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Prayer Requests:
Please keep the following AOS-USA Members in your prayer:
For the repose of the soul
of Goya Aguilar, Restaurant Manager for the Houston International Seafarer's Center. We ask for prayers for her son and for her HISC family.
For Fr. David Remy, Cruise Ship Priest Member who will be under-going surgery for Prostate Cancer. He asks for the prayers of his AOS Family.
For Fr. Dominic Hahn, Cruise Ship Priest Member, and Cruise Assignment Agent for Holland America Line who is struggling with cancer.
Fr. Tim Brian - Cruise Ship Priest member, who is facing heart problems.
Fr. Donald Koch - Cruise Ship Priest member facing illness.
For a close supporter of AOS-USA as he goes through recovery for alcoholism. May he welcome the Holy Spirit to guide him.
For Fr. Maurice Pierce, Cruise Ship Priest member, who is struggling with health issues of late. He appreciates the prayers of his AOS Family.
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Join AOS USA Today!
To join AOS USA simply click on the following link:
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Attention all those attending the AOS World Congress!
All documents, including the final agenda for the World Congress can be found at this site:
AOS World Congress information
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Much to Pray For
Dear Friends,
Tonight as Hurricane Sandy rolls into the North East, we have much to pray for. We pray for all those in her path, especially those living on the Coast, those in low-lying areas, those at sea in the midst of this storm, and those first responders who will be called upon to search and rescue those in peril.
We pray for the infirmed an elderly who may be particularly affected by power outages, and we pray for our own members who are in her path.
We have heard about the sinking of the HMS Bounty, (a replica of the famous ship from the book/movie "Mutiny on the Bounty) which was evacuated at sea earlier today with 2 crew members missing late this afternoon. As of the time of this writing, the body of one of the missing crew was found. The Captain is still missing.
And finally, we learned about the loss of one of our own, Gregoria "Goya" Aguilar, Restaurant Manager at the Houston International Seafarers' Center. Last week we asked for prayers for her as she was undergoing palliative care at MD Anderson in Houston. The next day, Pat Poulos shared with us the news of her loss. They ask prayers for Goya's son, who has now lost both parents in less than a year.
I believe most of our port chaplains know Goya, and any of you who have attended the Houston Maritime Chaplaincy School, have certainly been taken care of by her, whether you had the chance to physically meet her or not. Or whether you were introduced to her or not.
After 32 years of service to the Houston International Seafarers' Center, we can truly say "Well done good and faithful servant."
We can only pray that the same can be said of us when we depart this Earth.
May Our Lady Star of the Sea watch over and guide all those in our prayers tonight.
Doreen M. Badeaux
Secretary General
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Important Reminder:
Get your TWIC Renewed!
Dear Friends,
Most of us received our TWIC Cards when they were first issued. Therefore, most of us need to renew! Please note that the TSA Website is recommending a 4 month wait time for the receipt of your TWIC. Hopefully it will not take this amount of time, but you do not want to risk this. If you don't have a TWIC, you are going to be limited in your ability to ship visit, etc.
For more information on the application process click here:
TSA Website on TWIC Renewals
One can either apply for a 3 year extension or a 5 year renewal.
If you are applying for the extension, you must apply by phone. It may be a long wait, and I personally recommend calling in the morning. I tried late one afternoon and sat there for an eternity. I called the next morning and only waited an hour and 15 minutes. Once the real person came online, it took about 15-20 minutes to finish the transaction.
Lesson learned? Dial in when you have time; use a speaker phone; and be patient.
And when you're done, you might say something nice to the agent handling your renewal. I would imagine they bear the brunt of the anger from people being placed on hold for so long, and yet....they cannot help how many people their company hires (or doesn't hire) to do this process.
Look at it as your opportunity to help spread a little Christian kindness!
Doreen
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ITF General Secretary David Cockroft to Retire
Courtesy: Journal of Commerce
(Editor's Note: AOS-USA salutes the good work that David Cockroft has done for so many seafarers, and seafarers centers. We pray that his retirement is a long and healthy one!)
