The Quarterdeck; Special interview with Pole Star

This month, as Admiral Watson finishes his move back to Washington, DC, we have a special interview with Pole Star's Julian Longson. Why a special interview with Pole Star? Well, Pole Star was the first commercial vessel tracking company to offer free automatic Amver reporting to its customers.

Several other companies, including Transas and Marine Track, now offer free automatic reporting to Amver as well. If your vessel is enrolled in Amver and a customer of any of these companies, feel free to ask how you can take advantage of this program.

Here is a direct link to the audio file.

The Quarterdeck transcript is available here.

You can also download The Quarterdeck in iTunes.

Links

• Pole Star Space Applications
• Transas
• Marine Track

The Quarterdeck theme song is Botany Bay by the Blaggards available on musicalley.com.

Is there something specific you would like to hear on The Quarterdeck? Leave your suggestion in the comments below and we'll do our best to cover it in an upcoming episode!

Amver crew held by pirates

In a disturbing video the captain of the M/V Leopard, an Amver participant since 1997, makes a plea for the safety of his crew. The Leopard crew, two Danes and four Filipinos, is being held by Somali pirates in a safe haven on shore.



Can't see the video? Click here.

You can learn more about the plight of seafarers by visiting the Save Our Seafarers website.

Welcome Wednesday!

After our 53 years you'd think a person or organization would develop a bit of a swagger. While we're proud of our heritage and may take a bit of liberty and stick our chest out, we're cognizant of what made us the respected organization we are today. You did. Without the collective agreement of the world, that allowing the United States to know their whereabouts at sea is a good thing, this experiment in search and rescue would have been a failure. Instead it has blossomed. So the party hat is coming off and we're celebrating you, the seafarer, for enrolling in Amver. Here are the latest ships helping ensure no call for help goes unanswered.

• ALPHA DIGNITY
• ANNIKA N
• ASIAN GLORY
• C. F. CAMPBELL
• CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE
• EGS CREST
• FALCON NOSTOS
• GAIL
• GRANT CANDIES
• KEN ORCHID
• KOKUKA GLORIOUS
• KOTA RIA
• LADY DORIS
• LADY DORIS
• LAKE DAHLIA
• MORNING CONDUCTOR
• MSC LIVORNO
• MSC SINDY
• MSC TARANTO
• MUNUAKEI
• NEW VISTA
• PACIFIC POPPY
• PANAYIOTA K
• PINNACLE BLISS
• POSEIDON TRIUMPH
• PRABHU SHER
• REGINE
• SEACOR RESOLVE
• SKANDI BERGEN
• ST. LOUIS
• STENA CLEAR SKY
• TAO BRAVE
• VALDARNO
• VALENTE ACE
• VISHVA VIJETA
• VULLY
• WEST SIRIUS
• WESTWARD WIND

Thank you for reading what we have to share, thank you for listening to our monthly podcasts, and thank you for simply supporting our notion that the world can voluntarily work together to save lives at sea.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Japanese tsunami debris, FAQs

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently posted some frequently asked questions about the debris field left after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami this past March.

After the earthquake several Amver participants had questions about safe shipping in the area. There were also several Amver vessels damaged in the tsunami. This debris information should help in further voyage planning. NOAA is also asking for your help in reporting debris fields when you spot them. We learned about this release by reading Dennis Bryant's blog. If you don't read Dennis Bryant's blog every day you should. That's where we learned about this amazing website.

Photo credit: U.S. Pacific Fleet via Flickr

Amver participating Singapore ship saves four fishermen

The Amver participating bulk ship Okiana was on a routine voyage from Savannah, Ga. to Cristobal, Panama when the ship was requested by U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel to divert and assist a fishing vessel in distress approximately 54 miles east of San Andres Island, Columbia. Captain Leonardo Guieb quickly guided the 652 foot ship towards the fishing boat, which was only 23 miles away.

