Fire on Water

To the limit of one's efforts - to the last extremity.

The bitter end:  via www.phrases.org.uk

Meaning

To the limit of one's efforts - to the last extremity.

Origin

Bitter has been an adjective meaning acrid or sour tasting since the year 725 AD at least. The word was in common use in the Middle Ages and Shakespeare uses it numerous times in his plays and poems, as do many other dramatists. The phrase 'the bitter end' would seem, fairly obviously, to come directly from that meaning.

The complete Phrase Finder post is here.

San Juan ORCA Challenge

While kayaking in Johnstone Strait during the summer, Nadja Baker and Jim Zimmerman came across a pod of Northern Resident orcas. Below: Nadja Baker, front, and Jim Zimmerman will be bringing back the San Juan kayak race to the Waterfront Festival next year. Here they’re seen in their double kayak cruising down Guemes Channel past the BMW Oracle trimaran built in Anacortes. (Photos by Nadja Baker.)

The Anacortes American is reporting:

The San Juan ORCA Challenge will be just that — kayakers challenging the sea, winds and their fellow paddlers, and organizers challenging everyone to take better care of the orcas’ environment.



Nadja Baker and fiancé Jim Zimmerman, both of Anacortes, are working with the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce to add the race to the 2009 Waterfront Festival, putting more “water” back into the annual event.

The complete Anacortes American by Joan Pringle is here.

Smithsonian highlights Nisqually salmon recovery effort

| CHUCK KENNEDY | MCT - The new oceans hall exhibit at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, December 16, 2008 in Washington, D.C, highlights Pacific Northwest salmon and the efforts of the Nisqually Tribe to restore a wild run.

The Bellingham Herald is reporting:

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Below the 45-foot model of a right whale named Phoenix, behind the case holding a rare giant squid and not far from the remains of a prehistoric coelacanth caught off Africa, is an exhibit highlighting Pacific Northwest salmon and the efforts of the Nisqually Tribe to restore a wild run.

Though it may not be the flashiest display in the new, $49 million Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, curators say it’s a unique story about a fish that migrates thousands of miles against almost overwhelming odds before returning home to spawn.

The complete Bellingham Herald post by Les Blumenthal is here

A tale of two countries

 BC ferry MV Kuper, built in the good old US of A.

Originally constructed in 1985, and then cut up and trucked to Salt Lake City, Utah, to be reconstructed. Named MV John Atlantic Burr at the time, was then purchased by BC Ferries in 2005. She was then cut up again, and trucked to Tacoma Washington, and then barged up to Vancouver BC. She's now been reconstructed, this time added with an extra vehicle lane down the center of the vessel. She entered service on the Chemainus-Thetis Island-Kuper Island Route in January 2007.

The full MV Kuper picture essay is at Chris' Ferry Photos here.

(Ed. note:  Thanks to BE readers Rod and Vickie for the above.  The US Jones Act does not allow foreign built hulls to be used domestically.  There are lots of ups and downs these days about projectionist legislation.   US jobs vs the needs of the WSF is just the beginning.)

Searchers see no sign of missing cruise ship passenger

CNN.com is reporting:

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Searchers looking for a woman believed to have fallen from a cruise ship off the Yucatan coast of Mexico have seen no sign of her, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said Friday afternoon.

The Norwegian Pearl is on a seven-day Caribbean cruise.

Lt. Matt Moorlag, based in Miami, said crews would work into the night to find 33-year-old Jennifer Feitz, whose husband reported her missing aboard the Norwegian Pearl about 3:40 a.m. Friday.

The full CNN post is here.

Could it be Sarah Palin...

click to enlarge

...checking in to ye ole blog from Wasilla, AK?

Dutch Keep Rising Oceans at Bay

Floating feet mystery picked as newsmaker of the year

 

CBCNews is reporting:

Readers of the CBCNews.ca site for British Columbia have selected the ongoing mystery over seven human feet that have washed up in the province and nearby Washington State as newsmaker of the year.

The readers voted in an online poll on the site earlier in December.

The full CBC story is here.

(Ed. note:  Thanks to BD readers Rod and Vickie of British Columbia for above.)

Octopus ornament

posted via BlackBerry

Christmas at Sea

by Robert Louis Stevenson
(1850-1894)

---

The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand;
The decks were like a slide, where a seaman scarce could stand;
The wind was a nor'-wester, blowing squally off the sea;
And cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee.
 

