MarineBuzz.com

Indian Coast Guard Station at Karwar Commissioned

OldSailor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:18:58 +0000

Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, Director General Coast Guard commissioned the Coast Guard station at Karwar on November 04. 14 more stations are expected to be commissioned soon to fill up security gap along the coastline. The Director General Indian Coast Guard is also the Commander Coastal Command, with the responsibility for overall coordination between various Central and State agencies, in all matters relating to the coastal security.

Some interesting features of Coast Guard station at Karwar are:

Coast Guard presence at Karwar is essential to strengthen maritime and coastal security in the west coast.
Also at Karwar, Indian Navy’s INS Kadamba and Project Sea Bird are located.
The station under the operational command of Inspector General SPS Basra, Commander Coast Guard Region (West) is being commanded by Commandant (JG) Anil Sharma.
The Indian Coast Guard station at Karwar will have two fast speed boats, to undertake search and rescue, close coast patrol and respond to emergency calls on as required basis.

For photographs and more information, log on to Mangalorean and SahilOnLine.

Posts in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

U.S. Aircraft Medevacs Injured Expeditioner of Australian Antarctic Division at Davis Station

Rats of Christmas Island were Wiped Out by Rats from SS Hindustan

48th Barcelona International Boat Show Ready to Start

OldSailor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:19:47 +0000

48th Barcelona International Boat Show (BIBS) is ready to start on November 07 with the slogan “a sea of opportunities”. The annual event organized by Fira de Barcelonais is open to professionals and public. The show will offer visitors a wide range of opportunities in accessories, canoes and kayaks, electronics, charter, sail and motor boats, inflatables, engines, trailers, sails, nautical tourism, windsurfing & surfing, jet skis, fishing, yachts and super yachts.

Some interesting features of BIBS are:

To be held at: Halls 2 and 3 of the Gran Via Exhibition Centre and the La Fusta and Espanya wharves in Port Vell
Duration: November 07 to 15, 2009
Exhibitors:380, Spanish and foreign
Countries represented: 35
Surface area: 70,000 square metre net between the Gran Via and Port Vell
Gran Via venue to have five theme area:
- The Innovation Area – to feature design and technological projects with the aim of showing the new contributions and projects of design centres, engineering companies and shipyards.
- The Fun Beach Area – to attract young people with the aim of providing facilities to learn to sail aboard small boats and to promote nautical sports. It has a swimming pool equipped with wind generators for light sailing.
- Traditional Marina Area – to have Schooners, dories and wooden boats to highlight the historic memory and preservation of maritime heritage. Visitors can see how boats are crafted and can participate in workshops.
- The Fishermen’s Area – to showcase new fishing rods, reels and equipment including virtual simulators to provide the sensations of deep-sea fishing.
- The Espai del Mar (Sea Space) – for announcements of regattas, conferences and seminars, talks on navigation, etc.; a space in which to keep abreast of new projects, share experiences and participate in debates.
In Port Vell: Large vessels/mega-yachts to be on display.

For more details, log on to 48th Barcelona International Boat Show.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

INDESEC EXPO 2008: Indo International Homeland Security and Defence Exhibition Ready to Start

Oil Spill and Fire in Montara Development Well in Timor Sea

OldSailor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:43:10 +0000

Fire in crude oil and gas development well in Montara, in the Timor Sea has been put off successfully. Montara development well is owned by PTTEP Australasia (PTTEP AA), a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP). The well is located in the Southern Timor Sea, approximately 690 kilometres west of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Up to 400 barrels of oil a day was leaking from this well since August 21.

Information available regarding the oil spill and fire are:

On August 21, 2009:
- Crude oil and gas was emanating from the well.
- PTTEP with the approval from the Australian authorities tried to control the leakage by drilling a relief well to intercept the leaking well and pump heavy mud to stop the leakage.
November 01, 2009:
- At 0930 hours local time Darwin, the relief well had reached the target point of interception and heavy mud was pumped into the relief well.
- During this process, a fire broke out on the contractor’s West Atlas drilling rig and the Montara Wellhead Platform.
- The company initiated the process of controlling the fire and also started investigating the cause of the fire.
- All personnel were reported to be safe with no injury.
November 03, 2009:
- At 1715 hours Darwin time, the fire was extinguished by injecting heavy mud successfully into the leaking well.
- Further monitoring is going on and experts are ready to assess the damages and to make plans for future work.
- The company has insurance coverage of 270 million US dollars and is in the process of claiming it.

