Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Understanding 'Notices to Mariners': their role & importance in maritime navigation



From VirtueMarine

Navigating the vast and unpredictable oceans requires more than just a sturdy vessel and a skilled crew; it demands up-to-date information to ensure safe passage. This is where Notices to Mariners come into play.

These essential updates provide mariners with critical information about changes in navigational aids, hazards, and other important maritime details. By staying informed through these notices, mariners can avoid potential dangers and ensure the safety of their voyage. In this article, we'll explore the significance of Notices to Mariners and how they play a pivotal role in maritime navigation.

The timely distribution and incorporation of NtM into nautical charts and publications are legally required for coastal states. This is mandated by international maritime conventions. The commitment to providing accurate and current navigational information is fundamental to maintaining safety at sea.

Mariners depend on these notices to make informed decisions, avoid potential dangers, and adhere to the latest maritime regulations and best practices.



The significance of Notices to Mariners cannot be overstated. They act as a lifeline for mariners, offering the most current navigational warnings, coastal updates, and changes to aids to navigation. Without these notices, vessels would face uncharted hazards, leading to potential accidents, environmental disasters, and loss of life. By utilizing NtM, mariners can navigate with confidence, knowing they have access to the latest critical information for a safe voyage.



Key Takeaways
  • Notices to Mariners are essential for sharing critical maritime safety information
  • Coastal states are obligated to provide accurate and timely NtM
  • NtM are vital for updating nautical charts and publications
  • Mariners rely on NtM to navigate safely and avoid potential hazards
  • Staying informed through NtM is crucial for maintaining safety at sea
What are Notices to Mariners (NtM)?

Notices to Mariners (NtM) are critical publications that offer maritime safety updates and essential information for safe navigation at sea. These notices include corrections to nautical charts, navigational warnings, and changes to aids to navigation. They are issued regularly by various countries to ensure mariners have the most current and accurate data for safe navigation.

Definition and Purpose of NtM

NtMs are official publications that alert mariners to important changes affecting nautical charts and navigational safety. Their primary purpose is to provide timely information about hydrography changes, newly discovered hazards, and updates to navigational aids. By keeping their nautical products current with the latest NtMs, mariners can maintain situational awareness and navigate safely.

Obligation of Coastal States to Provide NtM

International maritime law mandates that every coastal state chart its coastal waters and share this information through NtMs. This ensures that all vessels navigating in these waters have access to accurate and up-to-date navigational data. Over 60 countries produce NtMs, with varying frequencies of publication:
  • One-third of NtMs are issued weekly
  • Another third are published bi-monthly or monthly
  • The remaining NtMs are issued irregularly, as needed

The U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office has been issuing weekly NtMs since 1886. In the United States, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Ocean Service (NOS), and U.S. Coast Guard collaborate to publish the weekly Notice to Mariners. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) releases its Notice to Mariners publication monthly.

By staying informed about the latest marine navigation alerts and promptly updating their nautical charts and publications, mariners can significantly enhance maritime navigation safety and comply with international regulations.

Types of Notices to Mariners

Notices to Mariners (NtM) encompass diverse forms, each with a distinct purpose in sharing essential marine safety information and navigational charts corrections. These notices are crucial for maintaining the maritime sector's awareness of the latest nautical charts updates and other pertinent news.
 
Local Notice to Mariners (LNM)

Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) are shared by each Coast Guard district, offering information specific to their jurisdiction. These notices address a broad spectrum of topics, including alterations to aids to navigation, temporary and permanent modifications to waterways, and critical safety advisories.
 
Broadcast Notice to Mariners (BNM)
 
Broadcast Notice to Mariners (BNM) serve as urgent safety advisories broadcast by the Coast Guard via radio stations. They deliver immediate alerts regarding hazards to navigation, such as drifting debris, malfunctioning aids to navigation, or other urgent matters necessitating prompt action from mariners.
 
 
Special Notice to Mariners (SNM)

Special Notice to Mariners (SNM) encapsulate critical annual information for mariners operating within a particular region. These notices detail seasonal buoy modifications, special events influencing navigation, or other enduring alterations to the maritime environment.

Updates on sailing directions and miscellaneous nautical publications

By remaining abreast of the various Notices to Mariners and consistently updating their charts and publications, mariners can guarantee safe and efficient navigation. This adherence to international regulations enhances the overall safety of the maritime industry.

Content of Notices to Mariners


Notices to Mariners (NtM) are vital for sharing critical marine navigation notices. They ensure the safety and efficiency of maritime operations. These notices cover a wide range of topics, from corrections to nautical charts and publications to navigational warnings and hazards.

One of the primary functions of NtM is to provide updates and corrections to nautical charts and publications. These documents are essential for safe navigation. It is crucial that they are kept up-to-date with the latest information. NtM inform mariners about changes in depths, obstructions, and other critical details that may affect their voyage planning and execution.

Navigational Warnings and Hazards

NtM also serve as a platform for issuing navigational warnings and alerts about potential hazards. These may include reports of floating debris, ice formations, or other obstacles that could pose a risk to vessels. By promptly sharing this information, NtM help mariners make informed decisions and take appropriate precautions to ensure their safety and that of their crew and cargo.
 
Changes to Aids to Navigation

Another critical aspect covered by NtM is changes to aids to navigation, such as lighthouses, buoys, and beacons. These aids play a vital role in guiding vessels safely through waterways. Any alterations or malfunctions must be promptly communicated to mariners. NtM provide details on the location, characteristics, and status of these aids, enabling mariners to navigate with confidence and precision.
 
Other Important Marine Information

In addition to the above, NtM also include a wealth of other important marine information. This may encompass details on naval operations, regattas, and other events that may affect vessel traffic in specific areas. NtM provide valuable insights into hydrographic surveys and channel depths. This empowers mariners to plan their routes effectively and avoid potential groundings or collisions.

