HARD HAT

American Club has New Principal Surveyor

John Poulson Rejoins Management Team.   Well-known surveyor John Poulson, a highly-experienced former mariner, is rejoining the American P&I Club’s management team on February 1 as vice president, principal surveyor and head of the survey and technical department. He worked with the club’s managers for several years in the middle of the last decade before moving to GL Noble Denton (as it is now), New York, where he had oversight and responsibility for that company’s operations throughout the Americas. John Poulson brings a wealth of ‘hard hat’ experience to his new role, and Joe Hughes, chairman and ceo of Shipowners Claims Bureau Inc., the managers, said they were delighted to welcome back such a well-known and respected member of the international surveying/technical community.   Having risen to chief engineer, at the age of 28, during his seagoing career with leading British and German shipowners, John Poulson worked for many years for The Salvage Association and for BMT Salvage Ltd., in the UK, continental Europe and the US. He has been based in New York for nearly 20 years, and was chairman of the American Association of Average Adjusters in 2006. He will now be responsible for the implementation and co-ordination of the American Club’s extensive survey, loss prevention, advisory and technical activities.The club’s managers also report the departure of Captain Richard J

Woolly Hat Week Inspires Knitting Frenzy

The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society Supports Campaign to Help Sailors. Sailors are renowned for spinning a good yarn, however on this occasion it is a volunteer at the land-locked Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society who has been getting busy with her knitting needles to make hats for mariners as part of Woolly Hat Week (6-13 Feb). Maureen Phillips has spearheaded a knitting frenzy at the care home, which provides dedicated accommodation and care to former seafarers

Rigdon Christens and Delivers Hat Trick

Rigdon Marine Corporation (RMC), announced the christening and delivery of the Hat Trick in  Christina Teague, wife of John Teague, RMC’s Vice President of QHSE christened the seventh of ten Rigdon 4000 Class vessel with the traditional champagne against the bow.  Upon delivery, the Hat Trick was deployed on a term contract to an oil major in the U.S. GOM. The Hat Trick is a 190 x 46  x 18-ft., diesel electric, DP-2 PSV, which features a capacity of 4

Containers Salvaged From Rena Wreck Number 1000

The Braemar Howells/Unimar latest update informs recovery milestone passed, there now remain 365 containers to recover. A total of 1368 containers were onboard the Renawhen grounded on the Astrolabe Reef nearly on 5 October 2011. Braemar Operations Manager Mike Richards says the milestone was reached this week after the positive identification of more container parts hauled up from the seabed at the wreck site. "We take our hats off to all those involved in the ongoing joint

This Day in Coast Guard History – Jan. 14

1942- A Coast Guard aircraft, Hall PH-3 No. V-177, dropped food to a raft with 6 survivors of a torpedoed tanker. 1985-Vice President George Bush made an official visit to Base Miami Beach to extend the thanks of the nation to those involved in Operation Hat Trick,  an "all-out" effort to stop smugglers soon after they had left ports in Central and South America.  The vice president decorated 15 Coast Guardsmen.

This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History – January 14

1942- A Coast Guard aircraft, Hall PH-3 No. V-177, dropped food to a raft with 6 survivors of a torpedoed tanker. 1985-Vice President George Bush made an official visit to Base Miami Beach to extend the thanks of the nation to those involved in Operation Hat Trick,  an "all-out" effort to stop smugglers soon after they had left ports in Central and South America.  The vice president decorated 15 Coast Guardsmen.

NAVSEA Dahlgren Develops Helpful Device

NAVSEA Dalgren?s Coastal Systems Station (CCS) has developed a hands free communications device. This device could produce life saving results for the individual firefighter who would have an improved ability to communicate in high noise situations. The head contact microphone, usually mounted into the headband of a hat or helmet, transmits spoken words from the wearer through physical contact of a transducer with the human cranium

Maryland Coast Guard Station Wins Award

The crew of Coast Guard Station Oxford, Md., recieved the Sumner I. Kimball Award for superior readiness Tuesday. Coast Guard Captains Neil Buschman, Fifth District chief of staff, and Brian D. Kelley, commander of Sector Baltimore, presided over the ceremony. The Sumner I. Kimball Award recognizes excellence in crew proficiency, boat and personal protective equipment condition and compliance with established training documentation requirements

HSBC: P&I Clubs Must Improve Underwriting Performance

Inferior underwriting results and inadequate or even negative investment income continue to haunt P&I clubs, says Lloyd's broker and P&I specialist HSBC Insurance Brokers in its Protection & Indemnity Review 2003. HSBC says the market environment for the traditional February renewal will be hard. "Realistically," it notes, "there is some way to go before the clubs move back into an underwriting surplus, or even underwriting balance."

WSF Bremerton on One-Boat Schedule

Washington State Ferries (WSF) announced that the Seattle/Bremerton ferry route is operating with one vessel after one of the route’s two vessels was pulled from service early in the morning on Feb. 8. The 144-car Yakima sustained damage and began taking on water after a hard landing and was immediately removed from service. The U.S. Coast Guard and Washington State Ferries are both conducting investigations into the incident