Last week, BP Exploration and Production Inc. reached a settlement with the U.S. government, resolving a series of federal charges stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. This catastrophic event resulted in the deaths of 11 crew members and caused the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history, releasing millions of barrels of oil into the…
On Friday, November 2, an Alaska ferry worker was injured after a support cable snapped on the passenger loading ramp she was standing on at Bellingham Cruise Terminal, in Fairhaven. The female Alaska Marine Highway ferry ramp operator, who was not identified, was standing near the edge of the passenger ramp at 3:20 p.m., lowering…
The Coast Guard has sent a letter to state and union officials, demanding that the Washington State Ferry system restore the crew complement on several of their boats for safety reasons. In the 8-page letter, the Coast Guard said they made the decision by analyzing all of the responsibilities each crew must undertake. “(We analyzed)…
Yesterday, the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy claimed the replica of the HMS Bounty, which sank off the coast of North Carolina. Tragically, one crewmember died, and the ship’s captain remains missing. As more details emerge, questions are being raised about the decision to sail into the storm, a choice that some experts believe was…
As Hurricane Sandy relentlessly batters the U.S. East Coast, much of the focus is on the intensity of its wind speeds, which are forecasted to reach 90 miles per hour. Mariners, perhaps more than anyone, have long been acutely aware of the dangers posed by strong winds, as they are directly tied to wave action…
Hurricane Sandy may have claimed its first American victims today as it sank a tall ship and washed away two crew members as they tried to board a life boat. Fourteen people were rescued from the floundering HMS BOUNTY early this morning and an urgent search is on in the churning seas for the two…
Two weeks ago, a collision killed 38 people aboard a passenger ferry near Hong Kong. Two days ago, nearly two dozen people survived the sinking of a tour boat in San Francisco Bay. The first incident was tragic, the second merely ominous. Both incidents should have been avoided with the use of current technology and…
This morning, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully rescued three crew members who had abandoned their burning fishing vessel, the 35-foot Havanna, approximately 17 miles west of Cannon Beach, Oregon. The crew members were forced to abandon the vessel and took refuge in a life raft while waiting for help to arrive. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter…
This is the 50th anniversary of the “Columbus Day Storm,” the most powerful extratropical storm of all time. It is an appropriate moment to contemplate the significance of fall weather patterns to the North Pacific marine industry. Many years ago, a partner at the maritime law firm of BoatLaw was a principal of a tug…
The U.S. Coast Guard has reported that five fishermen were rescued from an island south of Kodiak early this morning after their 58-foot-long fishing vessel struck a rock and started taking on water. According to Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley, the crew of the KODIAK ISLE contacted watchstanders just after midnight…
