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21 December 2010
Fulk Al Salam Celebrating The National Day of UAE
Fulk Al Salam participates in the boat parade held by Fujairah International Marine Club marking the National Day of UAE. Skipper Muttaleb received a certificate of appreciation in recognition of the valuable contribution.
15 December 2010
Roman Abramovich's Mega Yacht "Eclipse"
The 557-foot Eclipse reportedly comes with features including two helipads, a submarine, multiple hot tubs, a pool and a missile-detection system. Another story has Eclipse with "two swimming pools -- the larger of which converts into a dance floor when drained -- bullet-proof glass, 6ft home cinema screens in every guest cabin and a master cabin where the roof opens to allow Abramovich and his girlfriend Daria to sleep under the stars. An anti-paparazzi electronic "shield" will take care of their privacy while on board."
It is the largest private yacht in the world, beating the 532-foot yacht Dubai, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, and is Abramovich's 5th yacht, although he sold one and gave another to his ex-wife. Online reports have estimated it costing anywhere from $400-$800M.
03 December 2010
24 November 2010
Making A Difference
“While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it back into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.
The old man smiled, and said, "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, "But young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."
09 October 2010
20 September 2010
Frenchman with amputated limbs completes Channel swim
A Frenchman whose arms and legs had to be amputated following an electrical accident has successfully completed his attempt to swim the English Channel.
Philippe Croizon had set off from Folkestone in Kent at 0645 BST.
The 42-year-old, who swims using prosthetic legs, finished the 21 mile (34km) challenge by reaching Cap Gris Nez in more than 14 hours.
Sixteen years ago, Mr Croizon suffered a severe electric shock while removing a television aerial from a roof.
A current surged through him from a nearby powerline and doctors were forced to amputate his limbs.
Mr Croizon reached the French coast at 2013 BST, far ahead of the 24 hours he had set himself.
His team believe this is a record time for a disabled swimmer.
Mr Croizon told the BBC that at no point did he feel he was not going to make it, despite pains and aches all over his body.
Philippe Croizon's father said his son had had favourable wind conditions and had even had three dolphins swimming alongside him for a period- a "sign of good luck".
Mr Croizon had been preparing for the challenge for two years.
*Doctors were forced to amputate Mr Croizon's limbs following an electrical accident.
BBC NEWS
The 42-year-old, who swims using prosthetic legs, finished the 21 mile (34km) challenge by reaching Cap Gris Nez in more than 14 hours.
Sixteen years ago, Mr Croizon suffered a severe electric shock while removing a television aerial from a roof.
A current surged through him from a nearby powerline and doctors were forced to amputate his limbs.
Mr Croizon reached the French coast at 2013 BST, far ahead of the 24 hours he had set himself.
His team believe this is a record time for a disabled swimmer.
Mr Croizon told the BBC that at no point did he feel he was not going to make it, despite pains and aches all over his body.
Philippe Croizon's father said his son had had favourable wind conditions and had even had three dolphins swimming alongside him for a period- a "sign of good luck".
Mr Croizon had been preparing for the challenge for two years.
*Doctors were forced to amputate Mr Croizon's limbs following an electrical accident.
02 September 2010
Docking On Command System
When boaters move up into large motoryachts it is only natural that they have apprehensions about docking – particularly in a strong cross wind or cross current situation when there is only 6” of clearance on either side of the boat. The solution was introduced several years ago when Volvo Penta introduced the IPS pod drive system with joystick. Later joystick systems came out for other brands of diesels and then gas engines and still later for stern drives, too. But what wasn’t talked about much was how much more the pods and the joystick technology cost, which was as much as an additional $25k in some boats. Meridian Yachts has had a solution for the last year that solved both the difficulty of docking, and the high cost problem with a system called “Docking On Command.” It is simply a bow thruster and a stern thruster built into the boat with an easy-to-visualize control mechanism at the helm.
01 September 2010
The Secret of the Sea
The Secret of the Sea
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me
As I gaze upon the sea!
All the old romantic legends,
All my dreams, come back to me.
Sails of silk and ropes of sandal,
Such as gleam in ancient lore;
And the singing of the sailors,
And the answer from the shore!