Here is a photograph with caption released by PTTEP AA, about the fire in the Montara well as on November 02, afternoon.

The Montara well head platform (left) on fire – as taken from the firefighting vessel Nor Captain during a run to within 200 metres from the burning structures to allow ALERT Well Control experts onboard to better assess the situation status. The cantilever structure – which previously sat over the well head platform – can be seen buckled over and down on to the helideck of the well head platform. Flames from the burning well head are being blown on to the upper superstructure the West Atlas rig (right).

View some amazing video clips of oil spill and fire from Al Jazeera:

ABC News, Australia reports that oil leak impact may last 7 years.

For updates, log on to PTTEP Australasia.

Posts in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

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Oasis of the Seas: Funnel Down to Cross Storebaelt Bridge of Denmark

OldSailor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:30:02 +0000

Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship cruised below the Storebaelt bridge (Great Belt Bridge) of Denmark on November 01, 2009. The bridge is about 65 metres above sea level and Oasis of the Seas rises 72 metres above the sea level.

The limitation of this bridge was taken into consideration while designing the vessel and the vessel is having telescopic funnel. The vessel retracted her telescopic funnel and cruised below the Storebaelt bridge with a clearance of around 1 metre.

View in this video clip how the vessel cruised comfortably under the bridge: Clearing a Landmark: Lowering for Storebaelt Bridge

View one more video clip: Oasis of the Seas under the bridge of Storebaelt Denmark

For more information about the bridge, log on to Storebaelt- The Bridge.

Posts in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Pakistan Navy Frigate ‘Shamsheer’ Type F22P Launched in China

MT Desh Viraat Largest VLCC of India Takes Collision Course to Join SCI

Europort 2009 to Connect Maritime World

OldSailor — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:22:18 +0000

Europort 2009 is ready to connect the maritime world from November 03 to 06 at Rotterdam.

Some interesting features of Europort 2009 are:

The central theme of the event is ‘Advanced technology’
To be inaugurated by the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende.
870 exhibitors from 35 countries are expected to showcase the newest maritime technologies covering 10 exhibition halls in the field of
- Shipbuilding, repair & conversion
- Propulsion and maneuvering
- Electronics, communication and navigation
- Mechanical and auxiliary systems
- Deck, safety and special equipment
- Maritime services
To be held at: Ahoy congress and exhibition centre which is located close to the Port of Rotterdam.
International maritime professionals from the following field are expected to attend
- Classification societies
- Port authorities
- Engineering and design firms
- Operators
- Maintenance and repair services
- Shippers
- Ship owners
- Shipbrokers and insurance agents
- Shipyards
- Surveyors
To have national pavilions from Romania, Korea, China, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Poland, France, the USA and Great Britain.

Europort Maritime 2007 was the second edition of the merged exhibitions Europort (in Amsterdam) and Rotterdam Maritime (in Rotterdam). Europort, organized for the first time in 1963, was held 31 times. Rotterdam Maritime took place for the first time in 1983 and counted 12 editions.

For more details log on to Europort 2009.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Smart Globe Worlds First Internet Updateable Globe

Weekend View: Great Escort of Mighty Servant by Belgian Frigate Louise Marie

OldSailor — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:35:50 +0000

Here is the view of the great escort of the Mighty Servant 1 in the Gulf of Aden, by Belgian frigate Louise-Marie (F 931) of European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) – Operation Atalanta on September 13 and 14 (this view was missed out by me in September).

Mighty Servant 1, a 29,000-ton semi-submersible heavy-lift ship was transiting from the Maldives to Norway with the hull of the North Sea Gjøa platform of Statoil ASA constructed by Samsung shipyard in South Korea. The escort initially provided by Louise-Marie was later completed by Swedish corvette Malmoe.

For more details, log on to EU NAVFOR, Somalia and Statoil ASA.

The above photograph is from EU NAVFOR.

Admiral Wu Sheng Li is the First Chinese Navy Chief to Visit India

Weekend View: Port Metro Vancouver on Webcam

BBC Box Completes Global Voyage

OldSailor — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:25:49 +0000

The BBC Box that commenced global voyage in September 2008 completed the mission and returned to Southampton, UK from Thailand on October 22. The project was launched to give details of the global trade and economy through television, radio and online audiences as experienced by the BBC Box , 40 feet/Dry with code number – NYKU8210506. Interestingly, the BBC Box is also a witness to the global recession.

