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WHEN

Now that the VDR from the SS El Faro has been in the hands of the NTSB since early August 2016 one hopes that the results of the data recovered will soon be made public. The NTSB has stated that 26 hours of information is available.  That information includes Bridge audio, navigational data, onboard radar images and wind data.  The timeline begins at 0537 on September 30, 2015 some 8 hours after the vessel left Jacksonville, FL.  The ship was then about 150 nautical miles southeast of that city.

On the morning of October 01, 2015 at 0613 the Master and crew members are heard discussing action regarding the flooding, the vessels list and the loss of propulsion.  The Master then notified the shore office about the critical situation and said he was going to send out a distress signal.  At about 0730 he sounded the abandon ship alarm.  The recording ends some 10 minutes later and the SS El Faro is now about 39 nautical miles northeast of Crooked Island, Bahamas.  As this data is refined t…
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RECOVERED

There was excellent news this week regarding the loss of the United States ship S.S. El Faro last year.  Finally after a certain unwillingness to locate and recover the vessel's Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) it was recovered from 15,000 feet on Monday and brought aboard the surface ship at 2230. 

Rather than repeat the whole story here NAUTICAL LOG suggests you go to a full article published in gCaptain at www.gcaptain.com

Hopefully there will data recorded that will assist in understanding the tragic decisions made by, presumably, the vessel's Master prior to the sinking with the loss of all hands.  See  previous Posts by NAUTICAL LOG.

Good Watch.
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STANDING DOWN PROBLEMS CONTINUE

In addition to the recent "Standing Down" of training voyages for its Midshipersons the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) has received warnings about the quality, or lack thereof, of its training programme.  The Middle States Commission of Higher Education (MSCHE) report stated that accreditation was in jeopardy for non-compliance in certain areas.

Coupled with the continuing problems requiring disciplinary actions including dismissal from the Navy the United States Navy (USN) has had in recent years this does not bode well for the professionalism of the seafaring community of the United States.

It is clear to this writer, an International Master Mariner with 50 years of experience, that the training sources for both Officers and Ratings need an immediate complete examination and review.  Currently the Officer commanding riverine craft based in Bahrain has been dismissed.  Another nine Officers and Ratings are under disciplinary action as a result of the capture by…
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STANDING DOWN

In a previous Post we discussed the decline of the United States Merchant Marine (USMM) now it appears the situation is so bad that basic shipboard discipline cannot be enforced.  Is this due to the Masters and Officers incompetence, the power of the Maritime Unions to overrule them or a combination of both.  From what NAUTICAL LOG has seen and heard it appears to be a combination of both.

The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) has announced that it is "standing down" Sea Year.  This is when the Seniors go to sea in USMM vessels to experience directly what life at sea is all about - well the United States Maritime Union controlled version anyway, rather different from other Nations Merchant Navies as NAUTICAL LOG well knows from 50 years as a seafarer.

The concern is that the USMMA cannot guarantee the safety on board USMM vessels of the Midshippersons as we suppose one must now call the USMMA trainees.  One gets the impression that sexual assault is rampant on the …
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FINALLY AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER

NAUTICAL LOG has on previous occasions discussed the SS El Faro VDR in a Post titled RELUCTANCE TO RECOVER and two other Posts about the VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) of the SS El Faro. 

The Ship sank in Hurricane Joaquin on October 01, 2015 off the Bahamas.  There has seemed to be a reluctance by all parties involved to continue the attempt to recover the VDR from some 15,000 feet - admittedly a considerable depth.  However because of the importance of possible data on the recorder such an attempt must be made.

Finally the NTSB has contracted with the USN Supervisor of Salvage to assist in the recovery of the VDR.  The USNS Apache will depart in early July 2016 together with USCG, Phoenix International and an underwater operating vehicle the CURV-21.

Once the VDR is recovered it will be brought ashore to the NTSB laboratory and thoroughly studied to download and analyze the information.  With these results in hand the USCG will conduct a two hearings to investigate the sinking and questio…
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JUNE 06, 1944

NAUTICAL LOG would like to take a moment this morning to thank all who served in World War 2 and particularly those who landed on the beaches of Normandy, France this morning. 

At that time one was an eight year old boy beginning to understand what was going on and going to church with my mother to pray for "the lads".  My Mother had already experienced  both World War 1, the Easter Rising of 1916 and the Troubles that followed before Ireland became a fully independent nation.  One can remember the terribly wounded Veterans of World War 1 and now here it had all repeated itself once again.

NAUTICAL LOG is now in his 80th. year more than likely one has achieved this and a long most enjoyable career in the Merchant Navy due to the sacrifice of others.  So thank you to those who rest "In Flanders Fields" including members of my own family.  Rest assured you all are not forgotten by this Merchant Navy Officer.

Good Watch.
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HARDLY PRACTICAL

NAUTICAL LOG has previously addressedcomments by an American Merchant Marine Officer who following the policy of his Union refers to the numerous cruise vessels operating out of U.S. Ports as FOC vessels.  Of course nothing could be further from the truth, both he and his Union wallow in this antiquated concept that anything non-American is substandard. In passing it is worth mentioning that a U.S. Flag vessel, the S.S. El Faro with a full U.S. maritime Union crew and in the most deplorable condition, was lost with all hands last year off the Bahamas. It sailed directly into the path of a hurricane in one of the most puzzling decisions by her USCG licensed and maritime Union Master. 

As the United States continues to slip towards a Third World status with a rapidly declining infrastructure, an outdated transportation system particularly the railroad system so far behind the European Union in both speeds and comfort of trains.  Then we have the armed crime ridden cities which the local …
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