NAUTICAL LOG

It was on a State Visit by the Austro-Hungarian Archduke and his wife to Serbia that the event occurred which set off World War 1.  While visiting Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 a bomb was thrown in a botched assassination attempt which failed to kill the Archduke but injured several bystanders.  Later in the visit the Royal couple being concerned for those injured decided to visit them in the hospital.  Unfortunately on the way there they were spotted by some of the group sent to assassinate them and both were shot dead by a member of that group.  Sadly their act of kindness somewhat rare in those times by such people led to their assassination. 



Even worse of course was that the Austro-Hungarian Empire attacked Serbia with artillery fire on July 28, 1914.  This was followed by the various European Nations and Russia taking sides resulting in The First World War which lasted until an Armistice was agreed to beginning on November 11, 1918 at the eleventh hour.

In its turn this Armistice led…

HAPPY WORLD HYDROGRAPHY DAY !! From NOAA on this first day of Summer;  "Every year the international hydrographic community celebrates World HydrographyDay on June 21.  The 2014 theme established by the International Hydrographic Organization isHydrography - More than Nautical Charts" NOAA's Office of Coast Survey invited articles from the public and these have been posted as an  article collection.  The articles illustrate marine ecology, archeology, energy and water resource management and emergency response.  The NOAA Coast Survey blog is at noaacoastsurvey.wordpress.com Good Watch

UPDATE 06/18/2014:

While not directly connected to Biscayne National Park another ocean park has been expanded this week.  The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument which surrounds small islands and atolls controlled by the United States Government was expanded from 87,000 square miles to 782,000 square miles.



Area of PRIMNM Yes well there are plenty of places around the coasts of South Florida but it appears that Biscayne National Parkwww.nps.gov/bisc/will no longer be one of them.



This is due basically to both overfishing and destructive fishing methods.  Quietly but steadily under several Park Superintendents the reduction of fishing has been introduced.  Now however it has got to the point that both the fish and habitat are suffering to the level that there will eventually be no fish and a destroyed habitat.

Biscayne National Park proposes measures to do several things:
Phase out commercial fishing in Park watersEnding the two day lobster mini seasonImpose restrictions to ho…

HAPPY FATHERS DAY !!

At last after the same paper the Miami Herald keeps calling it the "boat slip" today it referred to it as the "fully-refurbished deepwater slip" which is what it really is.  The Museum Park officially reopened attended by those same local politicians who were of course at hand to take full advantage of the USCG Eagle sail-training ship arriving to spend the Father's Day weekend.  (see photo)



It is due to the efforts of such citizens organizations as the Downtown Neighborhood Alliance that the Museum Park, a public park, was not mutilated - once again - to build a soccer stadium to brush the ego of a retired British soccer player and his group of local developers.  The initial dazzlement by this person of at least some of the local politicians faded away to the point that the wishes of the public were recognized and acted upon.

Good Watch.

NAUTICAL LOG has added the website Nautilus Live to our Blog List covering the work of Dr. Robert Ballard and his Corps of Exploration in their vessel EV Nautilus.


This is a particularly interesting site not alone for the work being accomplished but the fact that one can watch live from their shipboard and ROV cameras.  The "quad" channel covers all the activity going on deck and underwater with a divided screen and gives a sense of being on board.

The EV Nautilus sailed from Port Everglades, FL this week and has already covered their first dive site north of Bimini, Bahamas.  Now they are heading southwards on the Grand Bahama Bank to a second dive site and hope to be active there at 1300 local time.

NAUTICAL LOG shall be following their activity and shall Post as necessary, by entering your e-mail address you can receive reports directly (well hopefully - nothing so far!!).  Anyway everything is on their website.

Good Watch.

In spite of considerable false reporting in describing the two sites proposed by and to the retired British soccer player and his South Florida business group the second Port site got sunk today. 

The first site in the Port of Miami which was described as "undeveloped" in FOX® Business in spite of being the site of a major pollution control corporation and the berth of its response vessel.  The second site was then described in the same publication as a "boat slip" in spite of being a back up berth for cruise ships and visiting vessels.

The local fascination with this retired British soccer developer seems to have waned somewhat as today there was a reversal by the Mayor of Miami who together with the Mayor of Miami-Dade County had supposedly supported indeed proposed the second Port site.  The City of Miami officials rejected the retired British soccer player plan to build on the second Port site which would involve tearing up a just recently completed restoration o…

As a former instructor in Maritime Law NAUTICAL LOG was interested to read the recent Press Release from BoatUS® which can be accessed in our Blog List.


If a Good Samaritancharges for the assistance the entire "Good Samaritan" status changes in accordance with both State Law and Federal Law.  Remember if you are in a different State to your home State then that State Law could be different from your home State also.  Basically with a fee you are now in the rescue towing business, would need a USCG license, a business operational permit from local government and of course your legal responsibilities have also changed.

Federal Statue 46 USC 2304 requires a vessel operator to respond if possible to a vessel or person in maritime trouble.  Visit the Good Samaritan protocol at www.uscg.mil for full guidance on your response remembering that your first responsibility is to your own vessel and the people on board.  The USCG Protocol states the parameters under which your response s…