Click the map below provided by BBC News, to trace the global voyage of the BBC Box in detail.

To know the lessons learned from the BBC Box, log on to BBC News.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

New Iranian Naval Base at Port of Jask to Control World Oil and Natural Gas Supply

JMSDF Destroyer Kurama and MV Carina Star Collide Below Kanmon Bridge

OldSailor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:27:55 +0000

Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) destroyer Kurama (DDH 144) and South Korean container ship Carina Star collided on October 27. Kurama was on her way back to Sasebo Base, after attending the fleet review.

Information available from the Press Conference by the Defense Minister, Japan:

Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) destroyer, 5,200-ton Kurama collided with South Korean cargo ship Carina Star which is about 7,400 tons.
The accident occurred around 7:56 P.M. on October 27 in the Kanmon Strait, almost right below the Kanmon Bridge. As a result of collision, fire broke out in both ships.
JMSDF destroyer Kurama
- The crewmembers of the Kurama extinguished the fire that broke out in the bow.
- Kurama came alongside a pier at Moji Port around 5:16 A.M. on October 28, and the fire was extinguished completely around 6:30 A.M.
- Four crew members were treated in a hospital; one for a light injury and the other three for inhaling smoke.
- Two more crew members who were involved in extinguishing the fire were treated for dehydration, but their conditions are very stable.
- Investigation by Japan Coast Guard (JCG) is going on.
South Korean container ship Carina Star
- Fire in Carina Star was extinguished and no injury was reported.
- The cargo ship is reported to have a hole in the area under the anchor.

Here is the photograph of destroyer Kurama (DDH 144) from JMSDF.

Here is the photograph of container vessel Carina Star.

Read more from Japan Ministry of Defense, Press Conference.

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STX Europe Turku Delivers Oasis of the Seas to Royal Caribbean International

OldSailor — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:58 +0000

STX Europe, Turku has delivered ‘Oasis of the Seas’ the most revolutionary cruise ship to Royal Caribbean International on October 28. Oasis of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world. Oasis of the Seas will be unveiled on ABC’s “Good Morning America” during a special live broadcast on November 20. It is worth noting that the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas projects have provided the shipyard and the maritime cluster with 12,000 man-years of labor.

Some interesting features of Oasis of the Seas and her joining the Royal Caribbean International are:

Took nearly six years to complete.
To depart from Turku on October 30 with Captain William S. Wright at the helm.
Expected to reach her home port – Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 11.
Has modern unique concepts like: FlowRider surf simulator, ice-skating rinks, cantilevered whirlpools, rock climbing walls, Royal Promenade – an entertainment boulevard stretching nearly the length of the ship.
Has industry first, neighborhood concept with seven distinct themed areas which includes: Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.
The Oasis of the Seas
- 361 metres long, 66 metres wide at her widest point and at the highest, she rises 72 metres above the sea level.
- gross tonnage is 225,000.
- can accommodate 6,360 passengers and 2,100 crew members.
- has 16 passenger decks and 2,704 staterooms.
- the total power output of the ship’s engines is 97,000 kW.
- the cruise speed is 22.6 knots.
The official naming ceremony for Oasis of the Seas is scheduled on November 30.

The most relaxed and happiest person on this occasion is Mr Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

View all videos from You Tube: Oasis of the Seas.

For updates, log on to Oasis of the Seas.

Posts in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2008 to Go on at Six Locations

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India: 28th Coast Guard Commanders Conference Going On

OldSailor — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:54:17 +0000

The 28th Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference commenced at New Delhi on October 28. The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has said that the Government is making all out efforts to help Indian Coast Guard to be one of the finest Coast Guards in the world in a couple of years.

Some interesting information available from this three day 28th Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference are:

Government has sanctioned nearly 3,000 additional personnel at various levels and this is expected to be filled up on priority.
Coast Guard is in the process of acquiring 20 Fast Patrol Vehicles (OPVs), 41 Interceptor Boats, 12 Coastal Surveillance Aircraft (Dorniers) and 7 off-shore Patrol Vehicles(OPVs).
Work is in progress to set up a chain of 46 Coastal Radars spanning 9 Coastal Stations across the country.
Nine new Coast Guard Stations have been approved.
A new Regional Headquarters at Gandhinagar, Gujarat will facilitate synergy between the Coast Guard, State Government and other Central Government Organisations.
Steps are being taken to enhance the efficacy of Coast Guard surveillance and Search and Rescue operations.