They heard the suff a-roaring before the break of day;
But 'twas only with the peep of light we saw how ill we lay.
We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout,
And we gave her the maintops'l, and stood by to go about.

All day we tacked and tacked between the South Head and the North;
All day we hauled the frozen sheets, and got no further forth;
All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread,
For very life and nature we tacked from head to head.

We gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide-race roared;
But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard.
So's we saw the cliff and houses and the breakers running high,
And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye.

The frost was on the village roofs as white as ocean foam;
The good red fires were burning bright in every longshore home;
The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out;
And I vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about.

The bells upon the church were rung with a mighty jovial cheer;
For it's just that I should tell you how (of all days in the year)
This day of our adversity was blessèd Christmas morn,
And the house above the coastguard's was the house where I was born.

O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there,
My mother's silver spectacles, my father's silver hair;
And well I saw the firelight, like a flight of homely elves,
Go dancing round the china plates that stand upon the shelves.

And well I knew the talk they had, the talk that was of me,
Of the shadow on the household and the son that went to sea;
And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way,
To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessèd Christmas Day.

They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall.
"All hands to loose topgallant sails," I heard the captain call.
"By the Lord, she'll never stand it," our first mate, Jackson, cried.
. . . ."It's the one way or the other, Mr. Jackson," he replied.

She staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good,
And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she understood;
As the winter's day was ending, in the entry of the night,
We cleared the weary headland, and passed below the light.

And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me,
As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea;
But all that I could think of, in the darkness and the cold,
Was just that I was leaving home and my folks were growing old.

Merry Christmas

May the joy of the Holidays be with you and your family.

A special thanks to my sister Julie Rodriguez Jones for the card above.

Beijing Considers First Aircraft Carrier

AFP

Rear Adm. Xiao Xinnian, center, said Tuesday that China is prepared to fight

back against pirate attacks in international waters.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting:

BEIJING -- China's top military spokesman said it is seriously considering adding a first aircraft carrier to its navy fleet, a fresh indication of the country's growing military profile as it prepares for its first major naval deployment abroad.

At a rare news conference Tuesday, Chinese defense-ministry officials played down the importance of Beijing's decision to send warships to the Gulf of Aden to curb piracy -- China's first such deployment in modern history -- saying it doesn't represent a shift in defense policy. The two destroyers and supply ship are to depart Friday for the Middle East.

The complete Wall Street Journal post by Shai Oster is here.

New Candies Build at Dakota Creek

Two of the 3 bow thruster tubes.....800 hp engines driving each of thes

You may recall prior post about the IMR Grant Candies here in Aancortes. Candies photographer and BE reader Dave McNary sent along the a link with pics about the new 309' M/V Ross Candies.

The link is here.

Coast Guard's Top 10 Videos of 2008

The link is here.

The list:

• The seizure of a self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel and its cargo of about 15,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $196 million by boarding teams from the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett.
• The rescue of an injured logger near Quillayute River, Wash., by an aircrew from Air Station Port Angeles, Wash.
• The rescue of a mariner from Prince William Sound, Alaska, by an aircrew from Air Station Kodiak, Alaska.
• The tow of a disabled vessel caught in heavy weather near Sausalito, Calif., by boatcrews from Station Golden Gate, Sausalito.
• The rescue of four survivors of the sinking of the fishing vessel Katmai 100 miles west of Adak, Alaska, by an aircrew from Air Station Kodiak, Alaska.
• The pursuit of a vessel suspected of illegally fishing in U.S. waters one mile from the U.S. - Mexico border by a boatcrew from Station South Padre Island, Texas.
• The rescue of four people from a sailing vessel 172 miles east of Wilmington, N.C., by an aircrew from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.
• The offload of 1,600 pounds of cocaine seized by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Forward.
• The rescue of a pilot and her dog from a crashed plane by an aircrew from Air Station Savannah, Ga.
• The interdiction and rescue of 104 Haitian migrants from an overloaded sail-freighter and from the water 20 miles south of Great Inagua, Bahamas, by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless.

(Ed. note: You may recall that we made the list last year with participation in this rescue.)

Don't miss the Coast Guard's response to Charles R. in comment #2.