By providing this comprehensive range of navigational safety updates and marine navigation safety tips, Notices to Mariners serve as an indispensable resource for the maritime community. They ensure that mariners have access to the most current and accurate information. This enables them to navigate the world's waterways safely and efficiently.

Accessing and Staying Up-to-Date with NtM


Ensuring safe navigation on the seas necessitates the most current and precise marine navigation data. Notices to Mariners (NtM) deliver vital maritime navigation safety advisories and updates, imperative for all mariners. It is crucial to remain current with NtM to safeguard vessels, crew, and cargo.
 
Weekly Publications and Printable Versions

Maritime authorities publish Notices to Mariners on a weekly basis. These are accessible in printable formats, facilitating mariners' ability to access and reference the latest marine navigation safety updates. Weekly NtM publications encompass a broad spectrum of topics, including corrections to nautical charts, navigational warnings, and changes to aids to navigation.



Overview of NtM by Week and Chart


NtM publications often organize notices by week and chart, simplifying navigation and referencing. This structure enables mariners to swiftly identify pertinent marine navigation information for their specific operational areas. The overview typically summarizes key changes and updates, along with references to affected charts and publications.

Obtaining NtM through Selected Agents

Mariners can also acquire NtM through selected agents, in addition to weekly publications. These agents, authorized by maritime authorities, distribute marine navigation safety notices and updates. While some agents may charge a fee, it provides an alternative for accessing critical navigation information.

Mariners operating in multiple regions or Coast Guard districts must obtain NtM from each relevant authority. This ensures they remain informed about marine navigation safety updates specific to their operational areas.

Navigational Warnings are broadcast by the Canadian Coast Guard to notify mariners of changes to aids to navigation, followed by Notices to Mariners for updates.

By diligently accessing and staying current with Notices to Mariners, mariners can ensure they have the most up-to-date and accurate marine navigation information. This enables them to navigate the seas safely and efficiently.

Reporting Uncharted Dangers, Changes, or Errors
 
Mariners are pivotal in upholding maritime sector safety by alerting authorities to uncharted dangers, changes, or errors in nautical products. This collective effort ensures the precision and thoroughness of nautical navigation alerts. It fosters marine navigation safety information across the maritime domain.



Modern tankers must report any depth under 30 meters. Reports of shoal soundings, uncharted dangers, and issues with aids to navigation can be radioed to the nearest coast radio station. Even with incomplete information, reports should be made with as much detail as possible for verification.

Accurate location details are essential when reporting. Latitude and Longitude should only be specified when fixed by GPS or Astronomical Observations. Upon receiving Hydrographic Notes, the National Hydrographic Office sends an acknowledgment, using the sender's ship or name as authority for the reported data.

Changes to port information are to be submitted on Form IH.102A along with Form IH.102. Additional sheets are available if necessary due to space limitations on the forms. Navigational reports are categorized into Safety Reports, Sounding Reports, Marine Data Reports, and Port Information Reports.
 
Organization Responsibility

U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO)

  • Conducts hydrographic and oceanographic surveys of foreign or international waters
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • Provides charts for marine and air navigation in the coastal waters of the United States and its territories
U.S. Coast Guard

Collects, analyzes, and shares navigational and oceanographic data, ensuring safety at sea and improving the marine environment

Reports on ice concentrations, thickness, and position, as well as floating derelicts, wrecks, man-made obstructions, and shoals, are crucial. They ensure accurate charting and navigation safety. Discolored water sightings are also significant, indicating various underwater features, pollution or disturbances. Mariner reports are vital for updating and maintaining accurate nautical navigation alerts and publications.



U.S. Coast Guard Districts and NtM Responsibilities

The United States Coast Guard is crucial in maintaining maritime navigation safety by sharing Notices to Mariners (NtM) for their respective districts. These notices are essential for mariners to navigate safely within U.S. waters. They include updates, regulations, alerts, and notices.

Division of U.S. into Coast Guard Districts

The U.S. is segmented into several Coast Guard Districts to manage maritime navigation safety effectively. Each district is responsible for issuing Local Notices to Mariners (LNM) for their specific region. The districts span various areas:
  • District 1: Maine to northern New Jersey
  • District 5: Southern New Jersey to North Carolina
  • District 7: South Carolina to Florida and the Caribbean
  • District 8: Gulf Coast from Florida to Mexico
  • District 9: Great Lakes region
  • District 11: California and Arizona
  • District 13: Oregon and Washington
  • District 14: Hawaii and the Pacific Islands
  • District 17: Alaska
Contact Information for Each District

Mariners can report any changes, errors, or uncharted dangers to the appropriate Coast Guard District.

By contacting the appropriate Coast Guard District, mariners can ensure adherence to marine navigation safety regulations. They can also receive timely maritime navigation safety alerts or notices.

Importance of NtM for SOLAS Compliance

Notices to Mariners (NtM) are essential for adhering to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). This treaty requires the use of official nautical products, including NtM, for safe navigation. Mariners can follow maritime safety regulations and receive vital navigational safety updates by using current NtM information.

Statistics underscore the importance of NtM in maritime safety and compliance. For example, 20% of NtM are about Ballast Water Management for Control of Non-Indigenous Species. Also, 15% concern Vessel Security Regulations: MTSA and ISPS Code. Further, 11% are safety warnings and signals, highlighting the role of communication in marine navigation safety.

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)

SOLAS is a pivotal international treaty that establishes minimum safety standards for ships. Compliance with SOLAS is crucial for vessels on international voyages. By 2018, all cargo ships, tankers, passenger ships, and mega yachts must use Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) as their primary navigation tool to meet SOLAS requirements.

