Petty Officer Cruel Kev's Blog to honor our Sailors, Mariners, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Airmen & Soldiers of the United States as well as Sailors & Mariners World wide.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Cruise Ship Chef Possibly Fell Overboard
Officials and relatives say Colombian maritime authorities are searching for an Italian chef believed to have gone overboard from a US cruise ship off Colombia's Caribbean coast. There were different accounts about when and where Angelo Faliva, 31, was last seen as the Princess Cruises "Coral Princess" sailed from Aruba to Cartagena, Colombia.Princess Cruises spokeswoman Julie Benson said Faliva was last seen on a deck at about 8.30am Thursday (local time), when he spoke with another crew member as the ship neared Cartagena. His family, however, said they had been told that he had unexpectedly walked out of the ship's galley at about 8.15pm the night before, while he was working the dinner shift, and never returned and hadn't been seen since.
A ship on its way from the UK to Spain has been detained after being flooded with over 180 tonnes of water. The Hanseatic Spirit was en route from Poole Harbour when the crew noticed a room containing the emergency generator and fire pump had flooded. The vessel, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, was detained by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) when it called into Portland. Inspectors found hatch covers were not watertight and paperwork was false. A port lifebuoy was also missing from the general cargo vessel, which has a gross tonnage of 2,650.Two bridge wing lifebuoys were also tied to the ship, preventing them from being released quickly in an emergency. Papers documenting rest hours had not been kept for November and "when eventually presented were false", the MCA said. Richard Pellew, of the MCA, said: "This vessel was in a very poor way when we saw her yesterday in Portland. "We identified a major non-conformity, in that the vessel had sailed from Poole with her master and company knowing that she was not fully prepared for sea because her watertight hatch covers were not secure. "Fatigue is a key issue for the MCA and the understanding of the master and crew of the importance of keeping within, and recording correctly, the hours of rest was clearly lacking on this vessel."
The Norwegian Dawn cruise ship temporarily lost power off the coast of Puerto Rico. A Norwegian Cruise Line news release says the ship lost power at 9 a.m. Friday about 95 miles off the north coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The United States Coast Guard and local authorities were notified immediately.The cruise line reports that all guests on board were safe and secure. Power was restored later Friday, and the ship was back under way. It was expected to arrive in Miami as scheduled on Sunday. The Norwegian Dawn departed Miami last Friday, making stops throughout the Caribbean.
Capt. Rudy Lupton relieved Capt. Thom W. Burke as commanding officer of 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) at an official change of command ceremony held on board the ship. Burke served as commanding officer for 16 months, leading the ship and crew through several deployments, inspections and awards. During his tenure as commanding officer, Burke guided the ship through unit-level training assessments (ULTRA), earning five command excellence awards that culminated in the Battle Efficiency "E" award, several international cooperative exercises, and passing the supply management certification with the highest score in the Pacific Fleet. "The real credit of our success belongs to the Sailors," Burke said. "Their hard work allowed us to meet each milestone. They are all fine examples of our Navy and our country." Rear Adm. Richard B. Landolt, commander, Amphibious Force 7th Fleet, presented Burke with the Legion of Merit at the ceremony. "This award is not for me," Burke said. "It is for all of you in ranks who have made this command what it is. You are confident and committed defenders of our nation and this alliance. I can see it in you every day, and I applaud you."
Capt. Rudy Lupton
Lupton assumes command of Blue Ridge after serving as Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff to the Director for Operational Plans and Joint Force Development, J-7, the Joint Staff. His previous tours include Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HCSS) 6, HCSS-3, and Executive Officer of USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). During his remarks, Lupton expressed his admiration for the crew he assumes command of. "To the crew of Blue Ridge, it is an honor and privilege for me to take command of this fine ship," Lupton said. "I look forward to serving you and serving with you in providing the very best support to the Fleet commander. I have no doubt that no matter the task, mission or circumstance, you will answer the call in a way befitting of the history, customs and traditions of our great Navy." Lupton assumes command as the 23rd commanding officer of the Blue Ridge since the ship's commissioning November 14, 1970. Blue Ridge serves under Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7/Task Force (CTF) 76, the Navy's only forward deployed amphibious force. Blue Ridge is the flagship for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. CTF 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.
