It was a cold November night, and a warm fire burned brightly in our wood stove as my wife and I watched the Christmas special for one of our favorite British mystery series. After finding out who did it at the end of the show, we decided to watch the “bonus feature” on the DVD, which included interviews with the…
My wife and I were planning to spend the day in Port Townsend, Wash., and were among the 20 or so passengers waiting for the Washington State Ferry to arrive when we heard someone calling our names. It was Garrett, a friend who makes a very good living putting in solar and wind power installations, going over to check on…
Imagine for a moment your 7-year-old son or nephew is working as a “cabin boy” on a ship. He’d be away from home for years slogging food and dirty dishes 16 hours a day, seven days a week, between the galley and the mess deck. And when not working in the galley, picture him climbing up 200-foot masts to help…
Before 1982, Chinese shipyards built only a few commercial vessels annually, and they were mostly small freighters used on inland or coastal routes. That year, things began to change. The government-owned China State Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSC) was created, and a few months later the CSSC made its first delivery to the international commercial vessel market with the bulk carrier Regent…
In addition to the terrible loss of lives the containership Dali’s crash caused on March 26, it also resulted in a catastrophic structural failure of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which could cost $2 billion or more to replace. The vessel’s Singapore-based owner, Grace Ocean Private Limited, and its operator, Synergy Marine Group, could end up paying only a fraction…
I had been home for about two weeks on vacation, having recently completed a 90-day tour as a second mate on a car carrier running between the U.S. West Coast and the Orient. Frankly, my mind wasn’t on work, but enjoying the time with my wife and our “four-legged” kids. As the days progressed, though, I began to think more…
In the United States there are seven four-year maritime academies where students can graduate with a baccalaureate degree, and an unlimited third mate or third engineer license. The federal academy is located at King’s Point, New York. There are also six state academies: Maine Maritime at Castine, the State University of New York Maritime College at Throggs Neck; Massachusetts Maritime…
After years of going to sea on tugs or ships, passing exams, taking the required classes, and jumping through all the “bureaucratic hoops” the time finally comes – the Coast Guard mails you your chief engineer or captain license. After the celebration’s over, you ask yourself, “Now what?” Some continue sailing. Others decide since they have been at sea, maybe…
Recognizing the need to protect wildlife from the threat of extinction and to encourage their recovery, the U.S. Congress wisely passed The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in 1972 and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973. Both laws took effect after being signed and approved by President Richard Nixon. While the ESA deals with wildlife at sea and ashore,…
After a number of foreign flag ships refused to supply our military during the first Gulf War, putting our troops at risk, President Clinton established the Maritime Security Program (MSP) in 1996. It provided funding to the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) to pay shipping companies a yearly “retainer” of $5 million per vessel. The 47 U.S.-flag ships originally enrolled in…