The Seafarers Happiness Index for Q2 2023

Sep 01, 2023

Today, we’ll take a look at an international survey conducted every quarter of each year since 2015. It’s called the Seafarers Happiness Index, conducted by the London-based Mission to Seafarers organization.

It’s a report that compiles and analyzes survey responses from employees working at sea around the world. The report for the second quarter of 2023 is out, and it’s not particularly good news. Seafarer job satisfaction is down, continuing a trend seen last quarter as well. Industry-wide, ongoing pandemic-related problems remain, and workers are sometimes hard pressed to get paid, or have to pay extra for necessities on board like drinking water.

These workers are vital to our global economy. We’ll look at the survey results.

The Seafarers Happiness Index for Q2 2023

The Seafarers Happiness Index for Q2 2023

Today, we’ll take a look at an international survey conducted every quarter of each year since 2015. It’s called the Seafarers Happiness Index, conducted by the London-based Mission to Seafarers organization.

It’s a report that compiles and analyzes survey responses from employees working at sea around the world. The report for the second quarter of 2023 is out, and it’s not particularly good news. Seafarer job satisfaction is down, continuing a trend seen last quarter as well. Industry-wide, ongoing pandemic-related problems remain, and workers are sometimes hard pressed to get paid, or have to pay extra for necessities on board like drinking water.

These workers are vital to our global economy. We’ll look at the survey results.

Let’s talk about tankers

Aug 31, 2023

We see a lot of tanker vessels on the Columbia. Where do they come from and what are they carrying? We’ll talk about tankers and what makes them different from other cargo vessels.

Let’s talk about tankers

Let’s talk about tankers

We see a lot of tanker vessels on the Columbia. Where do they come from and what are they carrying? We’ll talk about tankers and what makes them different from other cargo vessels.

Tonight’s super blue moon is a rarity

Aug 30, 2023

Tonight the moon will be full, close to the earth, and the second full moon in a single month. That makes it a super blue moon. We’ll talk more about this moon and how rare it is, and why it will cause higher than normal tides.

Tonight’s super blue moon is a rarity

Tonight’s super blue moon is a rarity

Tonight the moon will be full, close to the earth, and the second full moon in a single month. That makes it a super blue moon. We’ll talk more about this moon and how rare it is, and why it will cause higher than normal tides.

An accident between a ship and small boat shows the importance of defensive boating

Aug 29, 2023

Today we’ll look at the story of a fatal collision last year off Puerto Rico between a USCG ship and a small fishing boat. The situation was tragic for all concerned, and legally the small boat was at fault.

As we navigate our own sometimes crowded waters of the Columbia River, it’s good to remember a basic rule of physics, expressed in maritime circles as the Law of Tonnage, which says, any boat bigger than you will win in an accident. So be careful out there and drive defensively on the water, just like you do on land.

An accident between a ship and small boat shows the importance of defensive boating

An accident between a ship and small boat shows the importance of defensive boating

Today we’ll look at the story of a fatal collision last year off Puerto Rico between a USCG ship and a small fishing boat. The situation was tragic for all concerned, and legally the small boat was at fault.

As we navigate our own sometimes crowded waters of the Columbia River, it’s good to remember a basic rule of physics, expressed in maritime circles as the Law of Tonnage, which says, any boat bigger than you will win in an accident. So be careful out there and drive defensively on the water, just like you do on land.

A look at a proposal for floating offshore windfarms in Oregon, and a new floating wind farm in Norway

This month, a new floating windfarm in the North Sea off Norway was offcially dedicated, after having been in successful production in the North Sea since the fall of 2022. We’ll also take a look at proposed floating wind farms off the Oregon coast.

There is a 60-day comment period underway for the Oregon project. Here’s a link to the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management page about Oregon projects. There’s info on this page and a link to file a comment about the project:

https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/Oregon

A look at a proposal for floating offshore windfarms in Oregon, and a new floating wind farm in Norway

A look at a proposal for floating offshore windfarms in Oregon, and a new floating wind farm in Norway

This month, a new floating windfarm in the North Sea off Norway was offcially dedicated, after having been in successful production in the North Sea since the fall of 2022. We’ll also take a look at proposed floating wind farms off the Oregon coast.

There is a 60-day comment period underway for the Oregon project. Here’s a link to the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management page about Oregon projects. There’s info on this page and a link to file a comment about the project:

https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/Oregon

Solo kayaker logs almost 7,000 miles in round trip journey

Aug 25, 2023

Today we’ll talk about the amazing solo kayaking journey of 65-year old Canadian Mark Ervin Furhmann, who just completed a 268-day voyage alone. He departed last year from Nova Scotia, paddled north to the St Lawrence River, made his way to the Great Lakes and down the MIssissippi and adjoining rivers until he arrived in the Gulf of Mexico. From there he journeyed to Florida and up the East Coast back to Nova Scotia. He made the trip to raise funds for two charities, and to spread a message of goodwill and societal  healing.

Solo kayaker logs almost 7,000 miles in round trip journey

Solo kayaker logs almost 7,000 miles in round trip journey

Today we’ll talk about the amazing solo kayaking journey of 65-year old Canadian Mark Ervin Furhmann, who just completed a 268-day voyage alone. He departed last year from Nova Scotia, paddled north to the St Lawrence River, made his way to the Great Lakes and down the MIssissippi and adjoining rivers until he arrived in the Gulf of Mexico. From there he journeyed to Florida and up the East Coast back to Nova Scotia. He made the trip to raise funds for two charities, and to spread a message of goodwill and societal  healing.