by Barista Uno | Feb 23, 2022
The 2017 Accident Report from the US National Transport Safety Board provides a detailed analysis of the 2015 El Faro disaster which killed the ship’s entire crew of 33. The NTSB came up with 59 findings. Amongst them: “The captain’s decision to depart Jacksonville was reasonable considering the availability of options to avoid Tropical Storm/Hurricane Joaquin.” This is a valuable reference for maritime safety professionals, researchers and nautical students. (9.9 MiB, PDF, 299 pages)
by Barista Uno | Sep 29, 2020
This is the full text in Hindi and English of India’s Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour) Rules, 2016. The rules were published in the Official Gazette on 29th February 2016 and reflect India’s compliance with ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, which came into force on 20th August 2013. This file is courtesy of the Directorate General of Shipping. (446.1 KiB, PDF, 45 pages)
by Barista Uno | Aug 25, 2020
David Downes, a 17-year-old cadet on the Black Star liner Roanoke, struggles with self-doubts and the hardships of life at sea. But he eventually comes to the realisation that the world of seafaring, with all its trials and tribulations, is where he belongs. ‘A Cadet of the Black Star Line’ was written by American journalist and author Ralph Delahaye Paine (1871 – 1925). It was first published in 1922 but should appeal to the modern reader who is interested in the world of ships and sailors. (7.0 MiB, PDF, 208 pages)
by Barista Uno | Mar 31, 2020
First published in 1906, The Mirror of the Sea is a collection of autobiographical essays by Polish-British writer Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) based on his life as a merchant sailor for almost 20 years. Commenting on the book, Conrad wrote: Within these pages I make a full confession not of my sins but of my emotions. It is the best tribute my piety can offer to the ultimate shapers of my character, convictions, and, in a sense, destiny–to the imperishable sea, to the ships that are no more and to the simple men who have had their day. (13.3 MiB, PDF, 336 pages)
by Barista Uno | Mar 8, 2020
Two Years Before the Mast is a memoir by American lawyer Richard Henry Dana Jr. of his two-year voyage from Boston to California as a common sailor on board a merchant ship. The term “before the mast” refers to the sailors’ quarters located in the forecastle (the ship’s bow). This book was first published in 1840 when Dana was still a law student at Harvard Universiy. In his Introduction, Prof. Homer Eaton Keyes explains why it is an American classic: We read it to-day not merely for its simple, unpretentious style; but for its clear picture of sea life previous to the era of steam navigation, and for its graphic description of conditions in California before visions of gold sent the long lines of “prairie schooners” drifting across the plains to unfold the hidden destiny of the West. (381.3 KiB, EPUB format)
