BOW WAVE 426

Bow Wave Issue 426--Enthusiasts Edition

news and views on trade, insurance and risk

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Wavy Line	sam@wavyline.com
(c)2008 WavyLine.com	Issue No 426 21 Jan 08
Published free of charge to Readers
Editor: Sam Ignarski
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In this issue:

1. Welcome
2. Fire at Panama Maritime University
3. Gazette de la Chambre
4. Mark of Respect
5. Shipping PR
6. And Finally...

1. Welcome

Poem of the Week

Desert Places

Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast
In a field I looked into going past,
And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,
But a few weeds and stubble showing last.

The woods around it have it--it is theirs.
All animals are smothered in their lairs,
I am too absent-spirited to count;
The loneliness includes me unawares.

And lonely as it is, that loneliness
Will be more lonely ere it will be less--
A blanker whiteness of benighted snow
With no expression, nothing to express.

They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars--on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places.

Robert Frost

New Readers this week include:-

Cristian Eversbusch Amtmann in Mexico
Ed Carr of MOL Europe
J Curtis of Moore & Co
David Watts of Patricks in Australia
Andrew Brooker of FP Marine Risks in HK

News of Readers

Re James J McCabe III

We regret to report the death of correspondent Jim McCabe,62 a great American shipping enthusiast and tireless networker who was a frequent contributer of news and views to Bow Wave.

We first got to know Jim around the time the fines of $ 3,5 million were announced relating to the "Med Taipei" in July 2006. The penalty was announced in relation to an incident where 15 boxes were lost overboard, resulting in alleged environmental damages in Monterey Bay in California. He warned of an emerging danger posed by the creative jurisprudence of the US legal system and cited the words of one of his rather disillusioned legal friends:-

"the judicial system encourages an endless spiral of extortionate attempts to further change the US into a nation of cry babies. From a maritime perspective this is especially bad for US flag shipping. The current system (of especially maritime personal injury) serves no one but the attorneys, both plantiffs' and defense, and is against the long term interests of seamen, US flag carriers and, perhaps most importantly, the United States of America. It pains me to say it but a good many fellow Attorneys have made a lot of money
parasitically dragging down the US flag fleet in this manner. If you ever hear of another admiralty lawyer who expresses an interest in reforming maritime personal injury law I would be most interested to know his name. I suspect that I will be waiting a long time."

Jim's background in the industry was primarily Technical (he acted as BP's Marine Engineering Supt. & Special Projects Coordinator for their Alaskan Tanker Fleet for some 18 years) but he was alive to all the major issues in shipping and very keen on innovation, technology and new business trends in the industry.

His daughter Jennifer writes:

Some people have contacted me about donations for funeral or charity and at this time the family will not be having a funeral, just a memorial service. If anyone would like to donate, I have asked that any donations be made to Kings Point (the United States Merchant Marine Academy ) in my father's name since he was always so deeply proud of his experience there and of all his years in the maritime industry. If anyone wishes more information , please contact me by phone. Thank you to everyone-my Dad loved all of you and shared many stories of all his associates and friends

Jennifer's phone number is (+1 216) 323 9868

Readers Write

From Nicholas West

Just a quick reaction to the story you linked under the "Beggers Belief Department" tagline (Bow Wave Issue 425) - it's a hoax with the give away being the url which is not the BBC. Somebody has just cut and pasted up fake BBC graphics onto a made up story. Even the story is not original - here is a link to "Grumble of the Week" back in May 2005 when readers came across - I am sure you can guess - a story about midgets fighting a lion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4566079.stm Easy winner this week. A steady stream of people complaining about a rogue story doing the rounds on the web about a lion and midgets fighting. All in the worst possible taste and the instigator had placed it on a news template that looked exactly like a BBC News one.

This isn't hard to do if you're web-savvy, and one of these comes to our attention every couple of weeks. Among the inquiries this week was one from a UK newspaper, asking if we had really published the story. The url is always a clue, of course, but some people don't notice.

Our lawyers are sometimes wary about us kicking up a fuss, but I'm afraid I always pull on my pompous hat on this stuff. Sharing our content is a very worthy aim, but using our templates for this dross is a step too far in my book. It seems to have gone from the original spoof page, but others are cropping up. I'll have to stay on the case.

