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Prayer Requests:
For Rose Patronella, long-time AOS Diocese of Beaumont volunteer and volunteer with the Port Arthur International Seafarers' Center. Rose recently had surgery and appreciates your prayers for full recovery.
For all seafarers who are just starting their careers, especially those who are struggling to find work in the current economic climate.
Prayer of St. Basil of
Caesarea (ca. 330-379)
Steer the ship of my life, Lord, to your quiet harbor, where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict. Show me the course I should take. Renew in me the gift of discernment, so that I can see the right direction in which I should go. And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course, even when the sea is rough and the waves are high, knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name we shall find comfort and peace.
A Seafarers' Prayer
O God, I ask you to take me into your care and protection along with all those who sail ships. Make me alert and wise in my duties. Make me faithful in the time of routine, and prompt to decide and courageous to act in any time of crisis. Protect me in the dangers and perils of the sea; and even in the storm, grant that there may be peace and calm within my heart. When I am far from home and far from loved ones and far from the country that I know, help me to be quite sure that, wherever I am, I can never drift beyond your love and care. Take care of my loved ones in the days and weeks and months when I am separated from them, sometimes with half the world between them and me. Keep me true to them and keep them true to me, and every time that we have to part, bring us together in safety and in loyalty again. This I ask for your love's sake. -Amen-
AOS PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon all Seafarers.
(1 Our Father)
(Hail Mary)
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, pray for us.
St. Peter, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
Lord save us,
or we perish.
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Join AOS USA Today!
To join AOS USA simply click on the following link:
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AOS/USCCB Website:
Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. (Psalm 107:23-24)
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AOS-USA Assists Shrimpers Seeking On-Going Professional Development
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Fr. Sinclair Oubre, AOS Diocese of Beaumont and Dr. Terrie Looney of Texas SeaGrant, discuss new vessel regulations with local shrimpers.
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Dear Friends,
An important segment of the maritime industry that AOS is charged with caring for, is the Fishing Sector. Many times, we may feel it is difficult to reach out to this sector, as they do not have the same needs as the merchant mariners that we serve. But each fishing community has needs, with which our port chaplains can assist.
Here in Port Arthur, AOS-USA, AOS - Diocese of Beaumont, and the Port Arthur International Seafarers' Center work together to serve our fishing fleet. Port Arthur is home to over 100 Shrimp Boats, each of which may have 3-5 fishermen onboard.
In the late 90's several local shrimpers reached out to Fr. Sinclair Oubre, Diocesan Director for AOS Diocese of Beaumont. They requested help interfacing with local, state and federal law makers. At the time, many of the fishermen were Vietnamese, with limited English skills and they did not feel that their voice was being heard.
So, Fr. Sinclair, the Apostleship of the Sea - Diocese of Beaumont and the Port Arthur International Seafarers' Center assisted them in founding the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers' Association (PAASA). This association has become very important in the professional lives of our local shrimpers, giving them a vehicle for ongoing training and professional development. It is a network that enables local fishermen to share best practices, and a vehicle for regulatory officials to distribute important information quickly to the industry.|
| | A representative of the US Coast Guard explained details of the new requirements and answered questions to ensure that our local fishermen are ready when the new rules come into effect. |
The Port Arthur Seafarers' Center acts as the shrimpers "home" for meetings and trainings.
AOS-USA in turn provides office assistance, allowing the Shrimpers Association to utilize office equipment in order to prepare mail-outs, fliers, etc. AOS-USA Mariner Member, and PAASA Vice President Mrs. Vui Kim Tran comes to our office and over the years has learned to input data into the database and print mail-outs.
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AOS-USA Mariner Member, and PAASA Vice President, Vui Kim Tran works on shrimpers' association database at the AOS-USA office.
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Recently, PAASA held a training meeting at the Seafarers' Center, primarily to discuss new regulations that come into effect this March.
Fishing Vessels of a certain size will now have to have Automatic Identification System (AIS) installed onboard. According to the Coast Guard's website, AIS is a ship and shore based broadcast system, operating in the VHF maritime band. It is capable of sending and receiving ship information such as identity, position, course, speed, ship particulars and cargo information to and from other vessels with AIS equipment installed. It can handle over 2,000 reports per minute and updates information as often as every two seconds.
