Training News from HIGMAN BARGE LINES, Inc.

Though this should be a very giving and happy time of year, some very unfortunate events can happen. There are precautions you can take both on and off the boat to keep your holiday season merry.

At Home:

Keep presents out of sight of windows and doors.
When disposing of Christmas gift boxes (new 60" TV), don't put the box on the street for any passing criminal to "window shop".
Keep a list of product serial number (electronics) in a safe place. This makes it easier to track if they are stolen.
Overloaded electric outlets and faulty wires are the most common causes of holiday fires in residences; not Christmas trees.
Ensure that your normal security devices are functioning properly and turned on.

When Shopping:

Don't overload yourself with packages making yourself an easy target.
Parking lots are notorious for Christmas theft. Once you load your car, consider moving it someone could be watching you load and leave your presents.
Consider reducing the size of your wallet, only what you need for that day (One credit card and driver's license).

Cooking:

Wash hands frequently.
Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator (1 day per 4-5 lbs) or in cold water (in the original packaging, changing the water every 30 minutes).
Southerners love their fried turkey. But remember to thoroughly defrost your turkey before placing it in the fryer.
Remember your basics: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.
Remember to always sanitize surfaces before and after raw meat.
It is safest to cook your stuffing in a casserole dish. If you are going to stuff your turkey, do so just before placing in the oven.
Turkey should be cooked to 165ºF. Use a meat thermometer!
Store leftovers within 2 hours.

Thermal/Conventional Oven Open Pan Method Timetable for Roasting a Turkey at 325 °F.

Unstuffed Turkey
8 to 12 pounds 12 to 14 pounds 14 to 18 pounds 18 to 20 pounds 20 to 24 pounds	2-3/4 to 3 hours 3 to 3-3/4 hours 3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hours 4-1/4 to 4-1/2 hours 4-1/2 to 5 hours
Stuffed Turkey
8 to 12 pounds 12 to 14 pounds 14 to 18 pounds 18 to 20 pounds 20 to 24 pounds	3 to 3-1/2 hours 3-1/2 to 4 hours 4 to 4-1/4 hours 4-1/4 to 4-3/4 hours 4-3/4 to 5-1/4 hours

Counting on Success

Breaking down safety into manageable bits will yield positive results!

During a recent meeting to discuss Safety Initiatives planned for the coming year, the idea of a "counter" to measure the number of days or watches without an incident was discussed. The thought was to have a living display similar to those we see at the entrance to a marine terminal that measures the number of days "without a lost time accident".

counter

On November 29, 2011, we posted a counter on Higman Boats that measures and displays the number of successful, incident free watches YOUR vessel has....as well the cumulative number for the FLEET. Every six hours the two numbers will increase accordingly and automatically.

However, if a vessel has a qualifying incident the number for that vessel will go to zero....and the number for the Fleet will do the same. None of the other vessels will be affected and their number of successful, incident free watches will continue to grow.

The following constitute a qualifying incident:

a spill of any amount of product, fuel, lubricants, hydraulic fluid, etc to water
a MOB
any allision, collision, grounding, or similar incident resulting in damage costs of more than $10,000,
any injury that requires medical attention.

This is the very same criteria Safety uses in determining whether to initiate a formal investigation or not. I want to assure you that each incident will be reviewed by the PC and Safety to determine if it qualifies. For instance, a mechanical failure that results in a spill to water will not count against the vessel. Before reducing a vessel's number, the PC, Safety, and the vessel Captain/Relief will discuss the incident and come to agreement.

CBT Prizes!

Its not too late to get your CBT done and enter to win $250.

The company will be sponsoring a drawing for all vessel employees that complete Quarter 1-4 CBT. To be eligible complete ALL quarterly CBT courses by 2400 hours on December 31, 2011. Each eligible employee will be automatically entered for a chance to win one of twenty $250 gift cards.

After December 31, 2011 20 winners will be randomly selected. New Hires, this gives you time to get in there and finish up. Winners will be announced in the January 11, 2012 Training Newsletter.

Christmas at Sea Program

Thanks to the Seamen's Church Institute.

Since 1898, during the Spanish American War, volunteers of the Seamen's Church Institute have knitted, collected, packed, and distributed gifts to mariners who are miles away from home during the holidays.

Once again Christmas boxes are being delivered to Higman vessels in preparation for the Christmas Season. Check with your crew change office if you have not yet received your box.

Relief Capt Nakia Fitch and Tankerman Bryan Carmical pick up SCI Christmas boxes at Channelview for the M/V ROCKFISH.

Knitting groups around the country connect with SCI in weekly knitting meetings at churches and at knitting-sponsored events. Through online sites like Ravelry and the CAS blog (cas.seamenschurch.org), the Institute works with hundreds to make the program effective.

The historic name of this volunteer program, Christmas at Sea, only partially describes the work of the people who make holidays a little warmer for mariners. While gift distribution happens during winter months, collection and creation of items happens year round, and while many gifts go to international mariners working "at sea," thousands of gifts also go to mariners working on inland waterways here in the United States.

If you would like to send a "thanks" from your boat to Ms. Paige Sato, Christmas at Sea Program Manager, click here. Also thanks to Ms. Adrien South from the Higman office assisted in assembling the boxes.