Most of all, the Spanish ballad
Haunts me oft, and tarries long,
Of the noble Count Arnaldos
And the sailor's mystic song.
Like the long waves on a sea-beach,
Where the sand as silver shines,
With a soft, monotonous cadence,
Flow its unrhymed lyric lines:--
Telling how the Count Arnaldos,
With his hawk upon his hand,
Saw a fair and stately galley,
Steering onward to the land;--
How he heard the ancient helmsman
Chant a song so wild and clear,
That the sailing sea-bird slowly
Poised upon the mast to hear,
Till his soul was full of longing,
And he cried, with impulse strong,--
"Helmsman! for the love of heaven,
Teach me, too, that wondrous song!"
"Wouldst thou,"--so the helmsman answered,
"Learn the secret of the sea?
Only those who brave its dangers
Comprehend its mystery!"
In each sail that skims the horizon,
In each landward-blowing breeze,
I behold that stately galley,
Hear those mournful melodies;
Till my soul is full of longing
For the secret of the sea,
And the heart of the great ocean
Sends a thrilling pulse through me.
13 August 2010
11 August 2010
فن النهمه البحري
"مُغني البحارة " النٌهامْ
انواع النهمة : النهمة نوعين وهم كتالي :
1. الزهيري .
2. الموالي ويسمي إيضا "إميلي".
و لكل عمل نهمة خاصة بة كتالي:
1. المجداف " الميداف : له نوعان من النهمة خفيفة ومتوسطة .
2. اخراج الشراع : له نهمة خاصة .
3. الخطفة : وهي رفع الشراع للاعلي له نهمة خاصة مع " تصفيق" قوي الي ان يرفع لا خر "الدقل".
4. الشرت : وهو من حبال الشراع المهمة له نهمة خاصة .
5. الخراب : حبل طويل للامساك بالسفينة اثناء الغوص وفي نهايته "الباورة " وله نهمتين الاولي الدواري مع تصفيق حامي والثانية "بريخة صدرة ".
6. فلة الجيب : وهو اصغر الاشرعة في السفينة مثلث الشكل له نهمة خاصة بة .
7. لمة الجيب : وهو انزاله من "الدقل" ووضعة بالكيس الخاص به له نهمة خاصة مع التصفيق .
فن بحري دواري ... فرقة التلفزيون
10 August 2010
Laura Dekker Youngest Person Ever To Sail Around The Globe
Quick on the heels of last week's announcement that 14-year old Laura Dekker would be allowed to make a solo circumnavigation attempt, comes word that she has set sail today, along with her father, for Portugal, where she'll complete the final preparations for her voyage and get properly underway soon.
Laura and her dad, Dick Dekker, sailed out of the Dutch harbor of Den Osse this morning aboard her 26-foot sailing yacht, the Guppy, with about a hundred well wishers on hand to witness the start of the adventure. The father-daughter pair will now spend the next few days sailing to Portugal, at which time Dick will leave the Guppy and Laura will set sail for the Canary Islands and eventually the open waters of the Atlantic.
It is estimated that it could be about four weeks before the voyage officially begins, but Laura has already loaded up her school books and most of her supplies. One of the conditions of her being allowed to make this journey is that she enter into a distance learning program which will allow her to continue her studies while abroad. The circumnavigation attempt could take upwards of two years, and if she completes it by the September of 2012, Laura will become the youngest person ever to sail around the globe.
It is estimated that it could be about four weeks before the voyage officially begins, but Laura has already loaded up her school books and most of her supplies. One of the conditions of her being allowed to make this journey is that she enter into a distance learning program which will allow her to continue her studies while abroad. The circumnavigation attempt could take upwards of two years, and if she completes it by the September of 2012, Laura will become the youngest person ever to sail around the globe.
14 April 2010
Stranded ship "time bomb" to Great Barrier Reef
(Reuters) - A stranded Chinese coal ship leaking oil onto Australia's Great Barrier Reef is an environmental time bomb with the potential to devastate large protected areas of the reef, activists said on Monday.
