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Recent media reports say that India is likely to be deprived of south-west monsoon in 150 years. Reason ? Impact of global warming.India is presently self-sufficient in agricultural production.Gradual failure of monsoon is bound to affect the progress the country.

A study “Weakening of lower tropospheric temperature gradient between Indian landmass and neighbouring oceans and its impact on Indian monsoon” by Mr S M Bawiskar of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology says that

• Temperature Gradient (TG) between Indian landmass and Arabian Sea (TGIA), Bay of Bengal (TGIB) is significantly decreasing in the lower troposphere.
• TG during pre-monsoon (March to May) is reducing at a significant rate of 0.036◦/year in Arabian Sea and by 0.030◦/year in Bay of Bengal.
• There is a possibility of TG tending to zero in the next 150 years.
• Weakening of TG
  • is due to increase in rate of warming over Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal than that over the Indian landmass.
  • is confirmed by reducing number of depressions/cyclonic storms and increasing number of break days during monsoon over India.
• Pre-monsoon TG has significant correlation with All India Seasonal Monsoon Rainfall (AISMR).

Here are the maps from India Meteorological Department on South-West monsoon ‘onset’ and ‘withdrawal’.

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Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) first submarine KD Tunku Abdul Rahman (KD TAR), arrived at KD Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, naval base in Pulau Indah,  Malaysia on September 03. The submarine received a grand welcome from Yang Di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, RMN captain-in-chief the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Scorpene (SSK) on delivery by French military shipyard DCNS, left France on July 09. submarine acquisition by Malaysia will not set off a submarines race in the region as neighbouring countries like Singapore has four submarines and Vietnam has ordered six Kilo-class submarines. Malaysia’s development of a submarine base at Teluk Sepanggar, Sabah indicates that the submarine would be active in the South China Sea.

Commemorative stamps and first-day covers of KD Tunku Abdul Rahman were also released as part of the event.

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Weddings on Water, America’s first floating wedding chapel has come up for sale. Some interesting features of Weddings on Water are:

• The beautiful Floating Chapel is designed to give a complete unique wedding experience.
• Combines the traditional appeal of a chapel setting with the natural beauty of Florida.
• The Floating Chapel on the Bay offers multiple services including:
  • Weddings
  • Renewal of Vows
  • Commitment Ceremonies
  • Baby Dedication Ceremonies/Christenings/Baptisms
  • Memorial Services
  • Church Group Gatherings/ Anniversaries/Celebrations
• Home port is at St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay, Florida.

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On February 10, unprecedented collision took place in space between Russian Cosmos 2251 satellite and U.S Iridium satellite over Siberia at an altitude of 490 miles (790 km). Reason for collision of intact space crafts is under investigation.

Now British and French nuclear submarines have proved that collision can take place underwater also. It seems in underwater, submarines prefer to navigate by closing eyes and keeping ears open.

News reports worldwide say that British submarine HMS Vanguard and French submarine Le Triomphant have collided in the Atlantic Ocean on February 04. The collision has caused minor damage to the vessels without any radioactive leaks underwater.

In response to this, the statement from the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band available from the Royal Navy News on February 16 is here:

Two submerged SSBN, one French and the other UK, were conducting routine national patrols in the Atlantic Ocean. Recently, the two submarines came into contact at very low speed. Both submarines remained safe and no injuries occurred. We can confirm that the capability remained unaffected and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety. HMS Vanguard returned safely to Faslane under her own power on 14 February.

The reasons for submarine collision:

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The picture above is the wedding ring belonging to a Royal Navy sailor of HMS Opal which was in the seabed for almost 90 years. Though the wedding ring was recovered by amateur divers Bob Hamilton and Peter Brady almost a year back it took so long for the two divers to successfully trace the members of the Royal Navy sailor and his wife.

Some of the interesting features of the wedding ring are:

• HMS Opal ran aground along with HMS Narborough in a snowstorm on January 12, 1918 at Windwick Bay, off the island of South Ronaldsay and 188 sailors were lost in the tragedy.
• The gold band, engraved ‘To Stanley from Flo, March 1916′ was found by the two divers from the wreck of HMS Opal.
• The wedding ring was found to belong to Ernest Stanley Cubiss, a sailor of HMS Opal. ‘Flo’ was his wife, who he married in 1917.
• The divers traced successfully Stanley’s 78-year-old nephew, Malcolm Cubiss and Flo’s nephew, Mike Forster.
• Malcolm Cubiss has now gifted the wedding ring along with three of Stanley’s medals, Stanley and Flo’s marriage licence, a photograph of Stanley in uniform and a ticket to the Grand Dance at the Town Hall, Lerwick, for one gentleman and two ladies for display at the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre.
• The wedding ring is now at Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and museum in Orkney for display from September 03.

OldSailor salutes Bob Hamilton and Peter Brady for their efforts,dedication and good work.

Read more about the wedding ring from Royal Navy.

Now a days more people go for underwater weddings. They go to the extent of learning scuba diving to get married underwater.

• Here is an underwater wedding conducted at China last weekend. More details are here at Mirror.co.uk.
• Here is another underwater wedding conducted in July of Samuel and Natasha Dan at Malaysia. More details of the underwater wedding are here at virtualmalaysia.
• Here is Vietnam’s biggest ever underwater group wedding consummated on Valentine Day, February 14.

Here are some photographs of underwater wedding.

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Vietnam’s biggest ever underwater group wedding was consummated on Valentine Day, February 14.

Wedding highlights:

• Four couples:Vu Hoang Huong Phuong and Tran Hung Quoc Viet, Nguyen Van Thanh and Le Thi My Ha, Nguyen Thang Loi and Huynh Vo Ngoc Ha, and British nationals Grant Hesketh and Eleanor Lawrence.
• at Mun Island in the central coastal city of Nha Trang.
• wedding cost each couple VND 9.9 million (US$619).
• all the four couples had undergone a training course on diving skills two days before the wedding.

Here is the photograph and location of Nha Trang

Click here for further reading.

The aim of this post is not to discourage seafarers or the people involved in shipping industry.

The Shipping Profession, considered as the oldest and worldwide profession is presently no more attractive. Though the shipping industry is growing, enough seafarers are not available to meet the requirements of the industry.

Why youngters are not coming up to take shipping as their profession? Here are some of the reasons:

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