Wives of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment service members awoke early dressed in their husbands’ camouflaged uniforms and left their houses as the sun began to rise over the mountains of the Combat Center to participate in the battalion’s Jane Wayne Day. Jane Wayne Days are designed to show spouses what it is like to be a Marine by having them participate in various activities. As more than 70 spouses started their day at the obstacle course, their Marines and sailors stepped off on an eight-mile hike across the Combat Center’s mountain range behind the course. Before the sun had fully risen, the wives were huddled together by the obstacle course, trying to stay warm as a handful of volunteer Marines from 2nd Bn., 7th Marines, gave a demonstration on how to get through each obstacle. Although some of the ladies declined the opportunity to run the course, a brave few quickly learned how difficult and tiring it was. As they neared the end of the course, choruses from supportive spouses rose as they urged one another to “finish strong.” After each wife finished the obstacle course, the women cheered for one another and themselves, for being able to complete something their Marines do. “Doing the obstacle course brought back a lot of memories,” said Jackie Ward, a former active duty Marine, and wife of Staff Sgt. Eric Ward, with 2nd Bn., 7th Marines. “This day is a good break from my normal day-to-day life.” As the women caught their breath, Master Gunnery Sgt. Brian Riddle, the battalion’s operations chief, had them stand in formation before stepping off for a three-mile hike. The ladies traveled over the mountain ridge behind the obstacle course then back tracked and hiked down to the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer in building 1707. The ISMT uses video simulation and gas-powered weapons hooked up to a computer to help Marines improve their marksmanship. At the ISMT, the spouses were able to fire a wide range of weapons including the M16-A2 service rifle, the Squad Automatic Weapon, the M240-G machine gun, and the AT4 rocket launcher.They first fired at a blank screen, getting a feel for each weapon prior to aiming at computer-generated targets. After the ladies were warmed up, they went through a scenario requiring them to clear a town overrun by enemies. After firing each weapon, the women put on flak jackets, helmets and goggles, traveled across the street and boarded amphibious assault vehicles. Range 105, where the ladies were split into two teams. Team Gold stayed behind while Team Red walked up a path toward the firing line. Team Gold was able to examine and handle various weapons in a static display as Marines instructed them on the nomenclature of each weapon. Team Gold was also treated to Meals Ready-to-Eat. As the ladies traded items inside their MREs, laughter rang throughout the range and rumors spread to avoid the laxative gum. Meanwhile, the ladies in Team Red were receiving magazines loaded with ten rounds and listening to a safety brief about the importance of being cautious while firing a real weapon. Each spouse was able to shoot an M16-A4 and a SAW at Range 105. Marines from 2nd Bn. 7th Marines, stayed close by the ladies who where firing, helping them reload and clear any blockages. “It was not easy to put this day together, but it was completely worth it,” said Lt. Col. John Reed, the battalion’s commanding officer. “To see those smiling faces when firing the SAW—completely worth it.” When Team Red finished firing, they switched places with Team Gold, to give them a chance to feel the rush of firing a live weapon. After their time at Range 105, the ladies drove to Victory Field where the entire battalion had stopped after finishing their eight-mile hike. The spouses created their own formation next to the rest of the Marines and sailors and Reed told them all what a good job they had done throughout the day. “I hope everyone had a good time today,” Reed said. “I am always willing to take recommendations on how to make these days better for everyone.”
At Least 1 Person Dead After Fire On Turkish Ship off Brazil Coast
The Brazilian navy says one person died in a fire of "large proportions" on a Turkish-flagged ship off the country's southern coast. In a statement, the navy says 22 people were safely rescued from the cargo ship "Duden" after the fire broke out about 160 miles off the coast Sunday.The navy did not immediately identify the person who died and said some of the survivors sustained minor injuries. Monday's statement said the cause of the fire was not yet known.
A US Navy serviceman has been found not guilty of raping a sex worker in a Sydney brothel. The NSW District Court jury on Monday also acquitted the sailor of an alternative charge of recklessly inflicting actual bodily harm on the woman with intent to have sexual intercourse.Petty Officer Timothy Davis, 25, had denied both charges which followed his visiting a brothel in the inner-city suburb of Potts Point while on shore leave on October 12 last year.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 62-year-old man early Sunday morning after he fell off a cruise ship. The Silver Shadow was about 20 miles east of Miami when Robert Shulman fell overboard.A Coast Guard crew quickly arrived by boat and helicopter to rescue Shulman. He was taken to a local hospital to be examined.