Vessel Type

ECDIS Requirement
  • Cargo Ships
  • Mandatory
  • Tankers
  • Mandatory
  • Passenger Ships
  • Mandatory
  • Mega Yachts
  • Mandatory


Mariner's Obligation to Use Official Nautical Products

Mariners must use official nautical products, including NtM, to comply with SOLAS and ensure safe navigation. This entails regularly updating nautical charts and electronic navigation systems with the latest NtM corrections and information. Such actions provide mariners with critical marine navigation safety tips and updates on hazards, regulatory changes, and other essential information.

Mariners should consult with electronic chart suppliers to ensure the timely acquisition of necessary updates for the chart portfolio.
 
In conclusion, NtM are vital for mariners to comply with SOLAS regulations and uphold maritime safety standards. By keeping abreast of the latest NtM information, mariners can navigate confidently and contribute to a safer maritime environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, notices to mariners are vital for maritime safety, offering critical updates and corrections to nautical charts and publications. Given that over 90% of global trade is transported by sea, the necessity for precise and current maritime safety information is paramount. Research indicates that vessels that monitor and act on marine navigation alerts are significantly less likely to be involved in maritime mishaps.

The failure to heed nautical warnings is a primary cause of maritime accidents, as highlighted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). More than 60% of maritime incidents stem from navigational errors, underscoring the pivotal role of nautical warnings in averting such calamities. By adhering to notices to mariners, mariners can ensure safe navigation, circumvent dangers, and enhance maritime security.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is instrumental in the production and revision of nautical charts, with 351 new conventional chart editions in fiscal year 1991. Private entities also contribute to the sharing of nautical charts, with digital hydrographic data sets selling in the tens of thousands annually. As the maritime sector advances, the significance of timely and accurate nautical charts updates and marine navigation alerts will escalate, ensuring the safety and efficiency of global maritime commerce.

FAQ

What are Notices to Mariners (NtM)?

Notices to Mariners (NtM) are critical documents that share essential maritime navigation updates. These include corrections to nautical charts and publications, navigational warnings, and other vital marine data. Issued by coastal states, they are pivotal for ensuring the safety of vessels and their crews at sea.

Why are Notices to Mariners important for maritime safety?


NtM are indispensable for maintaining safe navigation. They provide mariners with the latest information on changes, hazards, and corrections in coastal waters. By keeping their charts and publications current with NtM, mariners adhere to safety regulations, avoid dangers, and contribute to a safer maritime environment.

What types of information are included in Notices to Mariners?

NtM encompass a broad spectrum of information crucial for safe navigation. This includes corrections to nautical charts and publications, navigational warnings, reports of deficiencies and changes to aids to navigation, positions of ice and derelicts, channel depths, naval operations, regattas, and other hydrographic data affecting vessels and waterways.

What are the different types of Notices to Mariners?

Various types of NtM exist, including Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) issued by each Coast Guard district, Broadcast Notice to Mariners (BNM) shared by the Coast Guard through radio stations, and Special Notice to Mariners (SNM) containing essential annual information for mariners in specific regions.

How can mariners access and stay up-to-date with Notices to Mariners?

NtM are published weekly and accessible in printable formats, weekly overviews, and through selected agents for a fee. Mariners operating in multiple Coast Guard districts must obtain NtM from each district to remain informed. Regularly updating nautical products with the latest NtM is imperative for safe navigation.

What should mariners do if they encounter uncharted dangers or errors in nautical products?

Mariners are urged to report any uncharted dangers, changes, or errors in nautical products to the relevant authorities. This action aids in maintaining the accuracy and completeness of NtM, enhancing safety for the maritime community as a whole.

How does the U.S. Coast Guard manage Notices to Mariners?

The U.S. Coast Guard divides the country into districts, each issuing Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) within their jurisdiction. These districts span from Maine to Alaska, offering contact information for mariners to report changes or obtain NtM.

Are Notices to Mariners mandatory for compliance with international maritime safety regulations?

Yes, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) mandates the use of official nautical products, including NtM, for safe navigation. Mariners are obligated to utilize these products and update them regularly to comply with international safety standards.

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Meteorologists are keeping an eye on the Caribbean for possible storm development

Clouds at sunset near the islands in the Indigenous Guna Yala Comarca, Panama, in the Caribbean Sea, on Aug. 28, 2023.
(Lusi Acosta/AFP via Getty Images)


From WP by Matthew Cappucci
 
If something materializes, it could be the last hurricane of the 2024 season.

Hurricane season is waning, but it’s not over yet.
Meteorologists are monitoring the western Caribbean for possible storm development toward the end of the month.
The next name on the list is “Patty.”

The forecast is far from set in stone.
While there’s a lot of uncertainty, weather models are highlighting the risk of a pocket of spin that could consolidate into a named storm.
It’s too early to speculate on possible strength or track — especially since there isn’t even a storm yet.
But there’s a chance that this system could end up as the final hurricane churning in the Atlantic before the oceans cool and the calendar flips to 2024.

 
The European model highlights the western Caribbean as a region to watch.
(WeatherBell)


What we’re watching

It’s worth noting that, even if a storm forms, the odds of a U.S.impact are slim.

Only four hurricanes in the past century and a half have struck the Lower 48 during November; records date back to near 1850.

The Atlantic has had a busy season.
The ACE, or Accumulated Cyclone Energy — a metric which gauges how much energy storms churn through to produce strong winds — is running 30 percent above average.

It still falls short of the “hyperactive” season projected by experts, yet it didn’t take a hyperactive season to bring serious impact.

The U.S. was hit by five hurricanes — Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene and Milton.

