the horse's mouth

Docking 101.

A skipper's fast track to retirement.

Gee whiz, Joe. Why didn't you wake me for that lecture on docking? 

By the bye, can you make me another drink?

A car ferry has crashed into the harbour wall in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Friday evening in what is being described as a freak accident.

hmmmm......

What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus:]

Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Earl-eye in the morning

Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Put him in the hold with the Captain's daughter,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

Throw him in the lock-up 'til he's sober,
Throw him in the lock-up 'til he's sober,
Throw him in the lock-up 'til he's sober,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

Life At Sea Is Dangerous. Foolhardiness Will Not Be Rewarded.

Go out onto the deck in rough seas and in the blink of of an eye you're gone.

Hard To Port, Hard To Port!

Close call.
Via gCaptain.

The Future Of Ships At Sea. Crew, We Don't Need No Freakin Crew.

Say goodbye to the Somali pirates revenue stream.
I wonder if these technological wonders will have the capability to launch killer flying drones?

Coming soon to an ocean near you.
Funny thing, in order to achieve crewless vessels, the eggheads are going to have to load these ships with miles of wires and a lot of electronics. Hello, corrosion! Talk about a moist robot. So good luck with that guys. 

Wrecks On Wednesday. Ah-Oh, Joe. It Looks Like Snow.

The Tall Ship Sloop Providence, Rhode Island’s Official Flagship and Tall Ship Ambassador, has suffered damage after toppling over in blizzard conditions at Newport Shipyard on Tuesday.

The vessel is a 110 foot fully rigged sailing vessel and a faithful replica of John Paul Jones’ famous warship that sank or captured 40 British ships during the American Revolutionary War. It had been hauled at Newport Shipyard and apparently tipped over during the peak of a blizzard that brought gusts upwards of 60 mph to the coast. Read more here.

Hat tip to Matt

Wrecks On Wednesday.

Down she goes to the bottom of Davey Jones' locker.

Wreck: The Amoco Cadiz
She was a very large crude carrier that ran aground on Portsall Rocks, 5 km off the coast of Brittany, France on 16 March 1978.

Wrecks On Wednesday. Adrift At Sea, Hanging On For Dear Life.

The Ninth Wave is the best known painting by Russian Romantic painter Ivan Aivazovsky. He is considered one of the greatest marine artists in history

I'm back, no thanks to the thugs who swarmed Typepad with DDoS Attacks.

Mommy Monday, Also Known As "Holy Shit, We're In Some Heavy Seas." (Moving Pictures)

Extreme weather (Indian ocean) from Bulls Equities on Vimeo.

Yes, boys and girls, I've said it before and I'll say it again, the ocean is not a place for the faint of heart. So, before you decide to sail across the Pacific after taking classes at your local "commercial sailing school" (Will I really learn how to sail in a weekend on a large keelboat, Joe?), get some time out on the water (practice, practice, practice), learn a thing or two about the weather, and maybe, just maybe crew on a boat with experienced ocean sailors. We don't want to launch the "Ready Alert" and look for your sorry a%s.

Via gCaptain.

Wrecks On Wednesday: Spanish Ship Splits In Half. (Moving Pictures)

What happens when your engines give out and you're next to a seawall? Munchola!

The Spanish cargo ship Luno collided into the sea wall at Anglet, after its engines failed. More at the BBC and Hybridcar.com.

Maritime Monday. The Greeks Are Still Great Mariners! (Video)

Fantastic ship handling skills by the crew of the Adamantios Korais (Αδαμάντιος Κοραής) with Captain Isidoros Ligno ( Ισίδωρο Λιγνό) on the bridge.

 

This is what it looks like under normal conditions.

Via gCaptain. Hat tip Pat Brynes.

 

If I've Said It Once, I'll Say It A Thousand Times.

The sea is not for the weak of heart. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Ah Yes, Life At Sea Is Romantic.

Yes, I too think about heading out to sea. Then I remember what it was really like: Salty food, 10 second showers (wet down, soap up, rinse off. Use no more than 1-2 minutes of water!), being surrounded for weeks by the vast endless landless horizon, and hanging out with crazy shipmates who talked to imaginary cats. Of course, I'm sure it's more romantic to be on a small sailboat bouncing around the heavy seas rather than on an aircraft carrier.

note: The reason we could stay at sea for weeks is that we would be resupplied while underway. 

Sometimes, The Last Place You Want To Be Is At The Beach.

Sad is the sailor who loses his boat to the wrath of the sea. But, happy is he whose life is spared.

Wrecks On Wednesday.

I think someone is line for a promotion after such a fantastic display of his navigation skills. Well done, sir! Mind you, the rangers are pissed that you didn't pay the entrance fee.

Wrecks On Wednesday.

If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, this is not a hobie cat!
The Panagia F aground on Shipwreck Beach in Praia Santiago, Angola.

Source: Naval Architecture. Orginal photo from the Daily Mail.

Putt Putt Putt Putt...

What is the sound an old outboard makes?
Spotted on Richardson Bay.

Squirt Gun Fight At Sea!

Credit: REUTERS/Kyodo

A frat party that got out of hand?

"Taiwan recently entered a mounting dispute over islands in the East China Sea by sending ten ships from the Taiwanese coastguard accompanied the fishing boats on their protest, which lasted longer than 24 hours. When near the coast of the islands, Japanese ships got in their way, both sides started firing water cannon at each other. Taiwan's coastguard demanded over a loudspeaker that the Japanese ships respect Taiwan's territory." At least they didn't start shooting live rounds at each other.

"The islands at the center of the dispute are a small archipelago off the coast of Taiwan, claimed by China, Japan, and Taiwan itself. They are dubbed the Senkaku in Japan, the Diaoyu in China and the Tiaoyutai in Taiwan. Japan annexed the islands from China in 1895 and has controlled them ever since, except when the country was administered by the US from 1945 to 1972. The waters surrounding the islands are rich fishing grounds, and a 1968 geological survey discovered possible oil and gas reserves in the area." Ah-ha, follow the money!

Yes kids, adults are mature. You need to pay attention to them.

 

Maritime Monday.

It's not easy being a fisherman.

No fishermen, no halibut.

Lobster Boat.

All praise the lobsterman!

What Do You Mean This Isn't A Beach Cat?

The TK Bremen, a Maltese-flagged freighter, ran aground at the end of last year near the Ria d'Etel (Morbihan).