NAUTICAL LOG

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…

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.

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 …

UPDATE May 31, 2016:

Well so far we have heard nothing further from the FWC about their examination of the boat returned to Florida.  It would tend to appear that there was in fact no indication of foul play in the loss of the two young men.  One has to conclude therefore that it was a tragic boating accident with two persons missing as first thought. 

One might mention that while lawyers have their place particularly in the American system of sueing for everything possible it is sometimes best if they do not make statements on a subject which are inaccurate and merely show that they in fact know little or nothing about that subject matter. Perhaps we could use in our legal system a protocol which disciplines lawyers when they do this type of "ambulance chasing" it would improve the legal system and most importantly ease the pain of already suffering families.  Just a thought !

A container ship arrived in Port Everglades, FL on Sunday and amongst its cargo is the boat belongin…

NAUTICAL LOG has spent a career at sea of some 50 years with over 20 years in passenger vessels.  This was followed by instructing nautical science, consulting and telling sea stories, one often hears the comment "oh you should write about that" - well I think not in my case.  Of course there is this blog NAUTICAL LOG which covers nautical affairs and includes items which often irritate and hence the relative Post.

For some months we stopped publication but due to the highly inaccurate comments in another blog in particular to their Posts on the cruise vessels operating from U.S. Ports we decided to republish and so here we are a highly activist maritime blog watching the nautical world.

We also realize that not everyone who goes to sea as a passenger (called "guests" by the hotel personswho seem to run most cruise lines these days) knows anything or maybe just a little about seagoing life.  Many times on the Bridge Tour one was asked questions which showed that the…

Once again the U.S. Maritime Authorities seem to be finding reasons not to recover the VDR from the SS EL FARO which sank in a hurricane off the Bahamas with loss of all hands.

This week various media sources including U.S. Military websites stated that it will take "months to cover theVDR".  One asks WHY ?  Also some of the publications say that the VDR is attached to a deck girder  to which the signal mast was also attached.  NAUTICAL LOG described this in a previous Post.  The photos shown to not appear to confirm that the VDR was still attached to that deck girder when found on the ocean floor.  Confusion or a deliberate cover-up ?

All this is not encouraging because of the appalling condition of this U.S. flag vessel which if it had been a non-U.S. flagged vessel would have been condemned by the USCG under IMO Regulations.

The various actors involved in this deplorable affair give the impression of feeling they will be better off if the VDR is never recovered and the poss…

Looking through the maritime blogs as we do each morning we were interested to read a Post in one entitled "CARNIVAL's FATHOM ADONIA DOCKS IN HAVANNA, CUBA".  Yes they spelt it with two "N's". 

This  is a so called "cultural exchange" cruise (brothels and bars perhaps?) which will also visit Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba on the South coast of Cuba in addition to the Havana Port call.  NAUTICAL LOG has called at Cienfuegos in March 1954 to pick up a pilot for the coastal passage to Tunas de Zaza a small Port at the end of a railway line from the city of Sancti Spiritus.  There we anchored off for two weeks loading sugar and listening to the guns firing at the Cuban rebels, led by the Castro brothers, fighting to the East of our anchorage.  Quite an experience for a 17 year old boy on his first voyage.  Well ancient history now but I think interesting.

The above named Post had a comment and a reply to that comment both worth reading.  We have decid…

On July 24, 2015 two 14 year old boys left West Palm Beach Florida to go fishing.  This was not something new for them as friends they often went fishing together usually in the Intracoastal Waterway or nearby - but not that day.  For some reason they decided to go offshore in spite of a poor weather forecast.  It is reported that they filled the tank with 122 gallons of fuel and headed off to sea.  They were never seen again.

A search by USCG and others was initiated when they did not return that evening.  On July 26 their boat was sighted and reportedly its position marked by the USCG.  The USCG arranged for a private  contractor to recover the boat however the contractor was not successful in finding the boat next day.  Why the USCG did not recover the boat has not really been explained by them. 

Recently the boat was sighted up near Bermuda by a Norwegian vessel who recovered the boat and it has been taken to Norway where it will be placed in a container and returned to Florida.  A…

Further to the previous Post a reason for the possible deliberate release of the SS EL FARO VDR is that VDR's come in both floatable and non-floatable designs.  The floatable design can be combined with an EPIRB which would aid to it being found in the event of a ship sinking - which the SS EL FARO did in the hurricane.

Therefore we would suggest that the "Senior Officer" thinking that the VDR was possibly of the floating type deliberately released it so it would float clear and be found after the vessel sank. The action therefore was done with the best of intentions and not part of a coverup

Good Watch

After an absence of 18 months an event has occurred which has led to the decision to publish a Post. Normally one would have made a comment to a popular maritime blog however due to an exchange of comments at the end of 2015 we no longer comment to other Blogs.

As a Maritime Consultant data crosses my desk which leads to consideration of maritime incidents as an independent investigator.  Such was the case with the find yesterday Tuesday April 26, 2016 of the VDR of the SS EL FARO.  The search had been abandoned by the NTSB no doubt much to the relief of the USCG, TOTE the vessels owners and U.S. maritime Unions involved.  Their overall incompetence and the behaviour of the vessel's all American crew and Master in severe weather with in addition the several Polish workers on board for whose lives they were responsible is to say the least questionable.  At the insistence of U.S. Senator Nelson (D) of Florida the search was resumed by the NTSB. 
The persons who contacted me have sugge…

In April 2016 we decided to republish NAUTICAL LOGand Post on and for special occasions due to issues not or not well covered, in our opinion, in other maritime blogs.  Since the end of 2015 we no longer comment to other blogs. 

Also we will again respond as appropriate to your comments.  Thank you and

Good Watch.