Solo Italian rower rescued off Australia after 10-month journey

AFP – Italian adventurer Alex Bellini who spent 10 months rowing 18,000 kilometres solo across the Pacific …

Yahoo news is reporting:

NEWCASTLE, Australia (AFP) – An Italian adventurer who spent 10 months rowing 18,000 kilometres (11,000 miles) solo across the Pacific was upbeat Saturday despite needing to be rescued heartbreakingly close to his goal.

Alex Bellini had been at sea since leaving Lima, Peru on February 21 and had expected to reach Australia on Saturday -- becoming only the fifth person to complete the journey which spans almost one-third of the globe.

But as fierce storms battered the Australian east coast Friday, Bellini's wife telephoned authorities to say her husband was 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres) from land, was nearing exhaustion and needed help.

The full YahooNews post by Torsten Blackwood is here.

A related video is here.

(Ed. note:  Thanks to BE reader Raul Biascoechea for leading us to this story.)

"The Southern Resident Orca Population Crashes In 2008: Starvation"

The Island Guardian is reporting:
  
By Mark Anderson The plight of our resident killer whales has become as simple to understand as is the most
By Mark Anderson

The plight of our resident killer whales has become as simple to understand as is the most likely means of saving them. After years of argument driven as much by money as by science, we have suddenly, unfortunately, reached a moment when the causes and remedial actions are relatively clear.

I am writing this in the aftermath of a rather successful meeting organized by Puget Sound Partnership on the subject of “What is killing the whales, and what can be done about it?” This Friday Harbor Labs gathering inluded William Ruckelshaus, chair of the government-mandated study group, and representatives from National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, other scientists, and interested NGOs such as The Whale Museum and Orca Relief. Joe Gaydos, head of SeaDoc Society, moderated.

This post was made in the online Island Guardian, the balance of the post is here. 


(Ed. note:  Would be curious about opinios of my friends who operate Whale Watching vessels in the islands.)

Snow in Anacortes

This pic was sent by former student Dave Griffith.  We have about 12" of snow on the ground here in Anacortes.

Master of Towing Vessels Association Forum

Master of Towing Vessels Association Forum

Has listed BitterEnd on their Blogroll (Thanks)

NPR Piracy Podcast from this morning

NPR Piracy Podcast

Reid Rock Change

Reid Rock Bifurcation Buoy

WASHINGTON - PUGET SOUND - San Juan Channel

Navigation Aids: To accommodate the installation of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) lantern.
Reduce the nominal range from five (5) to four (4) nautical miles on Reid Rock Lighted Bell Buoy (LLNR 19630) and remove the bell.

From USCG Notice to Mariners, here.

(Ed. note: This post will be of interest to those who ply the waters of the San Juan Islands.)

Seattle REC Closed Monday 12/22

uscgd13 The Coast Guard offices in the Jackson Federal Building will be closed tomorrow, Dec. 22 due to weather. about 2 hours ago from web...via Twitter

WSF: Long Range Plan

(Ed. note: Thanks to BE reader Gregory B for the following:)

Richard,

WSF has released the long range plan. People should get a look at it. Plan B is bad but then again Plan A is not the best for the customers either. The links below make up the plan.

Executive summary

Background

Our Customers – Ridership and Demand

Customer Services: Level of Service Standards

Operations: Adaptive Management Strategies

Draft Long Range Plan

USS Kitty Hawk in the Western Pacific

Its not often you see a big-deck carrier take seas over the bow. To put it in perspective, the deck is 102 feet off the water when docked. You can see the ship shudder when it hits them (camera wiggle). Must have been a wild ride. You can bet the Air Boss was wishing he had had that chopper parked a lot further aft.

(Ed. note: Thanks to former student, Capt. Peter Hartman of Blaine for this one.)

2000 Year Old Antikythera Computer Lives Again

The original 81 shards of the Antikythera were recovered from under the sea in 1902, and it has taken boffins since the 1950s to piece together the story, with the help of some very sophisticated imagining technology in recent years.

via Wired Gadget Blog

Wikipedia info here.

