Category Archives: High Seas

TheSea of Thieves: The Seabound Soulupdate is here and it's brought a boatload of new content into Rare's adventure on the high seas!

Starting things off, a brand-new Tall Tale has made its way into the game! The titularThe Seabound SoulTall Tale kicks off with finding the related book on the wreck of the Blackwyche at Shipwreck Bay. From there, you'll begin an adventure hunting for a spooky ghost as noted on the update page:

Prepare to meet the spectre of Sir Arthur Pendragon and embark upon the first chapter in a story of fire and woe. Be sure to lend the expired explorer a helping hand, but keep your wits about you

That's far from all that's making its way into the game with this update, though!

New to the game are votages from Stitcher Jim for higher-level players. These lead to tough battles against Ashen Lords, powerful skeleton leaders who like to make things a little bitburny.

Players might be lucky enough to find an Ashen Chest aboard a Skeleton Ship, but the odds are that you'll encounter one under the protection of Ashen Guardians. Combined with Ashen Keys earned from a separate voyage, you can find one of five Ashen Tomes that will unlock some sweet new goodies for you and your ship!

The final major item of note in theSea of Thieves: The Seabound Soulis fire.

It might seem unimpressive at first, but a scientifically-minded person will observe that fire, when combined with wood, can produce disastrous results. One would also point out that for the most part,your ship is made of wood.

Fires can catch and spread on ships, causing devastating damage to your poor little boat. What's worse is that players can now effectivelythrow firewith the addition of firebombs. You'll be able to find these in barrels around the game world.

But hey, let's say that literally no one uses firebombs ever. Even if that were out of the picture, your ship still has a chance of catching alight thanks to gunpowder explosions, volcanic rocks, lightning, and even cooking. Keep your water buckets close lest a ferocious flame sinks your ship!

TheSea of Thieves: The Seabound Soulupdate has a nice mix of new content, new mechanics, and new loot. You can see all of the sweet goodies you can earn in the game by checking out the update page on the game's official website.

What do you think of the new content inSea of Thieves: The Seabound Soul? Are you worried about the destructive power of fire? Let us know in the comments below!

See the article here:

Sea of Thieves: The Seabound Soul Unleashes Fire and Ash - TechRaptor

A ScanEagle drone prepped for launch on Stratton's flight deck, Nov. 3 (USCG / CPO Sara Muir)

By U.S. Coast Guard News 2019-11-20 13:56:00

[By Chief Petty Officer Sara Muir]

The lights are low. Green and blue pixels illuminate the faces of watchstanders in the Combat Information Center (CIC) aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Stratton. The six consoles sit in two rows of three with the watch facing the bow of the ship.

This windowless room is chilled to preserve the servers and other electronic equipment, extending the ships sensors and allowing them to see contacts many miles away. Everyone in the room wears a sweatshirt or coat and beanie to ward off the cold. No personal electronics are allowed inside.

The CIC watch is made up of operations (OS) and intelligence specialists (IS). The ISs monitor secure traffic and intelligence products over classified networks in the nearby Secure Compartment and Information Facility (SCIF). The OSs are a party to some of these products, and they also manage message traffic, contact monitoring, aviation (air) operations, electronic warfare, weather and more.

For the past five months, these 16 members - some permanent party and others temporarily assigned - have stood an aggressive Condition Three watch schedule, 12 to 16 hours per day, to meet Navy standards and mission. Stratton is traveling the South Pacific and the Far East on missions for the U.S. Navys 7th Fleet and the U.S. Coast Guard, and she has covered over 27,000 miles so far. At any moment during the first four months, one-third of the OS team is on watch with five to eight people on duty. Many others are working on other required shipboard watch qualifications. They also participate in navigation and helicopter operations and serve on damage control teams.

Two-thirds of our staff, including us, the CIC supervisors, are new this patrol, said Senior Chief Petty Officer Seth Roedl, CIC supervisor. Its critical for this watch to come together and work as a team. Some of these folks have been at command centers, other cutters, or right from 'A' school. Theyve stepped up. I have [3rd class petty officers] qualified well and standing watch supervisor, usually an E-5 or E-6 position.

