In a previous article, I shared some works of art to highlight the noble tradition of saving lives at sea. I felt that that was too meagre a serving for such a great topic. So here's a sequel. I trust that those who love art will find it as flavourful as the...
The Notre Dame Cathedral fire on 15th April 2019 overshadowed another huge event that occurred on the same day 107 years ago: the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Still, the world remembered the tragedy that befell the British passenger liner (pictured above prior to its...
By Captain Ardeshir Yousefi NOTE: The sea is one vast cemetery, as the above photo of the RMS Titanic wreck from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the US reminds us. More than a century has passed since the sinking of the British passenger...
It is five days before Christmas. In the collective delirium of holiday shopping, few Filipinos will remember that today, the 20th of December, is the 28th anniversary of the Doña Paz ferry tragedy. And yet, the world's worst peacetime maritime disaster will forever...
"There is no torrent like greed," said the Buddha. The torrent seems to be rather strong in the shipping industry. It is not confined to corporate boardrooms but swells and surges all around, sweeping those on shore and at sea. Could greed be the root cause of many of...
Bleeding hearts we are not. We believe that those who, through their negligence, cause serious maritime accidents should be punished. Even so, we find it a bit unsettling to hear cries for blood after a ferry tragedy. The loud calls for immediate justice and...
Snow Storm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth Oil on canvass, circa 1842, by Joseph Mallord William Turner "He that will learn to pray, let him go to sea," wrote the 17th-century British poet and priest, George Herbert. Those words ring louder following the spate of...
Frankie the Philosopher Cat consented to one more interview before the close of the year. Speaking with him is always a pleasure and a privilege for us. How many people will give you their honest opinion on maritime matters and not dish out motherhood statements and...
We'd like to request our readers to sign the online petition for the installation of CCTV cameras on the outside decks of passenger vessels. Click here. The petition was launched by Marianne Fearnside, whose 30-year-old son went missing in May 2013 on board a ferry...
Retired British teacher Marianne Fearnside has been waging a protracted battle for the mandatory installation of CCTV cameras on passenger decks. We understand her agony and have, upon her request, signed the online petition she launched last year. Mrs Fearnside's...
The jury is still out on what caused the sinking of the trawler Ocean Way last 2nd November off the coast of the Farne Islands in the North Sea. Killed were Scottish skipper James Noble, 45, and two Filipino crewmen whose bodies have not been found - Jhunitzquo...
Detail of 1889 Italian fresco, Cicero Denounces Catiline IMO officials should slow down on the rhetoric. Speaking on 20th January 2014 at the opening of the first session of the Sub-committee on Ship Design and Construction, Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu declared:...