A great holiday post from the Coast Guard

	Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard Thirteenth District
News Release	Date: December 19, 2008 Contact: Petty Officer Tara Molle (206) 220-7237
Coast Guard offers holiday gift ideas to help save lives
SEATTLE — With the holidays just around the corner, the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary offer a few last minute gift ideas that may help save a life. For a potentially lifesaving gift this year, consider buying and registering a 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. Starting in February 2009, beacons that transmit only an analog signal (121.5 or 243 MHz) will no longer be "heard" by search and rescue satellites. This presents a great gift idea and an opportunity to help family or friends make the switch to 406. "Having the proper safety equipment on board your vessel significantly increases your chance of survival in the case of an emergency," said Lcdr. Andre Billeaudeaux, the Director of Auxiliary for the Thirteenth Coast Guard District. "The Auxiliary also offers free vessel safety checks to ensure a boat is in compliance with Coast Guard regulations." Additionally, the value of a properly fitting life jacket can't be under-estimated. There are a wide variety of life jackets that serve the demands of every on-the-water activity. Whether the gift recipient is an off-shore boater, coastal kayaker or inland canoeist, there's a comfortable, easy-to-wear life jacket to meet their needs. Other gift suggestions are: * Signaling kit (mirror, flares, whistle, lights, and an air horn, preferably with a pump) * Nautical charts * Submersible, hand-held VHF radio * Dry/Wet Suit * Neoprene gloves * Compass * Life raft * First aid kit Some of the most valuable gifts don't cost anything but time, such as scheduling a free vessel safety check with the local Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron. Another option is to sign-up family or friends for a boating safety course. Course topics include basic boating knowledge, laws, navigational rules and problem solving. For more information on scheduling a free vessel safety check visit www.safetyseal.net. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the United States Coast Guard. Created by an Act of Congress in 1939, the Auxiliary directly supports the Coast Guard in all missions, except military and direct law enforcement actions.
###

More WSF News

The Seattle PI is reporting:

State's iconic ferry system may be in for big changes

The state ferry system, the nation's biggest, may look very different in 20 years.

Depending on what vision takes hold, there could be less service, smaller boats and counties could be asked to pick up part of the load by running foot ferries.

..."The goal is to try and keep what we have," said Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island and chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Committee, who talks of the ferry system "as kind of like a two-lane road. It's never going to be a super-highway."

The full PI post by By LARRY LANGE is here.

(Ed. note: Thanks to regular Pat for calling our attention to this article.)

First Self-Healing Coatings

 A paint additive will protect cars, bridges, and ships from corrosion.

TechnologyReview.com is reporting:

When a car's underbody or a ship's hull begins to corrode, it usually ends up junked. New protective coatings developed at the University of Illinois heal over their own scratches with no external intervention, protecting the underlying metal. The self-healing elements, enclosed in microcapsules that rip open when the coating is scratched, are compatible with a wide range of paints and protective coatings. The coatings, being marketed by Autonomic Materials of Champaign, IL, may be on the market in as soon as four months.

The complete post By Katherine Bourzac is here.

Ferry to Sidney, B.C., a victim of budget cuts

The Seattle Times is reporting:

The ferry between Anacortes and Sidney, B.C., will be eliminated under Gov. Christine Gregoire's new budget.

The ferry, which operates from early spring until the first week in January, carried 113,000 passengers last year — the lowest in the system, with just half a percent of total ferry ridership.

The state has been operating the route since 1951, when it took the system over from the Black Ball line. Dropping the route will save $9.2 million, eliminating 35 jobs, Gregoire said in her budget.

The complete Seattle Times post by Susan Gilmore is here.

Once Again - The Rules

MarineLink.com is reporting:

Report on Collision; Death off Pt. Reyes

Monday, December 15, 2008, 8:51 AM

On Dec. 10, the U.S. Coast Guard released the results of two investigations. One report outlines the causes of the July 13, 2007 fatal collision between a cargo ship and a small fishing boat which occurred in heavy fog off Pt. Reyes, and the other is an internal review of the service's handling of the incident. The incident involved the 291 ft motor vessel Eva Danielsen, a Bahamian-flagged cargo ship, and a 28 ft wooden fishing vessel, the Buona Madre, home ported in Santa Cruz, California. A collision between the two vessels resulted in the destruction of the fishing boat and the death of Mr. Paul Wade.


.......failure to ensure proper manning of the respective vessels in light of the prevailing weather conditions (heavy fog); and the freighter proceeding at an unsafe speed based upon the weather conditions, failing to follow applicable Navigational Rules of the Road (i.e., fog signals), and negligence with respect to the operation of the vessel.