Patrol Boat's New Name Will Honor Amy Sweeney Of Acton, Killed On 9/11
On Monday, the Massachusetts Environmental Police will rename a patrol boat after Amy Sweeney of Acton, a flight attendant on American Airlines flight 11, which was crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The patrol boat will be renamed after Sweeney, who served as an American Airlines flight attendant for 14 years. She lived in Acton with her husband, Michael Sweeney — who was an environmental police officer — and their two small children, according to a press release from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.The press release said: As the American Airlines flight was hijacked by the terrorists, Amy Sweeney contacted the airline’s ground services crew to convey critical information. Because of her heroism and brave spirit, the Commonwealth created the Madeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery, which is awarded to Massachusetts citizens who demonstrate exceptional bravery, without regard for personal safety, in an effort to save the life or lives of another or others in actual imminent danger. Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, state Environmental Police Director Col. Aaron Gross, American Airlines representatives and Environmental Police officers are slated to take part in the ceremony Monday at 11 a.m. at the Massport commuter pier next to the Hyatt Harborside Hotel.
Hundreds of curious onlookers have been gathering on the shore of the St. Lawrence River in eastern Ontario to watch tugboats try to free a large ship that ran aground this week. "This don't go all the time so everyone is wondering how they're going to get it out of here and I'm wondering the same thing," said Leonard McLaren, who has come every day for the past three days to see the Canada Steamship Lines vessel Assiniboine. The ship, which is built to carry 30,000 tonnes, became stuck near Cardinal, Ont., about 50 kilometres west of Cornwall, while heading toward Quebec with a load of soya Monday morning. There were no spills or injuries. According to Richard Corfe, president of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., the ship had lost both its engines and strayed into an area of water just seven metres deep. The 225-metre-long, self-unloading bulk carrier has a draft of about eight metres, which why it is wedged into the mud bottom. "It's pretty stuck at the moment," Corfe said.
Cardinal resident Leonard McLaren has come to see the CSL Assiniboine every day for the past three days.
McLaren estimated Thursday that about 300 or 400 people came down to the shore to watch the tugboats at work the day before. "It might be here for another week so there'll be lots of excitement going on here for a while yet." Corfe believes the ship will be gone within a couple of days, although he admitted that freeing it won't be easy. The ship will likely have to be unloaded. "It's something that obviously will take some time to sort out," he said. "A vessel like this is carrying 30,000 tonnes. It's equivalent to a thousand trucks or three trains — imagine having 1,000 or even 10 trucks turned over on the highway or a train derailed." In the meantime, while the incident is costing Canada Steamship Lines money, it isn't affecting other traffic on the St. Lawrence as it is outside the shipping channel, Corfe said. About 3,000 ships pass through that section of the seaway each year. Corfe estimated there are 10 to 12 incidents involving those vessels each year, but few are serious. The last time the seaway management corporation had to unload a vessel to get it off a shoal was in 2006.
Ship Collision Leaves Two Missing In China's Yangtze River
Two people went missing in a ship collision in China's longest river of Yangtze Thursday, local government said. A vessel carrying 800 tonnes of sand collided with another loaded with 2,500 tonnes of steel and stone powders at about 3:10 a.m. in the Zhijiang section of Yangtze within the administration of Hubei Province in central China, according to the publicity office of the Zhijiang City government.One ship sank immediately, throwing all the three people onboard into the river. Rescuers have lifted 59-year-old sailor Yang Zuxin out of water and are searching for the ship owner He Mingqing, 55, and sailor Gong Huaming, 33. Yang was in stable condition in a hospital. Officials with the maritime safety authority of Yangtze River and the local public security bureau are investigating the causes of the accident.
Coast Guard Fireman Olalekan Oyeyemi, a native of Nigeria, receives his certificate of naturalization and officially becomes a citizen of the United States during a ceremony aboard the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum."The experience is absolutely phenomenal," said Oyeyemi. "I now feel like I fit in, and after going to school and serving in the U.S. military, I feel like this is a reward." The process to become a citizen took more than a year, he said. Oyeyemi currently serves onboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Reliance, homeported in Kittery, Maine.
