January 2014
More about the Neftegaz 67 and the Yao Hai – The application of Rule 9 to the collision in Hong Kong which sank the supply ship.
Ships in Films – The failings in the filming of the nautical stuff in “The Wolf of Wall Street”.
A Unified Bridge – The intent of the builders of the Stril Luna to fit a “Unified Bridge”.
Revisiting the Herald of Free Enterprise – More about aspects of the investigation into the capsize.
The Pieter Schelde – The new ship from Allseas (later to be renamed)
February 2014
Passenger Ship Problems – What happened to the cruise ship Marco Polo, pummelled by a large wave.
Windfarm Worries – Some problems with windfarm vessels and their operations.
Esnaad 715 – Trouble for a Damen Xbow crewboat.
An Accident in the Gulf of Mexico – The report on the loss of the Ricky B.
Helicopter Safety – Changes to the use of helicopters offshore North Sea.
March 2014
A Future of Unmanned Ships – Comment on the possibility of remotely operated ships.
Words from the Gulf – A snatch from the gCaptain Forum about the coonass navy.
Star Taurus – Where the old ship is now.
Navigating the Channel – A re-use of my contribution to a book about Aberdeen.
The Morning Glory – Some aggressive activities relating to a tanker full of crude oil.
April 2014
Responsibility for Ferry Operations – What can go wrong with the operation of ferries.
NERC to get a New Ship – The announcement tha ta new research ship is to be built.
The Murzur – The operation of this Turkish owned ship and its limitations.
The Kulluk Accident – The grounding of the semi-submersible Kulluk on an island in Alaska.
The CSS Olympia – A compltely new type of accommodation vessel is in operation.
May 2014
Responsibility for the Sewol tragedy – the search for the owners of the ferry which overturned with loss of life.
Don’t head straight for the platform – the close approach of an ERRV to a platform due to the autopilot.
The Ship of Gold – the events relating to the wreck of the Central America and its gold.
The Loss of the Ocean Ranger – a review of the disaster which was the loss of the semi-submersible Ocean Ranger in 1982.
The Miguel de Sevantes – a bit of a rant about the saveguarding of the UK coastline.
June 2014
The General Slocum Disaster – A historic marine disaster on the Hudson River.
Well Intervention – operational problems with the Skandi Aker well intervention vessel.
The SS St Louis Story – What happened to a passenger ship full of Jewish emigrants from Germany in 1939.
The Marseilles Dam Accident – Another accident to a tug pushing barges on an American inland waterway. It is a complex and interesting tale.
The Billy Pugh – Is the personnel transfer device the Billy Pugh unsafe?
August 2014
Going for a Fish Supper – The death of the captain of the GPS Battler due to the sinking of their inflatable.
The Kort Nozzle – Where the Kort nozzle, much used in the offshore industry, came from.
The Gora – A Liberian registry inspector finds much wrong with the operation of the Gora.
The Trinity II Accident – What can go wrong with a lift boat in adverse weather.
Operating Manuals – What is wrong with manuals issued with various marine equipment.
September 2014
The Risks of Long Distance Multiple Tug Tows – What might happen if a tug has a blackout during a high speed tow.
The Aurora – The repairs to the historic Russian revolutionary ship.
A Gas Explosion – A fishing vessel’s calor gas stove blows up.
VLOCs in Port – How bad life can be for the crews of these very large ships during loading and unloading.
Queen of the Lakes – One of the ships trading on the Great Lakes.
October 2014
Kidnapped! – Legal action being taken by the captain and chief engineer of an ECO ship after being kidnapped.
A Black Day for Shipmasters – the prosecutors in the Sewol ferry case call for the death penalty for the captain.
Loss of the Seaprobe – Modifications to a small ship which resulted in it sinking.
Something about Lifeboats – A lot of stuff about lifeboats and the regulations relating to them.
Maersk Gabarus – A bit of history about this ship which has gone to the breakers.
November 2014
The Maersk Salt 200s – Maersk are to introduce some new anchor–handlers.
A Black Day for Seafarers – The former captain of the Sewol is setenced to 36 yers in jail.
The Tor Viking II Rescue – Shell release the Tor Viking II to rescue a bulk carrier in Alaska.
OUCH! – The Odyssea Courage hammers into the stern of the Q4000.
Rigs to Reefs – The loss of marine habitats due to the removal of platforms in the GOM.
December 2014
The Scrap Heap – The apparent downturn in the oil business sees rigs going to the scrap.
The Norman Atlantic – Comment on the recent ferry disaster, what went wrong.
Shell Prelude – The current status of what is the largest hull ever to go to sea.
More About Lifeboats – The continuing saga about how good or bad lifeboats are.