Four slammed Florida.
It’s been the third-costliest season on record.
Helene, which caused catastrophic inland flooding across the Carolinas in the Appalachians and foothills, became the deadliest hurricane to make landfall on the U.S. mainland since Katrina.
More than 200 were killed.

Weather models are indicating the potential for a CAG, or Central American Gyre, to form.
That’s a broad zone of weak spin over Central America and the Caribbean.
CAGs usually last between two and five days.
Since the spin is diffuse, the gyres themselves aren’t ordinarily a concern.
They simply bring unsettled weather, with clouds, showers and a few thunderstorms.

But when thunderstorm complexes help consolidate that spin, that’s when it could tighten and organize into a named storm.

Weather models have historically struggled to simulate specifics of CAG evolution.
In other words, they have a difficult time pinpointing where and when a lobe of spin will amalgamate.

That said, the Caribbean is still red hot; oceanic heat content, or hurricane fuel, abounds, and the atmosphere is still plenty supportive for a named storm to form.

When a storm might form


If a storm does organize, it will be right around Halloween.
That’s also when a batch of upward-moving air will move over the Atlantic, making it easier for storms to form.
That will come with something called a Convectively-Coupled Kelvin Wave, or a broad overturning circulation that meanders about the global tropics.
The “enhanced” phase is commonly associated with an uptick in tropical activity.

If something does form in the western Caribbean, it’s too early to know whether it would have any chance of entering the Gulf.

This time of year, storms that form in the Caribbean are more likely to drift west; slipping north or northeast would require an absence of cold fronts or disruptive high-altitude winds.

For now, Jamaica, Central America, Cuba and/or Yucatán Mexico should keep tabs on the western Caribbean.

Monday, January 13, 2025

Sticks, stars : How early charts plotted the way we were


From MSN by Sukanya Datta

If you wanted to know when the bison were returning, and when to expect the next hearty steak, you likely checked the latest cave update, in Ancient Lascaux, France.

For nearly a century, ever since the caves were discovered in 1940, anthropologists have struggled to decode the lines, dots and Y-shaped marks carved into the rock here.

Now, in a study published last year, researchers from Durham University and University College London, analysed 800 such sequences and found that they contained 13 types of marks (sets of lines, dots and Y symbols), in patterns consistent with the 13 months in a lunar year.

Suddenly, the message of the marks became clearer: they could represent the mating, migration and birthing patterns of the deer, bison and horses drawn alongside.

No one likely lived in the Lascaux caves; they were more of an art and information centre. 
And so these marks, made 17,000 to 20,000 years ago, could represent the earliest public data charts in the world.

Go further back, as much as 50,000 years ago, and bones have been found across Africa and parts of Eastern Europe, with notches in them that coincide with the phases of the moon. 
These bones would have acted as a sort of early calendar.

These systems, of knots, notches and dashes, would endure for tens of thousands of years.

As recently as the 15th century, in South America — in the vast but largely isolated Inca civilisation that operated without money and without a script — a system of knotted ropes called quipu were used to track transactions and debt; record census data; and track stocks of royal grain reserves.

We have been visualising data in one way or another, then, since more or less the start of collective living.

Charts came before language. Before trade. Before poetry. Because, before tales of love and heroism, we had to tackle the question of how to track: the new sheep added to a flock, the days left before the wildebeest moved south, the number of people in a kingdom or the number of soldiers lost at war.

What would come later was the qualitative and quantitative analysis, says Venkatesh Rajamanickam, a professor of information graphics and data visualisation at the Industrial Design Centre of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B).

“How do festivals make us ‘feel’? What is it like to work in the office versus at home? That came later. But it is only when you record that you can analyse,” he says.

What were some of the earliest charts like?
Take a look.

Stick sea charts; Marshall Islands


(Wikimedia)


For thousands of years, the cluster of about 34 islands and atolls that make up the Marshall Islands used a sort of nautical map to visualise the complex math of tides, currents and ocean swells.

Curved bamboo or pandanus root sticks represented ocean swells; straight twigs stood in for currents and waves; seashells were the islands themselves.

“In a coastal environment, these sticks and shells were a practical choice,” says Rajamanickam. “They could weather rain and seawater, and were easy to carry. The Marshallese would study the charts on land before venturing into the sea.”

Star maps; China


A representation of the Suzhou star chart from the Song Dynasty, China. (Wikimedia)


In Ancient China, star maps were painted and etched onto the ceilings of tombs, onto stone tablets and onto scrolls, in what were likely attempts to help the dead navigate the heavens.

These charts were also used to create calendars, predict celestial events such as eclipses and make astrological divinations. 
They helped in early attempts at astronomy.

A particularly interesting such map is a tomb painting dating to 1116 CE. It shows the Great Bear or Ursa Major constellation, depicted as seven red dots connected by lines.
At a distance are nine small discs of varying sizes, believed to indicate the sun, moon and five naked-eye and two invisible planets.

Links :

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Image of the week : Benjamin Sanchis

Benjamin Sanchis. “This photo reminds me of the wave I would draw on my notebook as a kid. It might be the biggest wave I’ve seen anyone ride.”
photo : Fred Pompermayer's marathon quest to capture the biggest wave 
 
Links :

Friday, January 10, 2025

Is Russia's 'shadow fleet' attacking Western infrastructure?


The shadow fleet "threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia's war budget"
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)


From The week by Joel Mathis

Built to evade sanctions, but sabotage may be next

Maybe you've heard of the "hybrid war" — Russian-sponsored attacks on European infrastructure, apparently designed to undermine support for Ukraine.
Now the maritime equivalent is emerging: the "shadow fleet."

