The Tabor Boy Project Bob Couttie's Maritime Accident Casebook
Donovan Hohn wrote a disturbing article for today’s (June 22, 2008 ) Sunday NY Times Magazine entitled Sea of Trash. It’s amazing how much plastic waste can wash ashore in a place where no people actually live. This is not a good sign for our planet!
Hohn’s article reminded me about my first hand experience with litter at sea in beautiful Southwold, England. Here’s a link to my post from Blog Action Day 2007 – Litter@sea: A tragedy in the making.
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I just got an email from one of my favorite maritime / environmental / youth development nonprofits, Rocking the Boat. I’ve previously posted about them here and here.
The email was about an opportunity they have to win a grant from Patagonia, one of the coolest, most environmentally conscious and socially responsible organizations on the planet. The program is called Voice Your Choice and this is from their website:
Activism takes many forms, but you can cast a vote at your neighborhood Patagonia store this summer as one way to get involved in local environmental issues, show support for your favorite environmental group or just warm up for the November elections.
Each store will profile five groups that have done something extraordinary to help restore and protect the local environment. These groups have been our partners, helping us to further our stated mission to "build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis."
Rocking the Boat has some stiff competition in their neighborhood with Riverkeeper, Bronx River Alliance, Newtown Creek Alliance, and Solar One, all worthy organizations.
So if by chance you read this and live in their “neighborhood” which is New York City, stop by the Upper West Side Patagonia store and voice your choice!
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For some strange reason I really love these crazy ocean adventures. I’ve written about a few in the past. (100 Days at Sea - Mars Ocean Odyssey, Abora 3, Roz Savage) On Messing About In Ships podcast we also recently talked about the adventures of Nick from Big Oceans Tiny Boat as he sails solo across the Atlantic in his 26ft boat, Constellation.
Next month a new ocean adventure will get underway in order to raise awareness about plastic marine debris. The Algalita Marine Research Foundation is dedicated to the protection of the marine environment and its watersheds through research, education, and restoration.
“We hope to share our clear message that this mounting issue is no longer “out of sight, out of mind.”
Dr. Marcus Eriksen, the foundation’s research and education director, will embark on voyage from Los Angeles to Hawaii in a 30′ vessel constructed from 30,000 plastic bottles held together by fishing net. The vessel will be called Junk and it will sport a cabin fashioned from the fuselage of a Cessna airplane.
You can follow the expedition on their blog.(http://junkraft.blogspot.com/) and if you are interested in supporting this worthwhile mission, you can sponsor one of the 30,000 plastic bottles for $5. (here).
We wish Junk fair winds and following seas. Godspeed.
Via Neatorama
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At the same time that marine scientists sighted a white killer whale off the Aleutian Islands of Alaska last week, a group of fifth graders were testifying to members of the Massachusetts legislature about a bill up for consideration that would make Moby-Dick: or,The Whale by Herman Melville the official book of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
According to an Associated Press article:
The whale was spotted last month while scientists aboard the Oscar Dyson, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research ship, were conducting an acoustic survey of pollock near Steller sea lion haulout sites.
It had been spotted once in the Aleutians years ago but had eluded researchers since, even though they had seen many of the more classic black and white whales over the years.
NOAA press release: Rare White Killer Whale Spotted in Alaskan Waters From NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson March 6, 2008 (Photo credit: NOAA)
Last Friday, March 7, 2008, nine students from several fifth grade classes from 2 New Bedford elementary schools made their case before legislators, VIPs, teachers, fellow classmates and parents, at the New Bedford Whaling Museum that Moby-Dick be designated the official book of the State of Massachusetts. (Students testify on behalf of ‘Moby-Dick’, New Bedford Standard Times March 8, 200 
Unfortunately Massachusetts already has an official book and it’s William Bradford’s “The History of Plimouth Plantation” which was adopted by the Commonwealth in 1897. But I would venture a bet that none of you have read Bradford’s tome; I certainly haven’t. Actually, even though it’s an American classic, I bet few have read Moby Dick from cover to cover. Here, affirmative.
But these kids are right. A State like Massachusetts needs and deserves an American classic like Moby-Dick. I’m sure our white whale friend in Alaska made his recent appearance in support of this too. So if you live in the Bay State, write your state senators and representatives and let them know that you support House Bill 3964, making Moby-Dick the official book.
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Messing About In Ships podcast episode #13 has launched.
(42 minutes)
Download MP3 file: Messing About In Ships Episode 13
Show Notes over at Messing About In Ships blog
Subscribe Via iTunes HERE
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Let’s go to the video tape.
Here’s the rest of the story. (TreeHugger.com)
Happy ending! 