(your editor writes: we apologise for being so credulous--not the first time we have been taken in nor our trusting nature abused)

Note from the Editor

Not the happiest edition we have ever published, but in each and every article the lives of true enthusiasts unfold.

Enjoy!

2. Fire at Panama Maritime University

Maria Dixon writes:-

Dear Sam,

Once again I am appealing to you and your e-zine to broadcast a sad incident and get some help from your readers..

Last week the International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP) caught fire. Capt. Orlando Allard is trying to solve the problems, since they are in a dire state, they lost all the classrooms and the administration offices..

As a consequence they are "homeless", they have been looking for temporary accommodation to relocate the University all over Panama City, since there is no way they can go back to the building they had before the fire.

All the furniture, computer equipment, servers, etc are completely ruined.

They need help urgently. This last week was registration week and there are 330 NEW cadets starting on their first course tomorrow, together with the existing cadets.

Capt. Orlando Allard and his team are doing the impossible to start the 2008-2009 year with no delays. It seems that some temporary buildings are being assigned to them, however, they need to have them altered for their purposes.

No money is requested, as the funds had to go by law to the central government and then eventually the University may receive a proportion of it, therefore in order to be effective, and as the help is needed immediately, it would be ideal for any donations to be in the form of things like computers, books, equipment, etc.

I am sure there are plenty of people around the world who would be in the position to send books, guides, publications, dvds, etc to once again fill the empty bookshelves!!

Any books and publications should be sent to:

Ing. Carlos Herrera
International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP) La Boca, 911 Building.
P.O.Box 0843 03561
Panama, Rep. Of Panama

If there are companies or individuals generous enough to donate equipment, furniture, computers, cabling, projectors, audio, screens, etc..., this also can be arranged locally.

To receive information or to contact them directly write to:

donations@umip.ac.pa
oallard@umip.ac.pa
info@umip.ac.pa

Also in the web page there will be soon photos and some information on the terrible fire.

http://www.umip.ac.pa

3. Gazette de la Chambre

Philippe Delebecque, the President, has sent in the fifteenth issue of the free internet newsletter of the 'Chambre Arbitrale Maritime de Paris' (Maritime Arbitration Chamber of Paris).

This issue contains a link at page 2 which allows Readers to download abstracts in English of some recent awards.

To download the "Gazette de la Chambre", follow the link below :

Gazette de la Chambre (no. 15)

http://www.arbitrage-maritime.org/cpt_download.php?file=gazette15.pdf

4. Mark of Respect

From Russ Garbutt:-

Please find below an article ffrom the Hull Daily Mail of 14JAN08.
rom

08:00 - 14 January 2008

It Was a time when Hull found its grim place in history in one of Britain's worst fishing disasters.

In early 1968, three trawlers from the city were lost within three weeks of one another, with the loss of 58 lives.

The St Romanus, with 20 men on board, is believed to have sunk off the Norwegian coast in early January.

On about January 26, the Kingston Peridot vanished off the coast of Iceland with her crew of 20.

Finally, the Ross Cleveland sank off Iceland just after midnight on February 5, only one of her 19 crew surviving.

The tragedies saw both experienced trawlermen and boys as young as 15 perish.

Today, as the 40th anniversary approaches, the Mail is calling for the city to unite for a minute's silence in honour of those who died in the Triple Trawler Tragedy.

Businesses, shopping centres, schools and public places are being urged to take part.

Although the silence will remember the 58 men who lost their lives in the Triple Trawler Tragedy, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the lives lost in Hull's trawling industry, estimated to be more than 6,000.

It will be held at noon on February 5, the day the news reached Hull that a third trawler had been lost.

Relatives of those who lost their lives are being invited as guests of honour to an official ceremony.

It is being organised by the Mail, fishing heritage group Stand and the management of Princes Quay shopping centre.

Dignitaries including Lord Mayor Brenda Petch, the Bishop of Hull, the Right Rev Richard Frith, as well as council leader Carl Minns, Humberside Chief Constable Tim Hollis and Chief Fire Officer Frank Duffield have also been invited.

