How to properly break a ship.

[Kukri]

FoCs are a stain on shipping, enable criminality, destroy the environment and should be outlawed.

Happy to fly the Red Ensign. For one thing, it’s cheaper than most.

Having said that, I don’t begrudge the Tuvaluans - population 10,000, height above sea level two metres, a chance to make a buck by doing something other than flogging fishing rights to China and working as merchant seamen. Having said which, I have Tuvaluan friends and they are some of the finest seamen, officers, and gentlemen I know.

 

[Wansworth]

Spanish news shows contamination streaming out passed the barrier

 

[penfold]

Happy to fly the Red Ensign. For one thing, it’s cheaper than most.

Having said that, I don’t begrudge the Tuvaluans - population 10,000, height above sea level two metres, a chance to make a buck by doing something other than flogging fishing rights to China and working as merchant seamen. Having said which, I have Tuvaluan friends and they are some of the finest seamen, officers, and gentlemen I know.

I don't begrudge that either; what I begrudge is countries having registers but abrogating their responsibility by administering it corruptly or incompetently, or worse selling the right to administer it to anonymous dudes with briefcases full of money. If a country wants the money but not the responsibility then the administration of their FoC register ought to be passed to another flag state; having briefcase-toting scumbags misuse what should be a system that protects the environment and crew from abuse is an enduring disgrace. Too many crimes, both maritime and connected to shipping, are facilitated by lax or corrupt FoCs yet there are no penalties for this.

 

[KevinV]

Having said that, I don’t begrudge the Tuvaluans - population 10,000, height above sea level two metres, a chance to make a buck by doing something other than flogging fishing rights to China and working as merchant seamen.

Don't forget they also make a few quid from websites ending in .tv

 

[mjcoon]

Don't forget they also make a few quid from websites ending in .tv

I don't think that media infelicities can be laid at their door, though.

 

[Kukri]

The Queen of Tuvalu, on a visit, 1982:

 

[Gibeltarik]

Well, we can’t expect the Royal Navy to understand these things, but you missed the cargo:

Gibraltar declares major incident as grounded bulk carrier develops a breach - Splash247

It makes a difference.

Why the side swipe at the Royal Navy - not a lot to do with them - this time?

 

[Kukri]

Why the side swipe at the Royal Navy - not a lot to do with them - this time?

It’s just a lighthearted running gag between Captain Sensible and I; it’s not meant seriously. (But he had missed out the cargo!)?

 

[westernman]

Happy to fly the Red Ensign. For one thing, it’s cheaper than most.

Having said that, I don’t begrudge the Tuvaluans - population 10,000, height above sea level two metres, a chance to make a buck by doing something other than flogging fishing rights to China and working as merchant seamen. Having said which, I have Tuvaluan friends and they are some of the finest seamen, officers, and gentlemen I know.

Tuvalu makes a significant part of its GDP by selling/renting internet domain names with its country code (.tv).

 

[Stemar]

extremely marginal old banger, which is classed NK, carries market P&I

Marginal old banger I understand - I don't think I've sailed on any, but I've driven a few - but NK seems to be a proper classification or, at least put on a good show, and what is market protection and indemnity insurance, please?

 

[Kukri]

Marginal old banger I understand - I don't think I've sailed on any, but I've driven a few - but NK seems to be a proper classification or, at least put on a good show, and what is market protection and indemnity insurance, please?

Nippon Koji Kyukai are a very fine Classification Society, but they sometimes have an odd blind spot with regard to transfers onto their Register of ships from other Societies. There are rules set by the International Association of Classification Societies (“IACS”) to cover this but there is always some scope for interpretation.

Protection and Indemnity (“P&I”) insurance is third party insurance for ships and their owners. Most P&I insurance is provided by mutual associations of shipowners called “P&I Clubs”, but the Clubs have certain minimum standards to ensure that the risk is clearly and fairly shared between their member shipowners. If no Club will accept a ship, her owners have recourse to a P&I risks policy written by a market insurance company.

 

[capnsensible]

More oil spillage, unfortunately.

Oil from OS 35 reaches eastern shorelines in Bay of Gibraltar

However there does seem to be a lot of co operation between Gib and Spain Authorities which is a Good Thing.

 

[Bilgediver]

FoCs are a stain on shipping, enable criminality, destroy the environment and should be outlawed.

Some of these ships appear larger than the Island their flag belongs to..

 

[PhillM]

The RN gets laughed at by the merchant service for having too many men for any task. When the steering gear fails, it’ll be the RN doing the laughing. Gear often fails when too much is asked of it, of course. Like when engine power is inadequate to assist. My chum is qualified to skipper the largest LNG carriers. Strangely, he has no yacht ICC, which is hilarious on the occasions we cross the channel (not on the X obviousy!)

Why not on the x. Perfectly seaworthy craft - just pick your weather window.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Why not on the x. Perfectly seaworthy craft - just pick your weather window.

Ha ha, takes a long time at 4kn

 

[Bajansailor]

The irrepressible and indefatigable sailor Donald Street and his sons sailed their Dragon nonstop from Glandore in Cork to Douarnenez in Brittany to attend the big Classic Boat Festival there 30 years ago, and then sailed back home again afterwards - that is a rhum line distance of about 250 miles across open ocean and lots of traffic.

 

[capnsensible]

This chap talks a lot of sense.

Time to lend support, not raise unqualified questions