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In today’s NY Times (Feb. 19, 2008), Carl Zimmer wrote a fascinating article about the “spectacular deceptions of cephalopods” (aka octopus, squid and cuttlefish). “Revealed: Secrets of the Camouflage Masters” tries to explain the magic of these mysterious sea creatures which have been researched over three decades by Dr. Roger T. Hanlon of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. There’s a great video profile of the D. Hanlon’s work on the NY Times website, check it out.
Despite thousands of dives, Dr. Hanlon still considers himself a novice in spotting cephalopods. Once, after following an octopus for an hour and a half, he looked away a moment to switch cameras. When he looked back, the animal was gone.
Check out my previous post Underwater Astonishments with David Gallo from TED Talks which ends with some spectacular footage that was shot by Dr. Hanlon.
On CNN today there was some amazing video of another mysterious sea creature: giant sea spiders. Check it out for yourself.
The mysteries of the oceans are magical. If I was a young person today, I would give serious consideration to embarking on a career in marine biology or oceanography. But I guess I just have to settle on being maritime blogger for now.
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The Cousteau family has been treating us to this magic for 50 years. This time it’s in 3d with Darryl Hannah doing the narration. Coming to an IMAX near you.
For a beautiful hi-resolution Quicktime version, click here.
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For some strange reason I am fascinated by people who go to Antarctica. It probably has something to do with spending so much time studying leadership lessons of the great polar explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton. I am also more than a little envious.
Jason Kottke recently posted a great collection of Antarctic blogs on Kottke.org. Let’s talk Antarctica blogs. Great winter reading while hunkered down in front of a fire. Check it out.
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Francis Joyon arrived in Brest, France a little after midnight on January 20th and 57 days, 13 hours, 36 minutes and 13 seconds after having left. The Times Online provides this perspective on Joyon’s amazing feat:
(H)e redefined the art of the possible, as Bob Beamon, the long jumper, did with his “leap of the century” in 1968. Joyon took more than 14 fewer days in his 97ft IDEC II than MacArthur needed in B&Q three years ago.
Joyon was the first person to sail around the world alone on a multihull in 2004 but a year later, Dame Ellen MacArthur beat Joyon’s record by a single day. In fact only one other boat has sailed around the world faster and that was Bruno Peyron’s Orange II in March 2005 which took 50 days, 16 hours and 20 minutes. Of course, Orange II had a crew of 13.
It’s amazing to examine how single handed solo sailing has evolved over the past 40 years from Sir Robin Knox Johnston’s first attempt in 1968-69.
Great globetrotters (via Times Online)
1968-69 Robin Knox-Johnston, GB, Suhaili, 313 days
1985-86 Dodge Morgan, US, American Promise, 150 days
1989-90 Titouan Lamazou, Fr, Ecureuil D’Aquitane II, 109 days
1996-97 Christophe Auguin, Fr, Sceta Calberson, 105 days
2000-01 Michel Desjoyeaux, Fr, PRB, 93 days
2004 Francis Joyon, Fr, IDEC, 72 days
2005 Ellen MacArthur, B&Q, 71 days
2008 Joyon, IDEC II, 57 days
This adventure was also undertaken in an environmentally friendly fashion:
Joyon carried no generator and ran his battery from a combination of a wind generator, solar energy and a methanol fuel cell. “There was no engine running, which was nice, and it is a satisfaction knowing you can go around the world with the minimum impact on the environment,” Joyon said. “Imagine circling the world on a windsurf board. The project is built on respecting the elements.” (Times Online)
“The speed part, the sailing passion part, that’s extraordinary. But what is the strongest of all is having precious moments when you can be in harmony with the planet, with the elements. That is what will stay with me,” he said. (ESPN)
Last year I posted about the stresses of that solo sailors face. NY Times: Study of solo sailor stress and how human’s cope. Make sure you watch the videos.
I also posted about the inspiring Dame Ellen MacArthur here: “Lessons I Have Learned” - Dame Ellen MacArthur (via BBC Sport)
To give you an idea about the size and speed of Joyon’s trimaran Idec enjoy this YouTube video:
The Independent: Sailing: Joyon the reluctant hero welcomed home after smashing world record (January 21, 200
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TED Talks is an amazing series of videos from the Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) conference which is held each year in Monterey, CA. Their tagline is “Ideas worth spreading” and here I am doing my part.
David Gallo is a “a pioneer in ocean exploration, David Gallo is an enthusiastic ambassador between the sea and those of us on dry land.” Here’s a copy of his talk from last March about some beautiful and mysterious ocean creatures. Make sure you watch this to the end!
There is a great TED blog. Here are also links to information about their conferences and the annual TED Prize which
...was created as a way of taking the inspiration, ideas and resources that are generated at TED and using them to make a difference. Although the winners receive a prize of $100,000 each, that’s the least of what they get. The real prize is that they are granted a WISH. A wish to change the world.
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