The ship was a "ticking environmental time bomb," Gilly Llewellyn, director of conservation for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Australia, told Reuters.
She said this was the third major international incident involving its owners in four years.
Australian government officials say the stricken Shen Neng I belongs to the Shenzhen Energy Group, a subsidiary of China's state-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, better known by its acronym COSCO.
In 2007, COSCO was linked to a major oil spill in San Francisco bay, while last year it was tied to another in Norway, both of which damaged environmentally sensitive areas.
"We are seeing a concerning pattern potentially associated with this company," Llewellyn told Reuters.
COSCO officials in Australia could not be contacted for comment on Monday.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches along Australia's northeastern coast and is the only living structure on Earth visible from space. It is the world's largest coral reef and a major tourist draw.
As salvagers struggled on Monday to stop the ship breaking up and spilling hundreds of tons of oil and thousands of tons of coal, environmentalists told Reuters tighter controls on shipping were needed to protect the reef as Australia's energy industry expands.
SHIP NEEDS HELP
Although only a small amount of the 975 tons of fuel oil on board has so far leaked, Australian officials have warned the ship is unable to move off the shoal unaided, as its engine and rudder were damaged.
International salvage firm Svitzer has been engaged and has attempted to use tugs to stabilize the vessel, but the head of the government agency overseeing the operation said on Monday the ship was still moving on the reef.
The 230-meter (754-ft) ship was carrying 65,000 tons of coal to China when it ran aground on Saturday with 975 tons of heavy fuel oil on board, a type of oil environmentalists say is particularly sticky and damaging to marine organisms.
The ship was off-course and traveling at full speed when it hit, Australian officials have said. If it broke up as feared, environmentalists said the effects could be devastating.
Among the animals affected would be protected species of turtles, dugongs, and marine birds, as well as the sensitive corals, she said.
Chris Smyth, an ocean campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation, said with Australia planning to expand its energy industry, its government needs to consider whether ships should be traveling through the reef at all.
"It is going to actually increase shipping traffic substantially and the likelihood of these kinds of incidents occurring in the future," he told Reuters.
This is Australia's third such recent disaster, he said, following two last year, another oil spill off the Queensland coast and a major oil well blowout in the Timor Sea.
It should be clearer within the next few days what the likely scale of this disaster may be, Smyth said. In a worst case scenario, the spilled oil could reach protected areas on the Australian mainland, he said.
On Monday, Queensland state premier Anna Bligh called for tough legal action against the shipowners, saying they could face fines of up to A$1 million ($920,000), with the captain facing a further fine of up to A$220,000.
Some 23 crew who were on board the vessel when it ran aground so far appeared to be safe, she said.
Rescue officials have said the ship will require a long and careful salvage operation, expected to take weeks.
She said this was the third major international incident involving its owners in four years.
Australian government officials say the stricken Shen Neng I belongs to the Shenzhen Energy Group, a subsidiary of China's state-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, better known by its acronym COSCO.
In 2007, COSCO was linked to a major oil spill in San Francisco bay, while last year it was tied to another in Norway, both of which damaged environmentally sensitive areas.
"We are seeing a concerning pattern potentially associated with this company," Llewellyn told Reuters.
COSCO officials in Australia could not be contacted for comment on Monday.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches along Australia's northeastern coast and is the only living structure on Earth visible from space. It is the world's largest coral reef and a major tourist draw.
As salvagers struggled on Monday to stop the ship breaking up and spilling hundreds of tons of oil and thousands of tons of coal, environmentalists told Reuters tighter controls on shipping were needed to protect the reef as Australia's energy industry expands.
SHIP NEEDS HELP
Although only a small amount of the 975 tons of fuel oil on board has so far leaked, Australian officials have warned the ship is unable to move off the shoal unaided, as its engine and rudder were damaged.
International salvage firm Svitzer has been engaged and has attempted to use tugs to stabilize the vessel, but the head of the government agency overseeing the operation said on Monday the ship was still moving on the reef.
The 230-meter (754-ft) ship was carrying 65,000 tons of coal to China when it ran aground on Saturday with 975 tons of heavy fuel oil on board, a type of oil environmentalists say is particularly sticky and damaging to marine organisms.
