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It is the 73rd anniversary of the rescue of the German sailors by the MV Kerlogue during WW11. Disregarding all orders the captain and crew brought the German sailors to Cobb in Cork for internment.

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Built by Harland and Wolff at Belfast and launched on 28th June 1893, Gothic was jointly operated by White Star and Shaw Savill on the New Zealand service. Her maiden voyage left London on 28th December 1893, under Captain Jennings. On 3rd June 1903 after a fire broke out in the cargo, and eventually she had to be beached off Plymouth. She was later raised and given a thorough refit. In 1907 she was transferred to Red Star Line and renamed Gothland. She later reverted to White Star and her old name, then in 1913 was back with Red Star as Gothland. Finally sold for scrap in 1925, she was broken up at Bo’ness in early 1926. See a brief history of this vessel in the News page on my website, extracted from my book on White Star Line – www.marpubs.com

RIP to the late Aidan Roche who passed away 1yr today. A wonderful husband, father and brother. Infact a wonderful man and an honour to have known him.

Last chance to donate to the RNLI. Whether it's only €1 it all helps. You never know when you or a family member will need them. To donate in the next few hours go down the page to H2O Elizabeth Murphy.

Photos from Wexford's Friends of the Tall Ships's post

First Images of World War II Wrecks wreck During the very first dive of the expedition, scientists located and explored the German U-576. This was the first time since the submarine was sunk on July 15, 1942, that anyone had laid eyes on the vessel. Here, Project Baseline's Nemo submersible shines its lights on the U-boat lying on its starboard side, showing the submarine's conning tower and the deck gun in the foreground. By MarEx Within weeks of the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, German U-boats began patrolling off the coast of North Carolina, sinking merchant ships and allied naval vessels with impunity. In 1942 alone, more than 80 ships were sunk, and over 1,600 men were lost. NOAA and its research partners are now surveying, for the first time since they sank more than 70 years ago, the remains of two ships that were involved in a convoy battle off North Carolina during World War II. In July 1942, the German submarine U-576 sank the freighter SS Bluefields during the battle of Convoy KS-520 off Cape Hatteras, N.C. The convoy and its U.S. military escorts fought back, sinking the U-boat with return fire from a U.S. Navy Armed Guard crew and an aerial depth charge attack. In 2014, NOAA discovered the two vessels 35 miles offshore in approximately 700 feet of water, resting just 200 yards apart. The expedition is being led by NOAA and includes the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute, SRI International and 2G Robotics. The goal of the project is not only to complete a detailed documentation of the U-576 and Bluefields battlefield, but to also to consider the feasibility of applying new technologies to the documentation of archaeological sites in similar environments. Additionally, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is considering areas offshore North Carolina for commercial wind energy development. Identifying the location of the wrecks and studying their importance to American and global history will help the Bureau in protecting the sites during any offshore development. The conning tower of U-576 as viewed from the mini-sub. Entry was gained to the U-boat through a watertight hatch located in the center of the conning tower. The attack periscope can be seen in the near the back of the tower. Image courtesy of Joe Hoyt, NOAA - Battle of the Atlantic expedition. A video frame grab of the stern cabin of the SS Bluefields. Bluefields is very intact and rests in 730 feet of water, only 600 feet from U-576. Image courtesy of John McCord, UNC Coastal Studies Institute - Battle of the Atlantic expedition. Joe Hoyt, Maritime Archaeologist with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Joe Hoyt, Maritime Archaeologist with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, documents the damage to U-576. Image courtesy of Robert Carmichael, Project Baseline - Battle of the Atlantic expedition. A video frame grab of the bow of the SS Bluefields. The collapsed forward deck crane hangs off the bow of the Bluefields. An anchor can be seen hanging in place in the hawse pipe. Image courtesy of John McCord, UNC Coastal Studies Institute - Battle of the Atlantic expedition. The 88mm deck gun of the U-576 was used for surface engagements and could fire a variety of shells from the watertight ready-ammunition locker which can be found forward of the gun on the port side. Image courtesy of Joe Hoyt, NOAA - Battle of the Atlantic expedition. The aft section of the U-576's conning tower, also known as the wintergarten, which served as a platform for the 20mm anti-aircraft flak gun. Image courtesy of Joe Hoyt, NOAA - Battle of the Atlantic expedition.