Finnish officials say a "Russia-affiliated vessel" named the Eagle S appears to have cut an undersea power line that runs between Finland and Estonia, said NPR.
The tanker is suspected of being part of the shadow fleet, an armada of ships of "uncertain ownership" that has been used to help Russia evade oil sanctions.
The Eagle S is registered in the Cook Islands but had "set off from Russia" the day before the line was severed.
Russia is "stepping up pressure against the West," said Janne Riihelainen, a Finnish national security columnist.

The shadow fleet "threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia's war budget," Kaja Kallas, chief of foreign policy for the European Union, said to Politico.
Four telecom cables — between Finland and Estonia, and Finland and Germany — were also damaged.
In response, Finnish authorities have seized the Eagle S, while Estonian officials said they were stepping up naval patrols.
NATO will also "enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea," Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a social media post.

A Russian shadow fleet tanker, Eagle S, detained in Finland
(Finnish Border Guard)
 
What is the shadow fleet?

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ukraine's Western allies imposed a price cap on Russian oil exports "aimed at limiting and controlling Russian revenues," Sergey Vakulenko said at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Russia countered by using hundreds of aging off-the-books tankers owned "outside of the Western coalition." Ship owners busted for evading sanctions can be forced to "scrap the vessel," Vakulenko said.
So it makes sense to use old tankers "with low residual value in order to limit the potential losses."

The fleet is designed to keep Russia's oil income flowing, but the idea of using it to "cause havoc may be proving irresistible to the Kremlin," Michael Schwirtz said at The New York Times.
The Eagle S incident would be a "clear escalation by Russia in its conflict with the West."
But it would be a natural extension of the low-level conflict taking place across Europe.
Russia is "systematically conducting hybrid warfare against its neighboring NATO/EU countries," Estonian interior minister Lauri Läänemets said to the Times.
 

Ship-to-ship transfers are a key characteristic of the "shadow fleet"
 
Can the fleet be stopped?

The shadow fleet is a "vexing challenge," said Elisabeth Braw at the Atlantic Council.
The longer it operates and the larger it grows, the more it threatens the "functioning of the global maritime order." One option: Governments of seagoing nations should establish a "monitoring hub" to identify and monitor shadow fleet ships.

The EU has sanctioned 79 ships from the shadow fleet, said Business Insider.
Those ships are "banned from accessing EU ports and services."
The list could grow — German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is calling for expanded sanctions.
Russia-connected ships are "damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea almost every month," she said.
The attack on the Finland-Estonia power line is an "urgent wake-up call for all of us."
 
Links :

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Trump’s Greenland purchase plan has been a U.S. ambition since 1868

Record date not stated. Arctic America : eastern sheet , Arctic regions, Maps, Canada, Northern, Maps, Greenland, Maps Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Collection
Copyright: xpiemagsx digcompie09122022-14431

From ArcticToday y Elías Thorsson, Marybeth Sandell

When President-elect Donald Trump once more floated the idea of purchasing Greenland, reactions ranged from ridicule to intrigue.
Critics dismissed the notion as another eccentric Trump proposal. However, history reveals that the United States’ interest in Greenland is far from new—it’s a strategy that dates back more than a century.

From territorial ambitions in the 19th century to Cold War military priorities, Greenland has repeatedly caught the attention of American policymakers.
 
Greenland in the GeoGarage platform (DGA nautical raster chart)
 
But while the U.S. has eyed Greenland as a strategic asset, the political and legal dynamics surrounding the island have evolved significantly over time.
Today, Greenland has self-rule and the right to declare independence from Denmark, fundamentally altering the terms of such discussions.
Arctic Today has compiled a timeline of key developments in the history of U.S. interest in acquiring Greenland.
 
 
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is far from the first American official to cast a wanton eye on Greenland. 
 Brandon Bell/Pool via Reuters/File Photo

A Timeline of Greenland’s Ownership and U.S. Interest

1823: Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine established U.S. opposition to European colonial expansion in the Americas. While it did not directly mention Greenland, the doctrine laid the groundwork for American territorial ambitions in the region.
 
 
The first official Danish map of Greenland where all sections of the coastline of Northeastern Greenland are charted.
(Royal Danish Library)

1868: Early Negotiations

William H. Seward, then U.S. Secretary of State, pursued the acquisition of both Greenland and Iceland.
Reports suggested that negotiations with Denmark for a $5.5 million purchase were nearly complete. However, no formal offer materialized.

1871-1872: Polaris Expedition

During the Polaris Expedition, American explorer Robert Peary claimed much of northern Greenland for the United States.
Although these claims were unofficial, they underscored the strategic interest in the Arctic region.

1910: Renewed Proposals

U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Maurice Francis Egan discussed acquiring Greenland in 1910.
While the idea gained traction in Washington, it did not progress to formal negotiations.
 
 
Francis Egan in 1923, wearing the Danish Medal of Merit 
(United States Library of Congress)

1917: A Trade with Denmark

In a notable exception to the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. recognized Denmark’s ownership of Greenland in exchange for acquiring the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands).
This agreement was intended to bolster American control over the Caribbean and protect the Panama Canal.

1941: World War II Occupation

When Germany invaded Denmark, the U.S. landed armed forces in Greenland to secure the territory. Denmark, under occupation, agreed to the arrangement, and Greenland became a key American military asset during the war.
 
 
The USCG cutter Northland operating off Greenland during World War II. 
(U.S. Coast Guard)

1946: The $100 Million Offer

In the post-war period, U.S. interest in Greenland intensified. President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million (equivalent to $1 billion today) in gold bullion for the island. Senator Owen Brewster called the purchase a “military necessity” for Arctic defense.
 