The ship was off-course and traveling at full speed when it hit, Australian officials have said. If it broke up as feared, environmentalists said the effects could be devastating.
"We would potentially be looking at an environmental disaster," Llewellyn said." It would be an extremely large spill."
Among the animals affected would be protected species of turtles, dugongs, and marine birds, as well as the sensitive corals, she said.
Chris Smyth, an ocean campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation, said with Australia planning to expand its energy industry, its government needs to consider whether ships should be traveling through the reef at all.
"It is going to actually increase shipping traffic substantially and the likelihood of these kinds of incidents occurring in the future," he told Reuters.
This is Australia's third such recent disaster, he said, following two last year, another oil spill off the Queensland coast and a major oil well blowout in the Timor Sea.
It should be clearer within the next few days what the likely scale of this disaster may be, Smyth said. In a worst case scenario, the spilled oil could reach protected areas on the Australian mainland, he said.
On Monday, Queensland state premier Anna Bligh called for tough legal action against the shipowners, saying they could face fines of up to A$1 million ($920,000), with the captain facing a further fine of up to A$220,000.
Some 23 crew who were on board the vessel when it ran aground so far appeared to be safe, she said.
Rescue officials have said the ship will require a long and careful salvage operation, expected to take weeks.
31 March 2010
26 March 2010
PlanetSolar
The sun-powered super yacht
The Christian Science Monitor
By: Chris Gaylord
World's largest solar boat, PlanetSolar, will silently and cleanly carry two men around the globe.
The PlanetSolar team unveiled its massive boat this week.
To grasp the scale of this super yacht, compare it to the
forklift on the far right or to the person working behind
the windshield.
By next year, giant catamaran PlanetSolar will be sailing on sunshine.
This green leviathan is the world's largest solar-powered seacraft. Weighing in at 60 tons, the PlanetSolar measures 102 feet long, about 50 feet wide, and 24 feet tall. For a sense of scale, peek into its front window, pictured above, and try to spot the doll-like man working inside. (You might need to click to enlarge the photo.)
Really, PlanetSolar's jumbo size is simply to accommodate the 5,300 square feet of sun-soaking panels that run along its topside. The solar array pulls in 103 kW, five times more than the boat needs to run at its average speed of 9 m.p.h. but PlanetSolar aims for the long haul. The boat will lift anchor in Europe around April 2011 and attempt to circle the globe, fueled by nothing but solar rays.
Unlike the almost absurdly decadent Oculus and Infinitas super yachts that we told you about, the interior of this boat leans toward the Spartan. Only two men will make the worldwide voyage. Thriller-seeker Raphaël Domjan will skipper the ship. And he picked an excellent adventure buddy: Gerard d'Aboville, the first man to row across the entire Atlantic Ocean.
Along the cruise from New York to San Francisco to Abu Dhabi, the world tour will share a message of environmental stewardship. "Today, the boat is the most used means of transport of goods," the team writes. "It represents single-handedly almost 1.4 billions of tons of carbon dioxide (in 2008), that is 6% of the total carbon dioxide emissions and twice more than the air transport."
21 March 2010
THE PLASTIKI
Boat made of plastic bottles sets sail across Pacific
BBC NEWS
The crew will be at sea for around three months
A boat made of 12,000 plastic bottles has set sail on a voyage from San Francisco to Sydney to spread awareness about pollution in the world's oceans.
Environmentalist and banking heir David De Rothschild and a crew set out on the appropriately named Plastiki catamaran.
Their 11,000-nautical mile journey will go past the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - a sea of waste about five times the size of the UK or twice that of Texas.
Four out of five plastic bottles end up in a landfill, according to the UN.
"It is time we beat waste and this is an out-of-sight, out-of-mind issue that needs to be addressed," Mr De Rothschild told the BBC earlier this month.
The 31-year-old adventurer, who has completed expeditions to both poles and various jungles, was already tweeting on Saturday, hours after the boat set sail on its three-month voyage.
"Travelling 2.0 Knots ummm! That's a lot of ocean ahead!" he said on his Twitter page. "Just saw our first bit marine debris - a plastic cup!"