Here are some photographs of 28th Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference from Press Information Bureau:

Defence Minister Shri A. K. Antony, Defence Secretary Shri Pradeep Kumar and Secretary (Defence Finance) Smt. Indu Liberhan at the 28th Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference.

Defence Minister Shri A. K. Antony with Director General Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra and other commanders of the 28th Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference. Defence Secretary, Shri Pradeep Kumar is also present.

Read more from Press Information Bureau.

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Sea Port Security: U.S Navy Marine Mammals Join AUVs in NURC Experiment

OldSailor — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:22:18 +0000

NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC) in Italy conducted the CATHARSIS2 sea trial from October 5-20 in the waters near Elba Island, Italy to investigate underwater object detection technologies. On October 20, harbour security demonstration for local military and civilian authorities was conducted at La Spezia, Italy. For the first time, U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Fleet Systems participated in these exercises.

Some interesting features of U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Systems (MMS), NURC and CATHARSIS2 sea trial are:

U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Fleet Systems
- Assigned to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group ONE (EODGRU ONE).
- Uses dolphins and sea lions to find and mark the location of underwater objects.
- Dolphins with their exceptional biological sonar can detect objects in the water column and on the sea floor.
- Sea lions have very sensitive underwater directional hearing and exceptional vision in low light conditions.
- MMS MK 4, MK 7 and MK 8 use dolphins.
- MMS MK 5 uses sea lions.
- MMS MK 6 uses both dolphins and sea lions.
- MMS can be deployed rapidly within 72 hours of notice through ship, aircraft, helicopter, and land vehicles anywhere in the world and they regularly participate in major Fleet exercises.

NURC’s research is currently focused on:
- Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures and Port Protection (EMP)
- Undersea Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Networks (RSN)
- Expeditionary Operations Support (EOS)
- Command and Operation Support (COS)
CATHARSIS2 sea trial and harbour security demonstration
- Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) equipped with advanced sensors to detect and locate dummy mines (with no explosives) were used in this exercise to assess the best strategy in the use of AUVs to detect objects under water.
- Five sea lions and their trainers of MMS MK 5 were flown from their home base in California to join the exercise. The sea lions have the skill to recover a variety of objects, including dummy mines, by attaching a recovery line to the object, as well as carrying a video camera to determine the type of object and how it is laying on the bottom.
- MMS MK 5 was successful in detecting underwater objects and underwater intruders during the harbour security demonstration.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Worlds Longest Tunnel Aquarium is at Chiang Mai of Thailand

Chudamani Sea Port: Aditya Birla Group to Develop in Orissa

OldSailor — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:55:47 +0000

Chudamani in Bhadrak district Orissa is going to be developed as a sea port by Aditya Birla Group. MOU was signed between Shri Muralidharan, COO, Aditya Birla Group and Shri P.K. Jena, Commissioner-Cum-Secretary, Transport & Commerce Deptt in presence of Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik and other Cabinet Ministers of Orissa on October 22.

Some interesting features of Chudamani Port Project are:

To be developed on Build Own Operate (BOO) basis with an investment of INR 1,500 crore.
To be operational in four years with a projected capacity of 3 million tons per annum (MTPA) in the first phase with a provision to be expanded to 10 MTPA.
To be connected by a rail corridor from Markuna Station.
To have two berths to handle bulk cargo such as cement, aluminium, iron ore, thermal coal, limestone, gypsum, clinker and copper.
To provide directly or indirectly employment to about 5,000 people.
The state government is expected to get revenue of about INR 20 crore per annum.

Here is the photograph of MOU being signed between the Government of Orissa and Aditya Birla Group.

Weekend View: Industrial Pollution in Mississippi River

OldSailor — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:01:22 +0000

Mississippi River flows through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana before joining into the Gulf of Mexico. Industrial pollution in this 3,779 km long river is increasing.

View a video clip from Al Jazeera: Fertilisers threaten Mississippi river

View a satellite imagery from NASA – Earth Observatory: Mississippi River Sediment Plume.

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October 24 is International Day of Climate Action

OldSailor — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:47:21 +0000

October 24 is an international day of climate action.

Here is the message from 350.org.

Dear World—

This is an invitation to build a movement—to take one day and use it to stop the climate crisis.