 
Official portrait of Harry S. Truman as president of the United States.
(Harry S. Truman Library)
 
1953: Thule Air Base

As part of Operation Blue Jay, the U.S. constructed Thule Air Base in northern Greenland. The base became a vital hub during the Cold War, employing thousands of Greenlanders and hosting nearly 10,000 American personnel.
 
General view of Thule Air Base, Greenland, Denmark October 31, 2018. 
Picture taken October 31, 2018. 
Ritzau Scanpix/Linda Kastrup via REUTERS

1979: Greenland Gains Home Rule

Greenlanders voted overwhelmingly in favor of home rule, leading to the establishment of a local parliament. This marked a turning point in Greenland’s autonomy, granting control over areas like education, health, fisheries, and the environment.

1985: Departure from the European Community

Greenland withdrew from the European Economic Community (EEC), reflecting its unique economic and political needs.
The move further solidified Greenland’s distinct identity within the Kingdom of Denmark.

2009: Self-Governance Act

The Self-Governance Act recognized Greenlanders as a distinct people with the right to self-determination under international law. The agreement laid out a pathway to full independence, contingent on Greenland’s economic viability—particularly revenues from mineral extraction.
 
 
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe hands over the law of Self government to the chairman of the Greenland Parliament, Josef Motzfeldt at a ceremony at the Greenland parliament, the Landstinget, in Nuuk June 21, 2009. 
REUTERS/Keld Navntoft/Scanpix

2019: Trump’s first Proposal

Inspired by discussions with advisor Ron Lauder, President Trump reportedly considered offering Denmark a trade involving Puerto Rico for Greenland. The proposal, discussed in the White House Situation Room, highlighted Greenland’s strategic importance and the enduring allure of its untapped resources.

2024: A Push for Independence

In February 2024, Greenland formally declared independence as its ultimate goal. While Denmark continues to provide significant subsidies, Greenland’s vast mineral wealth—including rare earth elements—offers the potential for economic self-sufficiency.
 
 
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede speaks at a press conference during the opening of the European Commission’s new office in Nuuk, Greenland, March 15, 2024. 
Ritzau Scanpix/Leiff Josefsen via REUTERS/File Photo

2025: Trump’s Renewed Interest


In late 2024, President-elect Trump reignited the discussion about purchasing Greenland.
The idea reportedly originated from conversations between Trump and his pick for ambassador to Denmark, Ken Howery.
Trump framed the proposal as a strategic investment to bolster U.S. Arctic dominance and access Greenland’s untapped natural resources.
The renewed push, however, was met with skepticism from both Danish and Greenlandic leaders, who reiterated Greenland’s right to self-determination.

Links :

NATO-funded project to reroute internet to space in case of disruption to critical infrastructure



From IEEE by Edmon de Haro 
 
ON 18 FEBRUARY 2024, a missile attack from the Houthi militants in Yemen hit the cargo ship Rubymar in the Red Sea.
With the crew evacuated, the disabled ship would take weeks to finally sink, becoming an symbol for the security of the global Internet in the process.
Before it went down, the ship dragged its anchor behind it over an estimated 70 kilometers.
The meandering anchor wound up severing three fiber-optic cables across the Red Sea floor, which carried about a quarter of all the Internet traffic between Europe and Asia.
Data transmissions had to be rerouted as system engineers realized the cables had been damaged.
So this year, NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, will begin testing a plan to fix the vulnerability that the Rubymar’s sinking so vividly illustrated.

The world’s submarine fiber-optic lines carry more than 95 percent of intercontinental Internet communications.
These tiny, drawn-out strands of glass fiber stretch some 1.2 million km around the planet, each line with the potential to become its own delicate choke point.
Between 500 and 600 cables crisscross ocean floors worldwide.

“They’re not buried when they cross an ocean,” says Tim Stronge, vice president of research at the telecommunications consulting firm TeleGeography.
“They’re sitting right on the seafloor, and at oceanic depths, at deep-sea depths, they’re about this thick”—he makes a circle with his fingers—“less than a garden hose.
They’re fragile.”


NATO’s HEIST project is now investigating ways to protect member countries’ undersea Internet lines, including these 22 Atlantic cable paths, by quickly detecting cable damage and rerouting data to satellites.

Undersea fiber-optic cables, by some estimates, are used for more than US $10 trillion in financial transactions every day, as well as encrypted defense communications and other digital communications.
If one sinking ship could accidentally take out a portion of global data transmission, what could happen in an organized attack by a determined government?

Enter NATO, which has now launched a pilot project to figure out how best to protect global Internet traffic and redirect it when there’s trouble.
The project is called HEIST, short for hybrid space-submarine architecture ensuring infosec of telecommunications.
(“Infosec” is short for “information security.”)

The Houthis probably had no idea what damage they would do by attacking the Rubymar, but Western officials say there’s considerable evidence that Russia and China have tried to sabotage undersea cables.
As this article was going to press, two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea—connecting Sweden with Lithuania and Finland with Germany—had been severed, with suspicion resting on a Chinese merchant vessel in the region.
Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, went so far as to call the outages “sabotage.”

“What we’re talking about now is critical infrastructure in the society.” —HENRIC JOHNSON, VICE-CHANCELLOR, BLEKINGE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KARLSKRONA, SWEDEN

This year and next, the organizers of HEIST say they hope to achieve at least two objectives: First, to ensure that when cables are damaged, operators will know their precise location quickly in order to mitigate disruptions.
Second, the project aims to expand the number of pathways for data to travel.
In particular, HEIST will be investigating ways to divert high-priority traffic to satellites in orbit.

“The name of the game when it comes to enabling resilient communication is path diversity,” says Gregory Falco, the NATO Country Director for HEIST and an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University.
Ensuring a diversity of Internet pathways, he says, should include “something in the sky rather than [just] what’s on the seabed.”

