The state funded emergency response tug stationed in Neah Bay, WA received orders to assist the disabled U.S. container ship, Horizon Tacoma after the ship shut down their engines due to smoke coming from the engine’s turbocharger while transiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  The ship is operated by Horizon Lines.

Here is the story via the Washington State Department of Ecology -

OLYMPIA – The Hunter, the state-funded emergency response tug stationed at Neah Bay, is towing a containership, the Horizon Tacoma, to Tacoma today after responding to a call for assistance late last night.

The Hunter, another escort tug Garth Foss, and the disabled ship Horizon Tacoma are expected to pass west of Seattle by mid-afternoon.

The 712-foot container vessel requested the Hunter’s assistance Tuesday at about 10:30 p.m. after it reported to the U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service that the ship experienced engine problems and elected to shut down its main engine a few miles north of Neah Bay. The container ship had full use of its thrusters and directional navigation, and called for tug assistance as a precautionary measure.

The Hunter rapidly got underway and arrived at the ship in less than 30 minutes and connected a tow line to the Horizon Tacoma.

The M/V Horizon Tacoma being towed southward off Seattle by the emergency response tug, Crowley Hunter, on the bow and the Garth Foss tug at the stern. (Fred Felleman)

Horizon Lines, which owns the containership, promptly notified the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Seattle of the incident and requested permission to proceed under tow directly to its Port of Tacoma destination, and contacted the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) for assistance.

Ecology Spill Prevention Manager Chip Boothe said “the department appreciates Horizon Lines honoring their own commitment as a domestic transportation leader to ensure the safety and health of its associates and the public.”

Suzanne Englebert, Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Puget Sound, directed the Horizon Tacoma to engage a second assist tug. The tug Garth Foss met the vessels at Port Angeles this morning and is escorting the Hunter and its tow, the Horizon Tacoma.

The Horizon Tacoma was inbound from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and about three miles offshore just off of Neah Bay when the crew noticed smoke coming from one of two turbochargers on the ship’s propulsion engine. To prevent engine damage, the ship’s engineer recommended that the captain shut down the engine.

A repair crew boarded the Horizon Tacoma at Port Angeles this morning at 7 a.m. to evaluate the damage and assist the ship’s crew in making repairs.

The Horizon Tacoma is expected to arrive in Tacoma sometime this evening, depending on currents and weather conditions.

The tug Hunter is stationed at Neah Bay under a contract between its owner, Crowley Maritime Corp., and Ecology. Because the tow to Tacoma will engage the Hunter for many hours, Ecology and Crowley have arranged for another Crowley tug, the Valor, to stand by at Neah Bay in place of the Hunter.

An emergency response tug is stationed at Neah Bay year-round to respond to shipping incidents that pose a pollution threat to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Washington’s outer coast. Crowley Maritime holds the emergency response tug contract through June 30, 2010. Funding responsibility for the Neah Bay tug will shift from the state to the maritime industry beginning July 1, 2010.

Since 1999, a publicly-funded Neah Bay response tug has stood by or assisted 44 vessels, either completely disabled or with reduced maneuvering ability. During 11 of the responses, the tug attached a towline to the disabled vessel and brought it under tow as a safety precaution.

For more on the Emergency Response Tug program based out of Neah Bay, go here.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A 26-foot wave smashed into a cruise ship carrying nearly 2,000 people in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, smashing glass windshields and killing two passengers, according to officials and news reports.

Another six people suffered light injuries, the Greek coast guard said in a statement. The victims were identified as a German and an Italian man.

The ship asked for permission to dock in Barcelona and arrived at the Spanish port shortly after 9 p.m. (2200 GMT), the Spanish news agency Europa Press said.

There, four ambulances were waiting to take the bodies and the injured to a hospital in the city, the agency said.

No further details on the dead or the injured were immediately available. Spanish reports said the injured included a 62-year-old woman who broke both of her legs.

All television news crews were asked to leave the port late Wednesday, and it did not appear that passengers were being allowed to leave the ship.

Read more at the New York Times

Find details on the LOUIS MAJESTY HERE.