Nav Zone

We all have read the rules several times. But do you really know them? Have you ever looked over the annex's? If so you may know the answer to this question:

You are inbound in the Houston ship channel and you spot a vessel outbound that has two yellow lights in a vertical line. They are flashing alternately every second. Do you know what type of vessel this is? Have you ever seen a vessel use this light signal? Email Kelly your answer.

U.S.C.G. Rules of the Road Questions

INTERNATIONAL ONLY In a narrow channel, a signal of intent which must be answered by the other vessel, is sounded by a vessel __________.

a. meeting another head-on
b. crossing the course of another
c. overtaking another
d. Any of the above

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND There are two classes of vessels which do not have to comply with the rule regarding traffic separation schemes, to the extent necessary to carry out their work. One of those is a vessel __________.

a. engaged in fishing
b. towing another
c. servicing a navigational aid
d. on pilotage duty

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND Under the Rules, any vessel may slacken her speed, stop, or reverse her engines to __________.

a. create a crossing situation
b. allow more time to assess the situation
c. attract the attention of another vessel
d. All of the above

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND In determining "safe speed", the Rules list all of the following as factors which must be taken into account EXCEPT the __________.

a. limitations of radar equipment
b. presence of background lights at night
c. maximum horsepower of your vessel
d. maneuverability of your vessel

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND A tug is towing three unmanned barges astern in fog. The third vessel of the tow should sound __________.

a. no fog signal
b. one short blast
c. one prolonged and three short blasts
d. one prolonged, one short, and one prolonged blast

Stern Shots

M/V ARUNDEL shows her Christmas lights

Trying on cold weather gear

Tankerman Aaron McWhorter knows what is important on the M/V SKIPJACK!

Nautical Trivia

Plum Duff

A maritime tradition on sailing ships in the ninetenth century was to serve "plum duff" on Sundays and especially Christmas.

Plum Duff for Christmas dinner

Plum duff was a pudding of a sort. The ship's cook concocted it of flour, water, molasses, and raisins (which were the plums).

It was heavy enough to sink a ship, and no doubt "stood by" the man who ate it. Yet doubtless it was an improvement over the preceding course of salt pork and moldy or weevily bread or hard tack.

Currently I am reading "Two Years Bedfore the Mast" published in 1840 by Richard Henery Dana after a two-year sea voyage starting in 1834.

In the book, which takes place between 1834 and 1836, Dana gives a vivid account of "the life of a common sailor at sea as it really is". He sails from Boston to South America and around Cape Horn to California. Dana's ship was on a voyage to trade goods from the United States for the Mexican colonial Californian California missions' and ranchos' cow hides. They traded at the ports in San Diego Bay, San Pedro Bay, Santa Barbara Channel, Monterey Bay, and San Francisco Bay.

Plum Duff is described by Dana as "nothing more than flour boiled with water and eaten with molasses." In his story, it is withheld from the crew on occasion to highlight the Captains displeasure and becomes a problem when the cook cuts back on the crews ration.

"Thursday, Dec. 25th...This was Christmas, but it brought us no holiday. The only change was that we had "Plum Duff" for dinner and the crew quarreled with the steward because he did not give us our usual allowance of molasses to eat with it. He thought the plums would be a substitute for the molasses, but we were not to be cheated out of our rights in this way"

Plum Duff served in the fo'castle

Dates to Remember

2012 Wheelmen's Seminars

First Session FEB 29 - MAR 1

Second Session MAR 12 - MAR 13

Third Session MAR 21 - MAR 22

2012 Advanced Pilothouse Management at SCI

First Session FEB 13 - FEB 15

Second Session APR 23 - APR 25

Third Session JUN 11 - JUN 13

Fourth Session AUG 13 - AUG 15

Fifth Session SEP 24- SEP 26

To schedule training please email Kelly or call at 281-864-6011.

CBT Certificates earned by Higman employees from JAN 1, 2011 to date........4960!

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Add your email address with the "Join our Mailing List" button (above, page 1, left side) to get your own copy!

Answer to this weeks Rules of the Road ...C,A,B,C,A

It is a small world out there that becomes even smaller if you are in the marine industry. In the last Higman Training Newsletter, we discussed coming to the assistance of your fellow mariners when the need arises. To highlight the point, I wrote about my experience looking for survivors of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 while serving as 1st Engineer aboard the SS EXXON LEXINGTON.

After reading my comments, our Safely and Vetting Manager, John Costello came back with these comments:

".....I was the Operations Officer on the US Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless (previously located in Miami) when the incident occurred. We were transferring about 300 Haitians from the Fras de Lisle off Bimini, when the Space Shuttle CHALLENGER exploded.

We had a great view despite being 100 miles down range. The USCGC Dauntless was directed to proceed to Cape Canaveral and assume duties as the On-scene Commander. As the Operations Officer, I am likely the person that released your ship later that day.

We however remained on-scene for another 20 plus days retrieving debris. We got a call from President Reagan after the rescue of the Haitians as we were headed to Cape Canaveral. An eventful 60 day patrol...."

Have a great and very safe week!

Sincerely,

GORDIE KEENAN
KELLY CLEAVER