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Rotterdam Tests In-Water Drones The Port of Rotterdam is pioneering a new technology it says will make the port smarter: a water drone. The AquasmartXL is a small, unmanned boat, equipped with a camera. It sends images in real time to the quay, providing a flexible solution for surveillance and inspection from the water surface. Another recent example of innovation at the port is the Waste Shark. The device, the size of a passenger car, has an ‘open mouth’ that is located at 35 centimeters below the water surface used to remove up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of waste from the water. The waste is then processed. For the next six months, four waste sharks will perform a test run for the Port of Rotterdam Authority to clean up litter in the Rotterdam docks. The Aqua-drone can also be encountered live in the port. The drone inspects concrete structures for an oil terminal and visualize them in 3D. This is done at places where it is too difficult, dangerous or undesirable to use manned solutions. This includes under jetties, bridges and other structures. “Innovation flows through Rotterdam, like the water through the Maas,” a poetic entrepreneur once said. That is definitely true. Not because it is 'nice to have', but because it is a necessary step towards a successful future. Therefore, the Port Authority is fully committed to all possible ways of innovation, says Allard Castelein, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. “Innovation cannot be forced. However, you can create an environment in which innovation is likely to take place and be in line with the market.” The Port Authority achieves this through an Innovation Eco System. Castelein says: “We support research in conjunction with universities, such as the Port Innovation Lab with Delft University of Technology and of course our own Erasmus University in Rotterdam. And we collaborate with contests for students. In addition, we support Dutch start-ups that are relevant to the port, but we also scout worldwide via PortXL; the first accelerator that focuses on port start-ups on a global level.”

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New Plan to Include Shipping in 2030 Target container ship By MarEx A proposal to include emissions from shipping in the E.U.’s 2030 emissions reduction target through the E.U. emissions trading system (ETS) has gained cross-party support among members of the E.U. parliament (MEPs), says environmental organization Transport & Environment (T&E). The amendment calls for shipowners to buy ETS allowances from 2021 onwards or pay an equivalent amount into a new climate fund that minimizes administrative burden by buying allowances collectively on their behalf. The parliamentary groups of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Greens and the liberals (ALDE) tabled the proposal. The center-right group, the European People’s Party (EPP), also supports the inclusion of shipping in the ETS as a way to make the sector contribute to the E.U.’s 2030 climate target. The fund will also function as a flow-back mechanism by reinvesting 20 percent of the allowances’ revenues to make the shipping industry and ports more efficient. This new source of financing is expected to support carbon-saving retrofitting, innovative technologies and port charging schemes. T&E estimates that this would roughly amount to €1 billion ($1.1 billion) at the outset. The proposal is based on the existing E.U. monitoring system (MRV) of shipping emissions to keep to a minimum the extra administrative cost for shipowners, ports and authorities. The owners of ships arriving at or departing from E.U. ports would have to either buy directly E.U. ETS allowances to cover their CO2 emissions or pay an equivalent amount into the fund that will collectively purchase and retire the required number of allowances on their behalf. S&D MEP Jytte Guteland said: “If Europe is to honor its commitments through the Paris agreement, all sectors will have to contribute to the transition to a low-carbon society. Time is of the essence and the shipping industry has an important role to play in this transition. In setting up a climate fund for shipping allowances, the E.U. will help industry cut global-warming emissions in a sustainable way by investing 20 percent of the revenues in green projects for ships and ports.” Having escaped any explicit reference in the Paris agreement, industry and the IMO are facing increasing pressure to deliver on the climate front. The IMO had started moving towards defining a “fair share” contribution by the shipping sector to curbing climate change, but a decision on a work plan has been delayed at its last meeting in April. It next meets in October. Green MEP Bas Eickhout said: “This is really about reducing emissions from international shipping, the only transport sector not contributing to climate goals in Europe. Since the IMO work can take years to propose, our duty is to make sure that Europe takes action. This is also an opportunity to increase post-Paris E.U. climate ambition by making E.U.'s reduction target economy-wide.” The proposed shipping fund would see shipowners pay an annual membership fee based on their annual emissions and the average allowance price the year before. Paying directly into the fund will allow shipowners to contribute to the E.U.’s 2030 emissions reduction target directly. T&E’s shipping officer Sotiris Raptis said: “The well-below 2°C warming limit set by the Paris Agreement will be impossible to meet unless Europe and the IMO introduce measures to cut shipping emissions. Shipping is the only transport sector that is not contributing to Europe’s climate goals. This needs to end as there is no reasonable excuse for this special treatment.” The E.U.'s legislation on the monitoring, reporting and verification of maritime GHG emissions came into force in July 2015 and will become operational in 2018. Last year a European Parliament study found that shipping will be responsible for 17 percent of the total emissions in 2050 if left unregulated.

