Heroic Titanic Engineer’s Memorial Restored
Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer aboard RMS Titanic, is considered national hero for his actions in the ship’s engine room as she met her fate on April 15, 1912. In acts of fearless self sacrifice, Bell, along with his fellow engineers, courageously fought to maintain the ship’s power systems, even when they learned all was lost. Though most of these men died, firsthand accounts revealed their bravery helped to save many lives. An appeal was launched in April 2013 to raise funds to conserve the memorial to Bell and his fellow engineers in Bell’s hometown, Farlam, Cumbria.
Insider Novel Sheds New Light on Oil Spills
A new novel, The Golden Tide, written by global shipping industry insider John Guy, is now available on Amazon as a paperback and ebook for Kindle. The fast-moving book is easy to read and puts a well-informed and human context on what happens when a coastal community confronts an oil spill. Green activist Simone struggles with her beliefs when she meets journalist Michiel, who shows her how an oil spill threatening Sicily is a bonanza for many locals. Compensation and clean-up money floods into the community…
Book Review: After the Galaxy
“Yes, Mirek. Four men huddled on the bow of the burning, 190-foot fishing vessel Galaxy as the crippled boat foundered on one of the world’s cruelest oceans. Captain Dave Shoemaker was seriously hurt. After the backdraft explosion, he made several desperate attempts to enter the smoke-filled wheelhouse, find a radio and issue a mayday call. Each foray left him puking and gasping, smoke searing his lungs and contact with the steel bulkheads charring his flesh and igniting his clothing. After each attempt, he climbed through an escape hatch onto the roof of the wheelhouse, gasping for air.
ICS to Publish Ebooks
The International Chamber of Shipping has announced that it will be making its publications on best practices for shipping companies available as eBooks. ICS will be using the eReader technology developed by Witherby Seamanship Group (WPG), which is now being widely used by many other bodies producing maritime publications, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The ICS publications to be made available as eBooks from April 2013 will continue to be published on behalf of ICS by Marisec Publications and will only be available from maritime booksellers.
Pirate Alley
Even with a multi-national flotilla of warships, armed security guards on merchant ships, and phalanxes of lawyers making policy and negotiating ransoms, seemingly unsophisticated Somalis and their small, simple skiffs still attack ships on the high seas and hold seafarers, ships and cargos for ever-growing sums of money. Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, a retired naval officer, had a front row seat in the effort to deter and defend against piracy on the high seas. McKnight, who with Michael Hirsh wrote Pirate Alley – Commanding Task Force 151 Off Somalia…
DT&F: Expanding New Yacht Construction Business in U.S.
Following its assessment of activity at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, Dwight Tracy & Friends Yacht Sales announced expansion of its program for representing new construction shipyards, both in the U.S. and Europe. “The current strength of the euro against the U.S. dollar, and the current situation in our domestic new yacht market, makes this a time of opportunity for European yacht buyers in search of first-quality vessels. The key, however, to a successful buying experience is to have representation that is knowledgeable and experienced.