The complete MarineLink.com post is here.

CLIMATE CHANGE: 'Things Happen Much Faster in the Arctic'

The North America Inter Press Service is reporting:

QUEBEC CITY, Canada, 13 Dec (IPS) - In just a few summers from now, the Arctic Ocean will lose its protective cover of ice for the first time in a million years, according to some experts attending the International Arctic Change conference here.

A summer ice-free Arctic wasn't due for another 50 to 70 years under the worst-case climate change scenarios examined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

'Things are happening much faster in the Arctic. I think it will be summer ice-free by 2015,' said David Barber, an Arctic climatologist at the University of Manitoba.

You can read the full post by Stephen Leahy here.

(Ed note: Thanks to my wife Trish for leading me to this article.)

New Assistance Towing Blog

Charlie Meyer a retired U.S. Coast Guard Warrant Officer and now a rescue boat captain is based on the Lake of the Ozarks. Lake Tow LLC is the exclusive towing service provider for BoatU.S. members on the Lake. In August 2005 he added a custom designed 27 foot rescue towboat, the “POINT YOUNG”.

You can find Charlie here.

(Ed. note: Welcome to the jungle.)

America's Cup Background

You can run, but you can't hide

USCG (USCG) is now following your updates on Twitter.

Check out USCG's profile here:

http://twitter.com/USCG

Best,
Twitter

Oh Yea: I need one of these $2,700 pen knives on the Rescuse Boat

Diamond-Studded Swiss Army Knife for Top-Drawer Pockets

The Swiss Army knife has been around for more than a century, and for all its utilitarian virtues, the trusty old Boy Scout standby was due for an upgrade. Hence the deluxe Bonfort edition. Coated in 18-karat yellow gold and studded with 72 eye-popping diamonds, this version of the 3-inch Classic model packs a tiny pair of scissors, a file with screwdriver tip, and an engraved knife blade that would please a Medici prince. Being Swiss, of course, functionality is still king. It remains the go-to gadget when you need to punch open a tin of Dinty Moore because the yacht didn't come with a can opener.

via Wired.com

Madagascar, MIA

We get lots of hits, but none from Madagascar. You you know someone there, we'd love to see em on the map. Just let em know about BitterEnd.

Wikipedia info on Madagascar is here.

Be Afraid - Very Afraid

(Ed. note: Fellow blogger Peter Mello over at Sea-Fever, posted this article to his Twitter. It is important to note that the bad guys will make it exceedingly hard for the good guys to do business as usual. Being of the libertarian persuasion, I cringe at where I think we may be headed...you be the judge.)

Here's a excerpt from that post:

Small Boats

The tragic terror attack in Mumbai and its maritime nexus represents further cause for action on an effective international and domestic approach to small vessel security. After hijacking a fishing vessel, the terrorists used off-the-shelf GPS technology to navigate from Karachi, Pakistan to Mumbai and then simply rowed ashore in inflatable dinghies. They didn’t make much of an effort to conceal their movements.

Such brazen activity would have been detected on land but the water is a much different environment. In the maritime domain, thousands of small vessels ply international or coastal waters with relative anonymity. With limited awareness offshore, law enforcement entities are forced to respond to unfolding maritime events instead of preventing them.

The Coast Guard articulated these challenges in a 2007 report.

The emergence of transnational threats: Transnational criminals, pirates, and terrorists seek to exploit the complexity of the maritime domain and the vulnerabilities of the global supply system. Weapons of mass destruction (WMD), contraband smuggling, and small vessel threats, such as water-borne improvised explosive devices (WBIEDs), represent the greatest risks from terrorism in the maritime domain. Today's trafficking of drugs, migrants, and contraband by criminals is becoming increasingly sophisticated and threatening as well.

The vastness, anonymity, and limited governance of the global maritime domain: The maritime domain, by its nature, creates its own challenges. Legitimate uses and criminal threats are growing in a realm that spans the globe, has limited governance, and provides little transparency of activity (particularly for smaller vessels). This creates tension between recognized legal regimes and the emerging need for greater security and safety -- U.S. Coast Guard Strategy for Maritime Safety, Security and Stewardship (Download PDF)

The full post can be found here.