David Cockroft, who has been general secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation since 1993, will retire at the end of May 2013, when he reaches 60 years of age. Stephen Cotton, the current ITF maritime coordinator, was appointed acting general secretary by the ITF executive board at their meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, today.
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16 Seafarers Facing Starvation
Courtesy: Times online
Thursday 25 Oct. 2012
A group of 16 Seafarers including five Sri Lankans are facing starvation after their local maritime handler's halted essential supplies to the crew following a simmering payment dispute with the ship's owner.
Ranjan Perera with the International Transport workers Federation (ITF) told Timesonline that apart from food, fuel and water stocks had also depleted on board the Malaysian-flagged Saag Sirius which has remained in anchorage for the past three plus months.
He added that the relevant authorities including the local handling agent were passing the buck while the situation on board the vessel deepened with each passing day.
The local agent claims that the ship owner based in Malaysia was in the red in payments and therefore they could no longer take responsibility for the crew or vessel that is currently anchored eight nautical miles south off the Colombo Port, Mr. Perera said.
The ship has been detained on a court order following a complaint from the Sri Lankan/ Myanmar crew on the non-payment of wages for the past three months.
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Piscataqua River claims another tug
Courtesy: Workboat.com
By WorkBoat Staff
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - In February, the Piscataqua River's difficult currents almost capsized the Miss Stacy before she was saved by the Eugenia Moran's crew. Yesterday, theBenjamin Bailey was not so lucky. While working on the same Memorial Bridge project, the Bailey yesterday capsized and sank, just before noon.
According to reports, the Bailey became wedged up against a barge being used in construction efforts, capsized, and then sank within minutes. No one was injured in the accident. At least two, and possibly three crew members were on board at the time. They are cooperating with the Coast Guard as it investigates the cause of the accident.
The Benjamin Bailey is a 55', 1,200-hp tug operated by Riverside and Pickering Marine Contractors, Eliot, Maine, and was working under contract with Archer Western Contractors, which is running the Memorial Bridge project here.
The boat was resting on the bottom of the river as of this morning, after salvage attempts were called off yesterday evening. It's unknown how much diesel remains in the fuel tanks, but no leaks had been reported as of this morning.
One local resident managed to get some video of the tug's sinking, and you can see it here:
 | | Tugboat Benjamin Bailey sinks in the Piscataqua River, Oct. 24, 2012 |
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Piracy Update
Ships With Armed Guards Seen Not Reporting Somali Pirate Strikes
Courtesy: Bloomberg
By Michelle Wiese Bockmann - Oct 23, 2012 5:37 AM CT
Some ship operators hiring private armed guards to protect their vessels from hijack by Somali pirates aren't reporting attempted attacks, the London-based International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center said.
Following are comments from Pottengal Mukundan, the bureau's director, at the Hanson Wade Combating Piracy conference in London today:
"Vessels with private armed security are not reporting the attempted attacks that other vessels were reporting before. There could be many reasons for this, it could be that they fear liability or simply the owners themselves have got clauses in their contracts which prevent any reporting of attempted attacks. This is very sad.
''If there is an attempted attack, that information about that pirate skiff is vital to the next vessel coming down that area.
''Until recently there were a lot more free reports coming out and at the moment we feel that the reports are being suppressed. We need to find a way if people are afraid of liability or other such factors, for that information to be made available.''
Somalia - suspected pirates fire on warship
Courtesy: Dennis Bryant
NATO issued a news release stating that while a boarding team from a NATO warship was approaching a suspect dhow off the Somali coast, it came under fire from ashore and from the dhow. The boarding party on the rigid inflatable boat and the crew of the warship returned fire. The dhow ignited in flames and its crew jumped into the water. One suspected pirate was killed in the action and 25 were rescued. One of the warship's boats incurred damage. (10/25/12).
