BOW WAVE 514

Bow Wave Issue 514--Favourite Subjects Edition

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Wavy Line	sam@wavyline.com
(c)2009 WavyLine.com	Issue No 514 21 Sep 09
Published free of charge to Readers
Editor: Sam Ignarski
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In this issue:

1. Welcome
2. The Month of August 2009 in Marine
3. News on the Rotterdam Rules
4. Motivation of Pirates is Lucre
5. Russia acceding to COTIF
6. And Finally...

1. Welcome

Poem of the Week

This is just to say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

William Carlos Williams This is just to say

New Readers this week include

Claire Sneddon of Sea Vision at the British Council of Shipping Anuj Jethwa of Toplis & Harding in Dar es Salaam
Iain Johnston of the Concordia Consultancy
Fran and Rally Migliaccio of the Block Island Boat Basin on Rhode Island
UK Transport Consultant R L Martin

News of Readers

Alexander Klose is still a phd-candidate. but he has handed in his dissertation. He has published a book on his chosen subject called "Das Containerprinzip. wie eine Box unser denken verändert" (the container principle. how a box is changing the way we think), which is more than a book on shipping and transport-the book identifies the container as the essence of globalisation.

Readers who can understand German can read a sample on the site below:-

http://www.mare.de/index.php?article_id=1579&setCookie=1

Readers Write

From Gordon Frickers

Your Readers may be interested to learn that the new "USS New York" is having part of her bows made from recycled steel from the Trade Centre Towers.

The official web site is

http://www.ussny.org
The USS New York (LPD 21) is named after the state in honor of the attacks of 9-11.

Contact Gordon at:-

mailto:art-gf@pobox.com

AfterOfficeHours News

After Office Hours, the Emergency Contact Directory for people who need help quickly is now being accessed 150 times a day. Do you provide services to marine and transport insurers and shipping companies? Should your company be listed?

http:///www.AfterOfficeHours.com

Note from the Editor

A collection of items this week on some of our favourite subjects.

Enjoy!

2. The Month of August 2009 in Marine

Following a change in circumstances I have left my employment with Swiss Re and have relocated to Budapest. Not wishing to completely detach myself from the Wonderful World of Marine I am continuing with the Month of Marine issues. Here’s a somewhat belated backward glance at the Month of Marine in August:

1 Aug Thanet District Council, Euroferries and the Port of Boulogne announce the launch of a new high-speed catamaran service to offer a speedy channel crossing operating between Boulogne and Ramsgate. "Bonanza Express" will make the crossing up to 5 times daily.

3 Aug The 11 Indonesian crew members from the hijacked Malaysian tug vessel "Masindra 7" are finally released after almost 8 months in captivity. It is reported that a ransom was paid to the Somali pirates holding the crew to secure their release. Also reported today is the release of the German vessel "Hansa Stavanger" after four months captivity following hijack by Somali pirates, again it is reported that a ransom was paid, rumoured to be around US$ 2.7 million.

3 Aug The inland vessel "Shir Khan" delivers the first containers to be shipped via the newly opened inland Elbe-Spree waterway linking the port of Hamburg to Berlin. Transportation via this route is expected to replace approximately 50 truck transports per week.

4 Aug The sailing vessel "Kaisei" departs San Francisco en route to the North Pacific Gyre. This vessel together with the "New Horizon" will study the accumulation of plastic waste brought together by the ocean currents and will assess methods of removing the waste. Details available here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8184397.stm and also at the project’s own website here:
http://www.projectkaisei.org/

5 Aug The North Korean vessel "Mu San" is detained in the Andaman Island port of Port Blair. The vessel will be searched in line with UN resolutions for illegal material including nuclear technology by Indian authorities.

6 Aug Two South American Tall Ships arrive in Belfast and are the first to complete the final leg of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009. The "Cesne Branco" from Brazil was the first to finish with the Uruguayan "Capitan Miranda" coming second after travelling some 7,000 miles. More details and some fine pictures of Tall Ships here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8188458.stm

7 Aug The Tongan ferry vessel, "Princess Ashika" sinks with 64 persons reported as dead and others still missing 53 men who were travelling on deck were rescued, the dead are mostly women and children who were sleeping below decks at the time of this disaster. Witnesses describe a rapid capsize and sinking of the vessel after cargo shifted. Tongan authorities claim there were 112 people aboard the vessel but the exact number is unknown with reports of some of those rescued not being listed on the passenger manifest.

7 Aug The author of the Month of Marine enjoyed his last day in the office before setting off on more travels eastwards to Hungary.