CIC is the nerve center of a military ship, and Stratton's crew have practiced for military engagements. In recent simulations on Stratton, a watchstander relays a report of an incoming missile attack to the watch supervisor who alerts the bridge. Now all hands brace for shock. Missile inbound port side echoes through the ship over the address system known as the 1MC. As CIC maintains the operational picture, the tactical action officer (TAO) takes steps to defend the ship, the helm and navigation watch take evasive action to avoid further missile strikes by maneuvering the boat, and damage control teams are dispatched throughout the vessel to investigate, make reports to the bridge, and mitigate any losses. The crew practices some or all of this routine almost daily.

These last months were a challenge as weve adjusted to the Navy mission and integrated into the Department of Defense structure for joint surface warfare, said Roedl. Team Stratton provides useful data to our partners during these engagements and exercises, and were taking back experience to share with the Coast Guard fleet.

From Operation Talisman Saber off Australia to Sama Sama in the Philippines and Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training in the Far East, these coastguardsmen have worked diligently with counterparts from the U.S. Navy and partner nations. Theyve run countless joint drills simulating surface warfare and supporting other Department of Defense elements such as the protection of U.S. Marines landing to the beaches of Australia in a simulated liberation assault.

The U.S., through an effort by crews like Stratton, is strengthening long-standing military relationships and encouraging the development of a strong defense network with allies and partners, said Capt. Bob Little, Stratton's commanding officer. Oceania, also known as the Blue Pacific, is emerging as a center of gravity in the great power competition between the U.S. and its allies and others with a different vision. This combined team is what puts the 'national' in National Security Cutter.

For weeks this team located, identified, and reported all contacts. All relayed back to the U.S. Navy Surface Action Group or shoreside controllers using various systems, including Centrix, a chat system operated at a secret level, or through daily operations summaries. Stratton picked up anywhere from one to three shadows during this time, primarily Chinese intelligence-gathering ships.

The National Security Cutters (NSCs) have an advantage over many other ships: the ScanEagle, a small but powerful aerial surveillance drone (sUAS). Armed with a daytime or nighttime camera, the aircraft remains airborne for hours relaying real-time information back to the ship.

Launching the sUAS requires the contracted team from Scan Eagle to set up a launcher roughly the size of a large all-terrain vehicle aimed at the sky. The drone is put in place on the track, and the Strattons flight quarters team prepares the deck and staffs the helicopter control officer station above the flight deck, communicating with the deck crew and with the bridge. The ship turns into the wind, and once approved, the drone slingshots into the sky in seconds. Recovery is a bit like snaring a rabbit as it passes by the trap on a deliberate course.

In the corner of CIC, an sUAS operator pilots the drone. During the launch, they ran checklists and evaluated the drones systems. The camera is now active and scanning for contacts. The OS on the air console in CIC also monitors the video feed. When tracking a contact they take screenshots and clips of the imagery to include in reports and share with partners for maritime domain awareness and information sharing. These aggregate reports build the picture of activity in the region and help to identify who, when, and how often they are present.

On this particular day, they are tracking a 394-foot ship resembling a transhipper. These vessels receive fish catch from smaller fishing vessels and resupply them, allowing the small vessels to remain at sea longer.

Tuna is a $7 billion-per-year industry, and about 70 percent of all tuna is from the Western and Central Pacific. Estimates place the value of illegal, unregulated and unlicensed fishing (IUU fishing) as high as $616 million annually. Illegal fishing operations are robbing Blue Pacific countries and the global commons in plain sight. It's the regional people who suffer.

Transshipment is a key factor in the success of IUU activity, said Capt. Little. While some transshipment is lawful, there is significant illegal transshipment and major underreporting of their catch against quota limits. Enforcement is very challenging due to the vast distances in the Pacific and the lay-down of enforcement assets. Our partnerships are essential, and technology like ScanEagle allows us to identify and track contacts much farther out or locate those 'dark targets' - vessels not on radar or transmitting on Vessel Management System (VMS).

As the 55-pound, five-foot-long drone flies 3-5,000 feet over the Korean-flagged vessel Mononok, the operators and CIC watch observe rows of barrels on deck, possibly containing fuel and oil. Hatches are rolled back revealing significant insulation. This information, coupled with visuals of crewmembers bundled up despite the 86-degree ambient heat and humidity, reaffirm this vessels role as a refrigerated cargo and supply ship. Ironically, the ScanEagle system was initially developed as a tool for the tuna fleet to locate schools of fish. It is used from the battlefields in the Middle East to (now) the Pacific Ocean.