SS Princess Kathleen on the rocks at Lena Point, Alaska (Flickr/born1945)

Here is an interesting story from the seas of the Inside Passage near Juneau Alaska.  It is particularly interesting to me as I used to live near the site of the sinking and had a view of the rocky point upon which the Princess Kathleen struck and eventually sank not too far from.  It is hard to imagine that such a large passenger ship passed not too far from my living room window and sank  on a foggy night in the not too distant past.  After all, this did occur in the age of radar….unfortunately for the Captain, he chose not to use it on this particular night.

What was a lucky ending for most of the passengers, has now become a rather unfortunate story of dealing with the unknown, but likely still large amount of fuel oil remaining on board the slowly deteriorating vessel as it has been slowly leaking and causing an oil sheen in the area.  Quantity of heavy fuel oil on board could range upwards of 155,000 gallons.  To make things even more interesting, the site of the shipwreck lies right off the new NOAA Ted Stevens Marine Research Facility built upon the rocky point of land that the ship ran aground on.

Built in 1924 by John Brown & Company in Scotland, the ship was operated by the Canadian Pacific Railroad’s BC Coast Steamships.  She was twin screw, powered by compound steam turbines that drove her at 22.5 knots.  Princess Kathleen came in at 5,875 gross tons, with overall an overall length of 369ft. and a 60ft. beam.  She briefly served as a troop ship during World War II, and then went back into service as a passenger liner plying the coast of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.  She was known for her luxury, and impeccable cleanliness.  Accounts from engineers who served on board her reported that the engine room was kept in imaculate condition, with deck plates painted freshly painted each month and all brass and copper fittings and lines highly polished.  The fleet of “Princess” ships were known as one of the finest coastal cruising fleets in the world.

This account from the Cruise Bruise blog tells the story:

The vessel was sailing towards Skagway, having entered Favorite Channel. The Channel is located north of Stephens Passage, between Shelter Island and the mainland. She had 307 passengers and 80 crew aboard when the steamship, captained by Graham O. Hughs hit the rocks at Point Lena.

At the time of the sinking, around 0300 hours as passengers and most crew slept, Chief Officer Charles W. Savage was on the bridge. Savage would later say though the ship had radar, it had not been turned on. A company spokesman told the press that whether or not to turn on the radar was a decision made by the officer in charge and apparently Savage did not deem the situation radar worthy as it traveled off shore at a speed said to be 9 knots.

The shipwreck was destined for a horror story, to be sure. Initially, Savage’s crew sent out an SOS on the wrong frequency. It would be two hours later before the United States Coast Guard would become aware a Canadian ship had been grounded on their shores.

When the USCG got wind of the plight of the Princess Kathleen, they immediately sent a cutter that had been towing a fishing vessel to the scene. The rescue ship arrived around 0630 hours to begin the evacuation of passengers who had already begun to make their way onto what they thought was an island.

The evacuation took a toll on the passengers, as many hiked through the bush to get to a road where vehicles were waiting to transport them into town. One passenger suffering a heart attack soon after arriving at the Baranof Hotel.

Passengers would be compensated with a complete refund of their fare, and an average of $1,000 for property loss.

Later that day as the tide rose, Princess Kathleen slipped further and further off the rocks and into the sea. Her bow rests about 50 below the surface of the water, the stern 120 feet below, with about an 80 degree list. She had 155,000 gallons of bunker C fuel or also known as No. 6 fuel oil on board when she sunk.

Over 50 years later, a ship that had become a favorite dive location for divers with a fondness for sunken ships, now has people wondering, what were our parents thinking, when they left that ship to pollute the pristine Alaskan waters, without repercussions to the Canadian company that owned it.