We are a group of people from around the planet—young and old, scientists and writers and activists—who have one thing in common. We know the most important number on earth: 350. And we know how to use that number to finally get global action on the worst crisis humans have ever faced. But we can only do it if you help.

A year ago, our greatest climatologist—NASA’s James Hansen—and his team produced a landmark series of studies. They showed that if we let the amount of carbon in the atmosphere go above 350 parts per million, we can’t have a planet “similar to the one on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted.”

The bad news: We’re already past that number—we’re at 390 parts per million, which is why the Arctic is melting, why drought is spreading across the planet, why people are already dying from diseases like dengue fever and malaria occurring in places where they’ve never been seen before.

The good news: that number gives us a target to aim for. When the world’s leaders meet in Copenhagen in December to reach agreement on a new climate treaty, we need them to go farther than they’ve planned to go: we need to make sure they’ll pay attention to the latest science and put forward a plan that gets us back to safety.

So here’s the plan. On October 24, we need you to organize an action in the place where you live, something that will make that most important number visible to everyone. People in more than 1000 communities around the globe have already announced plans—they’ll be school children planting 350 trees in Bangladesh, scientists hanging banners saying 350 on the statues on Easter Island, 350 scuba divers diving underwater at the Great Barrier Reef, and a thousand more creative actions like these. At each event, people will gather for a big group photo that somehow depicts 350—and upload that photo to the web 350.org. As actions take place around the world, we’ll link all the pictures together electronically via the web–by the end of the day, we’ll have a powerful visual petition linking together the entire planet that we can deliver to the media and world leaders.

So far more than 150 nations are taking part—it’s shaping up to be to be the biggest day of grassroots action on global warming ever. But we need it to be much larger—we need you, in your village or town or city, to take part. It’s not hard—we can help you with materials and ideas. But you need to take the first step, by registering an action and starting to let your friends and neighbors know about it.

Involve groups that you’re in—everything from your church, mosque or synagogue to your local bicycle group. People want to help, especially if they see the chance for something that might actually matter. This is even more important than changing your lightbulb—this is your chance to help change the way the whole world operates. October 24 comes six weeks before those crucial UN meetings in Copenhagen. It’s a great chance to take a stand—maybe the last great chance, given what the scientists tell us about the momentum of global warming.

It can only happen with the help of a global movement—and it’s starting to bubble up everywhere. Farmers in Cameroon, students in China, even World Cup skiers have already helped spread the word about 350. Churches have rung their bells 350 times; Buddhist monks have formed a huge 350 with their bodies against the backdrop of Himalayas. 350 translates across every boundary of language and culture. It’s clear and direct, cutting through the static and laying down a firm scientific line.

This is like a final exam for human beings. Can we muster the courage, the commitment, and the creativity to set this earth on a steady course before it’s too late? October 24 will be the joyful, powerful day when we prove it’s possible.

Please join us and register your local action today.

Onwards,

Bill McKibben – Author and Activist- USA Vandana Shiva – Physicist, Activist, Author – India David Suzuki – Scientist, Author, Activist – Canada Bianca Jagger – Chair of the World Future Council – UK Tim Flannery – Scientist, Author, Explorer -Australia Bittu Sahgal – Editor of Sanctuary magazine – India Andrew Simmons – Environmental Advocate, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Christine Loh – Environmental Advocate and Legislator – Hong Kong

P.S.—We need you to do something else, right away, that’s pretty easy. Please forward this message to anyone you know who is even remotely appropriate.

For more details, log on to 350.org.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Ball Pyramid: World’s Tallest Sea Stack

China Commences 26th Antarctic Expedition

OldSailor — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:33:11 +0000

26th scientific expedition to Antarctica by China commenced on October 11. China has two research stations in Antarctica and third station is being set up at Kunlun at Dome Argus.
Some interesting features of this 26th Antarctic expedition are:

Expedition team has left in Icebreaker Xuelong, or “Snow Dragon” from Shanghai, polar exploration vessel built by China.
Team is a group of 251 scientists, workers and logistics staff from China, Australia, Russia including three members from Taiwan for the first time.
Duration: six months, expected to return back on April 10, 2010.
Team will conduct 59 research projects including geological and biological research at the two stations of Changcheng and Zhongshan.

View photographs of the expedition team from SINA.

