M/V Beriks – The stinking dutchman
M/V Beriks – The stinking dutchman

I’m seeing reports about a freighter adrift in the Black Sea dubbed “The stinking dutchman”. Needless to say, it caught my interest. Apparently the Dutch refer vessel Berkis, loaded Brazilian and Chinese meat and poultry in December, and then suffered a casualty to its refer system, resulting in over 200 tones of rotting meat that is apparently emitting quite an odor.

The Navy announced that the USS Chinook (PC-9) has made the first overnight stay by a U.S. ship in Iraq in more than 60 years. The port call is being hailed as a demonstration of stable security, cooperation, nd partnership with the Iraqi government. For more, check out the Navy press release.

This footage shows a 12000 ton ship steaming into a Storm force 10 in the Bay of Biscay with high seas and very long, deep swell.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP22u6tic3A]

It appears with the increasing cooperation of N. Korea, the U.S. break bulk fleet may be seeing more and more voyages to N. Korea.  All of the major news outlets have been reporting on the arrival of the M/T Baltimore in N. Korea yesterday. nytimes article A file photo of the M/T Baltimore courtesy of  [...]