NOAA DATA

Rec. No.: 50212

Lat Dec.: 58,3951888888889

Long Dec.: 134,779272222222

Source: Direct

Lat 83: 58/23/42.68

Long 83: 134/46/45.38

Quality: High

Nativ Lat: 58/23/42.68

Nativ Lon: 134/46/45.38

Nat.Datum: North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

Chart No.: 17316 [to NOAA chart]

Area: [O] Canadian Border to Point Manby

Cart. code: [cart.100] [cart. code: 100] submerged wreck, dangerous to navigation

Sound. code: [sndg.130] soundings in fathoms and tenths

Depth: 4,3

Quadrant: 2

Reference: [ref.20] Guide to Sunken Ships in American Waters. A., A.L. Lonsdale and H.R. Kaplan, Compass Publications, 1964. (out of print)

HISTORY:

HISTORY NM40/52(10/4/52)–S.S. PRINCESS KATHLEEN LIES SUNK IN 20FMS OF WATER, WITH FOREMOST SHOWING AT LOW WATER, ABOUT 100 YARDS WESTERLY OF POINT LENA IN LAT 58-28-44N, LONG 134-46-42W(NAD27) (PA). NM41/52(10/11/52)–WK BUOY ESTABLISHED NM39/53(9/26/53)–WK BUOY DISCONTINUED, THERE IS REPORTED TO BE A MINIMUM DEPTH OF 40FT AT MLLW OVER THE WK. (UPDATED 12/95 RWD) H10682/96–PRINCESS KATHLEEN (SUBM 4.3FM AT MLLW), DIVE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE WRECK LAYING ON HER PORT SIDE, BOW FACING NORTH, WITH HER MASTS EXTENDING DOWNWARD AND OFFSHORE, POSITION GIVEN IN LAT 58-23-42.68N, LONG 134-46-45.38W. (UPDATED 1/97 RWD)

Historic reports indicate periodic oil discharges and sheens from the vessel in the years following the sinking. Spill reports from the last decade include similar reports of sheen and oil in the area. Recently, there has been an increase in the frequency of reports; possibly indicating a recent change in the vessel’s condition. In response to these reports the United States Coast Guard (USCG) opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) to assess the condition of the vessel.

USCG contracted with Southeast Alaska Lighterage and Global Offshore Divers to evaluate damage to the vessel through the use of two remotely operated vehicles (ROV). The ROVs dove on the wreck on February 17, 18 and 19, 2010. The ROVs discovered bunker oil trapped inside the superstructure of the vessel, during certain tides the bunker oil is able to escape through broken portholes.

The Coast Guard and the State of Alaska have established a Unified Command to assess the quantity of oil on board and possibly commence removal operations.  The Unified Command website can be found HERE.

The Obama administration is increasingly facing on the Coast Guard 2011 fiscal year budget proposal criticism following the scornful hearing with the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation this past Thursday.

The Coast Guard unlike the Department of Defense is facing a shrinking budget while trying to maintain some of the oldest ships and aircraft in the U.S. Fleet.  Many argue that the Defense Department has been given far too much leeway to spend money on large cumbersome projects while the Coast Guard is forced to cut spending due to its placement in the Department of Homeland Security which receives far less support on budgetary issues than the larger Department of Defense.

Since the Coast Guard is also a regulatory agency for the maritime industry, mariners and those connected to the maritime industry have reason for concern over the proposed budget cuts.  Constrained resources could effect everything from regulatory oversight, marine safety prevention activities, and search and rescue response.  Many in the industry are watching this topic very closely.

The New York Times just published an Op-Ed piece titled “Putting the Coast Guard Out to Sea.”

DESPITE the pressing need to cut government spending, under President Obama’s spending proposal all the nation’s military services are set to see their budgets increase — all, that is, except the Coast Guard, the nation’s chronically overburdened maritime force, responsible for everything from global search and rescue to port security.

Under the president’s proposal, the Coast Guard’s budget will decline by 3 percent, to $10.1 billion, smaller than many medium-sized agencies under the other services. It’s a puzzling decision, considering the increasingly critical role the Coast Guard plays in protecting the national security interests of the United States — and considering that many much less vital military programs have been spared.

Beyond combating drug smuggling and international piracy, the 41,000-member Coast Guard is our nation’s first line of defense against nuclear terrorism. If someone wanted to detonate a nuclear bomb in this country, would hebe more likely to launch it on a missile with a return address, or would he try to smuggle it in a container through one of our ports? The latter, obviously — and the Coast Guard’s Port Security Units would play a pivotal role in stopping him.

