El Faro Captain Ordered Crew to Abandon Ship before Sinking
The captain of the doomed El Faro cargo ship sounded an alarm for his crew to abandon the vessel shortly before it sank last fall in a hurricane near the Bahamas, killing all 33 onboard, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said on Wednesday. Twenty-six hours of newly recovered audio, captured by microphones on the ship's bridge, offer chilling detail into the final hours before the 790-foot (241-meter) ship sank on Oct. 1, after sailing into Hurricane Joaquin on a routine cargo run between Florida and Puerto Rico. The NTSB released preliminary details from information it recovered from the ship's voyage data recorder, found earlier this month on the ocean floor after a 10-month search.
Former CIA Spy Ship Becomes Victim of Oil Slump
A ship built by the CIA for a secret Cold War mission in 1974 to raise a sunken Soviet sub is heading to the scrap yard, a victim of the slide in oil prices. Christened the Hughes Glomar Explorer, after billionaire Howard Hughes was brought in on the CIA's deception, the 619-foot vessel eventually became part of the fleet of ships used by Swiss company Transocean to drill for oil. But the oil price rout means the former spy ship now called GSF Explorer is just one of 40 such offshore drilling rigs that have been consigned to scrap since last year.
Port of Long Beach Appoint Michael Gold Director of Communications
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has selected Michael Gold as Director of Communications & Community Relations for the Port of Long Beach, beginning in mid-July. The Board voted Gold to the post at their July 1 meeting, following a six-month search to replace Heather Morris, who retired after heading the department for more than eight years. Gold has been working in the public affairs and legislative fields for more than 16 years. Prior to joining the Port of Long Beach…
Royal Caribbean Names Godmother of Liberty of Seas
After a six month search, Royal Caribbean International today named travel agent Donnalea Madaley godmother of the cruise line’s newest ship, Liberty of the Seas, at Cruise Lines International Association’s Cruise3Sixty conference. Donnalea, of Ontario-based Marlin Travel, was selected from among nearly 2,500 nominations of exemplary women travel agents who have demonstrated dedication to philanthropy and service in their communities. In the spirit of maritime tradition, Donnalea will participate in the naming ceremony of Liberty on May 18, 2007, and help launch the cruise ship, a prestigious role often performed by dignitaries and celebrities.