9 Aug The Biennial Fastnet Yacht Race gets under way marking the 30th anniversary of the 1979 disaster. The 1979 race was hit by severe storms and 15 racers and six other sailors died. Of the 303 starters, 194 vessels retired and 24 were abandoned or sunk.

9 Aug The Russian maritime authority Sovfracht reports that the 1991 built "Arctic Sea", apparently laden with timber has disappeared off the Atlantic coast of Portugal. Sovfracht also reported that this vessel was boarded in the Baltic Sea on 24 July in an apparent robbery attempt. The last reported contact with the vessel was on 24 July.

9 Aug "Nonlinear Wave Statistics in a Focal Zone" is published in the Journal of Physical Oceanography. This study into what are more commonly known as freak or rogue waves shows that such waves are far more likely to occur in so called focal zones where coastline or sea bottom features may cause wave energy to be focused. This work may help to identify areas of high risk. The report is available online to Journal subscribers here:
http://ams.allenpress.com/perlserv/?SESSID=60ea24d7b85af63e51cec 5ffa2115741&request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F2009JPO4124.1

10 Aug How the mighty are risen, Dockwise announces the return of the "Mighty Servant III" following its submarine exploits: http://ir.dockwise.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=208652&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1318616&highlight=

12 Aug The Russian Navy joins in the search for the missing vessel "Arctic Sea". The vessel was transporting a cargo of timber from Finland to Algeria and was last seen on 30th July. It has not been reported entering the Mediterranean Sea and is now supposedly in the Atlantic.

13 Aug A gratuitous entry here with a link to some good pictures of the Tall Ships in Belfast:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8193712.stm

17 Aug A helicopter from the German frigate "Bremen" fires warning shots to prevent a pirate attack on a Turkish vessel "Elgiznur Cebi" transiting the Gulf of Aden using the Recommended Transit Corridor. "Bremen" forms part of the EU NAVFOR task force.

17 Aug The Russian Defence Minister reports that the Russian Navy has found the missing vessel "Arctic Sea" some 400 miles of the Cape Verde Islands. Its 15 man crew are now aboard a Russian navy vessel and reported to be in good health. No explanation of the fate of the "Arctic Sea " has been given so far which gives the conspiracy theorists plenty of food for thought.

18 Aug The snappily named Taiwanese registered tanker "MT Formosaproduct Brick" built 2005, with 39,307 GT is struck by a Isle of Man registered bulk carrier "Ostende Max" (built 1998, 38,489 GT) in the Malacca Straits. The collision caused fire to break out on board the tanker which was carrying 58,000 tonnes of Naptha. Local fire crews took two days to extinguish the fire, 9 crew members are reported still missing with 15 rescued. The bulk carrier was not seriously damaged. More details here: http://www.hindustantimes.com/News/restofasia/Fire-crews-extinguish- Taiwan-tanker-fire-in-Malacca-Strait-official/Article1-445159.aspx

18 Aug A remotely operated vehicle from the Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS "Manawanui" identifies the wreck of the Tongan ferry "Princess Ashika" laying on the seabed, pictures here: http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2009/08/19/update-remarkable-photographs -of-the-princess-ashika-wreck-death-toll-revised-downward/

19 Aug Who dares wins but discretion is the better part of valour in some instances, certainly for former SAS Commando Peter Bray. 43 days into his fund raising solo row-boat Atlantic crossing he was forced to abandon the attempt due to oncoming category 4 Hurricane Bill. Bray was rescued after issuing a distress call, his boat "Black Knight" had to be abandoned.

21 Aug Brazil bids good riddance to bad rubbish as 70 from a total of 89 containers laden with illegally disposed toxic waste are returned to Great Britain on board the "MSC Serena" and arrived in the port of Felixstowe today.

24 Aug A Norwegian expedition gets under seeking to find the remains of a Latham 47 flying boat that vanished in 1928 carrying the legendary Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. This project can be followed at the dedicated website:
http://www.searchforamundsen.com/cms/index.php

28 Aug The Offshore supply vessel "Toisa Polaris" becomes the first ship to make use of Great Yarmouth’s brand new outer harbour --technically the harbour is still being constructed.

3. News on the Rotterdam Rules

Specialist freight law specialists Pysdens have sent in this message:-

The UK Government remains neutral on the Rotterdam Rules, as there is currently no consensus of opinion on them by UK stakeholders. A decision on whether or not to sign and ratify the Rules will be the subject of a full consultation exercise scheduled to be published early next year.

