25 Feb

Maritime-themed movies, TV shows can inspire new seafarers

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner
Pirates! German U-boats trying to torpedo the convoy! Passengers and crew held captive! The captain gets washed overboard in a typhoon! The hazards of being at sea on a commercial vessel, in peace and during war, have been the basis for some great movies and television series. The truth of the matter is, however, that there have been only a…
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23 Jan

New STCW security endorsements required on U.S. vessels

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner
As I write this there are 64 commercial mariners facing the same hell that Capt. Richard Phillips survived during the Maersk Alabama incident in 2009 — being held hostage by Somali pirates. In the past year there have been nearly 250 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against commercial vessels reported worldwide. Every day merchant mariners face dangers at sea,…
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01 Oct

Stowaway rats, modern biohazards point to need for health inspections aboard ships

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner
My first year as a cadet on California Maritime Academy’s training ship Golden Bear, we were moored during a port stay in Pago Pago, American Samoa. After a long day of swimming and sightseeing ashore, I was making my way down the dock toward the gangway. It was about 2000 and night had already fallen as a warm drizzle was…
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28 Aug

Five years later, a smoother trip through the TWIC process

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner
Anyone who holds a U.S. Coast Guard-issued Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) must have a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card. A little more than five years ago, like thousands of others, I “jumped through the hoops” and was issued my card. By the time the process was complete, I was glad to have that done — at least until…
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Valdés: What you need to know about the Maritime Labor Convention
20 Aug

Valdés: What you need to know about the Maritime Labor Convention

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook
The Maritime Labor Convention 2006 (MLC) came into force internationally on Aug. 20, 2013. Various maritime interests question the “need to know” about the MLC. Ship owner clients wonder what it means for them—in a nutshell, non-compliance with the requirements of the Convention will result in port state control (PSC) detentions. Insurers ask what it means for them—it means knowing…
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Salyers: Day-boat crew have their own set of fatigue risk factors
15 Aug

Salyers: Day-boat crew have their own set of fatigue risk factors

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Industry News
Diversity of maritime operations but when it comes to the importance of endurance “we’re all in the same boat.” Taking into account that 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, consider the variety of operations in, or associated with, the maritime industry. Whatever your particular area of operation(s) may be (i.e., inland towboats, harbor boats, coastal tugs,…
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24 Jul

Shorter training programs at public colleges are viable alternative

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner
Before entering the industry, I looked at different ways to begin my career. Back then working my way up from the bottom, “coming up the hawsepipe,” or attending a four-year academy were essentially the only two choices available to me. I decided on the academy route after visiting a couple of those four-year public institutions, SUNY Maritime College and California…
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