The Plastiki takes recycling to a whole other level.
The 12,000 used water bottles are filled with carbon dioxide to make the vessel durable and buoyant.
The catamaran is powered by solar, wind and sea turbines.
An exercise bike will power the boat's laptops and there is also a composting bathroom and gardens to grow food.
Critics say the expedition only perpetuates the belief that it is acceptable to use plastic as long as people recycle it, rather than encouraging people to cut down on its use entirely.
They also point out that if the Plastiki were to break apart mid-journey, it would dump thousands of bottles directly into the ocean.
More images from cnet:
Read More:
http://www.theplastiki.com/ The Plastiki Site
At long last, the Plastiki sets sail (photos) - CNET
Plastiki, the plastic bottle boat, to set sail - San Francisco Chronicle
Boat made of plastic bottles sets sail across Pacific - BBC News
http://www.theplastiki.com/ The Plastiki Site
At long last, the Plastiki sets sail (photos) - CNET
Plastiki, the plastic bottle boat, to set sail - San Francisco Chronicle
Boat made of plastic bottles sets sail across Pacific - BBC News
20 March 2010
Youngest person to row across the Atlantic
American woman, 22, becomes youngest person to row across the Atlantic
By Paul Thomson
Katie Spotz has become the youngest person to row across the Atlantic at the age of 22
A 22-year-old woman has become the youngest person to row across the Atlantic.
Katie Spotz completed the 2,817 mile journey in 70 days.
She was greeted by her father and brother after reaching Georgetown,Guyana, South America having weathered storms, shark infested seas and even an on board fire.
Her effort eclipsed the previous record for the youngest solo ocean rower which was set by 23-year-old Briton Oliver Hicks.
He rowed from New Jersey on America's east coat to England in 2005.
Spotz had set off in her 19ft British built yellow rowing boat from Dakar, Senegal, on January 3rd.
She was strapped into the boat to stop her from being tossed out during stormy weather that she encountered on the route.
A US Coast Guard vessel shadowed her as she approached south America to prevent her from being attacked by pirates.
Amazingly, Spotz, from Cleveland, had little boating experience before setting off.
Her only practice was a 40-mile row on Lake Erie in which she ended up running aground.
Spotz,who took two years to raise the money for the £60,000 cost of the adventure, survived on freeze dried food and energy bars.
A day before reaching Guyana on Sunday her global tracking system caught fire and she had to use a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.
After setting foot on land for the first time in two months Spotz said her biggest worry was the boat capsizing as she was battered by 20ft waves.
Spotz was shadowed by a US Coast Guard vessel as she approached south America to prevent her from being attacked by pirates
'The hardest part was just the solo part,' Spotz said, saying she struggled with boredom and had trouble sleeping inside the cramped, 19-foot (6-meter) row boat.
She rowed to raise money and awareness for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose goal is to bring clean drinking water to the estimated 1 billion people worldwide who lack it.
'The records are just a bonus for Katie. Rowing the Atlantic and raising funds for clean water are the things she really cares about,' said her coach Sam Williams.
Spotz rowed for as many as 10 hours a day with breaks for naps, navigation and boat maintenance.
At night, she would drift aboard the specially designed ocean row boat, which had equipment including solar panels for power, a satellite phone and a laptop computer.
She had little fresh food aside from sprouts grown aboard the boat.
'I would cook three dehydrated meals a day on a little stove,' she said as she devoured a melon at the dock in Georgetown.
'At night I would update my Facebook and e-mails. There is not much else to do on a row boat.'
17 March 2010
The Royal Yacht
Costing only US$ 485 million… The Royal Yacht has been recently delivered to H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyyan, The ruler of Abu Dhabi and the president of UAE.
This ocean worthy yacht contains 12 bedrooms, several Jacuzzis, three swimming pools, a helipad with helicopter, a life boat to carry 12 persons, a cinema hall and a discothèque.
This ocean worthy yacht contains 12 bedrooms, several Jacuzzis, three swimming pools, a helipad with helicopter, a life boat to carry 12 persons, a cinema hall and a discothèque.
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