The Coast Guard is also our nation’s first responder to natural disasters and maritime emergencies, both at home and abroad. The service played a vital role in the American assistance effort after the 2004 Asian tsunami; at home, it rescued nearly 25,000 people and medically evacuated close to 10,000 after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Coast Guard cutters were also the first American ships to arrive after the devastating earthquake in Haiti last month. It helped evacuate the first Americans and has continued to provide crucial search and rescue and medical assistance there.

All this activity is already straining the Coast Guard budget. Most of the 19 cutters that were sent to Haiti eventually needed help themselves — thanks in large part to their age, 12 of them suffered severe problems at sea, and three required emergency dry-dock repairs. That’s not surprising, since the average “high endurance” cutter is 41 years old, compared to 14 years for the average Navy ship. The fleet’s deteriorating condition, in the words of the Coast Guard commandant,Adm. Thad Allen, is “putting our crews at risk, jeopardizing the ability to do our job.”

True, the deficit means painful cuts have to be made somewhere. But consider some of the programs that haven’t been cut, like the missile defense program. Although it has yet to be successfully tested under realistic conditions, it will receive more funds in the proposed 2011 defense budget than the entire Coast Guard.

Why has the Obama administration taken to slashing the budget of such a critical military service, while allowing the budgets of other defense programs and of the four other services to increase significantly? Because unlike the programs and services grouped under the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security, and therefore must compete for scarce dollars with its 22 other agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration. The Pentagon, in contrast, receives virtually unconstrained defense funding, which has doubled in real terms in the last 10 years.

Read more….

Here is another article from the Marine Log

Cummings “deeply, deeply” concerned” by Coast Guard budget cuts

Republican members of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee were critical of cuts in the FY 2011 Coast Guard budget request just as soon as it appeared.

Now it seems Democrats also have misgivings.

“There is no way to sugar coat what the impact of these proposed cuts would be: they will reduce the capacity of the Coast Guard to carry out its missions,” declared Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation at a hearing on the FY 2011 budget requests for the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, and the Federal Maritime Commission.

Chairman Cummings noted in an opening statement that the Administration is requesting approximately $9.6 billion in FY 2011 for the Coast Guard — approximately $35 million below the FY 2010 enacted appropriation.

“To achieve the budget reductions proposed in the Coast Guard’s fiscal year 2011 budget, while generally preserving the budget for asset recapitalizations, the budget request proposes a number of cuts in the Coast Guard’s operations,” said Chairman Cummngs. “Specifically, the budget proposes to reduce the size of the Coast Guard’s military workforce by 1,112 positions while increasing the number of civilian personnel by 339 positions, yielding a net reduction of 773 positions.”

“The decrease in the number of military personnel results largely from the proposed decommissioning of assets,” he continued. “The budget proposes decommissioning five cutters, including four High Endurance Cutters. These decommissionings will result in the loss of approximately 5,000 cutter mission hours in fiscal year 2011. The budget also proposes to remove several HH-65 helicopters from service, close two seasonal air facilities, retire four Falcon jets, and decommission five Maritime Safety and Security Teams.”

He said the impact of the cuts is reflected in the Coast Guard’s performance measure estimates for FY 2011. For example, the Coast Guard has lowered from 18.5 percent in FY 2010 to 15.5 percent in FY 2011 the projected target removal rate for cocaine from non-commercial vessels in maritime transit.

“In plain English,” said the Chairman, “according to the Coast Guard’s own performance measures, reduced patrol hours will likely mean that fewer drugs will be interdicted at sea. Other performance indicators have also been lowered.”

“I am deeply, deeply concerned by the proposed reductions in the Coast Guard’s budget,” declared the Chairman.

“I firmly believe that the Coast Guard’s budget needs to be equal to our nation’s requirements for the Coast Guard’s services – and this budget simply does not meet that standard,” he said.

Turning to the Maritime Administration’s FY 2011 budget request, Chairman Cummings noted that “despite what

appears to be a significant demand for assistance among small shipyards, there is no request for funds for the Assistance to Small Shipyards Program.”