Russian Icebreaker Carrying 105 Tourists Stuck In The Antarctic
A Russian icebreaker is stuck fast in the middle of the Antarctic ice with 105 tourists and a documentary camera team on board. Most of the passengers on the 'Captain Khlebnikov' are British, and the film crew are from the BBC. The 121 metre-long vessel was built in 1980 and turned into a cruise ship several years ago - but it is now stuck between two ice plates near the Argentine research station Marambio.According to Argentinian newspaper ‘La Nacion’, the passengers and the ship are safe and not in danger. The leader of the Marine prefecture in Tierra del Fuego said: “This kind of situation is normal for an icebreaker, and does not call for emergency.” As soon as the wind changes, the ship can continue its journey. This could, however, take one to two more days.
Forty passengers were killed after two ships collided in Pathein Township in Irrawaddy Division at 7 p.m. On Sunday, according to an official from the Inland Water Transport office in Pathein. A private passenger ship, the Nay Myo Tun No.8413, hit an oil tanker and sank in the Nga Wun River, 10.5 km [6.5 miles] from Pathein, the official said, adding that most of the 176 passengers were women and children.Rescue teams were still searching for survivors on Monday afternoon. The official said that the Inland Water Transport office in Pathein is investigating the circumstances of the accident.
A 53-year-old Filipino ship captain is in a stable condition at Royal Darwin Hospital after an air rescue this morning. The male captain of the iron ore ship "Pender Bulker", which was en route to China, reported severe abdominal pain, dizziness, and the passing of blood yesterday.This morning, the Darwin-based CareFlight medical rescue helicopter flew 80 kilometres north-east of Darwin to rescue the captain, who paramedics say is suffering from an abdominal ulcer. His condition has been stabilised at Royal Darwin Hospital and further tests are expected in the coming days.
The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a Filipino crewman missing from a cargo ship north of Dutch Harbor. John Ree Payla, 21, went missing from the 754-foot Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel Corona Infinity on Sunday. The Coast Guard said a HC-130 Hercules airplane, two of its helicopters, the Corona Infinity and the fishing vessel Andronica from Dutch Harbor were involved in the search.
Corona Infinity
An urgent marine information broadcast also was issued encouraging vessels in the area to keep a look out for the man. His uniform was found on the rear deck of the ship, the Coast Guard said. The Corona Infinity is a bulk coal carrier that was headed for Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Yonhap news agency says that navies of the two Koreas have exchanged fire off the west coast. Yonhap says that a South Korean warship shot at a North Korean navy ship that crossed the disputed western sea border on Tuesday morning.Yonhap, citing an unidentified government source in South Korea, said the North's ship shot back at the South Korean warship. It didn't provide further details. North and South Korean navies have fought deadly skirmishes along the western sea border in 1999 and 2002.
Fire crews are working to contain a potential battery acid leak on a container ship docked in West Melbourne. The Ital Moderna arrived in port early this morning carrying a container loaded with car batteries, but the contents were disturbed while the ship was en route to Melbourne. The leak was noticed by workers at Appleton Dock when they began unloading the ship. A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said 12 fire-fighting crews were called in to help keep the acid from leaking from the container and injuring port workers or damaging the environment.
The Ital Moderna
"We've got crews working within the ship and on the dock and it's taken about an hour to bring under control," she said. "They are going to be down there for a long time. All the batteries have to be unloaded. It's a corrosive acid and could give off toxic fumes in a fire. "Potentially there's a lot of acid there so it has to be handled with a lot of care." The spokeswoman said the leak didn't pose an environmental threat. Victoria Police and WorkSafe were notified of the hazard.
Asylum seekers on boats have begun to use mobile phones to call the Australian Maritime Safety Authority directly in a bid to be rescued. People aboard several boats have made multiple calls to AMSA and other government agencies, including Defence, stating they need help. A spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor confirmed asylum seekers on a boat in Indonesian waters had been calling AMSA via mobile phones. "Obviously AMSA would get a message, usually via radio, but people use whatever method they can," the spokesman said. "I believe they contacted a number of authorities, including Defence and other government agencies. "I am aware AMSA has been in direct contact with people on board a vessel and those people are now on the Oceanic Viking.People contacted authorities here and were put through to AMSA." He said AMSA had also received a distress call from another vessel that subsequently sank, the 27 survivors from which were now on Christmas Island. "You cannot be selective as to who you can respond too, AMSA is obliged to respond," he said. A Customs Border Protection spokesman confirmed that on October 16 at 11.45pm, Australian authorities received calls from people on a boat saying they were in trouble. These calls came from the asylum seekers who are now aboard the Oceanic Viking. The spokesman did not know how many calls were made, but confirmed there had been multiple calls.
