BEYOND THE HORIZON

OCTOBER 2024

BEYOND THE HORIZON

ALLISIONS AND COLLISIONS

            The NTSB issued a final report on the allision between the mv JOHN 3:16 and a cargo pier at Mile Marker 112 at 0630 when the pilot was brought a cup of coffee and he passed another tow. At 0641 the vessel slammed into the pier at 6 knots. The pilot has no memory of the allision. The pier was damaged to the tune of $186,000 and the boat needs about $90,000.

            The report states that the pilot fell asleep at the wheel. The report showed that the man slept 7 hours one day, 5 hours the next, 3 hours the next day, and three hours before his watch. NTSB maintains that all working individuals aboard must have 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each 24 hours. They further state that most accidents on the river are due to fatigue. 

            The Army Corps of Engineers continued its annual examination of the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MRT) which includes water levels, dams, channels, locks, pumps, and the economic impact of trade on the MRT. The commodity tonnage remains steady at around 600 million tons annually. A ton-mile basis (moving one ton for one mile) shows about 300 billion ton miles yearly. 

Their inspections resulted in a dire warning about sloughing, sliding, and silting which are close to paramount disasters that would close the river.  Additionally, the low water problems, especially on the Lower Mississippi, have forced the use of more barges with less loads. The Corps reminded Washington that 60% of crop exports come down the river. They also reminded the naïve that one barge is equivalent to 16 railcars or 70 trucks.

mv UNCLE BLUE

            The mv UNCLE BLUE was pushing one barge when it commenced to flood, and despite the efforts of another barge and significant pumping, it sank. While no injuries or pollution occurred, the tow suffered $500,000 of damage. The engine room was checked only every other hour. At the last check, the room was dry. The captain noted a slight list to the boat but assumed it was caused by the single barge. The bilge alarm sounded and the skipper raised general quarters and requested assistance from another boat to no avail. 

            Upon raising the tow NTSB investigators noted several holes in the hull due to neglect. They also found at least one flooding sensor inoperable. The blame rests solely on the owners who failed to inspect and maintain hull conditions. 

TOYKO BAY, a 271-meter, 80,000 dwt container ship, allided with DERSA FB-30 that was tied to the pier near Sao Paulo, Brazil. The containership veered out of the normal shipping lanes. 

NIJMEGEN MAX, a self-propelled barge carrying containers five high when it tried to sail beneath a bridge at Rotterdam. As one can imagine, the barge load was too tall for the bridge and the containers were knocked overboard. The bridge sustained minor damage. 

Typhoon Enteng that hammered the Philippines caused the LCT GT EXPRESS to break free and slam into the KAMILA which immediately caught fire. The PI Coast Guard was unable to reach the ships because of the winds and high waves. 18 crew members of the KAMILA abandoned the ship and were all rescued.

Migrants fleeing various countries had a horrific week in September when a group fleeing Libya in a rickety boat sank near Italy killing 21 but 7 survived. 

            A boatful of Senegalese migrants capsized in the Atlantic 37 were killed, 41 were missing, and 3 were rescued.

            59 people fleeing to England ran aground in the English Channel. Their boat was torn apart. 8 died and 6 others required hospitalization.

            OSHIO, a Singapore-based tug sank killing one and one MIA.

            A pirogue with 37 migrants killed 37, 49 MIA, and 3 rescued. Sailing is not a good way to escape what you want to escape from. 

            A Nigerian boat carrying farmers sank in the Gummi River leaving 64 dead but 6 were rescued.

            ADOLF JENSEN, a 100’ research vessel, ran aground near Greenland and eventually sank. The 4 crew on the ship were rescued. It went down with 4,000 gallons of diesel and 250 gallons of oil. Fuels degrade very slowly in the Arctic. Firemen encircled the boat with a 50-meter barrier to prevent a pollution spread. 

The ADMIRAL, a nice yacht at Marina Del Rey, was destroyed by fire due to a combination of fireworks and ammunition.