The Chairman also noted that while Marad is currently reviewing applications for Title XI loan guarantees for projects that would cover approximately $2.6 billion in loans for a variety of projects at shipyards on all coasts, the FY 2011 budget request for Title XI is only $3.7 million — the amount of funding needed to administer the existing loan portfolio.”

The tropical paradise of St. Lucia is dealing with the aftermath of the 6704 GT container ship ANGELN (IMO: 9298600) which capsized and partially sank just off the island’s coast near Vieux-Fort.  The video posted above provides a glimpse of the capsized vessel, and the cargo which has drifted ashore.  No lives were lost in the incident, but the cause of the sinking may have been a sudden starboard list according to some news reports.

Owned by Germany’s Brise Bereederungs, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged 657-teu Angeln (built 2004) was en route to Guyana when the incident occurred. The accident happened late Sunday night after the ship departed the port of Vieux-Fort.

The cause of the sinking is unknown and somewhat mysterious. According to a statement released by Brise, the weather conditions at the time of the accident were fair, the ship did not touch ground and a collision did not take place.

The following is the official statement from Brise:

The container ship mv “ANGELN”, managed by BRISE Bereederungs GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg, and sailing for a United States charterer, sunk off the coast of the island of St. Lucia on 21 February 2010. The crew managed to escape in sufficient time and is doing well, considering the circumstances. The following information is currently known: the accident occurred between 9.30 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. local time while departing from the Port of Vieux- Fort. No leakage of fuel has been observed from the vessel. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were good. The ship did not touch ground and a collision did not take place. “To further clarify matters, we have involved vessel’s hull and machinery underwriters as well as the P&I Club into the latest investigation findings. The cooperation is constructive and running smoothly. It is now of high importance for us to take all steps to protect the environment. We have commissioned Titan Salvage to review the possibility of salvaging the
ship under Lloyd’s Open Form as well as secure the accident site for shipping activities in the port of Vieux Fort”, reports Kai-Erik Clemmesen, Managing Partner of BRISE Bereederungs GmbH & Co. KG.

More information about the ship: the m/v “ANGELN” was built in 2004 at the Zhoushan Shipyard, China. It has a volume capacity of 660 TEU, and since it went into service, has not experienced any noteworthy technical irregularities. The last dry-docking to confirm its class by Germanischer Lloyd took place in March 2009. At the time of the accident, the “mv “ANGELN” accommodated a crew of 15 and was sailing under the flag of Antigua & Barbuda for a United States charterer in the container service route Trinidad – St. Lucia – Barbados – Suriname – Guyana – Trinidad.

The M/V ANGELN - File photo (Pascal Bredel/http://shipspotting.com)

The C5-S-75a Class - Drawing by Karsten-Kunibert Krueger-Kopiske 2007

The C-5-S-75a class cargo ship is one of the last remaining bulk cargo ships that remain in service under the U.S. Flag.

An old shot of the President Taylor (shipspotting.com)

A total of 5 ships were constructed under this class at the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. in Newport News, VA from 1968 to 1969.  They entered the fleet just as containerization began to take hold, and thus were also one of the last break-bulk cargo ships build in an American shipyard. Initially all owned by the American Mail Lines, they were all eventually bought by the American President Lines (APL).

The 5 ships in the class were (current disposition/status in parentheses):

S.S. Alaskan Mail (S.S. Cape Girardeau – MARAD RRF)

S.S. Indian Mail (S.S. Cape Gibson – MARAD RRF)

S.S. American Mail (S.S. Cleveland – Sold for scrap, 2009)

S.S. Korea Mail (Scrapped, 1995)

S.S. Hong Kong Mail (Scrapped, 2008)

With excellent lines, a cruising speed of 21 knots, and passenger capacity of 12, these ships were truly proud and capable ships that represented what could be described as the Cadillac’s of the U.S. fleet at the time.  The ships were known to be interesting and a pleasure to serve on.  They had an elaborate library, a card room with etched glass partitions, mahogany furniture, and officer and crew messes on different decks.