The capability is a force multiplier. As civilians on the ship we have a personal responsibility for integrating with the crew, said Mike McCord, also known as ScanEagle Mike. McCord has been with Stratton for six patrols covering more than half the globe, dating back to 2016.

Mike "ScanEagle Mike" McCord aboard Stratton, October 31 (CPO Sara Muir)

As site-lead on the ship, my role is to find the best way for our team to augment the crew and execute the captains intent. We are fully integrated I cant do what we are here to do without help from the various departments from electronics support to fuel for the drone. It means being a part of the crew," McCord says. "We fly, but we also help out with daily tasks. Ive deployed in support of every other armed service, and the Coast Guard has made this the place I want to be. We use so few resources to get so much done, from the technology to the diversity of the people. Its an honor.

The Stratton transited from the Philippines to Guam in October, conducting seven successful high seas fisheries boardings under the authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Stratton personnel boarded vessels flagged from Chinese Taipei and China, inspecting documentation, catch logs and fish holds and interviewing the master and crew. The most common violation discovered involved failure to transmit a signal on VMS, which is designed to help provide visibility of fishing activity in the region. ScanEagle was used in support of these boardings to identify targets, do initial inspections, and keep a watchful eye on the teams.

Stratton's crew conducts a high-seas fisheries enforcement boarding of a Chinese Taipei-flagged vessel, October 25

In the EEZs of other nations with whom the U.S. has bilateral agreements, the Coast Guard wont conduct boardings without a shiprider from that county aboard to exercise their sovereign authority. However, ScanEagle can be flown and provide visual proof and maritime domain awareness of vessels operating in the region and their activities.

This technologically-heavy approach is the new normal . . . but it doesn't function without our incredible people," said Capt. Little. And we are using it alongside our partners to advance a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The consistent presence of Stratton and [USCG cutter] Bertholf before us, along with Coast Guard assets based in Guam and Hawaii, demonstrate our commitment in the region to enrich and maintain alliances and partnerships while sharing a respect for sovereignty, fair and reciprocal trade, and the rule of law.

Stratton is the third commissioned National Security Cutter and is homeported in Alameda, California. The 150-member crew has been operating in the Indo-Pacific since June conducting joint missions under the command of U.S. 7th Fleet. Their patrol will conclude in mid-November.

This article appears courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard News and may be found in its original form here.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

See original here:

USCG Undertakes New National Security Mission in the Indo-Pacific - The Maritime Executive

(Welcome toKnives In, a series about the movies to watch before Rian JohnsonsKnives Outarrives in theaters.)

Put on your murder-solving hat, because /Film has given me jurisdiction to dive deep into one film a day in preparation for the release of Rian JohnsonsKnives Out, which hits theaters next week. Each film relates to Johnsons whodunit in its own unique way, and each picture should hopefully be viewed prior to patrons watching the new movie on the big screen.

Today, well be discussing the 1940 filmRebecca, and how the movie is a perfect companion piece to Johnsons modern day murder mystery.

Alfred Hitchcock believed that isolation breeds fear. As the newly wed Mr. and Mrs. De Winter (Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier) greet the gatekeeper and slowly wind their way up the path to Manderley, it suddenly becomes clear just how secluded their posh home truly is from the rest of society. In Rebecca, the mansion is so far away from anything that you dont even know what town its near the iconic director once bragged about his first American film. Based on the Daphne du Maurier novel of the same name, the 1940 film Rebecca, much like Rian Johnsons upcoming Knives Out, is a story about a haunted house only in these ghost stories, the ghouls still reside amongst the living.

Once inside the propertys towering walls, the new Mrs. de Winter finds herself feeling a little bit less like the lady of the house and a little more like the mousy governess meant to shuffle alongside the staff. After all, it wasnt very long ago that she and widower Maxim de Winter engaged in a whirlwind romance in Paris before he whisked away his young mistress to be married and caged within the confines of the Manderley mansion, a little bird whose song she would now only sing for him. However, despite his obvious fancy for his new feathered friend, Maxim seems hesitant to allow his new partner to nest, as any action she takes or word she utters frustrates Maxim for either being too similar or too different to the late and great Mrs. Rebecca de Winter.