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| | Capt. Michael Egan, President of the Sabine Pilots took time to come to the training and demonstrate how AIS works. Getting a "hands on" look at the technology was a great help for the shrimpers. |
This system will increase the safety of our shrimping fleet, the shrimpers onboard, and all those on our waterways, as more vessels will be able to "see" each other with better precision.
So that's a different viewpoint on our ministry and how we as AOS-USA are reaching out to serve more segments of the maritime community.
Doreen M. Badeaux
Secretary General
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 Progress May Just Return Us to the Bad Old Days
Courtesy: Sidelights Magazine
Council of American Master Mariners
By: Fr. Sinclair Oubre, JCL - CAMM Chaplain
Editors' Note: On Feb 8, 2016 President Obama signed HR4188, Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015. Because of Senate Amendments, Sections 605 and 606 were removed from the Bill. Even though these sections did not become law, leaders in the House of Representatives are expected to place them in the 2016 Coast Guard Authorization Act. So these reflections, which were written for the January SIDELIGHTS, just prior to the passing of the final bill, are still relevant for Port Chaplains.
Beginning in 2014, MSNBC began broadcasting an advertising campaign proposing that progressive victories of the past, are signs that today's "progressive" struggles will build a better world. As Chris Matthews say:
"...Progressive change takes time. Abolition would take a great Civil War, but it came. Women's suffrage would take a crusade, but it became part and parcel of our democracy. Voting rights have taken a brutal fight, as will the case for marriage equality and equal pay for men and women. Liberalism always wins, eventually...."
It is interesting that Mr. Matthews did not also include the French Revolution, the First World War, or the reign of Stalin as highlights of "progressive history." These were also historical moments when the social and cultural elites proclaimed that reason, science, and technology had displaced old superstitions, and, with these new tools, a world of freedom, health, wealth and justice would be established.
When one reads maritime publications, one can have the same feeling that reason, science and technology will soon be victorious over all the bad things in the maritime industry. Wonderful stories about ECDIS, virtual aids to navigation, and autonomous ships tempt us to believe that one day, the ills of the maritime industry will be done away, and all seafarers will work in clean, comfortable, air conditioned environments, and receive good pay, good food, and sufficient rest.
The only problem with this vision is that reason, science, and technology has never been able to eradicate the seven cardinal sins from the hearts of men and women: lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, wrath, envy, pride. In our beloved industry, making bigger, faster, and more technically advanced ships has not exercised these sins, especially the sin of greed.
Two examples of continued presence of greed are found in the December 10, 2015 House-passed versions of the Coast Guard Authorization of 2015. Section 605 would deny class action status in penalty wage cases. Instead, each seafarer would have to pursue his or her case separately. In the past, cruise lines have been hit with large settlements because of the ability of seafarers to file together when they were denied their wages. Because wage claims are usually in the thousands, and not hundreds of thousands of dollars per seafarer, denying seafarers class action status will make it very difficult for the seafarer to pay an attorney to prosecute his or her case, to get the wages they are owed.
A second example is Section 606. This section would deny seafarers working on foreign-flagged passenger vessels from accessing US courts when the seafarer can seek damages and compensation in the country where the vessel is registered, or when the seafarer can seek damages and compensation in his or her own country. It is unlikely that a Burmese seafarer will be able to travel to Panama or the Bahamas to pursue a tort case, and the history of the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration is just terrible.
On January 5, 2016, Maritime Executive reported another case that greed is alive and well. A 26-year old Filipino seafarer on board the Panamanian-registered Beaufix. The seafarers was diagnosed with tonsilitis in China, and died a few days later on transit from Shanghai to Gladstone, Australia. Other crew members were found suffering from similar symptoms, but, were told that they would need to pay $500 each if they wanted to see a doctor in Gladstone.
Fortunately, the International Transport Workers Federation was able to intervene, and these crewmembers were able to access medical care. An autopsy is being performed on the young seafarer. I can only wonder if there is a connection between threatening to charge the nine seafarers for medical care, and the death of the young mariner. ( http://maritime-executive.com/article/seafarer-dies-onboard-sick-crew-told-to-pay) I am not someone who rails against reason, science and technology. I am using a laptop to write this column, I have used Google and Wikipedia to research it, and I will use email to submit it. What I do rail against is the idea that just because our machines are new, and superior to those of the past, that somehow, we, their creators of those machines, are different and superior from the machine creators of the past.