The extremely detailed and excellent historical website on the U.S. Maritime Commission http://usmaritimecommission.de provides a historical summary of this class:

When Newport News delivered the ALASKAN MAIL to the American Mail Line Ltd.of Seattle, Washington they were the largest general cargoliners at this time. One characteristic feature on this vessel will be the Bipood masts designed by MacGregor. American Mail, incidentally, was the first U.S.vessel operator to adopt the Bipod mast cargo handling system in 1959, and the continued usage on all their subsequently built ships has made the distinctive appearing Bipod the pre-dominently recognizable characteristic of its Fleet. Designed for any kind of cargo the vessel can carry in various amounts breakbulk, liquid cargo and containers and made this vessels to the most versatile cargo ships at this time. Main turbines and gears were constructed by General Electric Corp. The main engine is a cross compound, double-reduction gear type with L-P and H-P turbine developing 21,600 shp at 102 rpm and 24,000 shp at 105 rpm. In October 1973 ALASKAN MAIL was sold to APL. In April she was renamed to PRESIDENT ADAMS. In April 1988 title was transferred to Marad and she was renamed to CAPE GIRARDEAU. INDIAN and KOREAN MAIL also sold to APL and renamed to PRESIDENT JACKSON and PRESIDENT TAYLOR. In March 1988 PRESIDENT JACKSON was transferred to Marad and renamed to CAPE GIBSON. PRESIDENT TAYLOR was sold in January 1989 to Lykes and renamed to STELLA LYKES. HONGKONG MAIL was sold in May 1978 to APL and renamed to PRESIDENT WILSON. She was again resold in May 1987 to Lykes and renamed to SUE LYKES. A remarkable career has the last ship of this class the AMERICAN MAIL. Delivered in October 1969, she was sold to APL in May 1978 and renamed to PRESIDENT CLEVELAND. Again resold in November 1988 to the New York based Victory Maritime Inc.and renamed in February 1989 to CLEVELAND, she is by this time (2007) still in service and one of the last remaining vessels of this time.

Find an even more detailed description of the class here.

A recent photo of the S.S. Wilson

The S.S. Cleveland shortly before scrapping. (shipspotting.com)

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!

The culprit - A rag! Not the best way to plug a crack in the side of a ship.

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.

TradeWinds reports the following:

The ship is controlled by North Western Shipping of St Petersburg, which Equasis ties to a fleet of 80 vessels, mostly general cargo ships. The company’s managing director could not be immediately reached for comment after local business hours Friday.

Here’s the story from TradeWinds.

The M/V Baltiyskiy-110 (File photo/Shipspotting.com (Moolen)

This week I’d like to take a moment to profile a marine engineering firm that is bringing a passion for ships directly into their business model.  CB Marine Design, lead by CEO Joseph Wrinn, is taking a unique approach towards marine engineering design by bringing  a love for ships into their work.  After all, they titled their website weloveyourship.com and promise to “love your ship!”

CB Marine Design specializes in providing design and drawing support for diverse types of shipyard projects.  They have recently been working on providing design services for the sub tender, USS Emory S. Land, which has been in drydock in Portland, OR at the Vigor Marine facility.  USS Emory S. Land is one of only two sub tenders in the U.S. Fleet.  She has recently been undergoing a major dyrdock/repair availability to complete a transition to being operated by the Military Sealift Command with a joint CIVMAR/USN crew.

One of the specialties of CB Marine Design is redline drawings.

Here is a short excerpt from CB Marine’s most recent newsletter describing the importance of redline drawings:

Redline Diagrams are among the more important documents found on a vessel, yet many times they are overlooked and underutilized.
A ship is a floating city full of systems, tangles of cables, and pipe mazes. How do you keep track of all of the systems? Through the use of drawings. Though the drawing names may have different labels, and may appear in different places throughout the industry, everyone recognizes the need for these drawings.

Some might call them schematics, one lines, system diagrams, or even “Selected Record Drawings”. What do they all have in common? All of the drawings listed above show various systems not in beautiful 3-D, but rather in single line format. The drawings listed above show only a small amount of detail, but the beauty is hidden in these tiny details.

