shipping in areas off of Africa.<<

The east coast of Africa is particularly bad now and with the collapse of a lot of the local governments, it looks like it's going to get worse. It's bad enough that the U.S. Navy has been issuing warnings about it and some of the ships carrying releif supplies are refusing to sail without an armed escort.