Belize Trip Report Video

Countering Somali pirates

Captains,

Just a year since the Maersk Alabama incident, additional U.S. Government efforts to thwart piracy off Somalia were revealed this week. President Obama issued an Executive Order which includes certain named Somali pirates to whom it will now be illegal to pay ransoms or support in any way. The E.O. is "not targeted at the entire country of Somalia, but rather is intended to target those who threaten peace and stability in Somalia" and specified that "acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia threaten the peace, security or stability".

In the mean time, 5 suspected Somali pirates captured on April 1 are being brought into the U.S. justice system after they actually opened fire on the USS Nicholas.

RADM W

April 13, 2010 Washington (CNN) -- Five suspected Somali pirates accused of attacking a U.S. Navy ship could be sent to the United States to face criminal proceedings, according to U.S. military officials.

This is only the second time U.S. authorities have brought pirate suspects from Somalia to the United States to possibly face trial.

The five are being held aboard the USS Nicholas -- the guided-missile frigate they are accused of attacking -- off the Horn of Africa and will be transferred to Department of Justice authority in the coming days, officials said.

Although the United States worked with Kenya to create a system to try pirate suspects in that country, the Kenyan government told Washington that its court system is overburdened and cannot accept more cases.

Maritime Enforcement Specialists

Captains,

This week I attended a graduation of newly designated maritime enforcement specialists. The school, which is located in Charleston, is equipped with a "fleet" of static vessel types from a small outboard runabout to trawlers to a Marad-owned Ready Reserve ship. I was pleased to hear the graduation speaker, VADM David Pekoske, recite from Alexander Hamilton's letter to the nation's first maritime enforcement specialists, the Revenue Marine officers.

They will always keep in mind that their countrymen are freemen, and, as such, are impatient of everything that bears the least mark of a domineering spirit. They will, therefore, refrain, with the most guarded circumspection, from whatever has the semblance of haughtiness, rudeness, or insult. Treasury Department, June 4, 1791

Maritime Enforcement Specialists, like their counterpart Marine Safety Technician Specialists, now have an "A" school to learn the intricacies of a Coast Guard petty officer's special authority, responsibility, and restraint for maritime law enforcement. RADM W

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The inaugural Maritime Enforcement Specialist (ME) “A” school class graduated at the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy in Charleston Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

Maritime Enforcement Specialist “A” school is a nine and one-half-week resident training course for Coast Guard personnel desiring to become a maritime enforcement specialist. It challenges students through an intense performance-based training program providing skills and knowledge in law enforcement, security, tactical combat casualty care, apprentice leadership, and weapons programs.

The rate was officially established January 1, 2010 when 1,053 active duty and 988 reserve members transitioned from existing rates and became maritime enforcement specialists.

African maritime security - 'real and current' threats

Captains,

Piracy off the Horn of Africa has been a well publicized threat to marine transportation. Did you know that 22 percent of Africans get their protein from fish? It's good to see African ministers getting together at the AU to address maritime security.

In America, the founding fathers of the United States made maritime security one of their first priorities by establishing the Revenue Marine Service in 1790. Today the USCG conducts maritime security operations, including assisting in Africa.

RADM W

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Faced with radically growing organized piracy, illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic waste, Africa has called for practical measures to address what its officials call 'real and current' maritime security threats.

The call was made at a three-day continental meeting of African ministers in charge of maritime security at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, where the ministers also emphasized the need for Africa to better protect its waters.

"African countries should cooperate and coordinate their efforts on maritime security. We need to act now," Bright Mando, AU jurist, told the meeting, which opened Tuesday.

Fishing? Put safety first!

Captains,

Fishing safely takes time and money, which may be in short supply. Don't risk your life and your crew by being lackadaisical or cheap maintaining your vessel.

Coast Guard activities in the Atlantic northeast and Pacific northwest are designed to help save lives by helping fishermen be conscientious about safety.

RADM W

Atlantic Northeast

Read: Currier Post Online 4/11/10 Fishing Industry Focuses on Safety This a a great piece on scallop fishing safety in the Atlantic northeast. It begins....

The seas crested over 10 feet, and wind was building again past 30 knots, but scallop fishermen still worked 50 miles offshore, the names of their boats glowing bravely on an electronic plotter: Saga, Determination, Stephanie Vaughn, Lucky Dan

On the bridge of the Coast Guard cutter Vigorous, crew members could see the names of other vessels that sped past to the west -- the cargo container ships Shima and Furth, cutting tracks into and out from New Jersey's port terminals, their positions relayed by satellite to the Coast Guard's Automatic Identification System.

Pacific Northwest

Coast Guard highlights fishing vessel safety in Prince William Sound

VALDEZ, Alaska – Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez recently kicked off its 2010 voluntary dockside commercial fishing vessel safety examination and safety compliance check initiatives in an effort to advance safety within the commercial fishing vessel fleet.

Coast Guard examiners will be available in Cordova beginning April 26 through May 22 for all commercial fishing vessel operators that are interested in scheduling a free voluntary dockside CFV safety exam. In Valdezexaminers are available throughout the year.