All ships have a library full of well worn system diagrams, especially for the piping and electrical systems. These drawings show the major system equipment and the connecting materials, be it pipe or cabling. The ship’s crew use these drawings to track down the remote valves and far flung electrical panels, mostly in an effort to solve a particular problem. In many cases, these well worn copies were originally created at the time of the ship’s construction and have not been updated to reflect the present condition of the ship. For the most part this is not a problem, but if the ship has gone through a major overhaul, or has had major equipment modifications, this drawing becomes less useful.

To learn more about redline drawings and the services that CB Marine Design offers, visit weloveyourship.com

This past Tuesday, Feb 8th 2010 marked the end of one of the longest running terrestrial radio navigation systems, the U.S.  LORAN-C (LOng RAnge Navigation) system.  In accordance with the 2010 DHS Appropriations Act, the U.S. Coast Guard terminated the transmission of all U.S. LORAN-C signals on 08 Feb 2010 at 2000 GMT.  This termination does not affect U.S. participation in the Russian American or Canadian LORAN-C chains. U.S. participation in these chains will continue temporarily in accordance with international agreements, although Canada has announced it will cease transmissions on or before 01 October 2010.

For many traditionalists and old timers, the termination of LORAN-C was not necessarily an agreeable option.  Many argue that LORAN-C provides one of the best back-up navigation systems to the Department of Defense operated GPS.  LORAN-C was also used by many fisherman to aid in setting gear.  Will we need or wish we still had LORAN someday?  That is anybody’s guess, but for now, the U.S. chains are silent after 67 years of operation.

KODIAK, Alaska - Electronics Technician 3rd Class Robert Perkins works on the Loran Station Narrow Cape signal during the termination of the Gulf of Alaska signal Feb. 8, 2010. Perkins was stationed at the Kodiak Island unit directly out of Electronics Technician "A" school and has served for a year and a half. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

The following are the remarks of CDR Gary M. Thomas, Commanding Officer US Coast Guard Loran Support Unit
Wildwood, New Jersey:

Yesterday, VADM Papp presided over the termination of the Loran C signal transmission after more than 67 years of Coast Guard involvement with Loran, in accordance with the President’s intent and the 2010 Coast Guard Appropriation law. The Coast Guard’s Navigation Center (NAVCEN), who was the Operational Commander of the Loran C system, was charged with development of the Operations Order to execute the termination of the signal. At 1958Z, CAPT Ed Thiedeman, Commanding Officer of the NAVCEN, gave the order for all stations to secure transmission of the Loran C signal, bring to close era of radio navigation, one in which the United States Coast Guard established the Gold Standard for engineering, operations and system availability.

As the reports confirming signal termination rolled in, starting with the Northeast United States chain and moving from east to west, finally finishing with Alaska, there was more than one person who felt a bit saddened when they heard stations that they had served at call out that the signal had been secured. The securing of the transmitters left an eerie quiet for a system that was known worldwide for its 99.7% system availability and 99.9% system performance. The quiet poignantly marked the end of an era.

Admiral Allen, who witnessed the event while at the Loran Support Unit (LSU), had a hand in securing the last signal, when the LSU secured their test rate as the last station to broadcast a Loran C signal for the United States. Standing along side, and with the assistance of a veteran of Loran A service from the 1950s and two veterans of Loran C service dating back to the 1960s, Admiral Allen threw the switch securing the signal transmission of the 8090 Master Test rate for the final time.

Following the securing of the transmitters, celebrations were held at both NAVCEN and the LSU. However, the celebrations were not about securing the signal, but rather to honor the service of the men and women who stood the watch for more than 65 years, from remote places like Attu, Alaska so far west that they say “From Here You Can See Tomorrow”, to small islands like Johnston Island which had the Loran station and little more, to Havre, Montana where the tower was the tallest structure for miles, to Sylt, Germany and many other European, Mediterranean and Pacific countries. It was never the most glamorous duty available, but it was one of the most critical duties that help our country navigation through several wars and showed the civilian community just what could be done with precision position, navigation and timing services.

At the LSU, the event was closed with a simple toast “To those who stood the watch” to recognize all who did and all of the men and women, military and civilian, who supported them.

For an excellent read on the termination of LORAN-C, check out the article at Towmasters – “Lots of eggs, one basket:  Loran-C Signal Shut Down.”

