A Mariner’s Notebook – Page 2 – Professional Mariner

03 Aug

Mariners, Coast Guard adapting to coronavirus risks and realities

A Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

On my birthday in early February, my wife and I celebrated the day with a fish-and-chips lunch at a favorite local restaurant, followed by a pleasant hike along a waterfront preserve on the south end of the island we live on. Halfway through the walk, we sat down on a log to enjoy a cup of coffee out of our…

29 Apr

Sitting down on watch? Tradition aside, it’s the smart option

A Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

I remember the day my letter of acceptance to the California Maritime Academy (CMA) arrived at my apartment in Spokane, Wash. I called my dad with the good news, and accepted his offer of a celebratory pitcher of something cold and a large combo with extra cheese at our favorite pizza place that night. My dad sailed as an able…

22 Apr

Hirst: Are COLREGS still fit for purpose with rise of automation?

A Mariner's Notebook, Industry News

There has been much debate about the COLREGS over the last 12 months or so, with many suggesting that it is now time for not just some amendments but a total revision of the rules. So are the COLREGS still fit for purpose? The future: autonomous ships Many believe that in the not so distant future, the fundamental changes in…

05 Apr

Christopoulou: On board but not alone during COVID-19

A Mariner's Notebook, Industry News

Our seafarers are on board but they must not feel alone! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the maritime industry once again faces a great challenge to overcome this unprecedented situation for stranded seafarers. As a high priority, shipping companies, trade organizations and governments need to collaborate to protect the hundreds of thousands of seafarers confined on board vessels scattered all…

01 Apr

Hammond: Fact suppression or careless underreporting on COVID-19?

A Mariner's Notebook, Industry News

It is now time to tell the whole truth, including the good, the bad and the ugly of the ramifications of COVID-19 on the silent heroes who will keep us supplied and alive in this unprecedented global crisis. Reporting for seven years without fear or favour, Human Rights at Sea continues to independently highlight the detailed plight of seafarers and…

31 Mar

Upgrading your license? Check the CFR to get what you’ve earned

A Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

I had been working as an ordinary seaman with a large West Coast towing company out of Long Beach, Calif., my first job after graduating from the California Maritime Academy. Our old twin-screw tug rode easily en route to San Diego as I was on watch with the captain, a hawsepiper who had been to sea for nearly 40 years.…

03 Mar

Mariners pay the price for being independent contractors at sea

A Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

I had agreed to take the mate’s position on a 350-foot ship transiting from a shipyard in Bellingham, Wash., to the destination port of Bath, Maine. It was my second week of working long days in port, helping to get the vessel ready for sea, the plan being to get underway in a few days. That morning, I was in…

30 Jan

To save the Jones Act, know your enemies — and fight back

A Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

Just before graduation from California Maritime Academy, I had the chance to be in the audience for a debate on the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) held during an industry symposium at the school. My blood boiled as I listened to a slick-talking shipping company vice president — attired in what looked like a very expensive Brooks Brothers…

02 Dec

A Christmas sea story: Lessons from the past, present and future

A Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

I was a senior at the California Maritime Academy and one of only 10 cadets in my class who were chosen to go on a commercial ship for their senior cruise. The week before Christmas, the company’s Seattle office called to let me know that I’d be joining the ship there on Christmas Eve. My holiday spirit dropped like a…

01 Oct

Put accent on respect, courtesy for effective communication at sea

A Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

I was working on a gasoline tanker running between Tampa, Fla., Lake Charles, La., and Corpus Christi, Texas, when a new third mate joined our ship. He appeared quiet and shy by nature, and had graduated a few weeks earlier from an East Coast maritime academy. From what I observed during his first few days aboard, he was sharp and…