Nautical News is updated weekly on Mondays.
This Weeks Edition Posted 2/7/10
A) U.S. Department of Interior's Secretary Ken Salazar visited the Cape and Islands to review the site of the proposed of Cape Wind Farm. Secretary Salazar went for a boat ride with Native American tribe members who claimed the proposed site on Horseshoe Shoal would upset their spiritual beliefs. An alternative site suggested is an area south of Tuckernuck Island. Proponents of that site claim the wind farm would have little impact on residents, preserve the livelihoods of commercial fisherman and those dependent on tourism, would avoid dangers to aviation, ferry and recreational boat traffic, as well as protect the Native Americans.
B) Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials will discuss plans to rebuild the Fore River Bridge at a meeting Wednesday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Hingham Town Hall. Construction is expected to begin in 2011, but officials still have not decided on the design of the bridge because the Coast Guard wants the width of the channel widened from 175 feet to at least 250 feet. Engineers say that span would be too wide for a draw bridge like the one that was previously there.
C) Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has expressed extreme disappointment with the Coast Guard's decision to allow Yemen based LNG tankers to make deliveries into Boston Harbor. Homeland Security officials acknowledge that Yemen is the staging ground for terrorists and the home of Al Qaeda training camps. The Mayor said the tankers put the traffic on the Mystic River Bridge and residents and workers in Everett, Charlestown, Winthrop, Chelsea and downtown Boston at severe risk. However, Robert Healey, the Coast Guard's Captain of the Port of Boston, said that he was confident that the Yemen tankers will be as safe as any others that come through the port.
D) In a related story, U.S. Congressman Frank LoBiondo, the chairman of the House Coast Guard & Maritime Security Subcommittee, criticized President Obama's drastic reductions in port and maritime security. Under the President's proposed Fiscal Year 2011 budget, the Coast Guard would eliminate five maritime safety and security teams, including the team stationed at the Port of New York/New Jersey, the nation's second largest port. Additionally, President Obama's FY2011 budget calls for the Coast Guard to mothball five HH-65 Dolphin helicopters in the Great Lakes region. These helicopters were just re-powered three years ago. LoBiondo said, "If not for the critical importance of securing our ports and protecting our nation, these proposed cuts would be laughable. Terrorists will have an opportunity to exploit this weakness."
E) Meanwhile, the Coast Guard seized more than $5 billion worth of illegal drugs last year. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen said his crews helped the FBI and other federal agencies seize or disrupt delivery of 175 tons of cocaine and 35 tons of marijuana on the sea in 2009. Fifty-eight vessels were seized, and 322 people were arrested.
F) Stephen Schafer, 38 years old, was kiteboarding about a quarter-mile offshore in Stuart, Florida, when he was attacked by at least three sharks. A lifeguard pulled Schafer from the water. The victim was bleeding profusely from bite marks on his buttocks and his right thigh. He died a short time later at a hospital. An autopsy revealed he lost more than half of his blood. In many cases, a shark attack on a human is simply a case of mistaken identity, but that didn't seem to be the case with Schafer. A Florida shark expert who keeps the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida's Museum of Natural History said, "This one here clearly is an event where the shark knew what it was doing." This was the first fatal shark attack in Florida in five years, but every year Florida leads the world in the number of shark attacks.
G) One of the stars of the TV reality show "Deadliest Catch" suffered a stroke while the boat was in port. Phil Harris, the captain of the fishing vessel Wizard was flown to Anchorage, Alaska where he underwent emergency surgery. His sons, Josh and Jake, joined him there. At last report, Captain Phil was resting comfortably and hopefully on the long road to recovery. A family friend, Derek Ray, will temporarily take over the role of captain for the remainder of the crab season.
H) And speaking of TV reality shows, whale wars are back in the news. You might recall a few weeks ago, one of the Japanese whaling ships ran over the Sea Shepherd's small boat and sank it. Now Captain Paul Watson of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society reports that the Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru 3 "intentionally rammed" the anti-whaling ship, Bob Barker, endangering the lives of its crew and putting a hole in its hull above the waterline. However, the Japanese are claiming that it was the Bob Barker that did the ramming after a green laser beam was shined at them. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but Captain Watson said the incident demonstrates "a continued escalation of violence by the illegal whalers in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary ever since they got away with the sinking of our small boat." Captain Watson is demanding that the governments of Australia and New Zealand intervene and start enforcing their maritime laws before someone gets killed. But the governments of Australia and New Zealand have shown no sign of getting involved in the whale wars other than demonstrating that it is possible to do research on whales without killing them.
I) An underwater volcanic eruption was detected in the Pacific Ocean about 745 miles south of Tokyo, and it is now speculated by an expert in geoscience that the eruption could form a new permanent island. This was the first time since July 2005 that volcanic smoke had been seen rising from the ocean. Before that, the underwater volcano erupted several times creating an island, but each time the island washed away. This time, it is predicted the newly formed island is here to stay.
J) Every year, Boat/US comes out with a list of the top ten boat names. They make the list from the number of orders of names their graphics department receives from new boat owners. This year, the number one most popular boat name is Second Wind. It is followed by Seas the Day, Lazy Daze, Jolly Roger, Bail Out, On the Rocks, Pegasus, Serenity Now, Namaste (Na-ma-stay), and Comfortably Numb. New to the list are Bail Out, Namaste, and Comfortably Numb.
K) And last on today's nautical news, calamari lovers will love this story. Jumbo squid have again invaded the waters off San Diego, California. Fishermen haven't seen squid like this in years. They are catching squid 4 - 5 feet long, weighing between 20 - 40 pounds, and say squid that size makes for real good eating, but catching one is definitely a messy challenge. Part of the fun catching a squid they say is getting squirted by its ink. Usually everyone on the boat is covered with ink.
You can also listen to the most recent show anytime
during the week "24/7" at www.NauticalTalk.com
For additional information, contact:
Nautical Talk Radio
PO Box 635
Cohasset, MA 02025
781-925-3939
- Winner of Massachusetts/Rhode Island
Associated Press "BEST TALK SHOW" - 2003
- Recipient of Joshua James Lifesaving
Coin for public service from
Commanding Officer Coast Guard Station Point Allerton
- 2003
- Recipient of American Lighthouse
Foundation's
"LEN HADLEY PRESERVATION AWARD" - 2002
- Winner of Boston's Achievement
In Radio "BEST INTERVIEW" AWARD
- Nominated Boston's A.I.R. "BEST
PRODUCED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM"
 
|
Listen Live