In response to the utopian vision of MSNBC that progress will build a better world, C.S. Lewis responded decades ago by saying:
"We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. There is nothing progressive about being pig-headed and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world it's pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistake. We're on the wrong road. And if that is so we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on"
(The Case for Christianity)
Reason, science and technology will not make a better maritime industry alone, but if reason, science and technology are joined with new hearts that no longer have places for greed, lust, and pride, everything will be transformed.
Fr. Sinclair Oubre, JCL
AOS - Diocese of Beaumont
Chaplain - Council of American Master Mariners
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We are just coming to the end of our Christmas cruise out of Brisbane. I have had a rather busy time as Catholic priest and ecumenical chaplain. We had about 300 at Midnight Mass. I was careful to welcome folks from other faiths as well.
There were about 200 at the ecumenical service on Christmas morning, and I welcomed any Catholics here too.
The Cruise Program Administrator, Keke Lewis, was very good and helpful to work with. She ensured that everything was in order for all of the Masses and the Christmas Ecumenical Service. The two places where we were given to use for the celebrations were quite functional and fairly well usable.
Three folks stopped me on the steps of the ship at various times, and asked me to hear their confession, - which I did, simply finding a quiet place to perform this role. The captain's wife came and spoke to me after the Ecumenical service, and apologised for her husband not being free to attend. A number of folk were surprised to find a cruise chaplain on board, - some even more surprised to find that I was a Catholic priest.
There was a medical evacuation whilst at sea, and I was able to be with the wife, who appreciated my presence with them.
I visited the sickbay each day and spent time with the staff there, who I feel were grateful for my presence and concern for patients, - and for them selves too. (They had never had a chaplain that concerned for them before! That came from my long hospital chaplaincy role here before.) The cabin was a single inside one down on deck 2, but I was only there for bed and morning shower so that didn't worry me at all.
It came as no surprise to me to find yet again that this role is a most fulfilling one as a Catholic priest, and a cruise chaplain, - as well as being a good holiday!
Fr. Leo Burke
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I just returned from the 83 day Mediterranean cruise. All in all ,a great experience! Wonderful crew, and interesting and faithful people! I had a great relationship with the Rabbi and the Protestant Chaplain and their wives. We co operated in a Nov 11 Remembrance Day Service on the ROTTERDAM with poppies supplied by me.
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Rev Ken Herfindahl, Protestant Chaplain,Rabbi Richard Yellin and Fr John Tracey CSC,Catholic Chaplain, shown following Nov 11 2015 Ecumenical Remembrance Day ceremony aboard MS Rotterdam.Fr Tracey is shown holding the Shofar used during the service.
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And I thought you might enjoy sharing this photo from a previous cruise, with Garrison Keillor at morning Hymn sing held aboard MS Westerdam, March 2015, during the Prairie Home Companion Caribbean Cruise. And finally, this photo taken after Mass with the crew onboard Holland America Lines, MS Rotterdam mid Nov 2015.  Father John Tracey CSC ***********************************************************
On December 23rd, a couple from New York were married and chose to spend their honeymoon on a New Year's Cruise aboard my ship, the MS Eurodam in the Caribbean. The morning before the cruise, the father of the groom suddenly passed away. A number of his family were joining the groom and his bride for this vacation and the family convinced the groom to take the vacation anyway, that the father would want the son to do this for the sake of his bride. The son, somewhat distraught, wanted to put closure and offer prayers for his father, so his family asked me to offer a bilingual memorial service on the cruise ship, on December 30th (the day his father was to be buried in Puerto Rico).
I keep my liturgical files on my laptop computer, so with the help of the cruise director I was able to print the files and offer this memorial service on the ship, on behalf of the family. As you told me that a priest from Royal Caribbean was able to do the same for the eight year old the week of Christmas, I come to find out that even at sea we are blessed to offer the sacraments to those in need in these special ways.
God Bless,
Fr. Peter G. Jankowski ********************************************************** Just a few words of feed-back on the Royal Caribbean Christmas Cruise out of Baltimore (Grandeur of the Seas)... I think it was the best Christmas experience on a cruise ship that I have had. The Cruise Director and Activities Director, (a secular Turkish fellow), could not have been more supportive. The mass and interdenominational service were announced every morning on their TV Morning Show and the technical people were more than happy to accommodate my requests re recorded music.