View an interesting video clip from CCTV International: 26th Antarctic exploration to begin

Above photograph is from SINA.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Strait of Malacca: Malaysia Proposes to Limit Maritime Traffic for Safe Navigation

Green Ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) Ready for Commissioning

OldSailor — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:44:24 +0000

USS Makin Island is ready for commissioning on October 24 at Naval Air Station North Island.
USS Makin Island, the final amphibious assault ship built in the LHD-1 Wasp-class is considered as the green ship because

Makin Island is the first of the class built with both gas turbines and an electric drive as Auxiliary Propulsion System (APS).
The ship will be using APS for roughly 75 percent of the time the ship is underway and is expected to save nearly $250 million in fuel costs over the ship’s lifetime.
The ship has already saved more than $2 million in fuel costs during the ships transit from Pascagoula, Miss., to San Diego.
The ship has other environmentally-friendly equipments like
- an electric plant to power auxiliaries thereby avoiding steam or associated chemicals.
- reverse osmosis water purification systems to avoid the need for chemicals like bromine or chlorine.

International Istanbul Boat Show Commences

OldSailor — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:21:49 +0000

International Istanbul Boat Show has commenced on October 21. Boat Show will go on till October 26. Fancy new 2010 model boats are on display. It is expected that over 200 companies will display approximately 600 local and international brands. More than 50,000 visitors are expected to attend.

For more details, log on to 28. International Istanbul Boat Show.

Posts in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

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Indian Navy and Indonesian Navy Launch Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)

OldSailor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:15:33 +0000

Indian Navy and Indonesian Navy have commenced Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) from October 18.
Here is the press release from Press Information Bureau.

The 14th cycle of the Indian Navy-Indonesian Navy coordinated patrol codenamed ‘IND-INDO CORPAT’ is scheduled from 18 Oct to 05 Nov 09. The operation will be under the overall control of Vice Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, Commander-in-Chief of Andaman Nicobar Command (CINCAN) and Commander of Indonesian Western Fleet Command (PANGARMABAR). The units operating will be under the tactical command of the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andaman & Nicobar) at Port Blair and DANGUSKAMLABAR (Commander of Sea Security Group of Western Fleet) located at Tanjung Pinang.

India and Indonesia share an International Maritime Boundary of about 300 nm. In pursuance of navy to navy cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region the Indian Navy and the Indonesian navy conduct coordinated patrols of the International Maritime Boundary Line. The purpose of the coordinated patrols is to prevent Piracy, armed robberies, poaching, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities.

The Indian Navy will be deploying one Landing Ship Tank (Medium) INS Mahish under the command of Cdr MVR Krishna and one Fast Attack Craft INS Trinkat under the command of Lt Cdr Pushkar Kumar. In addition there will be one Indian Naval Dornier. The Indonesian Navy will be deploying one corvette and a Dornier aircraft.
An opening ceremony for the CORPAT is scheduled on 19 Oct 09 at Belawan, Indonesia and the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andaman & Nicobar) Cmde P Suresh, will lead the Indian delegation. The closing ceremony will be conducted on 04 Nov 09 at Port Blair.

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Maritime Security Expo 2009 to Discuss After Action Report on Mumbai Attack

OldSailor — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:36:32 +0000

The 8th Annual Maritime Security Expo (MSE) 2009 Conference is ready to commence on October 20.

Some interesting features of the two day MSE 2009 Conference are:

To be held at Long Beach Convention Center – Long Beach, CA
Over 80 speakers are to focus on: Weathering the Perfect Storm – Faltering Economies, Climate Change and Maritime Security Regulations – How do we improve the security and flow of maritime commerce in challenging times?
Topics to be discussed
- Small Vessel Security: What have we learned? What’s next?
- Underwater Security: Who can respond? What technology can help?
- Maritime Fusion Centers: Preventing information overload – How do we cut through the clutter to see the threats?
- Piracy: Prevention and Protection- Government provided or self-help? – What are the challenges and solutions and is the threat spreading beyond the littorals?
- Anti-Piracy Training and Research: What are the current best practices and how can it be enhanced?
- Piracy: Ship and Crew Captured- now what? Is paying ransom the best answer? - Challenges and solutions to a vexing problem
- TWIC: Implementation has started- What’s been done, how is it working, does it improve security, and what can be done better?
- Smuggling: Ensuring cargo integrity before loading and in transit- CSI and long-range vessel tracking – Where are we? What are the challenges? What are the risks and costs? What can technology do to help?
- Traffic Management: Port closes, where to? – What are the issues, who makes the decisions, and are regulations required?
- Persistent Surveillance Vehicles- New tool for Maritime Security?
- Cyber Security & Technology: What are the maritime vulnerabilities? What are the protection strategies?
- Northwest Passage: What’s happening in the Arctic?
- Shipping LNG, LPG, Oil: What are future trends, risks, and mitigation options?
- International Port/Facility Security: Are there too many security redundancies between U.S. and foreign ports? What can be done to create a more effective and efficient international security system?
- Small and Medium Ports: How much security is required? What can be done to make it affordable?
- Your Security Patrols- Are they really random? How do you maximize their deterrence value?
- Security Intelligence: Information received, now what? How do you sanitize and distribute with a feedback loop?
- After Action Report on Mumbai Attack