It's a blow'n tonight

wsferries Shaw Terminal--Power Outage: Due to a power outage at the Shaw terminal, there is a delay in loading and unloading the vessels. Passeng ... 22 minutes ago from web

Gale Warning in effect from Friday morning through Friday evening

Fri Se wind 15 to 25 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt late in the morning. Wind waves building to 4 to 6 ft. Rain.

Fri Night S wind 30 to 40 kt...becoming NW after midnight. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft.

Sat N wind 20 to 30 kt...becoming NE. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft.

Sun And Mon NE wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. Coast Guard cautions boaters and beachgoers for upcoming heavy weather SEATTLE — The Coast Guard warns boaters and beachgoers to exercise caution on coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest this upcoming weekend due to high winds, coastal area flooding, cold temperatures and snow. The National Weather Service - http://www.noaa.gov/ - has posted hazardous weather outlooks throughout the Pacific Northwest to include gale force wind warnings, small craft advisories and high surf advisories. The boating public is strongly encouraged to pay close attention to local weather and river bar forecasts before leaving port. The complete CG post is here. Wikipedia info on Beaufort Wind Scale, here.

Local (Anacortes, WA ) TWIC Update

In doing a little research for my fellow Friday Harbor Vessel Assist colleagues, I dropped by the Anacortes WA, TWIC office on Wednesday.

Here's what I found out:

Yes Virgina, you still need a TWIC.  Your level of licensing does not matter - even those with an OUPV. While some legislation is in the offing that might exempt lower level licenses, I would not want to roll the dice.

They are booked with appointments through January 6, 2009.  Remember, February 28, 2009 is the date that the Coast Guard will be requiring a TWIC.  While you must carry your license, if asked, you must also produce a TWIC.  It's kinda like being ask for your driver's license and proof of insurance - you'll need both documents.

It's possible to drop in, but you take your chances, and those who have made an appointment online, are served first.

It's taking six to eight weeks for the turn around, and you will need to go back to the local office to have your credential activated.

Lockheed Martin Corporation Anacortes TWIC Enrollment Center

8327 Summit Park Rd
Anacortes, WA 98221

(360) 293-5588

TWIC site:
https://twicprogram.tsa.dhs.gov/

The TWIC pre enrollment site is here:
https://twicprogram.tsa.dhs.gov/Privacy.do

Fellow blogger and Assistance Towing buddy, Doug Gould (Red Right Returning) has a most excellent TWIC resource page HERE.

WSF Feedback Form

 

The form is HERE.

WSF Sealth out of service

MV Sealth

The San Juan Islander is reporting:

The Sealth ferry was pulled out of service, due to a leak according to one source. The 6 p.m. sailing from Anacortes and the 8 p.m. sailing from Friday Harbor Tuesday, Dec. 9 were cancelled. Washington State Ferries apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. Updates will be posted on the WSF Web site. WSF WEB SITE.

via Twitter, last evening:

wsferries Anacortes/San Juan Islands Sealth Departures Cancelled: The 6:00pm sailing from Anacortes and the 8:00pm sailing from Friday Harbor h ...... about 12 hours ago from web

via Twitter at 06:30 Wed

wsferries Anacortes/San Juan Islands - Running Late: The Sealth is running 20 minutes late due to earlier necessary repairs. This has affected the ...... 9 minutes ago from web

Mariner Pleads Guilty to Illegal Use of Liscense

MARK D. MILLIEN, age 45, a resident of Sorrento, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan to a one-count indictment for using an altered, changed, forged and/or counterfeit United States Coast Guard license to gain employment as a captain of a vessel, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten today.

The maximum statutory penalty MILLIEN faces is five (5) years incarceration, a $250,000 fine, not more than three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

MILLIEN was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 28, 2008 and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2009.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera and Dorothy Manning Taylor.

(Download Factual Basis )

Bellingham: Captain's Licensing Course, Jan - Feb

Here are the Details:

Mon, Tues, Wed during January and February
17:30-21:30
Bellingham Yacht Club (Ward Room)

If you're at all thinking about working on the water this next season, this is the class for you. Both an OUPV (six pac) and Master's License are included along with all texts.

Hundreds have taken this course from me over the last six seasons. We are Coast Guard approved and administer the test on site at the conclusion of the course. There is a 98% passing rate. Should you be part of the 2% you take the course over on me, with the exception of a small CG testing fee.

