A conversation about the Jones Act

Adding map and speedometer widgets to your GoPro video clips. Tips by Capt. Kris de Decker

On the occasion of the Maritime Safety Week (July 4-10), UK MAIB’s inspector Bill Evans refers to the issue of unsafe pilot ladders, a concern that has been regularly voiced by the industry.

The man-overboard manoeuvre includes all measures to rescue a person who has fallen overboard from a watercraft.

Required tug power and number of tugs needed in variable conditions of wind, current and waves isin most cases an assessment made by pilots based on their professional experience. However, assessments will raise questions by lawyers if something goes wrong. They will use tools to calculate what really is needed with respect to tug power and number of tugs. They have furthermore the advantage of time.

In this movie the efficiency of two different pod operation strategies is compared: With azimuth propeller ships the Pods can be used in two ways to control the speed, e.g. for speed reduction: 1. by adjusting the engine orders, e.g. by reducing the RPMs to get lower speed - this means to drive the ship in the same conventional way as for twin screw vessels, 2. by turning both pods either in- or outward (TOE-IN or TOE-OUT) to reduce the forward thrust and therefore reducing the speed – the...

In this part two video of the man overboard drill series. In one continuous take and no speed adjustments. You can see once the dummy is launched in the water. How fast the crew can come to a complete stop. The boats captain moves to the stern control station, Deploy the stern scoop and rescue the survivor. All of this happing in less than two minuets. An amazing display of teamwork and skill. Filmed using a DJI Mini 2 If you are interested in purchasing a Mini here is a link to my DJI...

Evergreen Shipping’s new 24,000 TEU container ship EVER ACE arrived at the Port of Taipei for the first time today, August 8, breaking a record for the largest ship by tonnage to dock at the port.

October 24, 1932 ~ October 22, 2020 (age 87). Member of Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association, serving as a river pilot for 34 years.

August 2022, tanker Thun London and Foyle Leader pilot vessel. www.nightskyhunter.com

Delivering the pilot to the Aurora Tanker in Brunei Darussalam.