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Carbon Fiber Vessel Wins SMM Ship of the Year Vision of the Fjords By MarEx Vision of The Fjords, a futuristic carbon fiber tourist vessel operated by The Fjords DA, has won the coveted Ship of the Year 2016 accolade at SMM in Hamburg. The 40-meter (130-foot) long, 399-passenger capacity hybrid craft, which was completed by Brødrene Aa this summer, scooped the award for its unique approach to sustainable, sensitive and high quality operations in the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Nærøyfjord. Vision of The Fjords looks like nothing else on the water. Designed with lines that resemble the zigzagging mountain paths of the Western Norwegian fjords it traverses, it allows passengers to climb over the vessel as they watch local mountains rise from the water. Those who prefer to view the outside from inside can enjoy breath-taking views in lounges wrapped by sweeping panoramic windows. The passenger experience is accentuated by technology that, as The Fjords CEO Rolf A. Sandvik explains, was painstakingly selected to set new environmental standards for the pristine habitat it operates within. “We, and our owners Fjord1 and Flåm AS, are absolutely committed to a long-term strategy that safeguards the spellbinding nature of Nærøyfjord and its surrounding waterways,” he says. “With that in mind we opted for a dual fuel solution whereby we run diesel engines up to the entrance of the protected Nærøyfjord, before switching to silent running, emission free electric power. We also challenged the yard to create a special hull designed to minimize wake and thus reduce impact erosion on the vulnerable shoreline here. “We believe the choices made here have set a new course for the future operations of our entire fleet … and hopefully all operators that sail here.” The judges for Ship of the Year, which is run by respected Norwegian maritime publication Skipsrevyen, were won over by Brødrene Aa’s bold design, but also by the vessel’s high-tech features, such as its innovative propulsion system. This is based on a combination of two 749kW MAN main engines and two 150kW Oswald electric motors, with ABB’s On-board DC Grid system managing and controlling the power between the diesel engines, propeller and charging station. It’s a configuration capable of delivering a speed of 19.5 knots, slowing down to a leisurely eight knots to allow passengers to enjoy the beauty of the UNESCO-listed region. The whole project was defined by collaboration, with an extensive list of suppliers, including Mancraft, Simrad, ABB and Naviguiding, amongst others, uniting to tailor the best available solutions. Sandvik says: “Currently, most tourist boats in the fjords, including some of our own, are old and environmentally unfriendly, poisoning the very environment that attracts them. We have a vision, and dedicated owners with the desire and finances, to do things differently – putting nature first and pioneering tourist operations that delight customers while preserving habitats. “Vision of the Fjords is a step forward, but it’s only the start of the journey. We’ll now look to expand and renew our fleet of seven tourist vessels, always choosing the best technological solutions in the market, ensuring we stay at the vanguard of responsible tourism long into the future.” Vision of the Fjords began operating in July and is scheduled to complete around 700 voyages a year, running in all seasons.

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World's Largest Offshore Turbine Installed Dong By MarEx The first of 32 eight megawatt wind turbines, the largest in the world, has been successfully installed at the Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay in the U.K. The development, under construction by Dong Energy, involves turbines 195 meters (640 feet) high from MHI Vestas. This is not the first time Dong Energy has pioneered new technology in this area. The project is being built alongside the existing Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm which was the first offshore wind farm to use the Siemens 3.6MW turbines now used widely across the industry. Burbo Bank Extension is located in the Irish Sea seven kilometers (four miles) from the coast of Liverpool, and it covers an area of 40 square kilometers (15 square miles). Once completed, the 258MW wind farm will generate enough electricity to power over 230,000 U.K. homes. When Burbo Bank Extension has been fully commissioned, expectedly in the first half of 2017, Dong Energy will have 18 offshore wind farms in production – 11 in the UK. Claus Bøjle Møller, Project Director at Dong Energy, said: “By using bigger turbines, we’re able to bring down the cost of providing clean, renewable energy to homes around the U.K.” The project is a joint partnership between Dong Energy (50 percent), PKA (25 percent) and Kirkbi (25 percent).

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Today Dermot Campbell was layed to rest. What a wonderful and beautiful send off his wife Kathleen and their sons and daughters gave him and a beautiful eulogy by his son Jim. A wonderful send off to a wonderful man. R.I.P. Dermot.