Coxswain Donald MacLeod and his Edna Winsor

From : Motor Boat & Yachting


December issue reports on the rescue of a yacht by Barra RNLI lifeboat in conditions likened to the Roaring Forties.Both boats suffered knock-downs in the huge seas and the lifeboat's coxswain Donald MacLeod was awarded the charity's Bronze Medal for his actions.

Here, as promised, is the RNLI's official dramatic account of the rescue:The Vijara, a 12m aluminium racing yacht, was participating in the 'round the UK, Ireland and Shetland yacht race' and was on passage from Castlebay, Barra to Lerwick. After 24 hours at sea in atrocious weather, (described by Pete Goss, as *worse than the Roaring Forties in the Southern Ocean), the two crew were exhausted and had shortened sail prior to both getting a couple of hours sleep. They were woken by being flung around the cabin as the yacht was picked up by a huge breaking wave and went stern over bow and then over 100 degrees onto her starboard side leaving the mast under water. The keel had shifted to port and damaged the hull. Under the chain plates the hull plates had broken their welds where they were attached to the frames and the mast spreaders had pushed into the mast, slackening the rigging, putting the mast at risk of collapse. The radar scanner had been bent on the top of its mast. The wind instruments and navigation lights on top of the main mast had been washed away, leaving just the VHF aerial and wind vane, neither of which worked correctly. Water had entered the main cabin and all the boats electronic navigation aids had been disabled. The skipper had a badly gashed forehead and the interior of the yacht had sustained significant damage by flying debris. The skipper put out a call for assistance, received by Stornoway Coastguard, and the RNLI Barra lifeboat was requested to launch at 8.37am.

While the RNLI Barra volunteer lifeboat crew were mustering Coxswain Donald MacLeod established the position of the yacht, her condition, the best route to her, and the safest return route. Coxswain MacLeod was concerned that, due to the weather conditions, a passage through the Sound of Barra would be extremely dangerous for the yacht, and was even reluctant to take the lifeboat through. However he thought the yacht skipper, without any local knowledge, might head for the Sound in an attempt to reach safety. To prevent this, Coxswain MacLeod decided to pass through the Sound of Barra to intercept the yacht. At 8.53am the RNLI severn class lifeboat, Edna Windsor, launched from Castlebay, Barra with five crew on board and Coxswain MacLeod in command.In the lee of Barra, the wind was blowing from the west force 8 and a two metre swell was running from the same direction. Heavy showers were restricting visibility to less than 1/2 a nautical mile. It was Low water with High Water due at 1544.As the lifeboat passed up the east side of Barra, losing the shelter of the land, the weather conditions worsened.

The wind was exceeding force 9 from the west and Coxswain MacLeod became more concerned as to the conditions in the Sound of Barra. He contacted his father who lives overlooking the Sound of Barra, asking him which of the three known routes through the Sound would be the best option to take. His father replied, 'it did not matter because the conditions were as bad as they ever get. The 10 - 11 metre Atlantic swell was breaking right through the Sound of Barra for about 2 miles'.VHF radio contact with the yacht was established as the lifeboat rounded to the north of Fuday. The initial estimated time of arrival (ETA) given to the yacht was revised when the extent to which the weather conditions would slow the lifeboat was fully realised and the yacht's updated position established. When the revised ETA was passed to the yacht's skipper he became increasingly concerned with the extent of the damage to his vessel and the length of time before the lifeboat would reach him. Therefore Coxswain MacLeod warned the yacht skipper not to close the Sound of Barra and to keep heading south south east for the southern tip of Barra and the Sound of Sandray.

As the lifeboat entered the shallow waters of the Sound of Barra Coxswain MacLeod was forced to reduced speed to 5 knots. Even though the tide was slack, each 10 - 11 metre wave broke over the lifeboat. Coxswain MacLeod ordered all five crewmembers to strap into their seats, an order he did not rescind until the lifeboat was back in the lee of Barra some three hours later. Regular communication with the yacht enabled the lifeboat crew to plot electronically an interception course, based on the yacht's course and speed. At 10.00am the RNLI lifeboat entered deeper water, west of the Sound of Barra. As the swell became slightly more regular and broke less frequently Coxswain MacLeod was able to increase speed to 12 knots.

The lifeboat sighted the yacht at 10.34am. At this time it was established that the electronic chart plotter was malfunctioning. Coxswain MacLeod would have to rely upon his local knowledge because the movement of the lifeboat made the use of a chart impossible and the radar information was scanty and unreliable due to the wave height.The yacht was making good 6 knots with minimal sail up and the mast and standing rigging seemed to be remaining stable despite the damage. Coxswain MacLeod established the yacht's skipper would be able to maintain a course that would allow them to reach the Sound of Sandray. The entrance to this sound is very narrow (300m wide) to the unmarked sand bars that extend from both the north and south sides of the sound. Coxswain MacLeod knew that this would be the best route for the yacht to reach calmer waters as the sandbars would protected them from the swell. Additionally the lifeboat would be able to lead the yacht through the sound.As both vessels approached the entrance to the Sound of Sandray, Coxswain MacLeod used his local knowledge, to position the lifeboat ahead of the yacht to lead the way.
At 11.45am with both engines at idle ahead and the sea on the starboard quarter, the lifeboat was struck by a particularly large cresting wave knocking her onto her port side, and causing her to heel to about 100 degrees. The wave broke right over the lifeboat and the weight of water caused the starboard forward vent casing to be cracked in three places, 1/2 metre of the port toe rail on the forward deck to be lifted, and the starboard A frame ropes to be carried away However, none of the crew were injured due to Coxswain MacLeod's command that ensured they were strapped in.
Despite being knocked down Coxswain MacLeod maintained the lifeboat's position and led the yacht into the more sheltered water of the Sound of Sandray and into Castle Bay. A doctor was called to meet the lifeboat and yacht at the lifeboat berth when they arrived at 12.20pm.
The yacht was kept alongside the lifeboat until the following morning when the weather had abated and the skipper had recovered sufficiently to survey the extent of the damage and move her to a mooring.

The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service at 1pm.

http://www.shetlandcoastguard.co.uk/severn.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severn_class_lifeboat
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grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

nog zo één, een schip met een vloek .....

uit : Piet Sinke's Nieuwsbrief

Navy Veterans Remember K-19 Submarine Accident .

Dozens of gray-haired Soviet navy veterans on Tuesday commemorated the 45th anniversary of an accident aboard the K-19 nuclear submarine, remembering the crew's heroic efforts to prevent a major ecological disaster and possibly global war.

The K-19, the first Soviet submarine to carry ballistic missiles, was on its first training voyage in the neutral waters of the North Atlantic in July 1961 when its reactor cooling system sprang a leak, sending the core temperature skyrocketing and threatening a meltdown.

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K-19 was a Hotel class submarine which suffered various severe accidents. It was the first Soviet nuclear submarine equipped with ballistic nuclear missiles.

Construction of K-19 began 17 October 1958. The boat was christened 8 April 1959. Traditionally Russian vessels are christened by women, but K-19 was christened by a man.The bottle of champagne bounced off the boat without breaking, which the crew took as a bad omen. The boat was completed 12 November 1960 and commissioned 30 April 1961.
Nuclear accident : On 4 July 1961, under the command of Captain First Rank Nikolai Vladimirovich Zateyev, K-19 was conducting exercises in the North Atlantic close to Southern Greenland when she developed a major leak in her reactor coolant system, causing the water pressure in the starboard reactor dropping to zero and stopping of the coolant pumps. A separate accident had disabled her long-range radio system, so she could not contact Moscow. The reactor temperature rose uncontrollably, reaching 800 °C, almost the melting point of the fuel rods; despite Zateyev's and others' earlier request, there was no backup cooling system installed. In spite of the fact that a nuclear reactor accident cannot produce a nuclear explosion under any circumstances, the Captain apparatently believed that an explosion in the nuclear reactor was possible,and might be interpreted by the United States as a preemptive strike and trigger a nuclear war, although he was most certainly more concerned about saving the ship and the crew. A team of eight engineering officers and crew worked for extended periods in high-radiation areas to jury-rig a new coolant system by cutting off an air vent valve and welding a water-supplying pipe on it. The released radioactive steam with fission products was sucked into the ventilation system and spread to other sections of the ship; the cooling water pumped from the reactor section played its role as well. The incident contaminated the crew, parts of the ship, and some of the ballistic missiles carried onboard. The entire crew received substantial doses of radiation, and all eight men in the repair crew died of radiation exposure within a week. The captain decided to head south to meet the diesel submarines supposed to be there, instead of continuing on the planned route. Worry of a crew mutiny prompted Zateyev to have all small arms thrown overboard except for five pistols distributed to his most trusted officers. A diesel submarine S-270 picked up K-19's low-power distress transmissions and rendezvoused with her. Her crew was evacuated, and she was towed to the home base; after landing, it contaminated a zone within 700 meters. The damaged reactors were removed and replaced, a process that took two years. In the repair process, it was discovered that the catastrophe had been caused by a drop from a welding electrode that had fallen into the first cooling circuit of the starboard reactor during her initial construction. K-19 returned to the fleet, having acquired the nickname "Hiroshima". On 1 February 2006 former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev proposed in a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee that the crew of K-19 should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for their actions on 4 July 1961. In late March 2006, Nikolai Zateyev was formally nominated for the award. On 15 November 1969 K-19 collided with USS Gato in the Barents Sea at a depth of 60 m (200 ft). She was able to surface by means of an emergency ballast tank blow. The impact completely destroyed the bow sonar systems and mangled the covers of the forward torpedo tubes. K-19 was repaired and returned to the fleet. Fire : On 24 February 1972 a fire broke out onboard K-19 while the submarine was at a depth of 120 m (380 ft) some 1300 km (800 miles) from Newfoundland. A total of 28 sailors died in the fire, caused by hydraulic fluid leaking onto a hot filter. The boat surfaced, and surface warships evacuated the crew except for 12 men trapped in the aft torpedo room. Towing was delayed by a gale, and the aft torpedo room could not be reached because of conditions in the engine room. After the gale abated, the boat was towed to Severomorsk on 4 April, and the men were rescued after surviving 24 days in the lightless, heatless torpedo room. The rescue operation lasted more than 40 days and involved over 30 ships. K-19 was again repaired and returned to the fleet. Decommissioning : The submarine was decommissioned in 1991 and in 1994 transferred to the naval repair yard at Polyarny. In March
2002 she was towed to the Nerpa Shipyard, Snezhnogorsk, Murmansk to be scrapped. It was announced in October 2003 that scrapping would start soon.

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wat een ellende ......................

grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

Als het niet zo droef was, zou het leuk zijn ....

Uit : Piet Sinke's Shipping News, met veel dank

Het schip hieronder is een gewoon Victory ship, een van de duizenden vrachtschepen die de Amerikanen in WWII bouwden .
Haar levensloop is ook min-of-meer wat er met zulke schepen gebeurde .
Behalve het einde, dat is zo hylarisch dat dit bericht hier thuishoort .

An oldie this time, the South African CONSTANTIA seen here approaching Cape Town.
Painting at the premises of Ocean Liner Services in Walvis Bay

The Victory CONSTANTIA was built as the NEW BERN VICTORY in 1945, renamed CONSTANTIA during 1947 and sailed for the South African Marine Corp in Cape Town until 1961 when she was renamed in SOUTH AFRICAN VANGUARD, In 1964 the vessel got the name S.A.VANGUARD until 1969, when she was renamed in ISABENA by Fairwind Maritime in Panama until 4.7.72 when she listed in heavy weather off Karachi after lightening 9,400 tons of grain without shifting boards from tanker OVERSEAS JOYCE, capsized and sank .

grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

Geen half werk ....Trafalgar 200 - International Fleet Review

To facilitate more convenient waterborne spectating arrangements, the Royal Navy has simplified the attendance requirements for private craft wishing to view the International Fleet Review from within the eastern Solent area on Tuesday 28 June.
There will be no requirement for pre-registration or to fly a special flag (although Trafalgar 200 flags are available for purchase); the only mandatory pre-requisite is for a copy of Queen's Harbour Master Portsmouth's Safety Instructions to be read, understood and carried by the skipper of every visiting private craft. These instructions detail the security regulations that are in place around the military anchorage area. Copies of these Instructions will be available in hard copy for collection free from Dean & Reddyhoff, MDL and Premier Marinas in the Solent area after 1 May. To download a copy click here or go to www.trafalgar200.com website.
Commander Tim Gibson, Queen's Harbour Master Portsmouth, commented: "I have listened closely to feedback from the local yachting community and am delighted to be able to simplify the administrative arrangements for private vessels wishing to view the International Fleet Review.
"In order to make it easier for boat owners to obtain the safety information, local marinas are assisting by offering free copies from their offices after 1 May and additionally as a download from the website.
"I am keen to make this a day to remember and, to assist with ensuring that spectators can enjoy the event safely. I still require every private spectator craft to carry a copy of the safety instructions and the RYA Safety Marshals on duty may ask to see them on arrival. With everybody's co-operation, I am sure The International Fleet Review is going to be a safe and truly memorable event!"


Yachting World, 19 April 2005

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grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

Dorp Waddenzee II

En ja hoor ! !

De berger, Rederij Noordgat, had haar snelle Typhoon het hele eind laten varen om de kreupele buit te claimen .
Na de 35 knts race van de RIB kwam de 'Noordgat' met haar volle 12 knopen aanstuiven ......

En een dag later tufte het gezelschap bij Padmos in Stellendam naar binnen .

De jongens van Noordgat zullen het ver brengen, al in '04 hadden ze overdag een schip standby liggen tussen Terschelling. Vlie en Harlingen in .


grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

Dit is Hms Glowworm .

Dit is haar verhaal :

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HMS Glowworm, (H92) a 'G' class destroyer was launched on 22nd July 1935. She weighed 1,345 tons. She was armed with four 4.7 inch guns; seven anti-aircraft/machine guns; ten 21 inch torpedo tubes and depth charges. She cost £300,000 to build and had a complement of 145

Her first peacetime duties were in the Mediterranean which included escort work at the time of the Spanish Civil War and the Munich Crisis. It seemed that Glowworm was developing a habit of colliding with things in an uncanny similarity to her destiny, after she hit HMS Grenade, her sister ship, in May 1939, whilst on night exercises and the Swedish Ship Rex in February 1940. Both collisions resulting in her undertaking extensive damage repair.

On 22nd July 1938 Lieutenant Commander Gerard Broadmead Roope was appointed in command of Glowworm. A competent career naval officer, well liked and respected by his men. His ship's company called him 'Old Ardover', for his habit of altering course at a moment's notice and 'Rammer Roope' as a result of the events described above. At the Outbreak of World War Two, Glowworm was based at Harwich. On 5th April 1940 She left for the stormy waters of Norway as one of the escorts for the Battle Cruiser Renown, dispatched to intercept the expected German invasion force.

On 6th April whilst screening a minelaying operation (Operation Wilfrid) off the coast of Norway, Glowworm, in heavy weather conditions, lost a man overboard. After seeking permission from the Renown, Lt Cdr Roope turned her around to look for him. After spending the day fruitlessly searching they gave up and attempted to rejoin the group. On the morning of 8th April Glowworm, still on her own, sighted a destroyer who when challenged, initially identified itself as Swedish. The destroyer was in fact German: Bernd Von Arnim, which began firing. The Glowworm promptly returned fire. Another German destroyer soon appeared: Paul Jakobi. Glowworm's fight against the odds had begun.

In the ensuing exchange Bernd Von Arnim, packed with invasion troops and Paul Jakobi, both turned and fled into a rain squall. Lt Cdr Roope guessed that they were trying to lead him on to their main force, but gave chase in an attempt to find the main German Invasion fleet, so he could report their position to the Admiralty. After emerging on the other side of the squall, Glowworm came face to face with the 10,000 ton German Heavy Cruiser Admiral Von Hipper, armed with eight 8 inch and twelve 4 inch guns .

Roope immediately ordered that the Glowworm make smoke and for an enemy sighting signal to be sent. Using the cover of her smoke screen the Glowworm made two torpedo attacks. Firing a total of ten torpedoes. One missed the Hipper by yards but none found their mark. All this time Glowworm was taking crippling hits from the Hipper's big guns. Lt Cdr Roope then ordered a sharp turn to starboard and headed straight for the Hipper giving the famous order "Stand by to ram".

The Hipper, realising too late what was happening tried to turn and ram the Glowworm but was much too slow. Glowworm, all guns firing and siren wailing like a banshee, tore into the Hipper's starboard side. Striking her amidships, She tore away 100 feet of Hipper's armoured plating, damaging the starboard side torpedo tubes, killing one man at his gun and puncturing two fresh water tanks.

After ramming the Hipper, Glowworm drew clear. Although her decks were swept by a storm of fire from Hipper's 4.1 inch and close range weapons, she still managed to get off another salvo hitting Hipper at a range of 400 yards. The salvo came from the only gun on Glowworm still firing, commanded by Petty Officer Walter Scott. She was by then starting to sink. Her bows wrecked, a major fire raging amidships and all steam pressure lost, Roope gave the order to abandon ship.

Lt Cdr Roope was seen on her keel talking to a Petty Officer, Townsend, about the fact that they wouldn't play cricket for a while again. He then went to open the sea cocks to sink her. As the Glowworm went down, men climbed onto her bow or dived into the stormy, freezing, oil covered water. As she slipped under, her siren which had been going all through the action, abruptly stopped causing a momentary eerie silence. Until her depth charges blew up, killing yet more men. The Captain of the Hipper, Helmuth Heye, chivalrously stayed for over an hour picking up survivors.

Heye positioned Hipper so that the current in the sea would bring the drifting survivors to him. All the personnel on deck, including the soldiers, helped to pull in the exhausted, oil covered survivors. Many grabbed ropes but were too exhausted to hold on to them and slipped to their deaths. Lt Cdr Roope was in the water helping his men to the ropes and to get life jackets on. Finally he took hold of a rope himself and was pulled some distance up the side. But with a combination of the huge waves and his exhaustion, he let go and slipped beneath the waves.

Out of a total crew of 149, only 31 survived. The only officer was Torpedo Control officer Lt. Robert Ramsey.

The Germans congratulated the survivors on a good fight and treated them as equals. Captain Heye told the survivors that their Captain was a very brave man. Later Heye sent a message through the International Red cross, recommending Lt Cdr Roope for the Victoria Cross.

The only time in British History that the VC was recommended by the enemy.

The Survivors spent the rest of the war as POWs. It was only after the war when they returned and Lt Ramsey told the story, that the events of that fateful day in April 1940 came to light. As a result of the gallant action Lt Cdr Roope was awarded the Victoria Cross; Lt Ramsey the Distinguished Service Order; and three other ratings got the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal; Engine Room Artificer Henry Gregg; Petty Officer Walter Scott and Able Seaman Reginald Merritt.

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grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

het Dorp Waddenzee

.
Er stond een kotter in de fik, west van den Helder .
WEST van DEN HELDER, godbetere het ......
De bemanning zat al lang ongedeerd op een passerende sportvissersboot .

Maar natuurlijk ging iedereen erheen, het hele dorp .

De 'Terschelling' was in de buurt (het zal weer eens niet) en die kan mooi blussen .
De 'Maatschappij' zag er een mooie oefening in voor een strand lancering van het dichtsbijzijnde 'Valentijn-type' .
De Marine stuurde de 'Van NES' langs en omdat die zich ook verveelde hees met haar heli de vijf 'schipbreukelingen' totaal overbodig aan boord .

Maar het vreemdst is de 'Typhoon'.
Die kwam het hele pokke-eind uit Terschelling varen om de kotter als prijs naar du Helder te zeulen .
De Barracuda ligt er ook, als je goed kijkt .
Waarschijnlijk was die er eerder dan de Typhoon, daar hebben ze haar voor, meer dan 40 knopen, mischien wel 50 bij een goed zee'tje .
Twee schroefassen met contraprops, die zitten elkaar niet in de weg met het schroefwater, want dat gaat niet links- of rechtsom, maar gewoon rechtachteruit.Sjieker is er niet, of het zou een waterjet zijn ....

Alsof er in de Blauwe Slenk niets gebeurt .

Het is zomer in het Dorp dat 'Waddenzee' heet .......

grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

HMS Endurance (II)

Uit : Naval News

recente bezigheden

Update 24/02/04 - The Work Period DAY 6 & 7 – 15 Feb 2005
Update 21/02/04 - The Work Period DAY 5 – 14 Feb 2005
Update 21/02/04 - The Work Period DAY 3 & 4 – 12 - 13 Feb 2005
Update 17/02/04 - The Work Period DAY 2 – 11 Feb 2005
Update 17/02/04 - Herbert Lott awards
Update 17/02/05 - The Work Period Day One - 10/2/2005
Update 16/02/05 - Falklands - Drakes Passage
Update 10/02/05 - You can do it Ellen
Update 09/02/05 - HMS Endurance visit Rio de Janeiro
Update 28/01/05 - Executive Department Update
Update 28/01/05 - Survey Department Update
Update 28/01/05 - Warfare Department Update
Update 24/01/05 - Update 24 January 2005
Update 21/01/05 - Ellen McArthur
Update 18/01/05 - Flight Web Update
Update 12/01/05 - Update 12 January 2005
Update 01/01/05 - Update 01 January 2005
Update 15/12/04 - Update 15 December 2004
Update December - Courchevelle December 2004
Update 26/11/04 - Latest from HMS Endurance
Update 02/11/04 - HMS Endurance Leaves Falmouth
Update 31/10/04 - HMS Endurance’s refit period drawing to a close
Update 31/10/04 - Nomination for the Herbert Lott Award

Who's Who?

Gavin Wiseman - hydrographical meteorologist
Anthony Lye - Survey Recorder
Michael Burgess - Steward
Eddie Waring - Leading Diver
Dave Fearnley - OM(AW)1
Paul Christopher Dwyer - Marine
Ken Hume - Hydrographic and Meteorological Officer
Simon Collins - Observer on 212 Flight
Sarah Smith - Air Engineering Mechanic

Facts and Figures
Class: Ice Patrol Ship - DNV 1A1+ Ice-Breaker; capable of breaking 1.5 metres of first year ice
Pennant number: A171
Launched: 1990 as mv Polar Circle
Commissioned: October 1992 as HMS Endurance
Displacement: 6,500 tons (registerd)
Length: 91 metres
Beam: 21 metres
Draught: 8.5 metres
Speed: 16 knots
Complement: 120 including four aircrew and six-man detachment of Royal Marines, specialist LA(PHOT) photographer and specialist LS(D) Diver
Aircraft: Two Lynx Mk3 ICE
Boats: Seven: two Survey Motor Boats; one Workboat; two RIBs; two MIBs; one Gemini
Main machinery: Two Bergen diesel engines with shaft generators, 950 kW bow thruster and 650 kW stern thruster
.
Dit is pas Marine PR !

==================
grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

HMS Nottingham ; Jinxt ?

A FIREBALL broke out on the warship at the centre of one of the Navy’s worst blunders, it emerged. The potentially-disastrous blaze erupted in the engine room of HMS Nottingham during an action-packed tour of duty.
The three-month deployment was the Type 42 destroyer’s first since she nearly sank after smashing into a rock off Australia. During the cruise Nottingham also lost a £5million Lynx helicopter.



Last night her captain, Commander Steve Holt, defended his ship and denied she was “jinxed”.
He praised his crew for their handling of the fire and heroism in dealing with the wreck of a cargo ship and rescuing piracy victims .

Cdr Holt said of the deployment: “We’ve had some tragic and unfortunate events but my very young ship’s company has risen to the challenge and we feel stronger than ever.”

The skipper spoke out as Nottingham returned home to Portsmouth .

Describing the blaze he told how a fuel filter burst, spraying its contents on to a hot exhaust.

He said: “A marine engineering mechanic broadcast an alert to the ship’s control room.”
Other crewmen shut down the fuel and fired a shot of halon, a gas which suppresses oxygen and suffocates flames.

Cdr Holt added: “The fire could have been far more serious. We haven’t lost anybody — we consider ourselves a lucky ship.”
Nottingham was in a task force taking part in wargames and anti-terrorism patrols in the eastern Mediterranean and Persian Gulf.

Cdr Holt said the loss of the Lynx — now the subject of an inquiry — was “fuel-related” but denied someone forgot to fill its tanks.
Two of Nottingham’s crew have been recommended for awards for braving a huge storm to recover the bodies of four merchant seamen whose ship exploded and sank.
The crew also helped rescue 23 kidnapped fishermen from pirates off the coast of East Africa.

Nottingham ran up a £26million bill in 2002 when she ran aground at Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, and had to be piggy-backed home aboard a repair vessel.

Plymouth : Shipping Movements

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Thursday 7th April 2005

HMS Ocean (Helicopter Landing Platform) returns from training, anchors in Plymouth Sound
RFA Black Rover (Fleet Tanker) sails for exercises
HMS Lancaster (Type 23 Frigate) returns from fourth week of six weeks’ training
HMS Raider (University Fast Training Boat) arrives for visit

Friday 8th April 2005
HMS Exeter (Type 42 Destroyer) returns from fifth week of six weeks’ training
HMS Lancaster (Type 23 Frigate) sails for training
HMS Raider (University Fast Training Boat) sails following visit
HMS Ocean (Helicopter Landing Platform) sails from Plymouth Sound for training, returning later the same day to anchor
HMS Puncher (University Fast Training Boat) arrives for visit
RFA Brambleleaf (Support Tanker) anchors in Plymouth Sound

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Zomaar een dagje lekker varen .....

grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

Monument in de Mersey

Dit is de Whimbrel, het schip dat binnen kort naar Liverpool komt .

'The Cruel Sea'

(alle links verwijzen naar relevante pagina's op het internet)

Nicolas Montsarrat schreef een beroemd boek, 'The Cruel Sea', over de belevenissen van de Compas Rose, een korvet (sloop) van de Flower class. Als dat schip getorpedeerd wordt krijgt de bemanning een nieuw schip, de Saltash, een korvet van de Modified SwannClass .

Een schip van die klasse wordt binnenkort naar Liverpool gehaald en krijgt, net als HMS Belfast (dat nu aan de Theems ligt afgemeerd) , de status van monument .

Daar is natuurlijk een reden voor, dit verhaal legt iets daarvan uit ..................

Iedereen kent de verhalen over de WWII duikbootoorlog op de Atlantische Oceaan; sommigen weten zelfs dat die in maart '43 gewonnen werd door de Geallieerden. Dat is niet helemaal waar. Vanaf '43 waren de Engelsen de jagers en liepen de U-Boote ernstige risico's .

Duikboten waren aan het oppervlak sneller dan een konvooi en hadden in de eerste jaren het initiatief van plaats en tijd. Overdag laadden ze hun accu's achter de horizon, tuften een stukje vooruit en doken onder, wachtend op wat ging voorbijkomen .

De RN zat krap in geld, schepen en personeel en had uit nood een heel stel goedkope 'sloops' laten bouwen, de Flower class, ietsje sneller (14kn) dan een convooi, een kanonnetje erop, en een heel stel dieptebommen erin. Simpel schip, een RNR officier en een burgerbemanning waren genoeg om een aanvaller te hinderen. Hinderen, niet meer, maar geter kon toen niet .

De eerste echte aanpak van de onderzeebootbestrijding kwam uit de lucht, er werd een langeafstandsversie van de B24 gemaakt, die het acculaden overdag ernstig hinderden, en zelfs 's nachts maakten Sunderlands met een zoeklicht en later radar het ook nog eens moeilijk. Minivliegdekschepen en wegwerp-Hurricanes waren ook vroege ideeën, maar het bleef behelpen .

In '43 begon de Admiraliteit de zaken op orde te krijgen, ze kwam met de Modified Black Swann class, officieel nog een 'sloop', maar in feite een uitgeklede destroyer, net snel genoeg om een u-boot in te halen, simpeler en minder bewapening, maar een nieuwe sonar en veel, heel veel dieptebommetjes. Goedkoop, er werden er veel gebouwd .

Captain John Walker ontwikkelde een systeem om deze schepen als aanvalsgroep in te zetten, dat werkte, en hij werd een Held .

Hij was master op HMS Stork .

HMS Whimbrel is de enige va de klasse die nog bestaat en dat schip wordt nu naar de Mersey teruggehaald .

Nautisch Engeland in rep en roer.....
===============================
03.03.05 09.00

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West called in on one of the few surviving ships from the Senior Service’s sternest test – the Battle of the Atlantic.But this ship has been out of sight for British ship-spotters for some time, as HMS Whimbrel was sold to the Egyptians in 1949.Whimbrel – now ENS Tariq – retains many of the features which helped her and the rest of the Black Swan class of sloops defeat the German U-boats in one of the crucial campaigns of World War II.And now, six decades on, plans are in hand to return the 62-year-old warship to the UK as a permanent memorial.Admiral West toured ship at the Egyptian fleet’s Mediterranean base in Alexandria – where Tariq remains an impressive sight, barely changed from her late wartime appearance – during a visit to the country to foster ties between the two navies and improve co-operation at sea.Whimbrel was most recently used by the Egyptians as an accommodation vessel, until she was deleted from their fleet in 2002.The intention is to return her to Liverpool, from where the Battle of the Atlantic was directed, as a museum ship in time for the city taking on the mantle as European Capital of Culture in 2008.Just as HMS Belfast symbolises the era of the ‘big gun’, Whimbrel epitomises the escort ships featured in films such as The Cruel Sea.She served in the Atlantic, Arctic, at Normandy and the Far East, and was present at Tokyo Bay in 1945 when the Japanese officially surrendered.She comes from a distinguished class; HMS Starling destroyed 16 U-boats during the war, while HMS Amethyst famously escaped battered and bruised from communist Chinese forces in 1949 in the ‘Yangtze Incident’.Around £2m will be needed to bring Whimbrel home and turn her into a museum ship – and £300,000 has been collected to date.Details of the scheme are available from Conrad Waters at Two Beeches, Tilford Road, Hindhead, Surrey.

grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

een eilandverhaal

.

Uit : 'de Volkskrant' 1-12-'04
=========================================
Werken voor steeds wisselende gemeenten in Friesland kan betekenen dat er plotseling een eiland bij je woon-werkverkeer hoort. Zo ook bij mij Vandaag moet ik voor een paar dagen naar Terschelling.
"Goedemorgen, mevrouw Van der Vlerk, u komt zeker voor het borstonderzoek op ons eiland!' Een brede man met een woeste kop haar lacht me toe vanuit het hokje 'afvaarten naar Ter-schclling - auto's hier melden'.
Ik ben even stil. Hoe weet hij mijn naam? Ah, natuurlijk. via mijn reservering en nummerbord. 'Nou nee', zeg ik, 'ik kom voor ander werk naar Terschelling.' Even later, aan boord, met slechts een handjevol anderen, komt dezelfde man weer langs: 'Ik weet het al, u bent de logopediste . Mijn vrouw werkt namelijk op de basisschool in Hoorn en ze vertelde gister toevallig dat u vandaag zou komen. Nou succes dan maar.' Hij is deze keer zo zeker van zijn goede diagnose dat hij mijn reactie niet eens afwacht, hij is al met stevige pas doorgelopen.
Na twee uur varen, rijd ik richting Hoorn. Onderweg veel jeeps. De eilanders. Ze steken hun hand naar me op. Ik groet terug. Buiten het seizoen, in de stilste tijd van het jaar, hoort wie over het eiland rijdt, er bij.
De school ligt tegen de duinen aan: de kinderen spelen in de grootste zandbak van Nederland. De juf ontvangt me vriendelijk: 'Ik dacht al. het is oostenwind en laag water dus dan doet de boot er ongeveer zo en zo lang over, dus dan zou je zo en zo laat ongeveer hier zijn.'
Later die dag meld ik me bij de receptie van het hotel. 'U bent zeker de logopediste.' Weer val ik even stil. Ik blijk die middag het zoontje van de hoteleigenaar voor onderzoek te hebben gezien.
Na drie dagen ga ik weer naar huis. De man op de boot vraagt in het voorbijgaan 'of ze wat wilden praten'. En elke keer die rustige glimlach erbij.

Thuis bedenk ik me dat ik blij ben dat deze sociale controle niet dagelijks bij m'n werk hoort. Maar die paar keer per jaar op de eilanden, zo welkom zijn en verwacht worden, is heerlijk. Zeker buiten het toeristenseizoen voel ik me bij de eilanders ingebed als onder een warme deken.

Heleen van der Vlerk, Leeuwarden
------------------

en zo is het echt .

Als ze je spullen niet van de muur rukken .....
Wacht, nee, dat doen Eilanders niet, die verdienen aan mensen die dat doen .

grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

warmer dan Griekenland

Genoeg in konvooi gezelld in Griekenland ?
Arm geworden door Legiolease ?
Uw baan kwijt, uw vrouw zwanger en heeft haar baan opgezegd ?
Te oud, uw buik te gegroeid voor het mooi ?

Dit is zeilen voor mensen die van knus houden,en de twee laatste zomers was het hier warmer dan in Griekenland .......

http://www.waddeninzicht.com/index.html

grjoep

http://steinmeijer.net

HMS Endurance, een verhaal van de zee......

Weer een verhaal van de zee .......

25.02.05 11:34

Ice patrol ship HMS Endurance helped ensure a yacht in distress safely rode out an Antarctic storm.
The Red Plum responded to a distress call from the 32ft Canadian yacht Darwin’s Passage, which was on a lee shore in gale-force winds in Discovery Bay East, Greenwich Island.
Her propeller shaft was fouled and she was dragging her anchor, so Endurance, some 25 miles away when the call went out, closed in at top speed to act as on-scene commander.
A heavy snowstorm had brought white-out conditions, but with assistance from other vessels in the area – tourist ship mv Explorer and Chilean icebreaker Contre-Almirante Oscar viel Toro, the latter providing two helicopters – the British ship was able to co-ordinate a plan of action.
The yacht was safe, though close to foundering, when (!) Endurance arrived, and sea boats from the Explorer were able to free the yacht’s dinghy, which had become trapped under its stern.
A diving team from Endurance helped rig a second anchor, and the combined efforts of the three ships ensured the yacht rode out the storm safely.
Endurance’s Commanding Officer, Capt Tom Karsten, has since contacted the yacht by satellite, and said it is heading north to Cape Horn, taking advantage of a break in the weather.
Capt Karsten said: “I am very proud of the effort made by my team on board, and in the boat, to render assistance to a fellow mariner in distress.
“The professionalism of all involved, including the mv Explorer and the Chilean icebreaker, was largely instrumental in the happy outcome of this challenging episode.”

(weer HMS Endurance)

grjoep
http://steinmeijer.net

Feestje

HALF THE FLEET TO PAY TRIBUTE TO NELSON

MORE than 50 Royal Navy warships will serve as the core of the fleet reviewed by the Queen this summer as Trafalgar commemorations begin in earnest.Two aircraft carriers – HMS Invincible and Illustrious – and assault ships Ocean, Bulwark and Albion will lead the flotilla of RN vessels assembled for the International Fleet Review on June 28.The review is the curtain-raiser to six days of events in the Solent, including a sound-and-light show, drumhead ceremony for veterans and the International Festival of the Sea.
Effectively half the Senior Service Fleet is being assembled at Spithead, joined by another 80 vessels from the world’s navies, and the cream of the merchant fleet, led by the QE2British warships due to partake at present include: aircraft carriers – Illustrious, Invincible; helicopter carriers – Ocean; amphibious assault ships – Albion, Bulwark; Type 42 destroyers – Exeter, Gloucester, Manchester, Nottingham, Southampton; Type 22 frigates – Campbeltown, Chatham; Type 23 frigates – Grafton, Iron Duke, Lancaster, Marlborough, Montrose, St Albans, Westminster; mine counter-measures vessels – Bangor, Cattistock, Grimsby, Ledbury, Middleton, Pembroke, Ramsey, Shoreham, Walney; fishery patrol vessels – Tyne; survey ships – Endurance (which will serve as the Queen’s platform for the review)*, Enterprise, Gleaner, Roebuck, Scott; University Royal Navy Unit boats – Archer, Blazer, Example, Explorer, Puncher, Raider, Ranger, Tracker, Trumpeter; Royal Fleet Auxiliaries -– Argus, Fort Austin, Fort George, Fort Victoria, Orangeleaf, Sir Bedivere, Sir Galahad, Sir Tristram, Wave Ruler; strategic sea-lift ships – mv Hurst Point; nuclear submarines – unspecified number.---------------------------
* Endurance moet daarvoor terugkomen uit de Zuidelijke Atlantische Oceaan .

De Royal Navy bestaat al sinds ER I, tradities hebben vijfhonderd jaar de tijd gehad om te groeien .
Hier wordt niet de bemanning, maar het schip zelf geëerd ; Endurance mag ER II ontvangen bij de vlootschouw .

want

HMS Endurance was het eerste schip dat deelnam in de Slag om de Falklands :
http://www.naval-history.net/F14sgeorgia.htm

Z 26 (Tirpitz, Glowworm)

Modellen in de Admiraliteit .

Narvik-klasse Flottileleider Z 26

======================================

tzt volgen nog HMS Belfast, HMNZS Ajax en HMS Hood .

HMS Hotspur

Modellen in de Admiraliteitskamer

HMS Hotspur

The H class destroyer, was built by Scotts,at Greenock and launched 23rd March 1936. participated in the First battle of Narvik April 1940 and the battle of cape Matapan in march 1941, in April 1941 took part in the Evacuation of Greece. and sank the German U-Boat U79 in the Mediterranean north of Sollum ion 23rd December 1941 sold to the Dominican republic on 23red November 1948 and renamed TrujilloIn April 1940 British mining operations were carried out in Norwegian waters by the 2nd DD Flotilla under the command of Captain Warburton-Lee HMS Hotspur was involved in the escorting of four mine laying destroyers. On the 10th of that month in poor visibility and in company with four of her sister ships, she entered the fjords around Narvik and in a surprise attack sunk, in addition to a number of merchant ships caught up in hostilities, two German destroyers and succeeded in damaging two others. Hotspur and HMS Havock were damaged in this engagement and HMS Hardy and HMS Hunter were sunk. After repairs she was a unit of Force H based in Gibraltar. In September Hotspur sighted a Vichy French task force, consisting of three cruisers and four large destroyers as it passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on its way to Dakar. In October Hotspur, HMS Gallant and HMS Griffin sank the Italian submarine Lafole east of Gibraltar. In November
The H class destroyer, was built by Scotts,at Greenock and launched 23rd March 1936. participated in the First battle of Narvik April 1940 and the battle of cape Matapan in march 1941, in April 1941 took part in the Evacuation of Greece. and sank the German U-Boat U79 in the Mediterranean north of Sollum ion 23rd December 1941 sold to the Dominican republic on 23red November 1948 and renamed TrujilloIn April 1940 British mining operations were carried out in Norwegian waters by the 2nd DD Flotilla under the command of Captain Warburton-Lee HMS Hotspur was involved in the escorting of four mine laying destroyers. On the 10th of that month in poor visibility and in company with four of her sister ships, she entered the fjords around Narvik and in a surprise attack sunk, in addition to a number of merchant ships caught up in hostilities, two German destroyers and succeeded in damaging two others. Hotspur and HMS Havock were damaged in this engagement and HMS Hardy and HMS Hunter were sunk. After repairs she was a unit of Force H based in Gibraltar. In September Hotspur sighted a Vichy French task force, consisting of three cruisers and four large destroyers as it passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on its way to Dakar. In October Hotspur, HMS Gallant and HMS Griffin sank the Italian submarine Lafole east of Gibraltar. In November
The H class destroyer, was built by Scotts,at Greenock and launched 23rd March 1936. participated in the First battle of Narvik April 1940 and the battle of cape Matapan in march 1941, in April 1941 took part in the Evacuation of Greece. and sank the German U-Boat U79 in the Mediterranean north of Sollum ion 23rd December 1941 sold to the Dominican republic on 23red November 1948 and renamed TrujilloIn April 1940 British mining operations were carried out in Norwegian waters by the 2nd DD Flotilla under the command of Captain Warburton-Lee HMS Hotspur was involved in the escorting of four mine laying destroyers. On the 10th of that month in poor visibility and in company with four of her sister ships, she entered the fjords around Narvik and in a surprise attack sunk, in addition to a number of merchant ships caught up in hostilities, two German destroyers and succeeded in damaging two others. Hotspur and HMS Havock were damaged in this engagement and HMS Hardy and HMS Hunter were sunk. After repairs she was a unit of Force H based in Gibraltar. In September Hotspur sighted a Vichy French task force, consisting of three cruisers and four large destroyers as it passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on its way to Dakar. In October Hotspur, HMS Gallant and HMS Griffin sank the Italian submarine Lafole east of Gibraltar. In November
Hotspur was deployed as a unit of Force F comprising cruisers HMS Manchester and HMS Southampton and four corvettes to accompany three transport vessels.
In March 1941Hotspur was a unit of the 10th DD Flotilla under Captain Walker and was based on Alexandria as part of the Mediterranean Fleet, between the 27-30th, of that month the 10th DD Flotilla was responsible for the screening of Admiral Andrew Cunningham`s 1st Battle Squadron in the Battle of Cape Matapan. In April she was involved in operation demon, this was the evacuation from Greece by the British Fleet in which over 50.000 troops were embarked and brought to Crete and Egypt, the evacuation was carried out under the direction of Vice Admiral Pridham-Wippell using six light cruisers, twenty destroyers, five sloops and corvettes, two assault ships, and nineteen transport vessels. The British forces were mostly embarked on the open beach, two destroyers and five transport vessels were bombed and sunk by the Luftwaffe off the Kaso Strait. At Kalamata Hotspur and HMS Hereward were sent on ahead of the convoy arriving off the harbour in darkness and found the entrance of the harbour unlit. When the destroyer came alongside, the quay was practically deserted and great difficulty was experienced in finding anybody to berth the ships. It appeared that no information had been received about embarkation as the telephone system was out of action and the army W/T set had failed to receive any signals during the day, however within ten minutes four hundred RAF officers and ranks and about one hundred and fifty army ranks arrived and the quays were soon a scene of activity. Hotspur rigged lights on both harbour breakwaters and Hotspur, Hereward and HMS Defender started to ferry troops making a total for the night of twenty one thousand four hundred. The ships sailed at dawn leaving some ten thousand troops behind. In May Hotspur with the cruiser HMS Ajax and the destroyers HMS Havock and HMS Imperial, shelled the harbour of Benghazi and two steamers were also sunk to the south of the harbour. All British attempts to bring reenforcement’s to the Island of Crete were unsuccessful and the island had to be evacuated. On the 28th, Admiral Rawling left Alexandria in the cruiser HMS Orion with Ajax and HMS Dido, escorted by Hotspur, Havock and Imperial on their way to the evacuation area and as they were passing through the Kaso Strait, German bombers from Scarpanto spotted them and dived to the attack, Ajax and Imperial were damaged by bombs and although damaged they managed to stay with the squadron. On the 31st, Rear Admiral King made a last desperate attempt to evacuate the remaining six thousand troops off the Island of Crete, using the cruiser HMS Phoebe, and the destroyers HMS Hotspur, HMS Decoy, HMS Jackal and HMS Hereward, they stole into the harbour of Heraklion and berthed two deep at the mole, embarkation went smoothly, and the troops were safely conveyed by the destroyers to the waiting cruisers, the enemy made no attempt to interfere. By 0320 the force had formed up and was steaming at 29 knots for Kaso Strait. Shortly after, problems were experienced onboard the destroyer Imperial whose steering gear apparently damaged by a near miss the previous day suddenly failed. Hotspur was detailed to go back and take everyone off and sink her. Hotspur her task completed, now had nine hundred persons onboard. On June 6th, Hotspur , the destroyer HMS Isis and the assault ship Glengyle left Port Said with a Commando party, on the 9th, they were landed near Tyre in Syria to capture an important bridge behind the French troops lines. Air cover for this sortie was provided by the AA cruiser HMS Coventry. On the 9th, the large French destroyers Guepard and Valmy shelled the forward troops of an Australian unit as they advanced along the coast. Hotspur and Isis intercepted the French off Sidon after the destroyer HMS Janus received five heavy hits, the French destroyers retreated and returned to Beruit. On the 15th, Isis was damaged by bombs from JU-88s. On the 23rd, Hotspur with three other destroyers were involved in a search for an enemy submarine that had been reported off the coast of Beruit. In October she escorted the fast minelayers HMS Abdiel and HMS Latona who were transporting 7,138 troops and supplies to Tobruk to relieve 7,234 Australians and 727 wounded. Latona was bombed and sunk by JU87s, Hotspur and the destroyer HMS Encounter managed to escape unscathed. On November 25th, Hotspur in company with the Australian destroyer HMAS Nizam rescued survivors from the battleship HMS Barham that had been torpedoed by U-331. Hotspur safely recovered Admiral Pridham-Wippel who had been blown overboard by the explosion, 866 men perished. In December 1941 Hotspur, in company with light cruisers HMS Naiad, HMS Euryalus and HMS Galatea and four destroyers, made a sortie against German and Italian supply traffic to North Africa, and shelled Derna. Italian aircraft several damaged the destroyer Jackal using aerial torpedoes. On the 23rd, whilst escorting a convoy between Egypt and Cyrenaica, Hotspur and HMS Hasty sank the submarine U-79.

HMS Cossack

Modellen in de Admiraliteitskamer

HMS Cossack

Tribal-class destroyer (2f/1m). L/B/D: 377 × 36.5 × 9 (114.9m m 11.1m × 2.7m). Tons: 2,559 disp. Hull: steel. Comp.: 190. Arm.: 8 × 4.7 (4×2), 4 × 2pdr, 8 × 0.5; 4 × 21TT. Mach.: geared turbines, 44,000 shp, 2 screws; 36 kts. Built: Vickers-Armstrong, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Eng.; 1938.
Part of the Home Fleet, HMS Cossack was at the center of a diplomatic crisis in February 1940, when Norway was still neutral. Her captain, Philip Vian, sailed into Jössing Fjord near Bergen and illegally boarded the German auxiliary tanker Altmark to liberate 299 British prisoners of war who had been captured by Admiral Graf Spee. Under Commander R. St. V. Sherbrooke, Cossack returned to Norway as part of a force of eight destroyers and the battleship Repulse. During the second battle of Narvik (April 13), she was hit six times by the beached German destroyer Diether von Roeder and drifted ashore; refloated that night, she steamed out of Ofotfjord stern first. Quickly repaired, Cossack was one of five destroyers detached from convoy WS8B to join in the search for Bismarck on May 25-26, 1940, during which Cossack reported a torpedo hit on the doomed German battleship. Dispatched to the Mediterranean in 1941, Cossack was torpedoed by U-563 on the night of October 23-24 while escorting convoy HG74 west of Gibraltar; she sank three days later while in tow.

Brice, Tribals. Frischauer & Jackson, Navy's Here!.

HMS Campbelltown

Modellen in de Admiraliteitskamer

HMS Campbelltown

(formerly USS Buchanan) Wickes-class destroyer (2f/2m). L/B/D: 314.4 × 31.8 × 9 (95.8m × 9.7m × 2.7m). Tons: 1,090 disp. Hull: steel. Comp.: 113. Arm.: 4 × 4 (2×2), 1 × 1pdr, 2 × 3pdr, 2 ×.30 cal; 12 × 21TT. Mach.: geared turbines, 26,000 shp, 2 screws; 35 kts. Built: Bath Iron Works, Bath, Me.; 1919.
Named for Admiral Franklin Buchanan, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1815 until joining the Confederate States Navy in 1861, USS Buchanan (DD-131) served with the Pacific Fleet out of San Diego for two decades. At the start of World War II, she was put on the Atlantic Neutrality Patrol designed to keep European combatants out of American waters. Turned over to the British as part of the lend-lease program in September 1940 and renamed HMS Campbeltown, she worked as a convoy escort on the Atlantic.
Concerned about the potential threat posed by Tirpitz should she break out into the Atlantic, the British launched Operation Chariot, to destroy the Normandie dock (named for the French ocean liner) at St. Nazaire, the only dock large enough to hold the German battleship. Packed with explosives and escorted by commandos in gunboats, motor torpedo boats, and motor launches, on the night of March 28, 1942, Campbeltown was driven into the dock caisson. Eleven hours later, the time-delayed explosives destroyed the dock and other port facilities. Only four of the motor launches returned from the chaotic operation, for which five Victoria Crosses were awarded, including one to Campbeltown's Lieutenant Commander S. H. Beattie.

Wingate, HMS "Campbeltown.".

tzt volgen nog HMS Belfast, HMNZS Ajax en HMS Hood .

Verhalen van de Zee

Shipwrecked sailor rescued by RN task group

11.02.05 11:27
A sharp-eyed lookout in a Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply ship saved the life of a shipwrecked Yemeni fisherman – although the rescue came a day too late for the man’s companion.
While transiting the Red Sea, RFA Fort George


RFA Fort George

part of the Royal Navy’s MARSTRIKE 05 task group – spotted a fishing crate floating off her port bow early one morning, and on closer examination a man was seen in one of the compartments.
A seaboat from the French frigate FS Guepratte,

attached to the group, went across to pick up the 20-year-old man, Hayel Darabish Fartouk, who had been adrift for seven days and was suffering from dehydration and shock.
They also recovered the body of a second man, who had died the day before.
Having been given first aid by the French ship’s doctor, the man was transferred to the sick bay of task group flagship HMS Invincible using one of 820 Naval Air Squadron’s Merlin helicopters.
On board Invincible Hayel was able to communicate with Officer Cadet Hadi Chehaitly, a Lebanese officer under training with the Initial Sea Training Squadron from Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.
OC Chehaitly was able to discover that Hayel had been one of a 19-strong crew on a fishing boat which had sailed from Yemen two weeks previously.
After a week at sea it was caught in a storm, and although it ran for cover in the lee of an island it was swamped and capsized.
Hayel and his colleague managed to scramble into a crate used for storing ice, but they saw nothing of the other 17 crew members, including two of Hayel’s brothers.
After several hours of rest and recuperation, Hayel was able to manage a pusser’s cheese sandwich, and rang home to let his family know he was safe.He will be handed over to the Omani authorities in Salalah to be repatriated when the ship reaches port.
---------------------------------
Eigenlijk verandert er nooit iets op zee ...............

grjoep
http://steinmeijer.net

tsunami-al-quaida

Of dit een cartoon is betwijfel ik ......

Tsunami-al-Quaida

uit : The New York Times
joep

http://steinmeijer.net

Een einde aan de Mythe

45-plus is al afgeschreven

Uit : het Parool
Van onze redactie economie DEN HAAG -

De sollicitatieplicht voor oudere werklozen is zinloos.
Al solliciteren ze zich suf, werkgevers willen gewoon geen ouderen.
Het voortdurend schrijven van brieven, het afhandelen daarvan en de controle daarop is voor alle betrokkenen een tijd- en geldverslindende exercitie zonder enig nut.
Dat is de conclusie van een onderzoek van de Raad voor Werk en Inkomen (RWI), dat deze week vertrouwelijk in het RWI-bestuur is besproken. Er zijn nog geen harde cijfers bekend.
Het onderzoek van de RWI is gebaseerd op 41 telefonische interviews met uitvoerders van de regels (CWI, uitkeringsinstantie UWV en de gemeentelijke sociale diensten). Zij melden alle 'geen enkel positief' effect van de sollicitatieplicht te hebben ontdekt.
De drie vakcentrales FNV, CNV en MHP hadden om het onderzoek gevraagd. Hun standpunt is altijd al geweest dat het geen zin heeft ouderen te 'pesten' met de zinloze sollicitatieplicht. Voor de groep 57,5- tot 64-jarigen geldt de algemene acceptatieplicht: als het CWI (het vroegere arbeidsbureau) of de sociale dienst een passende baan voor hen vindt, moeten zij die accepteren.
De oudere werkloze houdt zich in het algemeen keurig aan de verplichting vier sollicitatiebrieven per vier weken te sturen naar mogelijke werkgevers. Als zij geen sollicitatiebrieven schrijven, kunnen ze een korting van twintig procent gedurende zestien weken op hun uitkering krijgen.
Het CWI tekent aan dat de slechte economie in de praktijk betekent dat werklozen vanaf 45 jaar al moeilijk aan een baan zijn te helpen.
© Het Parool, 05-02-2005

qed joep http://steinmeijer.net

How salving the listing and burning ro-ro Schieborg and saving its crew became a race against time .

ON Saturday January 8 the 21,005 gross tons Dutch-owned Schieborg was struck by a huge wave during a violent storm 50 miles east of Esbjerg.
The main impact was taken on the starboard quarter forward, resulting in damage to the upperworks.
The Schieborg took on an extreme list of up to 60 degrees and shortly afterwards members of the crew reported fire at the stern.

Wijsmuller Salvage obtained a Lloyd’s Form contract. An immediate response had already been launched, organised by Wijsmuller headquarters in Ijmuiden and Esvagt, another SvitzerWijsmuller Group company. The latter operates a fleet of offshore standby vessels. Wijsmuller and Esvagt had worked together on a number of salvage operations, including three in the past 12 months, and the emergency standby tugs Esvagt Omega and Esvagt Gamma headed for the scene to assist the Schieborg.

The vessel is one of three sisterships trading between Gothenburg and Zeebrugge, primarily transporting paper reels. The Schieborg’s cargo comprised trailers and 40ft containers on the weather deck together with some containerised chemicals. The vessel was also laden with around 6,000 tonnes of containerised paper products.

Wijsmuller Salvage managing director Daan Koornneef says a fast response was crucial. “While the roro still had power, the Schieborg had lost steering and was drifting at three knots towards the coast,” he recalls. “The weather was very bad and forecast to get worse. Our two tugs were around five hours from the casualty. “Meanwhile, our support team at Ijmuiden mobilised a salvage team and equipment to reinforce this first response. Our salvage and firefighting experts were soon on a plane to Esbjerg.

“The first challenge was to rescue the Schieborg’s 15 crew, Dutch officers and ratings from the Philippines and Cape Verde. The standby tugs arrived at around midnight to find the casualty abandoned. Danish Coastguard helicopters had reached the scene, despite the Force 10 winds, but could not take off the crew due to the conditions and the violent rolling of the vessel.

“At around 22.00 the master of the casualty had decided to use the boats. This must have been a difficult decision. The stern fire had spread rapidly, with flames reaching 20 m in height. “The lifeboats, the crew’s only immediate means of escape, were threatened as the fire began to creep forward.
A lifeboat was launched from a height of 20 m as the Schieborg rolled violently in the big seas. Four of the crew suffered minor injuries in the evacuation and were subsequently treated at Esbjerg hospital.” The Esvagt Omega’s fast rescue craft picked up the crew. The crane-deployed craft, manned by a complement of four, transferred all 15 to their tug.
Wijsmuller senior salvage master Bram Sperling and his team left Rotterdam Airport on board a chartered aircraft at 23.00 that Saturday.
At 02.00, in Esvagt’s Esbjerg offices, they heard that the roro’s entire crew had been rescued.

With this first objective achieved, Captain Sperling began to plan ahead.
“This operation began before the crew left the Schieborg, as we kept in contact through the casualty’s owners and our tugs at the scene,” he says.

“We knew this high-sided ro-ro would be very difficult to board in such hostile conditions. Time pressure was acute. Given the rate of drift, Schieborg would be aground in less than 12 hours unless a tow connection could be established.”

As the Esvagt Omega completed the rescue the second standby tug sought to connect with the Schieborg. The attempt was frustrated by appalling sea conditions. During the early hours of January 9 the assistance of a coastguard helicopter was requested to land a four-man team on the ro-ro.
The helicopter was on its way when news came that the Esvagt Gamma had succeeded in securing the casualty. A tow connection was made with the casualty just 10 miles off the coast. The aircraft returned to base.
Subsequently, however, more information placed a question over the tow connection and Capt Sperling concluded that a small team should board the Schieborg as soon as possible.

At around noon on Sunday two Wijsmuller salvage engineers and a gas expert boarded the coastguard helicopter and made for the casualty. At that point the Esvagt Gamma had been slow-towing the disabled ro-ro away from the coast at two knots for several hours.
When the helicopter arrived over the casualty it was apparent that the ro-ro was still burning fiercely.
Winching down to the main deck forward, the team immediately reinforced the tow connection and attempted to go aft but ran into problems.
It was impossible to move through the accommodation due to high carbon monoxide levels. At 15.50 the helicopter picked the team up and it landed back just after 16.30.
The boarding party did bring some encouraging news. Before leaving the vessel the Schieborg’s crew had activated the main deck sprinkler system. This deck extended under the accommodation block and the crew’s actions had succeeded in preventing the spread of fire into this area. The team also reported localised fires still visible on the weather deck.
With this in mind, arrangements continued to reinforce firefighting resources. Equipment was mobilised from Wijsmuller’s central salvage store at Ijmuiden. Items requested included a powerful, 1,200 cu m diesel-driven monitor. In addition, SvitzerWijsmuller’s firefighting tug Simson left Ijmuiden, joined the convoy and began firefighting and boundary cooling.

Capt Sperling welcomed the news that the weather was expected to ease during Monday. On Sunday he and his team had started to investigate options for a safe haven for the ro-ro. Entry into Esbjerg had been considered and Capt Sperling and his team met port authority officials at 17.30 on Sunday.
It became obvious, however, that Esbjerg, while offering the advantage of close proximity, might not be suitable. The concern was the port’s narrow entrance. The Schieborg’s rudder was reported stuck hard to starboard and the ro-ro was difficult to control under tow.
The casualty’s high sides had plenty of windage and Esbjerg’s narrow entrance channel is only 200 m wide, with the shallows posing unacceptable risks. The sea was also extremely rough, in the stormy weather.
The alternative was to head around the northern end of Denmark. The convoy turned north but the Esvagt Gamma soon reported that the Schieborg was virtually uncontrollable. The ro-ro’s erratic behaviour was endangering the tow connection. By 19.00 there was no choice but to turn south and head into wind.

Capt Sperling says: “There was plenty to think about at that stage. We could not remain in the open sea indefinitely. We needed another powerful tug as back-up and Ijmuiden mobilised Neftegas 57.
This station tug left Land’s End on Sunday night, with an estimated time of arrival of early evening Tuesday.
“Now our choice of safe haven was between the Helgoland Bight area and Eemshaven. The decision was taken at midnight. The casualty would be towed towards Eemshaven.”
During the small hours of Monday discussions were in progress with the German and Dutch authorities.
Capt Sperling favoured Eemshaven as it gave more room in the prevailing weather.
“We had excellent co-operation from the authorities ashore,” he says. “By Tuesday clearance from both German and Dutch authorities had been obtained. The casualty was cleared by the North Sea Directorate to proceed to Eemshaven Pilot Station.
“A first attempt at the channel entry was due to be made on January 12 but was postponed due to yet another deterioration in the weather.
“After a successful entry on January 14 we were instructed to proceed to a holding area just two miles off Eemshaven. A port authority inspection confirmed our reports on the ro-ro’s condition. The Schieborg was then cleared to remain at the holding location.

DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER 2005 – 028 PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 11 01/30/05
“Having had considerable experience of safe havens, I was impressed by Eemshaven and the positive attitude of the authorities working with us.”
The fires had not been fully extinguished at the initial port entry stage and many, mainly involving paper reel containers, were still smouldering. The team of 11 firefighters and chemical specialists was still busy on board as final preparations were made for entry.
Weather conditions, however, remained difficult. The Simson’s towline parted in the vicious northwesterly and it proved impossible to reconnect.
Final preparations were completed by Wednesday. The salvage team had succeeded in securing the rudder amidships and a number of the vessel’s vital systems were brought on line. The Schieborg is a high-tech vessel and a senior engineer from the owner’s team gave valuable assistance in the engine room. Even so, Wednesday’s attempt at entry was frustrated by the weather.
Force 9 conditions and the need for complete control over the casualty required more tug power.
SvitzerWijsmuller’s large terminal tugs Fenja and Frigga arrived and connected at the stern, with the Esvagt Gamma at the bow and acting as steering tug.
The Neftegas 57 acted as escort as the Schieborg came to the berth during the evening of Friday.
The salvage team, wearing chemsuits and breathing apparatus throughout, continued to tackle fires in containers on the main deck. The last of the smouldering fires was extinguished a few days later. The casualty was safely redelivered and salvage services terminated on January 21.