Every now and again, you find something interesting that is worth telling. The other day I had the opportunity to go aboard the USNS H. H. Hess, moored in the Suisun Bay mothball fleet. The following is a rare glimpse inside one of the boilers on the USNS H.H. Hess. Even the untrained eye [...]
Well folks, this is how you fail a port state vessel inspection – plug the hole in the side of your merchant ship with a rag!
Yup, it’s true. The operators of the Russian vessel Baltiyskiy-110 did just that. Apparently the company responsible for the vessel’s operation knew of the hole and told crew members to continue their voyage.
British inspectors decided otherwise, and now the vessel is detained in Fowey, Cornwall for this and several other serious issues.
I present to you, the salvage tug Abeille Bourbon, a French vessel operated by Bourbon Offshore and chartered by the French Navy for rescue and assistance operations. The vessel is based out of Brest, France and has been involved in several large marine salvage and rescue cases including the MSC Napoli, the Rokia Delmas . It is a sleek vessel, and one of several that the French government has strategically contracted and placed along the French coastline to assist large vessels in peril at a moments notice
I am always interested in learning about unique ships, especially ships with unique propulsion systems. The E.M. Ford struck me as one of the most unique historic American ships (although the vessel became Canadian flagged before she retired).
The E.M. Ford is a Great Lakes ship, or a “Laker.” Built in 1898, it was a true workhouse, carrying coal, cement, and perhaps a few other cargos across the Lakes on countless voyages. Believed to be one of the last remaining ships with a quadruple expansion steam engine, the E.M. Ford holds a particular importance in the history of Great Lakes Shipping. Engineering buffs recognize the rarity of a quadruple expansion steam engine.
Here is a look at what will soon be one of the most interesting looking ships in the U.S. Navy’s fleet, the USS Independence (LCS 2). The ship was recently underway for sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico.
The IMO estimates there are 1.5 million seafarers worldwide, and this is the day we pay tribute to them all. The 25th of June has been designated by the IMO and it’s member states as “The Day of the Seafarer” as a means to pay tribute to the world’s estimated 1.5 million seafarers for the unique [...]
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a Marine Safety Alert reminding operators of barges and tank vessels to ensure tank high velocity vent valves and vacuum valves or combination pressure/vacuum valves are maintained in proper operating condition at all times. This follows a recent marine casualty on board a chemical/oil product tanker in which a cargo tank was over [...]
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