Relatives are appealing to people across the city to join the minute's silence as a gesture of remembrance and support.

Michael Swain, whose 22-year-old brother Maurice lost his life when the Ross Cleveland sank, welcomed the Mail's A City Remembers campaign.

He said: "I am sure the families and extended families across the fishing community will all be thinking of this disaster.

"For the younger people in the city, the new generations, I hope they'll spare a thought for the men who paid with their lives to put fish on our tables.

"For everyone in the city to spare a thought for the men of this city who were lost at sea would be a fantastic gesture."

Harry Riches, whose father, also Harry, was lost on the Kingston Peridot, said: "The anniversary will be a very difficult time for us, even 40 years on.

"I think a minute's silence is a great idea because there's still a lot of people from the fishing community who remember the old days. I hope it gets a very good response."

Robert Dockerty, whose 16 year-old son Robert was one of the youngest victims when he died on the St Romanus, said: "A minute's silence would mean so much to the families. It would show the city hasn't forgotten."

Adam Fowler, chairman of fishing heritage group Stand, is appealing to businesses, organisations, schools and public bodies to unite in the silence.

He said: "What Hull went through, not just in 1968 but for generations, made the city different. It made Hull Hull.

"It was a really special experience, good and bad, that shaped the city we have today.

"This touches everyone in the city, one way or another. This wasn't something that happened on a distant shore. It still shapes people's lives today and a minute's silence would be a symbolic way of saying we will never forget."

Mail editor John Meehan urged readers to support the silence. He said: "It is only right that the city and wider region should unite in silent tribute to the crewmen who lost their lives in the Triple Trawler Tragedy.

"By paying respects to the men lost in the first few weeks of 1968, we can also express our appreciation and admiration for the thousands of other trawlermen from our great city who paid the ultimate price for working in one of the most hazardous industries of them all."

The Bishop of Hull, the Right Rev Richard Frith, said: "I think such commemorations can be very effective and very powerful. I certainly support this silence and I will take part in it.

"The fishing industry has been so much part of Hull's heritage and it's very important to remember all those who have been involved in it and particularly those who lost their lives.

"These sorts of things do happen and there is very much an outpouring of grief when disasters happen, and rightly so.

"It's important we don't lose perspective. This is part of the heritage of Hull because this is a fishing port and a fishing city."

Mike Killoran is manager of Princes Quay shopping centre, which is based on a former fishing dock where ships were fitted out and which will host the official ceremony.

5. Shipping PR

From Mike Farlie:-

This piece of film should make your Readers either wince or laugh, hopefully the latter

http://www.viddux.com/file.php?id=17

6. And Finally...

Thanks to the House of Frazer for this one

A man feared his wife Peg wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem.

The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

Here's what you do,' said the Doctor, 'stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.'

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, 'I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.' Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'

No response.

So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, 'Peg, what's for dinner?'

Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'

Again he gets no response.

So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. 'Honey, what's for dinner?' Again there is no response.

So he walks right up behind her. 'Peg, what's for dinner?'

'Frank , for the FIFTH Naffin time, CHICKEN!'

P.S.

This rather rare canine one is thanks to Paul Dixon's Joke of the Day

How dogs and men are the same:

1. Both take up too much space on the bed.

2. Both have irrational fears about vacuum cleaning.

3. Both mark their territory.

4. Neither tells you what's bothering them.

5. The smaller ones tend to be more nervous

6. Neither understands what you see in cats.

7. Neither does any dishes.

8. Both break wind shamelessly.

9. Neither of them notices when you get your hair cut.

10. Both like dominance games.

11. Both are suspicious of the postman.

12. Dogs do not have problems expressing affection in public.

13. Dogs miss you when you're gone.

14. Dogs feel guilty when they've done something wrong.

15. Dogs are very direct about wanting to go out.

16. Dogs do not play games with you -- except fetch (and they never laugh at how you throw).

17. You can train a dog.

18. Dogs are easy to buy for.

19. The worst social disease you can get from dogs is fleas.

10. Dogs understand what "no" means.

21. Dogs mean it when they kiss you.

22. Dogs admit when they're jealous.

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