This means that the UK will not be signing the Convention at the signing ceremony due to be held in Rotterdam on 23 September 2009. We also understand that Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland and Germany, among others, are not signing. Some countries, we understand, are tending towards not signing such as Japan and Ireland and many such as Singapore, Greece and Korea are undecided. It certainly appears to be that the initial groundswell in favour of this Convention has stalled perhaps as countries begin to look closely at what it has to offer and whether it is at all beneficial. Read the pros and cons from the experts at:-

http://www.unece.org/trans/wp24/wp24-inf-docs/24infdocs.html

and

http://www.pysdens.com/pdf/documents/Summationpdf.pdf

The only definite signatories that we are aware of are Italy, the Netherlands and Brazil.

4. Motivation of Pirates is Lucre

This interesting item appears in the latest Martime News Clippings e-zine published by Maasmond Maritime:-

Pirates on the prowl in the Gulf of Aden have neither ideological allegiance nor known links with terrorists, say officials of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces deployed in the counter-piracy drive in the region.

Briefing journalists from India at the NATO Maritime Component Command at Northwood in Middlesex on Tuesday, Commander Simon Marshall said money remained the prime motive of pirates. "Although groups like Al Shahab operating in Mogadishu have links with the Al-Qaeda, they do not seem to be interested in ransom amounts that are as small as $2 million," he said.

Commander Marshall, however, emphasised that there was ground to believe that the pirates appeared to work for their handlers, "potentially in the United Kingdom, the United States and countries with the Somali Diaspora."

As per data obtained by the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) from the cell phones and satellite phones recovered from the pirates, the negotiators for ransom could be in the U.K., Italy or some Scandinavian countries.

At the instance of the U.S., a transit corridor through the Gulf of Aden -- Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor (IRTC), with only China taking exception to it -- was established in August last to make naval patrols effective in the region. This was amended in February this year to reflect the revised analysis of pirate activity and feedback from the shipping industry.

On the modus operandi of the pirates, Commander Marshall said they generally used wood or fibre-glass fast attack skiffs capable of cruising at 20 knots-plus and pirated mother ships for their operations. "They are unemployed youth aged between 16 and 45 years. They could also be ex-fishermen, ex-police or ex-Coast Guard personnel. They do not target specific vessels and look for cargo ships moving at less than 15 knots. Armed with AK-47s and RPGs, they communicate with their handlers using HF and UHF sets and, occasionally, thurayia-type satellite phones. However, it is a tough task for the forces to distinguish the fishermen from pirates, despite having the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) images, as even fishermen operating in this area wield AKs for self-protection," he said.

With the latest captures and releases now still at least 4 foreign vessels with a total of not less than 98 crew members are accounted for (of which 20 are confirmed to be Filipinos - "Win Far 161" - Seized April 6 with 17 Filipinos and "MV Charelle"- Hijacked June 13 with 3 Filipinos) and are held in Somali waters. Three former hostages are held by the local ad ministration. The cases are monitored on our actual case-list, while several other cases of ships, which were observed off the coast of Somalia and have been reported or had reportedly disappeared without trace or information, are still being followed too. Over 134 incidents (including attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful seajackings) had been recorded for 2008 with 49 fully documented, factual sea-jacking cases (for Somalia, incl. presently held ones) and the mistaken sinking of one vessel by a naval force. For 2009 the account stands at 164 attacks (incl. averted or abandoned attacks) with 47 sea-jackings on the Somali/Yemeni pirate side as well as at least six wrongful attacks (incl. one friendly fire incident) on the side of the naval forces.

More than 125 Somalis are held in foreign prisons (Kenya, Yemen, France, Netherlands) under charges of piracy. Not fully documented cases of absconded vessels are not listed in the sea-jack count until clarification. Several other vessels with unclear fate (also not in the actual count), who were reported missing over the last ten years in this area, are still kept on our watch-list, though in some cases it is presumed that they sunk due to bad weather or being unfit to sail. In the last four years, 22 missing ships have been traced back with different names, flags and superstructures.

Piracy incidents usually degrade during the monsoon season in winter and rise gradually by the end of the monsoon season starting from mid February and early April every year. Present multi-factorial risk assessment code: GoA: BLUE / IO: BLUE (Red = Very much likely, high season; Orange = Reduced risk, but very likely, Yellow = significantly reduced risk, but still likely, Blue = possible, Green = unlikely). [N.B.: This weekend is possible the last BLUE moment]

(Source : Ecoterra)

mailto:clippingnews@maasmondmaritime.com

5. Russia acceding to COTIF

Initially, Russia will subject the carriage of goods on a small part of its railway infrastructure to the CIM Uniform Rules: from the landing stage at the Baltiysk ferry terminal to Baltiysk railway station; and from the landing stage at the Ust-Luga ferry terminal to Luzhskaya railway station, which is also situated near the port.