Voluntary dockside CFV safety exams are no fault and non-adversarial, serving to encourage compliance and discourage unsafe operations. Vessels not passing an examination will be provided a work list identifying deficiencies and items needing to be corrected for the vessel to be in full compliance with all applicable Federal Regulations. Successful completion of the exam results in issuance of a CFV safety decal.

VLCC with 2M bbls in the hands of Somali pirates

Captains,

A third VLCC has become a victim of piracy. A South Korean destroyer caught up with it in the Indian Ocean, but now what? Recent naval actions to recapture pirated ships have been successful. A fully loaded VLCC introduces particularly challenging limits for the rescuers, however. Hopefully all will end well in this case.

RADM W

06 Apr 2010

A SOUTH Korean warship today caught up with Samho Dream, the VLCC that was hijacked by pirates over the weekend.

“The destroyer Chungmugong Yisunshin arrived in waters near the Samho Dream at around 1:20 am [Seoul time] and is now operating in its vicinity," a Korean foreign ministry official told the country’s Yonhap news agency today.

The warship is keeping a close watch on the 319,360dwt vessel, the report said. Government officials earlier said there would be no attempt to intercept or board the hijacked vessel lest the crew be endangered.

The Korean-operated tanker has 19 Filipino and five Korean crew members. It was seized in the Indian Ocean on 4 April while en route from Iraq to the US. The tanker’s cargo of 2M barrels of crude, worth up to $170M at current market prices, is owned by Valero Energy of San Antonio, Texas, and destined for a refinery on the Gulf of Mexico, according to IHS Global Insight.


Meanwhile, a Dutch warship has recaptured a German-flagged box ship soon after its hijacking in the Indian Ocean, EU NAVFOR reported today.

The 12,612dwt Taipan was hijacked yesterday about 500 n-miles off Somalia, forcing its crew to stop the ship’s engines, hide in a secure strong room and alert the anti-piracy force.

EU NAVFOR sent the light cruiser Tromp to find Taipan. Marines boarded the ship, took control and detained the suspected pirates onboard.

Lookout for the North Atlantic right whales

Captains,

NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Species is committed to preventing ship strikes. Their web site has more information.

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An excerpt from a recent NOAA press release follows:

Reducing Ship Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales (NOAA)
With only 300-400 in existence, North Atlantic right whales are among the most endangered whales in the world. Their slow movements, time spent at the surface, and time spent near the coast make them highly vulnerable human activities, especially being struck by ships.

To report a ship strike, contact the NMFS Regional Stranding Coordinator in that area.
Recent right whale sightings
Right Whale Sightings in the Northeast U.S.
Right Whale Sightings in the Southeast U.S.

Speed Restrictions

All vessels 65 ft (19.8 m) or longer must travel at 10 knots or less in certain locations (SMAs) [pdf] along the east coast of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard at certain times of the year to reduce the threat of ship collisions with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

119 Haitians repatriated

Captains,

Be on the lookout for desperate migrants on overloaded, unseaworthy vessels on the high seas. This vessel, full of Haitians, was intercepted Sunday. The migrants were safely repatriated in accordance with international law.

RADM W

MIAMI - The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca repatriated 119 Haitian migrants to Cap Haitien, Haiti Friday, after they were interdicted at sea Sunday.

While on a routine patrol, Coast Guard Cutters Tornado and Key Biscayne crewmembers located a grossly overloaded 65-foot Haitian sail freighter northeast of Matanzas, Cuba.

The crew of two Coast Guard cutters arrived on scene and distributed personal floatation devices to the 119 Haitians before safely transferring them between the two cutters. Senaca received the migrants on Wednesday to conduct the transit to Haiti for repatriation.

140' CGC Penobscot Bay heads back to Bayonne NJ

Captains

Thanks to the 140' Cutter Penobscot Bay from Bayonne NJ, cargo valued at $100 million transited the icy Great Lakes this year.

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CLEVELAND - The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay is scheduled to depart here after spending the winter breaking ice on the Great Lakes. Capt. Lorne Thomas, Chief of Staff of the Ninth Coast Guard District, will oversee a brief recognition ceremony, Friday, at 10 a.m.

The 140-foot ice breaking cutter, whose original homeport is Bayonne, N.J., was temporarily assigned to the Great Lakes Region to augment the eight other Great Lakes-based ice breaking cutters with Operations Coal Shovel and Taconite, the Coast Guard's two major ice breaking operations here.

“Their presence (in the Great Lakes) ensured the Coast Guard provided the best level of service and kept commerce moving during the winter season,” said Cmdr. Kevin Dunn, Chief of Waterways Management for the Ninth Coast Guard District.

Penobscot Bay began Great Lakes operations on Jan. 2, 2010. The cutter participated in operations that cleared paths for more than 25 commercial freighters, and solely facilitated the safe navigation of 12 vessels. They spent more than 200 hours breaking Great Lakes ice, including more than 70 hours of preventative ice breaking to keep tracks and channels open for navigation. Overall, their efforts facilitated the safe transit of nearly one million tons of cargo valued at more than $100 million.