 

INLAND WATERWAYS

12,000 people and 20 boats participated in the Fete-Dieu du Mississippi, or the Blessing of the Boats of the lower Mississippi. After Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Baton Rouge, a procession with a 14’ monstrance ( a vessel that holds the Holy Eucharist) went to the dock where a crane loaded it onto the Eucharist Barge. The monstrance weighed over 200 pounds and the Passionist Nuns of Kentucky baked the 14’ Host.

            Following a bell boat, a barge carrying two thuribles burned 40 pounds of incense. Mv JEFF KINDLE carried a 17’ tall cross with the figure of Jesus that was 10 feet in length.  The Coast Guard fired a 105mm canon salute to the passing fleet. 

            The American Farm Bureau is screaming to high heaven about the current administration’s failure to adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling on Sackett v. the EPA which undermined Federal offices to determine rules. Mr. Sackett tried to build a house on land that was determined by officials as Federally Protected Wetlands. The Court ruled that the EPA overstepped its authority by denying building permission because it had no right to decide what is and is not protected wetlands. This, by consequence, dumped the Clean Waters Act into the toilet because the Court, in essence, implied that they alone can define codes. 

            Meanwhile, Congress, in a partisan action, held up action on a bipartisan bill that retained historic protection. In other words, the GOP and the Democrats are playing politics with the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS). 

ENVIRONMENT

            The poor Nishnabotna River in western Iowa had 1,500 tons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer accidentally dumped into its last spring left over 750,000 fish dead. Worse, recent inspections noted that all aquatic life is gone, not only on 60 miles of the river but down the Missouri River for many miles. 

            The Nishnabotna has two branches that merge. A year ago, one branch actually dried up in the drought. It also provides drinking water for many communities. It dumps into the Missouri River below the Iowa border in the state of Missouri.

            Aging dams are beyond their life expectancy.  The 1910 Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River in Minnesota failed and allowed the flow of 11.6 million cubic yards of phosphorous and nitrogen runoff sediment into the river and down to the Mississippi River at St. Paul, MN which contaminated water downstream 60 miles to Lake Pepin. 

Lake Pepin, the site of the birth of water skiing, is a unique widening of the Mississippi that is over 20 miles long and 2 miles wide with an average depth of 21 feet. It is the best sailing area in Minnesota (other than Lake Superior). Lake City’s marina is crammed with boats of Twin City folk. GRUMPY OLD MEN was filmed along Lake Pepin.

            What do we do with those darn Asian Carp? Arch Petfood has created a carp “chewy fish jerky”, dog treats, cat food, and cat treats. They maintain that the food is healthy, adds shine to pets’ coats, is environmentally friendly, and makes good use of a pesky problem.

            Boaters along the Illinois River enjoy weekly carp-catching competitions. They speed along with a net handler at the bow trying to catch as many flying carp as they can. In other midwestern states hunters firing away with guns try to shoot the carp when they leap into the air. Whatever trips your trigger. 

            Environmentalists won a significant battle in Wisconsin when the Supreme Court decided that the Republican-led legislature’s attempt to block the implementation of the Knowles-Nelson Act on conservation projects was a Constitutional overstep by the legislature. The state can now commence actions on improving trails, boat launches, campgrounds, and land purchases.  Wisconsin has been funded to the tune of $1.2 billion since 1989 under this act.  

            Another big win for environmentalists came recently when the Walz family along Sny Magill, considered by many as the finest trout stream in Iowa, withdrew their request to build an 11,000-cattle herd along the creek. The family has tried to create this incredible endeavor for several years and was highly supported by several GOP legislators, the Attorney General, and the Governor; but, opposed by the Sierra Club, sundry environmental groups, land owners along the stream, and a plethora of people who simply dislike the political nature of the battle. The Governor and the Attorney General virtually forced the DNR to allow permits for the farm when the fight became a virtual political power fight. 

            Courts have heard a plethora of trials and input from both sides. Part of the judicial demands came when the family acknowledged they had no realistic plan for dealing with the tons of waste generated by 11,000 cows, nor did they have a plan for backup systems if spills occurred.

            Truth be told, I was greatly opposed to the farm plans because I have known the family for over 40 years, and I have little trust in them. Furthermore, I own a very small piece of land along the creek and feel I can voice my opinion as a “local”. The creek has been untouched for generations and is a wonderful leftover from the ancient past containing a variety of rare, native plants. This area is pretty much like it was when the French trappers brought their pelts back to Prairie du Chien, WI around 1800. 