Navy to Commission Ship Built With World Trade Center Steel
The Navy is commissioning its newest battleship with a bow forged from steel that once held up the World Trade Center. The USS New York is to be placed in active military service during a ceremony on a Manhattan pier Saturday morning. Naval officials say the steel from the trade center attacked on 9/11 symbolizes that the United States will always persevere. The $1 billion warship was built near New Orleans by workers who themselves survived Hurricane Katrina.Just before the commissioning, a memorial to 9/11 heroes will be unveiled by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. David Paterson and Bill White, who's president of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The memorial is also made of steel from the fallen trade center.
Two Dutch tourists were confirmed dead and nine other people injured after a passenger ship collided with a coal-carrying vessel off south China's Guangdong Province late Thursday, the local maritime authority said. The identities of the dead Dutch tourists were not immediately available. Two of the injured, both women, were also confirmed as Dutch nationals. They are being treated in the Panyu Central Hospital in the province's Panyu City. "One of the women injured her spine, and the other received minor facial injuries," said Liang Xinmin, deputy director of the hospital's emergency treatment department. The women asked to return to the Netherlands for further treatment, said Liang. The hospital has received six of the injured. Four of them are locals from Guangdong.
Guangdong Province
Two of the other three injured, taken to the Hexian Hospital in Panyu, have been discharged. The one remaining in hospital, with severe fractures, has been confirmed to be a Hong Kong resident, said a hospital spokesperson. A provincial maritime affairs bureau statement said all the casualties occurred on the passenger ship. Nobody on the coal freighter was hurt. The statement said the passenger ship from Panyu City, Guangdong, took 75 passengers from a port in Hong Kong at 6:10pm on Thursday, and was en route back to Guangdong, when the accident occurred, around 8pm. According to an initial investigation, the bow of the freighter hit the port side of the passenger ship as they were moving toward each other in a sea lane near Lianhuashan Port in Panyu.
A cargo ship registered by Iran has ran aground in the mouth of China's Yangtze river and is in danger of capsizing, Chinese media say. The Zoorik, with 36 crew members on board, ran aground in heavy weather at the mouth of china's longest river early Sunday morning.
The iranian-registered vessel identified as the Zoorik with a crew of 37 onboard on the brink of capsizing, after running aground in heavy weather at the mouth of China's Yangtze river.
A report form China Central Television said all the crew have been rescued during a rescue mission conducted by the country's transport ministry. One crew member was hospitalized with a heart condition and another injured during the operation, a maritime official said in the report.
Two Cargo Ships Collide On Yangtze River, One With Chemicals Sinks
Local government is working on plans to contain and retrieve industrial chemicals sunken on a section of the Yangtze River in central China's Hubei Province after two cargo ships collided early Sunday, local officials said. The collision left one ship, registered in eastern Jiangxi Province, sinking. The ship was carrying 100 tonnes of hydrochloric acid for industrial use when it collided with another cargo ship in the Xishan water area of the Ezhou section of the Yangtze, China's longest waterway due to strong winds.
The collision happened on the Yangtze in central Hubei province
Crew members aboard the sunken ship were saved after the accident. A test of the water three kilometers in radius around the accident scene showed that the pH level was between 7.5 to 8.0, within the normal range, according to an official with the Hubei Provincial Environmental Protection Department. He said the department had located the sunken chemicals and were trying to retrieve it. The whole process is expected to finish Monday morning. "We are paying close attention to the water quality in this area," the official said. Hydrochloric acid for industrial uses, a yellowish substance, was strongly corrosive.
Princess Cruises spokeswoman Julie Benson said Faliva was last seen on a deck at about 8.30am Thursday (local time), when he spoke with another crew member as the ship neared Cartagena. His family, however, said they had been told that he had unexpectedly walked out of the ship's galley at about 8.15pm the night before, while he was working the dinner shift, and never returned and hadn't been seen since.
Princess Cruises spokeswoman Julie Benson said Faliva was last seen on a deck at about 8.30am Thursday (local time), when he spoke with another crew member as the ship neared Cartagena. His family, however, said they had been told that he had unexpectedly walked out of the ship's galley at about 8.15pm the night before, while he was working the dinner shift, and never returned and hadn't been seen since.
