Now now. No need to get too personal.
It was Kraken that called the vessels Fraq posted “barges.”
By the way, if I recall Ombugge’s age correctly, he was born in Nazi occupied Norway.
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on the contrary…I believe there is every reason to get “personal” with this guy
then have grown up in a Nazi occupied Norway…having gone to schools during the late 40’s and 50’s being taught that Nazism is a blessed calling one is lucky for being selected to join? maybe then even being selected (under very persuasive methods) during the mid 50’s into a Norwegian armed formation to fight the Allies?
Norway was occupied from 1940 to 1945. I believe our Norwegian colleague was born in 1944. Americans were popular in the post-war years. Germans have never been forgiven.
obviously that isn’t the case anymore
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Join me in a toast to mariners everywhere at 2100 PST. We can do a synchronized virtual clicking of our glasses. I’m sitting between the fireplace and the Christmas tree with some nice Eggnog.
Merry Christmas and Good Cheer.
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Same to you. Cheers
74 year old vessels on the Lakes? The owners must be laughing all the way to the bank.
You are getting incoherent in your old age.
Calm down and ease up on the “Gløgg”. Let the Juletid peace and good spirits sink in.
Enjoy a good book about the real history of World War II in Norway and elsewhere.
“GOD JUL”
PS> I was born in Nov. 1943 and do not remember anything about the German occupation first hand, (It ended in May, 1945)
PPS> I DO remember the rationing of just about everything in the years that followed and well into the 1950’s. Even simple thing like oranges were only available at this time of the year, but rationed to only two per child in each family.
incoherent? I say you are out of place disparaging the USA like you do and ask again for you to cease and desist. Let us Americans beat up our own country but stay out of it because we do not appreciate your comments in this regard. LEAVE IT BE!
Yeachh…a horrible brown brew! at least us Americans have no comparable evil stew to drink on holidays
and God Jul to you as well as to all my fellow mariners whether American or Norwegian or Dutch or whatever their nationalities
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now can we get back to the original subject of this thread which was whether the Jones Act has led to an aged fleet of merchant ships far past their safe and effective lives?
I agree that the mandate to use a US built vessel without some subsidy to offset the higher cost of such vessels has led to owners to rely on old ships which should be replaced. Not that an old ship cannot do the job but they are very expensive to maintain in a truly seaworthy state and we know how companies are loathe to spend that money so when the USCG and class allows them to defer this critical maintenance we find incidents like EL FARO occur. Had regulators forced TOTE to maintain the ship properly and to meet the newer, higher standards for damaged stability then the ship might have survived the master’s folly to challenge Joachim. Of course, the antiquated lifesaving equipment doomed the crew however having better stability would have likely prevented the need to use that equipment.
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There is no question that regulators need to better scrutinize old ships and require that they be replaced or completely rebuilt.
The only reason that more new Jones Act ships are not being built is that regulators are allowing wasted and obsolete junk to be operated until it sinks.
Regardless of regulations, there is no good reason why owners cannot provide the best available state-of-the-art lifesaving and safety equipment. Owners are not serious about safety. They engage in safety theater, like a few signs, a lot of paperwork, and things that are cheap and easy like requiring hard hats, goggles and steel toes, but it’s all just for show. The owners do not care enough to spend real money on effective safety measures, like good maintenance. Nor will they ever, except when regulators and lawsuits force them to.
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And then American ships and mariners will be so expensive they will need to be replaced by FoC ships manned by 3rd world villagers.
Sorry Buggy, but they do come from 3rd world nations and most of them live in what we call villages. Get over it.
OK I will refrain from writing anything that may upset any tender egos for the duration of the holiday season.
I concur with c.captain on the Seasons Greeting to seafarers of all nationalities, serving under any flag and sailing in tropical, polar or any other waters. In the end we are more alike than any difference there may be, perceived or otherwise.
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I don’t know where it disappeared to, but that Dutch video lampooning Trump is really funny. You can find it on YouTube. Also knockoff videos from Denmark, Sweden and so on. They are worth the effort.
Try the Namibian version:
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STOP DRIVING THIS THREAD OFF THE TRACKS!
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Holland rocks.
It wasn’t the bugge’s fault this time.
Not much different than those designed by the greatest ship builder in history.
I’ve read much about his earliest design DP0 vessels with multi thruster arrangements.
Look at spread of thrusters imagine the station keeping abilities.
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