A Mariner’s Notebook – Page 5 – Professional Mariner

30 Mar

Pass it on: Gifts of knowledge and kindness foster success at sea

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Drummer Ringo Starr of the Beatles famously sang how he got by with a little help from his friends. I think that verse of the song applies to merchant mariners as well. From my experience, it is virtually impossible to go aboard any commercial vessel and not find that everyone in the crew, from captain to ordinary seaman, has a…

01 Mar

Yeon-tae: Will implementation of 2020 sulfur cap be delayed?

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Industry News

Two of the most discussed issues in the international maritime industry in recent years have been the implementation of Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) and the approaching sulfur cap 2020. The prolonged maritime downturn of the last decade combined with the substantial capital expenses required to meet the requirements of both conventions have raised serious concerns among maritime stakeholders and…

28 Feb

Memory cues there and here keep mariners safe if danger’s near

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Named after the ancient Greek goddess of memory, a mnemonic is used to help someone recall information. Mnemonics are well known and employed by teachers, psychologists and myriad other professionals — including mariners. According to experts, there are nine types of mnemonics, each utilizing techniques such as word cues, elaborate encoding or even sound and imagery. Children “singing” their ABCs,…

01 Feb

McKeran: Electrification driving next wave of change in marine industry

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Industry News

The marine ecosystem is rapidly transforming into a more efficient industry, with digitalization, low-emission fuels and electrification being at the heart of this. In this post, I want to share a more in-depth view of the opportunities that electrification presents, not only in reducing emissions but also in ensuring that the marine industry remains as profitable as possible, now and…

31 Jan

Know before you go to stay out of trouble in foreign ports

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It was a hot Gulf of Mexico day, and we were heading to Tampa, Fla., with a full load of gasoline. I was the third mate on an old, non-inerted gasoline tanker, and was working with the boatswain and one of the able seamen testing hoses. Pat, the boatswain, had just come aboard the day before in Corpus Christi, Texas,…

29 Jan

Hart: NTSB making progress on Most Wanted List for marine safety

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Industry News

It’s been just over a year since we released our 2017–2018 Most Wanted List (MWL) of transportation safety improvements, so we decided to check in with stakeholders on our collective progress toward addressing these important safety issues. I had the opportunity to join in the discussion with our Office of Marine Safety and representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG),…

01 Dec

Far out to sea, holiday spirit brings together sailors of all stripes

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

It was a cold, snowy December night in Spokane, Wash., and I carried a plateful of holiday cookies and a huge glass of eggnog in preparation for the Christmas special on TV. Next up was my favorite, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. What always struck me the most about that show was when all of the Whos in…

29 Sep

Government should work for, not against, our merchant marine

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

Since the 1980s, there have been foreign-flag ships working in U.S. territorial waters of the Gulf of Mexico’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Officially permitted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), these vessels have skirted U.S. law by utilizing exemptions to the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, better known as the Jones Act. Transported from U.S. ports to oil and…

29 Aug

Museum ships teach timeless lessons about life and sacrifice at sea

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

I had graduated from the California Maritime Academy a few weeks before and just finished my first job with a large West Coast tug company out of Long Beach, Calif. While waiting for my next work assignment, I was lucky when the parents of Jim, a friend of mine from school, offered me a spare room at their home in…

28 Jul

Loophole allowing open lifeboats continues to put seafarers at risk

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

The lifeboatman class (now frequently known as proficiency in survival craft) at California Maritime Academy was one of the first I took there, and it was required to obtain the certification on my Z-card (merchant mariner’s document). We used open lifeboats with oars, and needless to say, we spent a lot of time rowing. One October day, soon after the…