On Christmas Eve they timed the carol sing in such a way that it led directly into the mass and their comments and invitation almost assumed that everyone would be going. The number in the theater was LARGE--
upstairs and down. I was glad that I had some back up Eucharistic Ministers in place as well as extra hosts and vessels.
Of special interest was a secular Jewish psychiatrist who showed up out of curiosity and came again on Christmas morning and again on Saturday. He met me at breakfast on the last day to say that the preaching and the spirit of the people was exceptional--inclusive and hospitable-- although he admitted that it was his first time so maybe it wasn't as "exceptional" -- but, at any rate I felt very good about his comments and we had an interesting discussion about the infancy narratives.
Because the masses got so much publicity, I made sure that the folks knew that I'd be there 45 minutes before each mass for confession or consultation. There were several who came that had been away from the sacraments for 40 and 50 years...
At any rate, the atmosphere of the cruise ship somehow does relax people and give them time and space to ask themselves whether their "act is together." I also used one of the novena prayers that you offered us after communion each day...
Oh yes-- and they also had the Roman Missal, a full set of Lectionaries, a standing crucifix and LED candles, but it's probably still a good idea to suggest that chaplains bring the texts that they will need. All of this is to say that I had a wonderful experience and that it reaffirms the value of cruise ship ministry. Best wishes!
Fr. Corbin Eddy
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And this last one comes from a Passenger onboard:
Dear Friends at Holland America Line:
I recently returned from escorting an incredible cruise aboard the Zuiderdam - Jan 15 - 15, 2016. I completed the Group Survey on behalf my Group and Onboard Experience, however, I may neglected to include an extremely important item that I want to submit and request that you kindly share with the proper management personnel. The fact that Holland America supports the Catholic/Christian Ministry and has a Catholic Priest on board to Celebrate the Holy Mass daily is so greatly valued and appreciated. I am a practicing Catholic as were many in my Group, all whom attended Mass. In fact, the core of the Group selects HAL knowing that HAL routinely has a Priest on board so they can attend Mass. They have become faithful Mariners! Please share this sentiment as one of the most vital and important On Board Events with HAL Management.
On behalf of the above mentioned Group and future Groups, thank you for a job well done! Sincerely, Katie Kurek Laura Kane Travel
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El Faro Hearings Begin with Tears
Courtesy: FirstCoastNews.Com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Thirty three names appeared on a screen at the start of Tuesday's hearing on the El Faro disaster, a moment of silence broken only by the weeping of family members.
The tears were a rare moment of emotion as the US Coast Guard began two weeks of hearings into the cargo vessel's final, fatal voyage. The El Faro sank after sailing into the path of Hurricane Joaquin in October 2015. All 33 crew members on board are presumed dead.
The morning session of the hearings were formal, restrained, with a dozen uniformed Coast Guard members in attendance along with more than a dozen family members. The first person to testify was Phillip Morrell, who oversees regulatory and maintenance issues for Tote Services, the shipping company that owned and operated the El Faro.
Questions from the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board focused on the 40-year-old ship's history - including its years working an Alaska route - and what was to happen to the ship after its scheduled replacement by a liquid natural gas vessel. Other questions focused on maintenance (which Morell said was "always a top priority"), how weather delays affect cargo schedules ("if we're late, we're just late, that's it") and who was ultimately responsible for ship cargo stability ("the captain"). Morrell maintained that his role in cargo operations, such as scheduling, was minimal.
During a recess in testimony, Coast Guard members greeted some family members with hugs-including Jeff Dixon, commanding officer US Coast Guard sector Jacksonville. Dixon managed the emotional and sometimes testy daily debriefings with family members after the ship lost contact during the storm.
The two-week hearings are the agency's first public vetting since the Deepwater Horizon disaster, in which fewer lives were lost, but environmental impacts were of a greater magnitude.
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NTSB to Mount New Search for El Faro Data Recorder
Courtesy: Workboat.Com
By: Kirk Moore
11 February 2016
The National Transportation Safety Board will mount a second expedition in April to search the sea floor 15,000' down for the voyage data recorder from the El Faro, the 790' ro/ro containership that sank Oct. 1 during hurricane Joaquin with the loss of all 33 crew. The two-week mission in April will cover approximately 13.5 sq. mi. east of the Bahamas using SENTREY, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) carried by the 274'x52'6"x19' research vessel Atlantis.
Operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, the Atlantis is owned by the U.S. Navy, which last fall lent its 226'x42'x15' fleet tug Apache to the first attempt at locating the data recorder.
The Navy crew, NTSB investigators and contractors located the El Faro on Oct. 31. and video taken with a remotely operated vehicle showed the navigation bridge structure and the deck below it had separated from the ship - including the mast base where the voyage data recorder was located.
Like the so-called "black box" data recorders on commercial aircraft, voyage data recorders on ships, voyage data recorders can save information crucial to accident investigations. In the case of El Faro, its recorder was capable of recording conversations and sounds on the navigation bridge.
NTSB investigators also want to get more extensive documentation of the wreck and its surrounding debris field, which could provide investigators with important evidence as they seek to understand the sequence of events that led to the sinking.
In addition, investigators hope to obtain high quality images of the bridge, debris field, and hull. The SENTRY vehicle can work at depths of nearly 20,000', carrying an array of sonar, camera and other sensors. If the recorder is located, investigators will launch a second mission with a remotely operated vehicle that can retrieve it.
"The voyage data recorder may hold vital information about the challenges encountered by the crew in trying to save the ship," said NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart. "Getting that information could be very helpful to our investigation."
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River Stars
Courtesy: Workboat.Com
By: Pamela Glass
1 January 2016
Working on a towboat is anything but glamorous. It is noisy, dirty, strenuous, monotonous and repetitive - and it's often dangerous. You get homesick. Sometimes there are conflicts with co-workers. It's slow and boring.
You're out there for 28 days, and most people off the river don't have a clue about what you do.
So why would any one want to make a movie about it?
The unusual lifestyle of a mariner on the waterways is exactly what attracted Austin, Texas, filmmaker Ben Powell to spend nearly four years filming, editing and learning what makes this silent industry tick.
The result is "BARGE," a 75-minute documentary that has been showing at film festivals across the country for the past year. It has garnered positive press reviews, received several top independent filmmaking awards and has introduced movie-goers from San Francisco to New York City to the rigors and camaraderie that make life on a Mississippi River towboat such a unique experience.
"I grew up in Mississippi and always saw the barges going by," Powell said of his fascination with river life. "I heard epic stories about the people that worked out there. As soon as we started the project, I realized that we had a unique story because everyone we talked to had a common sense of pride about river work and was very open to talking about it."
This is not a documentary film that will give you information overload. There are no facts and figures about all the commodities moved on the nation's waterways. No explanations about how much they contribute to the national economy, or about how the infrastructure is crumbling and in bad need of repair. In fact there is no introduction, no narrator, no conclusion. The main characters aren't identified. And there's no real plot.
Rather the film moves slowly like the river, full of poetic and beautiful shots of the water, its waves and stillness, the sunrises and sunsets. Crewmembers are the unscripted actors with their dirty T-shirts, scuffed boots, and deep Southern drawls speaking candidly of themselves, their work and what drew them to the river.
The flow of the film makes you feel as if you are onboard, with the vibration of the boat's movement beneath your feet, the humming of the engine in your ears, and the stories of the crew capturing your conscience.
THEY JUST DON'T GIVE IT UP
This is a film about camaraderie, friendship, and embracing what life brings your way. This crew has formed a unique bond, as they joke, argue and eat together, and share the daily grind of their work as well as their hopes and aspirations. You watch them manipulate massive steel wire cables, paint the deck, polish the wood in the wheelhouse, watch TV, worry about the health of their pets, and chow down on fish on Fridays, BBQ rib eye on Saturdays and chicken on Sundays.
You are happy that the former prison inmate has another shot at life. You can understand why a deckhand chose this profession because several generations of his family did so before him. You sympathize with the veteran engineer who won't retire because he loves his work. You feel for the young deckhand who expresses doubts about his suitability for the job. And you admire the captain, who has to safely steer the boat down the river and into port, and also oversee the work of his crew and monitor their happiness onboard.
"You've got some guys, they just don't give it up," Capt. Jon Givens said from the wheelhouse as he reflected about river life. "You can take them off this thing on a stretcher. Older guys in their 70s, 80s. Hell, this is all they know. This is their family. Towboating runs deep."
