Tropical Storm Kate Halts El Faro Salvage Operation
Salvage operations for the sunken cargo ship El Faro were suspended on Friday due to Tropical Storm Kate, which moved through the Bahamas with winds of 45 miles (75 km) per hour, U.S. authorities said. The El Faro sank off the southern Bahamas in a hurricane last month with the loss of 33 mostly American crew. Its wreck was located on the seafloor in 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) of water a little over a week ago. A U.S. Navy salvage tug, Apache, is searching for the ship's bridge and voyage data recorder, which became separated from the wreck, the U.S.
Main Cause of NW African Search and Rescues: Fishermen
Fishermen with poor communications and safety equipment are one of the main reasons for search and rescue (SAR) call-outs off the coasts of North and West Africa. This was one of the main issues raised at the North West African meeting of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) recently held in Gran Canaria. As well as representatives from the region several European SAR organisations also attended. The meeting was told that along the coast of Senegal alone there are some 13,000 artisanal fishermen, who often are not equipped to alert the authorities if they get into trouble.
NTSB to Investigate SFO Allision
NTSB investigating allision between oil tanker and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The National Transportation Safety Board today announced it is investigating an allision Monday between the oil tanker Overseas Reymar and one of the supports of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The NTSB named Barry Strauch the investigator-in-charge. Strauch will coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard, which classified the accident today as a "major marine casualty," because the incident exceeded the threshold of more than $500,000 in property damage.
Multiple Factors Caused Container Ship Accident
The National Transportation Safety Board determined on Feb. 18 that a medically unfit pilot, an ineffective master, and poor communications between the two were the cause of an accident in which the Cosco Busan container ship spilled thousands of gallons of fuel oil into the San Francisco Bay after striking a bridge support tower. On November 7, 2007, at about 8:00 a.m. PST, in heavy fog with visibility of less than a quarter mile, the Hong Kong- registered, 901 ft container ship M/V Cosco Busan left its berth in the Port of Oakland destined for South Korea. The San Francisco Bay pilot, who was attempting to navigate the ship between the Delta and Echo support towers of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge…
Editorial:Price, Quality, Schedule
That's the sign I saw once in a Maine boatyard. Big, bold letters. Underneath it said, "Pick two". That's the dilemma for any provider of goods or services. Low price, high quality, quick schedule. Our customers want all three objectives, our industry often has challenges in providing just one of those goals. As the president of a naval architecture firm I have asked myself how we can deliver a better product on schedule at a competitive price. If a trade-off must be made, do clients want lower cost and higher risk in the shipyard? Do they understand that a properly scheduled job allows for better shipchecks and good information (hopefully) from the vendors? If budget is the overriding issue, what documents need to be produced by the engineering firm to achieve that result?