            FYI: If you haven’t toured Prairie du Chien, Fort Crawford, the medical museum, and the Villa Louis, you have missed a historic site. Then cross the river to Effigy Mounds National Park where Native Americans buried their dead in mounds in the shape of animals thousands of years ago. You will also stand on one of the highest spots above the Mississippi River for an incredible view. The “FIRST” Pike’s Peak at nearby McGregor proffers a splendid perspective of the great river. 

Pike’s Peak near at McGregor, Iowa

HISTORY

            The sidewheeler, ISLAND QUEEN, that ferried Ohio tourists to Ohio’s Coney Island Amusement Park,  had two iterations that both ended up in flames. ISLAND QUEEN, the first, was built in 1896 and worked as a tramp steamer during the off-season. In 1922 her forward hurricane deck collapsed injuring 22 children. Later that same year she was tied up when several boats caught fire. She was considered too damaged to repair. 

            The second ISLAND QUEEN was laid down immediately after her namesake died. She was a steel-hulled, oil-burning sidewheeler with several decks and could haul 4,000 people. She became an instant tourist entity unto itself, featuring famous musicians like Fats Waller and popular dance bands. The boat was noted for famed Homer Denny, the calliopist, who was at the keyboard on the top deck.

            Like her predecessor, she was fueling while tied to a pier and her skipper, Captain Charles Hall, left the boat to see a dentist. He noticed a loose deckboard and ordered the chief engineer to fix it. While the skipper was sitting in the dentist’s chair, the office windows blew out due to a massive explosion on the boat. Captain Hall ran down the street with the dentist bib still around his neck but his vessel was totally aflame and ultimately sank.

            The post-mortem of the event showed that a welder was patching the loose stanchion when vapors from the fuel exploded killing 16 crew members. Young crewman, Ernest Wagner, was credited with saving at least four lives simply by tossing them overboard.

            Abalone is a wonderful mollusk that lived rather nicely in Monterey Bay, CA. As Asians migrated into the U.S. and were detested by the local folk, they astutely found jobs ignored by other: abalone fishing. While Americans had not developed a taste for the meat, Asians had long enjoyed the flavor of this gastropod. The Japanese, in particular, harvested abalone, dried it, and shipped it to Asia until the industry became rather large along the California Coast. In 1879 Chinese processed 777,600 pounds of dried abalone and 3.8 million pounds of shells that Europeans polished and used in jewelry. 

            The California legislature passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 which forced the Chinese and Japanese out of Monterey. In 1913, Californians outlawed drying and exporting abalone. However, certain San Francisco chefs worked on new recipes for the World’s Fair in 1915 and discovered the mollusk. It was a hit, and the Asians of the region started restaurants featuring abalone chowder.

            Naturally, after December 7^th, 1941, the Japanese in California were sent to camps and given only 7 days to close their businesses and sell their homes. Interestingly, after the war some Japanese came back to Monterey and resumed their occupations. SEA HISTORY, a publication of the National Maritime Historical Society, has an excellent story on abalone fishing.

GRAY FLEET

            The Houthis continue to target tankers and freighters in the Red Sea in support of the Muslims in the Gaza Strip. They recently aimed a complex attack against 3 U.S. warships using drones, cruise missiles. and ballistic missiles.  The Houthis claim they damaged all three. The Pentagon says there was no damage.

USS MASON (DDG-87) in Red Sea

Palestine Hypersonic Missile 

            The USS IOWA (SSN-797) was supposed to be commissioned this autumn, but that ceremony and Navy acceptance of the submarine has been postponed yet again. A plethora of excuses include lack of supplies, lack of workers, and a bevy of staid statements. It is over a year past the expected acceptance. 

            Meanwhile, the HII Newport News Shipbuilding Inc. discovered during an internal investigation that many intentional, faulty, and dangerous ship hull welds existed on ships and submarines under construction. Neither the Pentagon nor the company provided details; however, leaders of both parties in Congress are raising hell over the findings claiming that total transparency with Congress is essential.