Maritime News

Published on: December 12, 2017

Substance Abuse, Opioids, and Addiction at Sea

A new bill is on the way to the Maine State Legislature, and if Representative Mick Devin can get approval next year, a new task force of healthcare professionals and community leaders will work on one of the state of Maine’s greatest maritime issues; opioid drug abuse and addiction.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collect more data, it is reported that approximately 60,000 Americans died in 2016 from opioid overdose, almost a 100% increase over 2015, with 33,000 confirmed deaths. Nearly half of those involved prescription opioids. The same report concludes that among the deaths that involved Fentanyl, the Northeast states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island were among the highest in the nation. While there are currently no statistics by occupation, this is an issue that often hits the fishing industry hard.

The opioid crisis is especially complicated for people who work at sea. The work is physically demanding. Long hours of physical labor can cause severe pain, and injuries that are not allowed time to heal may become chronic. Fishermen are often at sea for weeks at a time or work in very remote locations away from healthcare. When healthcare is available, and opioids prescribed, the medication often runs out while workers are at sea. If pain is still present, workers may seek to utilize other options.

Published on: November 21, 2017

Vessel Stability Reports and Safety

by Joseph Stacey

The overall safety of the commercial fishing industry is becoming safer every year. Those are the findings in a report issued by NIOSH in July of 2017. However, experts agree that an area that needs improvement concerns outdated stability reports. The US Coast Guard requires all fishing and crabbing vessels to carry a stability report which has been prepared by a Naval Architect. Problems arise when these reports are out of date.

According to A Best Practices Guide to Vessel Stability published by the US Coast Guard, vessel stability is defined as “the ability of a fishing vessel to return to its upright position after being heeled over by any combination of wind, waves, or forces from fishing operations.” If a vessel is “unstable”, it does not have sufficient ability to counter these external forces, therefore it is susceptible to capsizing.

The two variables in the stability equation are buoyancy and gravity. Buoyancy is the force acting to push the vessel up in the water, making the vessel float. In stability analysis, the total buoyancy forces are distributed over the part of the hull below the water, and the buoyancy of a vessel is a fixed variable as it is based on the architecture of the vessel. Gravity is the force acting to pull the vessel down in the water. The total weight of the vessel includes all gear, fuel, catch, ice, bait, etc. These weights are distributed throughout the hull, and mathematically combined into a single point called the center of gravity. Because weight is constantly being added and subtracted from a vessel, gravity is not a fixed variable; it is constantly in flux.

Published on: October 9, 2017

Google and Rolls-Royce Partner to Build Autonomous Vessels

by Joseph Stacey

At the Google Cloud Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, Rolls-Royce announced that it will be applying Google’s Cloud Machine Learning Engine to power autonomous ships. The technology will be used to detect, identify, and track surface objects that vessels encounter while at sea to make the maritime industry safer and more efficient.

Rolls-Royce senior vice president for ship intelligence, Karno Tenovuo, said “While intelligent awareness systems will help to facilitate an autonomous future, they can benefit maritime businesses right now making vessels and their crews safer and more efficient. By working with Google Cloud, we can make these systems better, faster, saving lives.”

Eva Fors, Head of Google Cloud Sales Nordics said, “By exploring the possibilities presented by machine learning, Rolls-Royce can combine the latest technology advancements with its deep knowledge of the maritime industry, ultimately bringing significant improvements to the sector.”

Published on: May 9, 2017

Benefit Auction for the Minor Children of the Destination Crew Nets $125,000

by Joseph Stacey

What began as a small fundraiser for the minor children of the F/V Destination crew quickly gained momentum and turned into a sold-out gala as community members saw a tangible way to help the families of the fishermen lost at sea. Tickets for “A Night Among the Stars” went on sale April 7th, and by April 21st, 300 tickets at $50 each had been sold. Organizers were thrilled, and worked tirelessly to produce an event that honored the fallen fishermen, their families, and the entire fishing community. The event, held on May 6th at the Ballard Elks Club, netted just over $125,000. Proceeds will benefit the minor children of the Destination crew.

Donations came from all over the Pacific Northwest, as did guests in attendance. “We just want to do something; we want to help those families, and this is a great way to honor those brave men and offer support.” said one local business owner. Auction items included flying lessons, Seahawks tickets, rounds of golf at local private clubs, overnight adventures, and of course, seafood.

If you were unable to attend the gala but would like to contribute, there are several ways you can help. Destination commemorative baseball hats and t-shirts are available to purchase at eJoinMe.org, and donations can be made at any Peoples Bank location in Western Washington. Peoples Bank is administering the fund, and will not collect any fees; 100 percent of all donations will be directed to the F/V Destination Charitable Fund. Contributions can also be made by check payable to the “F/V Destination Charitable Fund” and mailed to: F/V Destination Charitable Fund, 999 3rd Ave. #2600, Seattle, WA 98104.