Testing a Fail-Safe

In 2025, HEIST’s organizers plan to begin testing at the Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) in Karlskrona, on the southern coast of Sweden.
There, they will experiment with smart systems that they hope will allow engineers to quickly locate a break in an undersea cable with 1-meter accuracy.
The researchers will also work on protocols that quickly route data transmissions to available satellites, at least on an experimental scale.
And, Falco says, they will try to sort out the thicket of overlapping rules for the use of submarine cables, since there is no one entity that oversees them.
Researchers from Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and other countries are involved.

“What we’re talking about now is critical infrastructure in the society,” says Henric Johnson, vice-chancellor of BTH and coordinator of the HEIST testbed effort.
Its location, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, is important: It’s a vital waterway both for NATO countries and for the Russians.
“We have had incidents of cables that have been sabotaged between Sweden, Estonia, and Finland,” says Johnson.
“So those incidents are for us a reality.”

TeleGeography’s Stronge says that even without any deliberate sabotage, there are about 100 cable cuts a year, most of them fixed by specialized ships on standby in ports around the world.
A single repair can take days or weeks and cost several million U.S.
dollars
.
But up to now, telecom operators—and many countries—have had no choice.

“Think about Iceland,” says Nicolò Boschetti, a Cornell doctoral student working on HEIST.
“Iceland has a lot of financial services, a lot of cloud computing, and it is connected to Europe and North America by four cables.
If those four cables get destroyed or compromised, Iceland is completely isolated from the world.”

Satellite links can bypass damaged cables, but perhaps the biggest limitation of satellite backups is their throughput.
The volume of data that can be transmitted to orbit is orders of magnitude less than what fiber optics currently handle.
Googlesays some of its newer fiber-optic lines can handle 340 terabits per second; most cables carry less, but still dramatically outperform the 5 gigabits per second that NASA says can be sent via satellite in the Ku band (12–18 gigahertz), a widely used microwave frequency.

“[The undersea cables] are not buried when they cross an ocean. They’re sitting right on the seafloor, and at oceanic depths, at deep-sea depths.... They’re fragile.” —TIM STRONGE, VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH, TELEGEOGRAPHY

The HEIST team plans to work on this, in part, by using higher bandwidth laser optics systems to communicate with satellites.
NASA has long been working onoptical communications, most recently with an experiment carried on board itsPsyche asteroid mission. Starlink has equipped its newest satellites with infrared lasers for intersatellite communications, and officials from Amazon’s Project Kuiper have said the company plans to use laser communications as well.
NASA says satellite lasers can carry at least 40 times as much data as radio transmissions—still far short of cable capacity, but it’s significant progress.

Laser transmissions still have limitations.
They’re easily blocked by clouds, haze, or smoke, for example.
They must be aimed with precision.
Delayed signals (also known as latency) are also an issue, especially for satellites in higher orbits.
The HEIST team says it will be testing out new ways to expand bandwidth and shrink signal delay time—for instance, by aggregating available radio frequencies, and by prioritizing what data gets sent in case of trouble.
“So there are ways around this,” says Cornell’s Falco, “but none of them are a silver bullet.”

Falco says a key to finding good answers is an open-source process at HEIST.
“We’re going to make it super-public, and we’re going to want people to poke a lot of holes in it,” he says.
He says give-and-take and repeated reinvention will be essential for the project’s next phase.
“We’re going to enable this capability,” he says, “faster than anyone would have believed.”

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

More than 2,200 people died in Mediterranean in 2024, UN finds


A rescue boat assists migrants in international waters south of the island of Lampedusa, Italy, in August 2024. 
Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters

From The Guardian by Angela Giuffrida
 
Figure includes hundreds of children, who make up one in five migrants trying to reach Europe fleeing war and poverty

More than 2,200 people either died or went missing in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe in search of refuge in 2024.

The figure, cited in a statement from Regina De Dominicis, the regional director for Europe and central Asia for the UN’s children’s agency, Unicef, was eclipsed on New Year’s Eve when 20 people fell into the sea and were reported missing after a boat started to take in water in rough seas about 20 miles off the coast of Libya.

 
Some of the 59 people rescued in the waters of El Hierro on 2 January 2025.
Photograph: Gelmert Finol/EPA
 
Despite the waves, seven people, including an eight-year-old Syrian boy, managed to continue the journey on the tilting vessel before being found by an Italian police patrol boat on Tuesday night close to the southern island of Lampedusa.

The 6-metre boat had left Zuwara in Libya at 10pm on Monday and started to take in water about five hours later, creating panic and causing 20 passengers to fall overboard, according to witness statements provided by the six adult survivors.

In a separate incident on Monday, two people, including a five-year-old child, died and 17 survived after the vessel they were on broke down off the northern Tunisian coastline during an attempt to reach Europe.

De Dominicis said: “The death toll and number of missing persons in the Mediterranean in 2024 have now surpassed 2,200, with nearly 1,700 lives lost on the central Mediterranean route alone.

“This includes hundreds of children, who make up one in five of all people migrating through the Mediterranean. The majority are fleeing violent conflict and poverty.”

In December, an 11-year-old girl, wearing a simple life vest and clinging to a pair of tyre tubes, was rescued off Lampedusa.
She told rescuers she had spent three days at sea after a shipwreck that is presumed to have killed 40 people.

A month earlier the German NGO Sea-Watch filed a criminal complaint to prosecutors in Sicily accusing the Italian coastguard of negligence and multiple manslaughter over a shipwreck off Lampedusa that killed 21 people.
The NGO said it had notified the Italian authorities of the boat in distress on 2 September, but alleged that the coastguard did not dispatch a rescue vessel until two days later.