This conference meets the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) approval for use of Department of Homeland Security funds.

For more details, log on to 8th Annual Maritime Security Expo.

Posts in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

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Weekend View: Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing

OldSailor — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:00:56 +0000

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing is taking place world wide. To conserve and manage the world’s fisheries, more than 17O Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) adopted the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in 1995. The Code is voluntary and is applicable to all involved with fisheries. In 2001, the Members of FAO developed an International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing (IPOA-IUU) to address this problem.

IPOA-IUU defines

Illegal fishing as activities:
- conducted by national or foreign vessels in waters under the jurisdiction of a State, without the permission of that State, or in contravention of its laws and regulations;
- conducted by vessels flying the flag of States that are parties to a relevant regional fisheries management organization but operate in contravention of the conservation and management measures adopted by that organization and by which the States are bound, or relevant provisions of the applicable international law; or
- in violation of national laws or international obligations, including those undertaken by cooperating States to a relevant regional fisheries management organization.
Unreported fishing as activities:
- which have not been reported, or have been misreported, to the relevant national authority, in contravention of national laws and regulations; or
- undertaken in the area of competence of a relevant regional fisheries management organization which have not been reported or have been misreported, in contravention of the reporting procedures of that organization.
Unregulated fishing as activities:
- in the area of application of a relevant regional fisheries management organization that are conducted by vessels without nationality, or by those flying the flag of a State not party to that organization, or by a fishing entity, in a manner that is not consistent with or contravenes the conservation and management measures of that organization; or
- in areas or for fish stocks in relation to which there are no applicable conservation or management measures and where such fishing activities are conducted in a manner inconsistent with State responsibilities for the conservation of living marine resources under international law.

View an interesting video clip: Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. FAO of the UN

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Worlds First Underwater Cabinet Meeting Held in Maldives

OldSailor — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:41:17 +0000

World’s first ever underwater cabinet meeting was held in Maldives on October 17. The underwater meeting is part of world wide campaign by international environmental NGO 350.org. to bring atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to the safe threshold of 350 parts per million (ppm) from the present level of 387 ppm.

Some interesting features of the underwater cabinet meeting in Maldives are:

Meeting to draw global attention to the pressing issue of climate change.
Meeting held about four metres below sea level at Kaafu atoll, Girifushi.
President Mohamed Nasheed signed a declaration calling for global action on climate change. The statement will be presented at the landmark UN climate change talks in Copenhagen this December.
Prior to the meeting, ministers took scuba diving lessons from Divers Association Maldives (DAM). President Nasheed is already a PADI Advanced Open Water diver.
President Mohamed Nasheed and his ministers dressed in scuba suits used hand signals and slates to communicate underwater during the meeting.
The signed wet suits of the ministers are being auctioned to raise money for coral reef protection in the Maldives.

Here are some more photographs of the underwater cabinet meeting.

View more photographs from Presidency Maldives’ Photostream.

All the above photographs are from The President’s Office – Republic of Maldives.

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Zodiac SOLAS Develops Marine Evacuation System – Medium Inflatable Slide (MES MIS)

OldSailor — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:14:36 +0000

Marine Evacuation System (MES) is a lifesaving device to evacuate passengers through an inflatable slide or chute to board them safely into waiting life rafts. Zodiac SOLAS, France has developed a new escape slide system Marine Evacuation System – Medium Inflatable Slide (MES MIS) for passenger vessels.