Working on towboats is about loving your work, and for many, it's about second chances and finding a purpose.
"I've been working for 12 years and I love the water, moving barges and riding the boats," said Daniel Brown, a deckhand, who served time in prison.
"I've been at the bottom of the barrel and I hope I can keep going up."
As Gale Ferrell, the engineer, explained, "When I'm home, I'm thinking of the boat all the time. I get up at 5 a.m. and make my rounds. It makes me feel wanted and appreciated."
For Larry Nance, the cook, working on a towboat represented a new chance at life. "I'm a misfit. I had a hard time finding a job. The river gave me a second chance, and for the first time I'm living above the poverty level," he said, adding that his job is far bigger than just feeding the crew. Transporting agricultural products "means that we are feeding the world."
Money is also an attraction. At what other job can someone without a college education make over $100,000 a year?
THREE YEARS IN THE works
Gaining access to film these stories wasn't easy. Powell said he was rebuffed by several towing companies that "had lots of strict rules" before Jantran Inc. based in Rosedale, Miss., agreed to let him on board a towboat. The company gave him free rein to film on the 128'×42' Mary Parker, and imposed no restrictions on the content of the film, he said.
Powell spent 15 days on the vessel over the course of three years and four trips along the Lower Mississippi River from Rosedale to the Port of New Orleans and back. The crew cleared a bunk for him, shared meals with him and after an initial skepticism, opened up on camera. "They just forgot we were there and they were comfortable enough to be themselves."
Powell said he learned a lot about the challenges of navigating the Mississippi with a large tow, and about the importance of the cargo that they carry.
As the captain explained: "When you get in your car and leave your driveway, guess what? The tires that you're rolling on, the petroleum used to make them, was in a barge. Asphalt, that stuff was in a barge. Styrofoam plates, plastic cups, plastic chairs - all the chemicals that were involved in making that stuff was in a barge."
This message resonated with many of those who saw the film at a screening in New York City in November.
"I had no idea about the components of the products that they move everyday on barges. In New York, you are so untouched by all that," Kate Battelle, an interior designer, said after exiting the Bow Tie Cinema in New York's Chelsea district. "I was also happy to see that people who screwed up can get a job opportunity that takes them somewhere."
"This is a major transportation mode that people are probably not aware of," added Daphna Hoffman, a jewelry designer.
Reaction from river mariners has been overwhelmingly positive. "I was glad to see that you didn't trash it up like reality TV," Kevin Wallace, an 11-year towboater from Memphis, Tenn., wrote on the film's FaceBook page. "It was true depiction of life on the river."
Powell said that he became good friends with the crew of the Mary Parker, and "they loved the film so much that they can't wait for BARGE 2."
The national tour of "BARGE" ended with the New York screening, but the film will be available on iTunes in February.
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Courtesy: MarineLink.Com
By: Joseph Keefe
1 February 2016
More than 100 students crossed the stage to receive their degrees at State University of New York Maritime College Jan. 29.
Graduates represent 15 fields of study, a quarter of them at the graduate level. More than 60 of them will also graduate with U.S. Coast Guard licenses, the necessary certification to sail on an American ship as part of the merchant marine.
"Some of you will be sailing on your license for the first time. Some will be working in other areas of the maritime industry and others may be pursuing other opportunities," said RADM Michael Alfultis, president of SUNY Maritime. "As you prepare to leave us and begin your professional career, I want to encourage you to always be a person of exceptional character by always acting with the utmost integrity and respect."
SUNY Maritime's graduates come from 15 New York counties, 12 other states and three other countries.
Morton Bouchard III, president and CEO of Bouchard Transportation Company, Inc., gave the commencement address and received an honorary doctoral degree from SUNY Maritime.
During his address, Bouchard encourages SUNY Maritime graduates to support the Jones Act, the national legislation that protects the American merchant marine, and to give back to their alma mater. He also advised them in their careers to focus on safety and operating safely above all else.
Bouchard is the fourth generation of his family to lead Bouchard Transportation, the largest flat-deck double-hull petroleum barge company in the country. He began his career with the company's operations department in 1980. In response to the 1990 Oil Pollution Act that threatened the future of the company, Bouchard helped to institute the first double-hull barge construction program in the country.
He was promoted to the company's president in 1996 when he was 32 and became CEO three years later. Since then, Bouchard Transportation has been honored for its commitment to safety with multiple awards. Bouchard was elected to the Maritime Hall of Fame in 2013.