KODIAK, Alaska - Coast Guard Loran-C Station Narrow Cape's 625-foot tower stands silent after the ceremony for switching off the loran signal Feb. 8, 2010. The loran signal has been operating for 67 years, 8 months, and 24 days from May 25, 1942 to Feb. 8, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally.

HONOLULU - The fishing vessel Hou Chun 11 burns 900 miles southwest of Honolulu, Feb. 8, 2010. Coast Guard crews from Hawaii and Alaska responded to the 28-member crew of the fishing vessel and provided medical assistance. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Air Station Barbers Point.

The U.S. Coast Guard has completed a dramatic rescue of 28 crew members from the Taiwanese-flagged F/V Hou Chun 11 in the Pacific Ocean, just North of Kingman Reef, approximately 1000 NM South of Hawaii.  The fishing vessel caught fire, forcing the 28 crew members to abandon ship into liferafts.  There are reports of several crew members suffering burns from the incident, but it appears all have survived.  The rescue was conducted by the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley and with air support from a U.S. Navy P-3 and a Coast Guard C-130 from Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii.

HONOLULU - Life rafts from the disabled fishing vessel Hou Chun 11 float 900 miles southwest of Honolulu, Feb. 8, 2010. Coast Guard crews from Hawaii and Alaska responded to the 28-member crew and provided medical assistance. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Air Station Barbers Point.

Coast Guard Press Release:

Coast Guard crews have located the 28-member crew of the disabled fishing vessel Hou Chun 11 early Tuesday morning and are providing medical care to injured crew members.

Corpsmen aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley are treating two Hou Chun 11 crew members who are reported to have suffered burns. The Alex Haley will transit to Christmas Island, Kiribati, where the two burn victims are scheduled to be medically evacuated.

The Alex Haley arrived on scene at approximately 3 a.m. Tuesday. A Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules aircrew remained on scene after the Alex Haley arrived to coordinate the exact position of the life rafts.

Coast Guard and U.S. Navy aircrews remained on scene throughout the night.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center watchstanders received the call here Monday at 7:30 a.m. about a fire aboard the fishing vessel Hou Chun 11 and launched a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules at 10 a.m. to the vessel’s location 900 miles southwest of Honolulu. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley, homeported in Kodiak, Alaska, and a U.S. Navy P-3 aircrew also responded to the call.

The Coast Guard posted a short video of the liferafts -

(PACIFIC OCEAN) -- The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley rescues 28-members of the Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel Hou Chun 11, two of which were suffering from significant burns, 900 miles southwest of Honolulu, Feb. 9, 2010, after a shipboard fire forced the crew to abandon ship into liferafts in 35 mph winds and 8 to 10 foot seas. The crew of the Alex Haley is transporting the crew to Christmas Island, Kiribati, where the two injured crewmen will be medevaced by Coast Guard C-130 to advanced medical facilities in Honolulu Wednesday afternoon and the remaining crewmen will board another fishing vessel to return to Taiwan. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley.

(PACIFIC OCEAN) -- The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley rescues 28-members of the Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel Hou Chun 11, two of which were suffering from significant burns, 900 miles southwest of Honolulu, Feb. 9, 2010, after a shipboard fire forced the crew to abandon ship into liferafts in 35 mph winds and 8 to 10 foot seas. The crew of the Alex Haley is transporting the crew to Christmas Island, Kiribati, where the two injured crewmen will be medevaced by Coast Guard C-130 to advanced medical facilities in Honolulu Wednesday afternoon and the remaining crewmen will board another fishing vessel to return to Taiwan. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley.

(PACIFIC OCEAN) -- The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley rescues 28-members of the Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel Hou Chun 11, two of which were suffering from significant burns, 900 miles southwest of Honolulu, Feb. 9, 2010, after a shipboard fire forced the crew to abandon ship into liferafts in 35 mph winds and 8 to 10 foot seas. The crew of the Alex Haley is transporting the crew to Christmas Island, Kiribati, where the two injured crewmen will be medevaced by Coast Guard C-130 to advanced medical facilities in Honolulu Wednesday afternoon and the remaining crewmen will board another fishing vessel to return to Taiwan. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley.