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Chinese Guided Missile Destroyer Shenzhen with about 350 crew members onboard, on a goodwill mission to Japan, berthed at Tokyo’s Harumi Pier on 28 November. The ship on four days visit will be opened to the public.The Chinese ship was received by Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF)’s frigate “Thunder” with navy band playing “Anchors Aweigh,” the U.S. Navy theme song, while Chinese well-wishers bused in by the embassy waved Chinese flags and performed a lion dance.

The visit assumes significance as this is the first-ever visit to Japan by a PLA navy warship since World War II. During the visit the Chinese naval officials are expected to meet with Japanese officials from the defense ministry and SDF. The Chinese crew members will go around central Tokyo for sightseeing and shopping, and will conduct a variety of exchanges, including a soccer match, with their Japanese counterparts. The two sides will visit each other’s warships, and plan to offer a joint bands performance for the civilians. The ship will also dock at the Japanese naval headquarters in Yokosuka.

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We all know that approximately 71% of Planet Earth is surrounded by water and further rising sea levels are expected due to global warming. Nature demands that we learn to live as amphibians in land and water. So learning swimming is essential for non swimmers and there are enough reasons to learn swimming.

1.Gives you confidence to survive during natural calamities

Very often we come across news reports of drowning, floods. On such occasions, a swimmer is confident to face the natural calamities and attempts to survive.

Image Source:shanghaidaily, sewainternational

2.Can save other lives in distress

There are occasions where swimmers as good Samaritans have saved the lives of people who were drowning.

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3.The only exercise that keeps you fit without sweating

Only in swimming, you burn your fat without sweating. Swimming works out your whole body, improves cardiovascular conditioning. Swimming improves body’s use of oxygen without overworking the heart.

Image Source:health-fitness

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Qingdao Yongtai shipping supplies co.,ltd has come out with a novel product called Intense pneumatic tire for ship lifting, loading and floating. These highstrength pneumatic tubes are useful in cargo boat launching and landing, clog lifting and moving, sunken ships salvaging and stranded boats saving. The product is suitable to launch ships up to 7000 tons.

Intense pneumatic tire to launch ships has the following advantages:

• man power saving
• time saving
• investment saving
• flexible, secure and dependable

Two types of this product are available:

• Each 4-layer (1.5 meter diameter,15 meter length) highstrength pneumatic tire with natural rubber content not less than 51%, can safely hold up to 156 tons.
• Each 6-layer (1.5 meter diameter,15 meter length) highstrength pneumatic tire with natural rubber content not less than 51%, can safely hold up to 234 tons.

Qingdao Yongtai shipping supplies co.,ltd, an ISO9001:2000 certified company is situated in Jidong Industry Park Jimo, Qingdao. It covers 9,800 square meters and has a workshop of 2,000 square meters.

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The 100-seater, eco-tourism ferry, the Sydney Solar Sailor was designed and built as a commercial demonstration of the ’solar sail’ and ‘hybrid marine power’ technologies. The ferry was first showcased at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. The ferry can cruise on wind energy, solar energy, electrical battery, or diesel engine, or any combination of them all. The Sydney Solar Sailor has been operating successfully for more than 3 years in a commercially tough market. Presently with technology development, next version of the ferry, a 149-passenger 20-knot version is expected to be launched.

The use of solar and wind energy to propel ships, can reduce ship’s fuel costs by up to 90 percent and are environmentally friendly with zero emissions. The new technology aims to cater for a wide range of cruise ships to 500,000-tonne water transport tankers and small unmanned military vessels.

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Having seen ships being used as a Hospital, University, Museum, promoting fashion, its time now to see a ship being used as a Platform to launch satellites. Sea Launch is preparing to launch a Zenit-3SL rocket with a Thuraya-3 communication satellite shortly from a floating platform in the Pacific Ocean. To view live web telecast click here.

The Sea Launch is the world’s first ever commercial international project to develop and operate a sea-based space launch system. The main objective of this project is to launch satellites from a mobile sea-based launch platform. Its founders were America’s Boeing Commercial Space Company, Russia’s Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, Norway’s Kvaerner Maritime AS, and Ukraine’s aerospace companies: Yuzhmashzavod and the Yangel Yuzhnoye Design Bureau.The project assumes that most of the satellites will be launched into the geostationary orbit from an equatorial launch site located in the Pacific Ocean near Christmas Island.

Image Source: news.bbc.co.uk

The Sea Launch rocket and space system is designed for launching various-purpose spacecrafts. These launches are carried out from an off-shore platform using integrated launch vehicle Zenit-3SL with upper stage Block DM-SL.The key advantages of the Sea Launch system over ground launch sites are as follows:

• Ability to launch directly from the equator thus reducing unit costs of their delivery to the target orbit.
• Ability to launch with any azimuth from open sea, thus making launches free of political risks.
• Compactness, no need to have a well-developed ground infrastructure and its associated social support (roads, power, hotels, schools, hospitals, etc.), which radically reduces the numbers of personnel participating in the work, and, therefore, the cost of operation.
• Ability to process spacecraft for launch on the US territory (Long Beach, CA), virtually in an “urban” environment, not far from assembly shops of Hughes Space & Communications and Space System/Loral, the major commercial spacecraft manufacturers outside Russia (up to 80% of the total numbers built in the world).

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The unfortunate sinking of MV Explorer off Antarctica on 23 November and subsequent rescue operations were covered widely by gcaptain, BitterEnd and all news channels.

Explorer Update (24 November 18:40 EST)

All passengers and crew, including the captain of M/S Explorer, are completely safe and in good spirits. The first flight from King George Island has now landed in Punta Arenas, Chile. 75 passengers and 2 staff/crew members were onboard the flight. 11 passengers and 66 staff and crew remain on King George Island and, weather permitting, will be flown to Punta Arenas tomorrow. All passengers are safe and in good spirits. One passenger has reported a sore foot and has been taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Representatives from the consular offices of Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States are on the ground in Punta Arenas working with G.A.P Adventures staff to assist passengers. Flights home from Punta Arenas are being coordinated.

Canadian cruise operator gapadventures boasts of “The Little Red Ship”, Explorer built in 1969 as

• Specifically designed for the rigours of expedition travel as well as the safety, comfort and convenience of her passengers.
• She was the first expedition ship ever constructed, not a converted freighter or research vessel.
• Her compact size, shallow draft and ice strengthened double hull were specifically designed for challenging marine environments and exploratory travel.
• Her cabins and common areas were conceived for passenger comfort and enjoyment. All of Explorer’s public areas were designed to hold everyone on the ship in one sitting; so there is no need for multiple meal and lecture shifts.
• Small, agile and stalwart, she was a go-anywhere ship for the go-anywhere traveller.

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In the Asian region, Marintec China is one of the the most important international maritime trade fair. Marintec China 2005 attracted 1,032 exhibiting companies and 30,097 visitors to the fair, which are 27.6% and 24.7% higher than the previous edition respectively, and is the largest edition of its 24 years of history.

When
27 – 30 November, 2007

Where
Shanghai New International Expo Centre, 2345 Longyand Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, PRC

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US Maritime Security Expo 2007, focuses on

• Protection of ports, harbours, terminals
• Protection of ships against cargo theft, smuggling, drugs, weapons, and terrorism

Why to attend

• Only international event covering global Maritime Security
• Over 3,000 expected buyers and services from 50 countries
• Several billions of dollars allocated by the government over the next few years, for equipment, products and services
• A high-level two-day conference attracting senior level buyers
• Participation by industry, Federal, State and Local level governments
• Organised by E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc. – the most respected trade show organizer in the United States
• Support by industry and government

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Fire onboard NNS Ambe, was successfully extinguished by the alert Nigerian Naval Dockyard.

Nigerian Naval Dockyard at Wilmot Point, Lagos was commissioned in 1990 and is undertaking refit of Nigerian Naval Ships. NNS Ambe, a landing craft commissioned in 1978, is currently undergoing refit. Fire at about 2130 hours on 20 November, in the super structure of the ship was extinguished by the timely action of the Lagos State Fire Service, Nigerian Ports Authority and Julius Berger thus averting a major disaster.

Image Source:thecommonwealth

Source:allafrica

Every sea floor earth quake or sea floor volcanic eruption does not trigger a Tsunami. Considering the damage caused by the Tsunamis in the past, definitely Tsunami Early Warning Systems are necessary. Same time we can not afford to have false tsunami warnings as they are costly to the people and to the government initiating preventive actions. There are occasions where tsunami warnings were false. Though false warning is better than no warning, false tsunami warnings are to be minimized. A reliable Tsunami Early Warning System is necessary.

GITEWS is a project under development by the German Government to ensure a reliable German Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System. It is accomplished by a consortium of nine institutions:

GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ), Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), German Aerospace Center (DLR), GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Konsortium Deutsche Meeresforschung (KDM), Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR), United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).

For a reliable tsunami early warning, sea level recordings must take place off the coast, in the deep ocean. At water depths of thousands of meters, a tsunami wave travels at several hundred km/hr, but is only some tens of centimetres high, and approximately one hundred kilometres long. Only when a tsunami wave reaches the coast or shallower waters, the wave develops into a massive wall of water several meters high. Detection of very slight sea level rise in the deep ocean reliably and precisely requires the use of bottom pressure sensors (BPS). These BPSs are installed on the seafloor, where they measure even any small sea level changes in the water column above. In this process, the weight of any additional water leads to minute pressure increases at the seafloor which are, nevertheless, reliably recorded by the PACT (Pressure-based Acoustically Coupled Tsunami detector ) bottom units, precision instruments built by Optimare in Bremerhaven.

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Inmarsat’s president Michael Butler, has announced today, 19 November the commercial launch of FleetBroadband.

• FleetBroadband is the first maritime communications service to provide cost effective broadband data and voice simultaneously,through a compact antenna on a global basis.
• The communication is through the most advanced communication satellites which are expected to be in operation up to 2020, thus offering a reliable communication network.
• FleetBroadband is suitable to run commercially available software as well as specialized user applications.
• Based on 3G standards, FleetBroadband provides simultaneous voice and high speed data services on a global basis. FleetBroadband is ideal for
  • Email and Webmail
  • Realtime electronic charts and weather updates
  • Remote company intranet and internet access
  • Secure communications
  • Large file transfer
  • Crew communications
  • Vessel/engine telemetry
  • SMS and instant messaging
  • Video conferencing
  • Store and forward video
• Two types of terminals, FB 250 and FB 500 are available

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As part of Navy Week celebrations, Indian Navy will be conducting Open Sea Swimming Championship on 25 November 2007. Important features are:

• Event will be conducted on 25 November 07.
• There will be total six categories for participants
  (a) Men
  (b) Women
  (c) Boys – Under 16
  (d) Girls – Under 16
  (e) Veterans – Above 50
  (f) Physically challenged
• No entry fee
• Last date for submitting application forms,19 November 07
• Accommodation for outstation participants will be provided at concessional rates.
• Attractive prizes will be awarded to the winners and participation certificates to all those who complete the race.
• Route for the race will be from Prongs reef buoy to Naval sailing club (INWTC), a distance of 6 Kms.

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Image Source: geology , afit

Two US Navy amphibious assault ships, USS Essex and USS Kearsargeare are rushing to Bangladesh to provide relief and rescue operations after the powerful Cyclone Sidr lashed Bangladesh on 15 November night.

Ships are equipped with helicopters, hovercraft and have hospital facilities. According to Major David Griesmer, spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, the ships were dispatched, on receiving a formal request for help from the Bangladesh authorities.

Source:webindia123

View a video clip of the damages caused by cyclone Sidr

The International Maritime Organization’s 25th Assembly, which is the IMO’s highest governing body will meet in Royal Lancaster Hotel, London from 19 to 30 November 2007. The Assembly normally meets once in two years in regular session. All 167 Member States and three Associate Members are entitled to attend. The Assembly is responsible for approving the work programme, voting the budget and determining the financial arrangements of the Organization. The Assembly also elects the Council.

Important activities and reviews to be done by the Assembly:

• Review of the work of the Organization during the biennium 2006‑2007
• Technical matters pertaining to work on safety and maritime security-related issues, the development of e‑navigation,the implementation of the system for the long-range identification and tracking of ships, the prevention and suppression of illicit drug trafficking on board ships, the enhancement of the security of the transport of closed cargo transport units and freight containers etc.,
• Technical co-operation
• Adoption of resolutions such as amendments to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREG) to revise Annex IV Distress Signals, guidelines on voyage planning for passenger ships operating in remote areas, revised Criteria for the provision of mobile-satellite communication systems in the GMDSS (revision of resolution A.888(21)) etc.,

Also, renewal of the appointment of Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos for a further term of four years, for the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2011 will be taken up by the Assembly.

Source:imo

Image Source:indiancoastguard

Indian Coast Guard commenced on 15 November, a Search And Rescue (SAREX-07) exercise in the Bay of Bengal off Port Blair. The exercise will be conducted for two days by Indian Coast Guard with its motto “We Protect”.

• The participants in the exercise will be Andaman and Nicobar UT Administration, PMB, DSS, Police, SCI, TCI, DGCA, AAI and Customs besides Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
• The exercise is aimed to prepare contingency plans for quick response to effectively meet the challenges caused by natural and manmade disasters like tsunami and oil spill. Increasing sea traffic in the sea lanes through Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean has posed a challenge to disaster management agencies.
• The exercise will chalk out contingency plans to mobilise necessary resources for search and rescue operations.
• The exercise will fine tune coordinated activities required by national and local authorities and other emergency services who deal with major maritime search and rescue operations as per International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines. Mock drills for mass rescue and evacuation of ship will be a prime event of this exercise.
• The Indian Coast Guard, as a coordinating agency for search and rescue missions in the Indian Maritime Zone, has three Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres at Mumbai, Chennai and Port Blair besides 10 sub-centres.
• The Director General, Indian Coast Guard Vice Admiral, R F Contractor is expected to inspect the Search and Rescue Exercise.

OldSailor remembers the old saying “Practice makes a man Perfect”.

Source:pib