Piracy trauma checks
Courtesy: BIMCO
By Andrew Guest
There can be few more traumatic events than being attacked by armed men and held hostage, facing the threat of torture and even murder. Some of the tales told by those who have survived being held hostage by Somali pirates have revealed the extent of their ordeal, but whether such experiences invariably result in lasting psychological damage remains the subject of debate. Bimco
Royal Navy battleship gives tips to TPDF in piracy
Courtesy: The Guardian
BY SYLIVESTER DOMASA
The Britain Royal Navy-HMS Sutherland has arrived at the Dar es Salaam harbour for a three day visit.
The fully equipped military ship is expected to offertraining and experience to the local navy units on conducting counter-piracy, counter narcotics and counter terrorism patrols in international waters of the East African region.
As part of its mission, the commander said, the ship has maintained and engaged in a number of challenging training evolutions that include fast roping, drills from Sutherland's embarked Merlin helicopters, medium and small caliber weapon shooting and other combined exercises.
"When it comes to combating piracy, terrorism or illegal activities no single nation could possibly have enough ships or aircrafts to cover the entire area...this is a problem that requires broader intervention," he said.
Read More
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Tall Ship Bounty Abandoned, Sinks in Heavy Seas off Hatteras, 2 Still Missing [UPDATE 2]
BY ROB ALMEIDA ON OCTOBER 29, 2012
Rescuers at the United States Coast Guard have swung into action this morning after receiving word that the crew of the 180-foot, three-masted tall ship, Bounty, has abandoned ship approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina.
The 1716-person crew donned cold water survival suits and lifejackets before launching in two 25-person lifeboats.
US Coast Guard watchstanders dispatched a pair of MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., to rescue the crew.
The first Jayhawk crew arrived on scene at approximately 6:30 a.m. and hoisted five people into the aircraft, and a second helicopter arrived and rescued nine people.
The 14 people are being flown to Air Station Elizabeth City where they will be met by awaiting emergency medical services personnel.
The C-130 Hercules aircraft remains on scene and is searching for the two missing crewmembers and a third Jayhawk crew is en route to assist search and rescue efforts.
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Nun provides ship with rags for engine because crew had no money
Courtesy: AOS Great Britain
A nun provided rags to clean the engine on a ship because the crew had no money to buy them, as they had not been paid for nearly three months.
Sister Marian Davey, Apostleship of the Sea port chaplain to East Anglia, was asked by a Special Branch officer to visit a general cargo ship in Ipswich because he was concerned about the welfare of the crew following a routine visit.
When she went on board, she was told by an angry crew that they hadn't been paid for nearly three months.
"The chief engineer said that he had no rags to clean the oil from the engine. So I went and bought some sheets in a charity shop. I also mentioned the problem to a port worker and he gave me two bags of compressed rags," she said.
After eventually being paid, the crew then spent 37 days anchored two miles off Felixtowe waiting for new orders.
"The cook contacted me to say that they had very little fresh water, which meant they couldn't shower, use the toilet, or wash their clothes. They also had no cigarettes or TV. Being in these conditions on a small ship puts a crew under serious psychological stress," she said.
When the ship returned to Ipswich she provided the crew with bread and fresh vegetables and also phone cards and top-ups so they could contact their families back home in Russia and Cape Verde.
Sister Marian said when a crew isn't paid it also affects their families. "One of the crew said to me, 'My children can't eat stones.' Another member of the crew had medical bills to pay.
"The seafarers were treated completely unjustly throughout this episode and they were powerless to do anything."
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Lake Charles Stevedores working to get food aid moving
Courtesy: The American Press
Food from as far as Washington state is in Lake Charles to be loaded onto an American cargo ship that is headed to West Africa. The M/V Sheila McDevitt will carry 28,000 tons of rice, lentils, cornmeal and other goods provided under guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Agency for International Development.
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US Warship rescues Filipino Fishermen from sinking boat in midnight operation:
Courtesy: The Shipping Tribune
Read More
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NOAA - NMS 40th anniversary
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a news release highlighting the nation's fourteen underwater parks on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) program. (10/23/12).
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Important Upcoming Events for
AOS USA Members
AOS-USA Annual Conference
April 23 - 26, 2013
Jacksonville, FL
More information coming....
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