Both moves are in connection with the Sassnitz-Baltiysk-Ust-Luga ferry service,

Depending on the experiences it has following its accession, Russia will consider whether it will be useful to subject further lines to the new uniform transport regime. In so doing, the possibility of introducing Russian as a working language of OTIF might have a role to play.

Russia’s accession will probably take legal effect on 1 February 2010. Russia will become the 44th Member State of OTIF. Apart from the significance of this accession in terms of transport policy, it may lead to other positive developments for OTIF in that other States (e.g. in Central Asia), which have close railway links with Russia, may examine whether they also wish to accede.

http://www.worldcargonews.com/htm/w20090918.035334.htm

6. And Finally...

Many thanks to the house of Frazer Hunt for these ones:-

Neonatal joke

Paddy's pregnant sister was in a terrible car accident and went into deep coma. After being in the coma for nearly six months, she wakes up and sees that she is no longer pregnant. Frantically, she asks the doctor about her baby.

The doctor replies, "Ma'am, you had twins..... a boy and a girl. The babies are fine now. However, they were poorly at birth and had to be christened immediately - your brother came in and named them."

The woman thinks to herself, "Oh suffering Jesus no, not me brother. ..he's a clueless idiot.

Expecting the worst, she asks the doctor, "Well, what's my daughter's name?"

"Denise," says the doctor.

The new mother is somewhat relieved. "Wow, that's a beautiful name. I guess I was wrong about my brother....I like Denise."
Then she asks, "What's the boy's name?"

"Denephew"

P.S.

Q. What do you call a pregnancy that begins
while using birth control?
A. A misconception.

Q. What is the most common pregnancy craving?
A. For men to be the ones who get pregnant.

Q. What is the most reliable method to determine
a baby's sex?
A. Childbirth.

Q. My blood type is O-positive and my husband's is A-negative. What if my baby is born, say, type AB-positive?
A. Then the jig is up.

Q. My husband and I are very attractive. I'm sure our baby will be beautiful enough for commercials. Whom should I contact about this?
A. Your therapist.

Q. I'm two months pregnant now. When will my
baby move?
A. With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q. My brother tells me that since my husband has
a big nose, and genes for big noses are dominant, my baby will have a big nose as well. Is this true? A. The odds are greater that your brother will have a fat lip.

Q. Does pregnancy affect a woman's memory?
A. I don't remember.

Q. Since I became pregnant, my breasts, rear end, and even my feet have grown. Is there anything that gets smaller during pregnancy?
A. Yes, your bladder.

Q. Ever since I've been pregnant, I can't go to bed at night without onion rings. Is this a normal craving?
A. Depends on what you're doing with them.

Q. My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A. So what's your question?

Q. What's the difference between a nine-months pregnant woman and a Playboy centrefold?
A. Nothing, if the pregnant woman's husband knows what's good for him.

Q. What position should the baby be in during the ninth month of pregnancy?
A. Head down, pressing firmly on your bladder.

Q. How long is the average woman in labour?
A. Whatever she says, divided by two.

Q. My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll f eel during labour, but pressure. Is she right? A. Yes, in the same way that a tornado might
be called an air current.

Q. When is the best time to get an epidural?
A. Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q. Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labour?
A. Not unless the word "alimony" means anything
to you.

Q. I'm modest. Once I'm in the hospital to deliver, who will see me in that delicate position?
A. Authorized personnel only--doctors, nurses,
orderlies, photographers, florists, cleaning crews, journalists, etc.

Q. What does it mean when the baby's head is crowning? A. It means you feel as though not only a crown but the entire throne is trying to make its way out of you.

Q. What are forceps?
A. Giant baby tweezers.

Q. Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A.Yes, pregnancy.

Q. Does labour cause hemorrhoids?
A. Labour causes anything you want to blame it for.

Q. Under what circumstances should a baby not be
circumcised?
A. When it's a girl, for starters.

Q. Where is the best place to store breast milk?
A. In your breasts.

Q. What does it mean when a baby is born with teeth? A. It means that the baby's mother may want to re- think her plans to nurse.

Q. What are the terrible twos?
A. Your breasts after baby stops nursing cold turkey.

Q. What is the best time to wean the baby from nursing? A. When you see teeth marks.

Q. Can a mother get pregnant while nursing?
A. Yes, but it's much easier if she removes the baby from her breast and puts him to sleep first.

Q. Do I have to have a baby shower?
A. Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q. Nannies aren't cheap are they?
A. Not usually, but occasionally you'll find a floozy.

Q. What is colic?
A. A reminder for new parents to use birth control.

Q. What are night terrors?
A. Frightening episodes in which the new mother
dreams she's pregnant again.

Q. Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A. When the kids are in college.

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