Some interesting features of MES MIS are:

An advanced version of Marine Evacuation System – Small Inflatable Slide (MES SIS) that was previously available for freeboards up to 3.8 metres.
Uses a double track slide to evacuate passengers faster.
The evacuation system in different models are suitable for freeboard from 4.7 to 9.3 metres.
Designed for deployment at an angle of 35 degrees to suit high speed crafts, small passenger vessels, military vessels and ro-ro ferries.
The system has passed heavy weather sea trials in winds of Beaufort Force 6 to 7 and with wave heights from 4.5 to 5 metres.

View interesting video clips on Marine Evacuation System:

For more details, log on to Zodiac SOLAS.

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Operation Ice Bridge: NASA Takes Up Largest Airborne Polar Ice Survey of Antarctica

OldSailor — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:36:03 +0000

NASA’s Operation Ice Bridge is underway with the largest airborne survey to study changes to Antarctica’s sea ice, glaciers and ice sheets. Operation ice Bridge is currently in its sixth year as a NASA field campaign.

Some interesting features of airborne survey in Operation Ice Bridge are:

Seelye Martin of the University of Washington in Seattle with nearly 50 scientists and support personnel is to lead the mission.
The team is planning to conduct 17 flights over two main Antarctic targets: ice sheets and sea ice.
Researchers are to work from NASA’s DC-8, an airborne laboratory equipped with
- Airborne Topographic Mapper, a laser altimeter developed by NASA.
- Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder from the University of Kansas to measures ice sheet thickness and the varied terrain below the ice.
- Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor, developed by NASA to maps large areas of sea ice and glacier zones.
- A gravimeter from Columbia University to measure the shape of the ocean cavity beneath floating ice shelves in critical spots of Antarctica.
- A University of Kansas snow radar to measure the thickness of snow on top of sea ice and glaciers.
Data collected from the mission will be used to predict how changes to the massive Antarctic ice sheet will contribute to future sea level rise around the world.

View a video clip from NASA Television: The Road to Antarctica

Read more from NASA – Operation Ice Bridge.

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UNOSAT: View Tsunami Damage Maps of Samoa Islands

OldSailor — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:35:40 +0000

Magnitude 8.0 earthquake triggered a tsunami on September 29 in Samoa Islands region. UNOSAT has released maps of post-disaster satellite imagery collected from September 30 to October 4 of likely building and vegetation damages caused by tsunami.Total 10 maps are available.

Download and view high resolution images as pdf from UNOSAT.

UNOSAT is the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme, implemented in co-operation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

For more details on disaster coverage, log on to International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’.

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Update:

View Infographics: Tsunami hits the Samoan islands from RIA Novosti.
View Photographs: Damage from Tsunami in the Samoa Islands from RIA Novosti.

Chennai: Tsunami Relief Fund of INR 7.5 Crore Misused

OldSailor — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:53:51 +0000

Office bearers of CSI church in Royapettah have misused INR 7.5 crore in the pretext of providing tsunami (December 2004) relief in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
It is shocking to read a news report from The Times of India dated October 12 that highlights the following:

CSI church in Royapettah received INR 17.63 crore from US-based NGO Episcopal Relief & Development to carry out rehabilitation of tsunami-affected people in Chennai.
Misuse of INR 7.5 crores has come to light when the new office bearers of the CSI church approached Episcopal Relief & Development for more funds.
Episcopal Relief & Development demanded details of tsunami relief provided with the money already given. The new office bearers of the CSI church could not get details of tsunami relief provided in Chennai by the previous office bearer Pauline.
Now during an internal audit carried out by the CSI Church, irregularities were noticed and the CSI church approached Chennai police to investigate.
Chennai police have
- arrested a lady doctor Dr Benedicta and her nephew Robert Sunil on October 10 for allegedly siphoning out INR 7.5 crore.
- also confiscated two luxury cars, valued at Rs 18 lakh each believed to have been purchased by the accused.
A hunt is on by the Chennai police to trace Pauline and her husband Sathyamurthy who engaged their daughter Dr Benedicta and her nephew as Tsunami rehabilitation project consultants and paid them INR 80,000 to INR 90,000 per month as salary and other emoluments including luxury cars for official use.

Response from U.S. based NGO Episcopal Relief & Development:

suspended programs with CSI two years back as CSI failed to provide financial reporting and required audits of funds allocated in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
in the process of initiating a separate legal action within the next few days.

from The Times of India and Episcopal Relief & Development.
from RTI India: It’s time the government shut the foreign-funds tap for NGOs

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