Bouchard Transportation employs many SUNY Maritime graduates and, with an eye to strengthening maritime education, the company donated SUNY Maritime's Bouchard Tug and Barge Simulation Center, which opened in 2014. It is used by students and maritime professionals. Annually, the company awards three scholarships in honor of Bouchard's father, Morton S. Bouchard Jr.
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Courtesy: InterManager
29 January 2016
InterManager has described as 'abhorrent', the decision by Spain's Supreme Court to sentence the Master of the Prestige oil tanker, which sank off Spain's northwest coast in 2002, to two years in prison and has called on the shipping industry to support him after what have been 14 highly stressful years.
The sentencing of the Prestige Master Apostolos Mangouras was high on the agenda of the InterManager Executive Board which met in London yesterday (Jan 28). The InterManager Executive Committee agreed to throw its full weight towards getting the shipping industry to act together in protesting what it described as a "totally unfair" court decision.
Captain Mangouras was convicted of recklessness resulting in catastrophic environmental damage, according to a statement by the court, overturning a previous sentence by a Galician Regional Court which cleared him of criminal responsibility.
Gerardo Borromeo, President of InterManager, said he was hugely disappointed by the court ruling and said it set a very worrying precedent as far as the role and responsibility for Masters in certain jurisdictions.
The Prestige case was unique as the vessel had been refused permission to dock by Spanish, Portuguese and French authorities after a storm had damaged one of its fuel tanks. It eventually split in two and sank some 250 miles off the coast.
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First Family Impact Statement of the Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme published
Courtesy: Human Rights at Sea
11 February 2016
Human Rights at Sea announces the publication of the first Family Impact Statement as part of its wider case study and investigation work on cases of missing seafarers and fishers who have been registered on the charity's Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme www.missingseafarers.org.
The Family Impact Statement is a statement obtained from the family of a missing seafarer or fisher who are willing to expressly share their side of the story and provide a first-hand testimony concerning their family member's disappearance and the effect it has had on them.
Human Rights at Sea will publish Family Impact Statements in the wider context of upholding the Reporting Programme's objective; to support the families of the missing seafarers and fishers around the globe through investigations and in-depth research into applicable cases.
The Family Impact Statement comes from a Greek case. It was voluntarily provided by Maria-Katerina Naki the sister of the 23 year old Greek Sub-lieutenant, Anastasios Nakis, who went missing at sea in April 2015 on board of bulk carrier MV Ingrid C (Marshall Islands flag).
It is hoped that in future, the charity and its Reporting Programme will be able to support more seafarers and fishers families through such investigations and independent research for cases of missing loved ones.
David Hammond, CEO Human Rights at Sea, said: "I must thank all those involved in this case for their efforts and diligence in gathering evidence, but most importantly I would like to sincerely thank the family of Anastasios Nakis for standing up and telling their side of the story".
Human Rights at Sea is a Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1161673 which has been established for the benefit of the international community for matters concerning explicit engagement with human rights issues in the maritime environment. Its aim is to explicitly raise awareness, implementation and accountability of human rights provisions throughout the maritime environment, especially where they are currently absent, ignored or being abused.
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Top 10 Shipowning Nations by Value
Courtesy: MarineLink.Com
Posted By: Eric Haun
10 February 2016
VesselsValue has provided a list ranking the top shipowning nations by value (US is #6), including the percentage change difference against 2015 figures. Although the order may not have changed much from last year, the standout winner appears to be Denmark as the only country on the list to increase in values over the last 12 months, up 18 percent. Recording the biggest loss in fleet value from last year was the U.K., who saw a decrease of 19 percent. Greece, the overall leader in terms of vessel value ($95,287 million), also leads in the tanker segment ($44,299 million), while Japan leads in bulker ($24, 713 million) and LNG ($15, 457) sectors, Singapore is the LPG leader ($5,388) and Germany leads container ($26,013) as well as small dry ($4,584):
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Join AOS-USA in saying the AOS Prayer each day!
Please take the time to say this pray with us each day:
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon all Seafarers
(1 Our Father)
(Hail Mary)
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, pray for us.
St. Peter, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
Lord save us, or we perish!
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Important Upcoming Events for
AOS-USA Members
Houston Maritime Ministry Training School
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