Human Error at 59-56 N

The site 59-56N has a post Human error = Management #FAIL

"It has always seemed petty and injust when managers, seeking someone to blame for a loss, point their fingers at the personnel at sea. "He should have done such and such,"

- The post makes a good point regarding sharp end / blunt end safety issues.

K.C.

Watchstanding Situational Awareness

From Manu's scripts

Losing the Plot

The determination of risk of collision is a basic navigational skill. Equally basic at sea is situational awareness and the ability to keep track of dozens of vessels in congested waters, including oftentimes numerous fishing vessels and to interpret information, all in real time. This is bread and butter stuff; a watchkeeper who cannot master this, and be right all the time, is simply unfit to keep independent watch.


It is therefore dismaying that this basic skill is found wanting in more than a few navigating officers at sea today.

Continue reading Manu's Scripts: Losing the Plot

K.C.

NY Tugmaster - A Bell Ringer

I linked to captbbrucato just a couple of day ago (here). I though reading his blog was like having a cup of coffee with a tug captain. Now it's is time to have a beer and learn what a "Bell Ringer" is - at No Really, This is No S**t

K.C.

Photos from the frigid "True North"

Photo by Daniel Sekulich .
Writer Daniel Sekulich has posted some photos at Merry Christmas from the "true north" at his blog Modern Day Pirate Tales.

I got cold just looking at them. Here is a photo to look at till you warm back up.


The Resolute wood stove made by Vermont Casting Photo by K.C. .
I was at sea a couple of winters ago and I heard on the news that Northern New England was having a severe cold spell. I called my uncle from a phone booth on the pier at Hiroshima and asked him if he was cold. He lives in a big old farm house with a Queen Atlantic in the center of the kitchen. He said "Nope, it's nice and warm standing here by the stove chucking wood in."

Below is a photo showing the stack gas temp - red-lined at 480F.

Stack gas temp red-lined at 480 degrees F.

If we were towing we might take a couple of turns off. - Here at the house we don't back off till the cat has to move away from the stove.
Sleeping cat Photo by K.C. .
K.C.

Holiday Meal at Sea

At home. Not on the menu at sea - Photo by K.C.


If you want a sense of what it is like for a well educated, smart man riding on a coastwise tanker, the site is HAWSEPIPER: The Longest Climb. Evidently someone got close enough to Paul to smell the turducken on his breath.

Don't read it if the image of shit in your cornflakes or reading that Paul thinks his shipmates are warming their thumbs offends you.

By the way, it is my view that the epitome of fine dining is a cold baked bean sandwich or a meal that includes bread that comes in a can. It got to be better then turd ucken.