This course has been full the last six years. BE readers can save $100 by registering early. That makes the fee the same as 2003, which is hard to beat.

Contact me HERE for details.

Amazing Indonesian Mimic Octopus

Tofino tugboat narrowly escapes sinking

The Island Ranger nearly sank in Tofino Harbour after hitting a reef on Sunday evening.
(W. C. Barnes)

CBC News is reporting:

A tugboat narrowly avoided sinking after running aground on a reef on the west coast of Vancouver Island on Sunday evening.

The Island Ranger was entering Tofino harbour from the east through Browning Passage when it hit the rocky shoal around 6 p.m. PT. It then rolled onto its port side and began taking on water, sinking the stern, local photographer Wayne Barnes told CBC News.

The full CBC post is here.

(Ed. note: Thanks to BE readers Rod and Vickie Pugh for send this inf on.)

Master's License Renewal Course

A gang of eight in Anacortes

One of the participants came all the way from Montana.

Budget troubles threaten Keystone ferry

Justin Burnett / The Whidbey Examiner

Since February, the state has provided car-ferry service on the Keystone route using the Steilacoom II, a vessel
leased from Pierce County. The route will be served by a passenger-only ferry for up to four weeks beginning Jan. 6,
when the Steilacoom II goes into drydock for maintenance and repairs.

The Whidbey Examiner is reporting:

Washington's transportation chief warns that if the state Legislature doesn't come up with more money for Washington State Ferries, service on the Keystone-Port Townsend ferry route could be reduced. The agency's current revenue stream isn't enough to maintain service on all routes as currently scheduled, Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said

The complete Whidbey Examiner post by Justin Burnett is here.

Take a ride on the wild side

Photos by Dave Ashurst

Former student, Capt. Peter Hartman, of Blaine sent the pis above.

Hang on to your hat! ... or whatever else.

Canadian Coast Guard, autumn storm 2008 off the west coast of Vancouver Island, Cox Bay near Tofino.

Thanks Peter

Russian warship to cross Panama Canal

Admiral Chabanenko

BreitBart.com is reporting:

MOSCOW (AP) - A Russian warship will sail through the Panama Canal this week for the first time since World War II, the navy announced Wednesday, pushing ahead with a symbolic projection of Moscow's power in a traditional U.S. zone of influence.

The destroyer Admiral Chabanenko will arrive Friday at a former U.S. naval base in Panama's Pacific port of Balboa for a six-day visit after carrying out joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy in the Caribbean Sea, navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said in a telephone interview.

The complete breitbart.com post by Vladimir Isachenkov is here.

Attack of the Sea Slugs

Some great video: Follow the link here.

via DarkRoastedBlend

Pirates fire on US cruise ship in hijack attempt

In a separate but related incident, BE reader Samuel Magaram, sent this MSNBC post.

A few spots left for Saturday in Anacortes

A quick reminder; Saturday is the 08:00 - 16:00 CG License Renewal Course. If you don't have 360 days of sea time since your last renewal, this is the course for you.

The open book assessment at the end of the day is USCG approved, and the certificate is good for a year.

Contact me here for more info.

Ocean off North Olympic Peninsula 10 times more acidic than thought

Interesting levels of acidity in North Olympic Peninsula waters off Tatoosh Island, shown here, "raises a warning flag that the oceans may be changing faster than people think," according to a University of Chicago marine biologist. -- Peninsula Daily News photo

The Peninsula Daily News is reporting:

NEAH BAY -- Measurements of ocean acidification off the North Olympic Peninsula coast at Tatoosh Island show acidity is rising more than 10 times faster than climate models have predicted.

The researchers cannot say whether the trend is widespread.

The eight years of research also revealed that the corrosive effect of acidic ocean waters could trigger a dramatic shift in coastal species and jeopardize some shellfish stocks.

The complete Peninsula Daily News post is here.

The Most Remote Place on Earth

Tristan da Cunha

DarkRoastedBlend, the photo blog just ran a series on, Tristan da Cunha, the Loneliest Island on Earth.

Probably as far away as possible! Short of launching him into space, there is an island, which is considered to be the remotest inhabited location on the planet. There are other distant places, but they are uninhabited, mostly barren and unexciting - but here life is established in a very British way, so our world-leader-in-exile would not mess it up so easily, one hopes.

Official website, here. 

Info on longboats, here.