At least four boats have capsized in the central Mediterranean since Tuesday, according to Alarm Phone, an organisation that runs a hotline for people in distress at sea.

Italy is one of the main landing points for people trying to reach Europe, with the central Mediterranean route considered one of the world’s most dangerous.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration has registered at least 25,500 deaths and disappearances during the Mediterranean crossing since 2014.
Most of the deaths or disappearances are attributed to boats departing from either Tunisia or Libya.

People still attempt the high-risk journey despite deals struck between Italy and the EU with Tunisia and Libya to stop migrant boats from leaving.

According to the Italian interior ministry, 66,317 people managed to reach Italy in 2024, less than half the number in 2023.
The hardline policies of Giorgia Meloni’s government are at least partly credited for the decrease.

The deal with Libya essentially pushes people back to detention camps where they face torture and other abuses.
Shocking abuse against migrants in Tunisia was reported by the Guardian in September.

A €670m (£556m) deal to transport 3,000 people intercepted in Italian seas each month to Albania, where they would have their asylum claims processed, came into force in October and is also supposed to act as a deterrent.
But the plan has so far been unsuccessful due to legal issues.

Links :

Monday, January 6, 2025

China unveils monster explorer ship with 17,261-mile-range, ice breaking power

China unveils monster explorer ship with 17,261-mile-range, ice breaking power 
China has taken a major leap in deep-sea science and technology with the commissioning of Tansuo 3, its first homegrown multifunctional scientific exploration and cultural relics archaeological ship, commissioned in Hainan Province.
 
From MSN by Christopher McFadden

China’s first-ever, domestically developed deep-sea multi-functional exploration ship has officially entered service.
Called the Tansuo-3 (Exploration-3), the ship has now been commissioned in Sanya City in south China’s tropical island province of Hainan.

She joins China’s existing fleet of other icebreaker ships, including the Xuelong, Xuelong 2, and Jidi, belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The announcement came on Sunday (Dec 29), and the ship will begin conducting deep-sea research missions in the first half of 2025.
This news now significantly expands China’s manned submersible exploration capabilities. 
 


The ship will now be operated by its new owner, the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. According to state news sources, she was jointly designed by researchers from the Sanya Institute, China State Shipbuilding Corp’s Guangzhou Shipyard International Co., and other research entities.
Tansuo-3 is now ready for service

“More than 100 domestic institutes, universities, and enterprises participated in the ship’s research, development, and construction. Designers and engineers developed a lot of new technologies and equipment through the project, according to the Sanya Institute,” the People’s Republic of China State Council said in a press release.

Construction began on the Tansuo-3 in June of 2023 at the Guangzhou shipyard, and the main body was completed in April.
She also completed an eight-day sea trial in late October and returned to her shipyard for final fit-out.

According to reports, the ship will carry a full-ocean-depth Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) known as Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) for regular scientific research operations.
This will also enable the Tansuo-3 to conduct deep-sea trials and archaeological studies in the South China Sea and beyond.

The ship also has world-class scientific equipment, such as advanced deep-sea sonar and release systems for crewed and robotic submersibles.
She also carries equipment to perform underwater excavations and recovery.

According to other reports, the ship is hoped to commence manned deep-sea submersible operations in abyssal oceans in the second half of 2025.
The ship is also theoretically capable of deep-sea exploration in various environments, including polar regions, thanks to its for and aft icebreaker features.
 
China unveils monster explorer ship with 17,261-mile-range, ice breaking power

Boosting China’s deep-sea exploration capabilities

The Tansuo-3 measures 104 meters long and has a displacement of 10,000 tons.
She was independently designed and built exclusively using Chinese contractors.

The vessel can reach a top speed of 16 knots (30 kilometers per hour) and has a designed range of 15,000 nautical miles (around 27,780 kilometers).
She has a crew capacity of around 80.

The Tansuo-3 also features a 6-meter by 4.8-meter moon pool (opening at the base of the hull) to ensure scientific exploration operations on floating ice and under challenging maritime conditions.

“The new ship’s deployment is expected to improve the country’s deep-sea scientific exploration efforts, helping scientists better understand the deep-sea ecosystem, geological structures, and distribution of marine resources, according to researchers,” the People’s Republic of China State Council added.

Tansuo-3’s commissioning marks a significant breakthrough in China’s autonomy in developing key core technologies, featuring not only domestically developed equipment but also independently developed key control systems.
 
Links :

Sunday, January 5, 2025

Rainbow meeting in the Vendee Globe


Le Grand Sud welcomes you!
Don't be fooled by this beautiful rainbow, from now on the elements will become more hostile and the race more complex.
Guirec Soudee has been waiting for this moment since March 2018.
Back then, he had turned back with Monique aboard Yvinec 1, which wasn't a boat cut out for these conditions.
At the time, he promised himself he would return one day with a boat capable of tackling these Dantean seas.
Today, with the IMOCA Freelance.com, he has done just that, and Guirec is grateful for every moment of it.
 
Guirec is the second fastest dinghy over the last 24 hours (16 knots average speed), just behind King Jean, despite very heavy seas.
He will now have to circumnavigate the Antarctic continent without ever entering the ZEA (Antarctic Exclusion Zone) defined by Vendée Globe race management.
This high-risk ice zone is forbidden on pain of penalties.
In view of the depressions that will now follow one another, the expression “safety first” is the order of the day.
Go Guirec Go!
To find out more about the 40th and 50th, download the Guirec educational
kit
 

A perfect rainbow in the South Seas with Thomas Ruyant  (Dec 7th 2024)

Links :
 
Mapfre in the Volvo ocean
 
Dongfeng (Charles Caudrelier) in the Volvo Ocean (photo Jeremy Lecaudey)