Captain Guieb ordered the crew to prepare rescue equipment, readied the thrusters and switched the steering to manual. Lookouts were posted and the Captain continued to update rescue authorities in Miami, Fla.

Once Captain Guieb was alongside the disabled fishing vessel his crew embarked one of the four fishermen to discuss possible repairs to the disabled craft. Despite the best efforts of the Okiana crew, they were unable to fix the boat. The three remaining fishermen boarded the Okiana and were given food, water, and accommodations. Their fishing boat was left adrift and the survivors were taken to the Panama Canal where they disembarked.

Once aboard the  Singapore flagged Okiana the fishermen told Captain Guieb they had  been adrift for 20 days surviving on dried fish. When congratulated by the Amver staff for a job well done, Captain Guieb replied in an email "We just did what we believe is our moral obligation to render assistance to anyone who is in peril in the sea."

Well done Captain Guieb and the crew of the Okiana!

Here are some photos of the rescue operations-


The fishing vessel Melany, adrift for 23 days




The crew of the M/V Okiana prepare for rescue operations



The first survivor is aboard the M/V Okiana discussing repair options to his fishing boat

Photo credits: Ship's photo credit of marinetraffic.com
                      Rescue photos courtesy of the crew of the M/V Okiana

Greek ship saves Indonesians adrift at sea

We just learned that the Greek Amver participating ship Nena C rescued six Indonesian people, including a 10 year old boy, after their small boat capsized near Buru Island, Indonesia June 17, 2011.

The 606 foot Panamanian flagged bulk carrier was on a voyage from the Philippines to Australia when they encountered the people in the water. "After sighting people in the water without any lifesaving devices the crew immediately commenced man overboard maneuvers," stated the Captain of the Nena C in an email to the Amver center. "The weather was fresh with a light south southeast breeze and moderate seas up to 2.5 meters," he added.

Lookouts were posted and a rescue boat was launched. Four survivors were immediately rescued by the boat crew while the lookouts directed the rescue boat towards two additional survivors. Within two hours of locating the people in the water they were all safely aboard the Nena C.

The survivors stated they were sailing in a speed boat from Buru Island to Ambon City when their boat capsized and sank.

The survivors were transferred to Coast Guard authorities at the entrance of Teluk Kayeli Bay and taken to Namlea Port.

The Nena C, managed by Fairsky Shipping and Trading Company of Athens, enrolled in Amver in 1998.







Photo credit: vessel photo courtesy of marinetraffic.com
rescue photos courtesy of the crew of the M/V Nena C

Welcome Wednesday!

It's that time again. Time to welcome the latest members enrolled in the Amver system. Who are these mariners that make themselves available to save lives? Take a look!

• AQUA CRYSTAL
• ARDMORE SEAMASTER
• BERRA K
• CHARLIE
• CMA CGM ATTILA
• COSCO PRIDE
• CROSBY POWER
• CRYSTALGATE
• DANUM 119
• DANUM 129
• DESERT PEACE
• GLORIA
• HARBOUR PIONEER
• INAI TERATAI 101
• IVS BEACHWOOD
• JAG RANI
• JUPITER SPIRIT
• KOTA AKBAR
• KOTA HADIAH
• KURUSHIMA
• LAKE DOLPHIN
• MELL SEARAYA
• MY FAIR LADY
• NAVIOS SERENITY
• NORD BARCELONA
• OMAHA
• PACIFIC SUCCESS
• PHOENIX ADVANCE
• PIETER CALAND
• POAVOSA WISDOM III
• POLA
• RED DRAGON
• SFL HUDSON
• SHOU SHAN
• SILVER STAR
• STI HERITAGE
• SUEZ FUZEYYA
• TAO MARINER
• TATYANA
• VIEKODA BAY
• VISION
• VOGE ENTERPRISE
• ZIM ANTWERP

Don't forget the Amver podcast, The Quarterdeck! 

Photo credit: Fotolia