Monogrammed blankets, napkins, day planners and pillow cases Rebeccas aggressive authority is still plastered all over this house, and meanwhile, our heroine isnt even given a name. She is a blank to the audience, just as she is a blank to Maxim, his servants, his sister, and whoever else dares to enter the property where Rebecca, the most beautiful creature the world has ever seen or, at least the most beautiful creature Frank Crawley (Reginald Denny) has ever seen drew her last breath. Although her body is washed out to sea, Rebeccas soul still lingers in the English manor, a spectral presence that looms behind each locked door. Like the pull of the oceans current, Rebeccas essence beckons the new Mrs. de Winter to give in to her insecurity, to look inside herself and listen to the voice that tells her shell never be good enough for Maxim. The large windows make the heroine look small and feeble in comparison as she gazes out longingly at the eternal blue, her tiny frame all but disappearing against the backdrop of the high seas, ready to swallow her whole.

In both Knives Out and Rebecca, the possibility of murder hangs in the air. Supposedly, both skirmishes were self-inflicted, but if any foul play were at hand, everyone sure is keeping mum. That is, of course, except for the house. Both the Manderley mansion and the Thrombey estate act as members of the cast, each truly a character in and of itself. In Manderley, towering rib vaulted ceilings open up and expand the already spacious and empty gothic rooms, their vacancies reflecting the people who live inside them, their barren walls signaling a loveless and frustrated marriage. Lanky fireplaces and sky high door knobs make the heroine look small and childish, like Alice about to tumble down the rabbit hole, in way over her head.

At the Thrombey household, most of the arguments over Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) and the money hes leaving behind to his family take place in claustrophobic wood paneled rooms, congested with low ceilings and cold hard stone that invite friction, disagreement, and quite possibly, death. In fact, its worth noting the decorative skeletons that are peppered into nearly every scene inside the house. Why would director Johnson make it a point to include so many bony friends? If the little metal skull on Mr. Potters desk in Its a Wonderful Life cements him as the villain of the story, are the skulls scattered throughout Harlans house in Knives Out perhaps suggesting that he is not the man we think he is? Is he a red herring? Are these the remains of the virgins he sacrificed in order to gain his unrivaled power? Or, is he just taking advantage of a post Halloween sale at Michaels? One things for sure, and its that if something funny is going on, Private Investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) will sniff it out in these stuffy halls, the duplicitous stench of deceit too bold to ignore.

Whether it be addressed in Uncle Charlies monologue in Shadow of a Doubt, the attic scene in The Birds, the fruit cellar in Psycho, the bedroom in Notorious, or even on the grounds of Manderley in Rebecca, Hitchcock liked to use the quant, supposedly safe interior of the home to express his unease with family. As the new Mrs. de Winter struggles to adjust to her new life in Monte Carlo, her husband recoils from her every romantic touch, highlighting the space physically and emotionally between the pair. The camera often begins a shot close to the heroines face, only to pull back, away from her, emphasizing how alone she really is in this beautiful prison, the ghost of Rebecca the only soul keeping her company in her darkest hours, the shadows compromising her gentility.

The terror of the commonplace is at work in both the 1940 black and white contender and the 2019 trailblazer, as both films feature a very important set of stairs that play pivotal roles in each story. In Rebecca, when the heroine foolishly trusts the advice of Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) and dons a costume she believes to be an ancient relative of the family, she learns only too late that Danny has tricked her, an act of humiliation that very nearly sends the young beauty over the edge. As she shows up for the ball in her floor length gown, the heroine descends the stairs, unknowingly in the late Mrs. de Winters attire, sneaking up on Maxim just before he explodes on her at the base of the steps. Little did she know she was treading down straight into an inferno. This is just another example of Hitchcocks associating stairs with murder and death, a trait which director Rian Johnson, clever as he is, seems to have inherited over the years.

Although hes not nearly as blatant as the ever present presence of Rebecca in Hitchcocks greatest, the spirit of Harlan Thrombey does seem to stick around the house long after his cadaver skipped town. One could argue this unwelcome energy is due to Harlans portrait smiling down at every suspect, but the very purposeful production design suggests different. Echoes of his novels ring throughout the establishment, whether they appear in secret hidden windows built into the frame, or something more subliminal, like the plants that embellish nearly every reel especially the scenes in which Detective Blanc is discovering new information pertaining to the case. Hitchcock loved flowers, so when he made Rebecca, he used the flora as a motif for Maxims late wife, first appearing when the heroine knocks over the bouquet at breakfast in the hotel, thus showcasing her clumsiness in front of the man who is pitching woo, then later quite literally drowning the poor girl in posies moments after she and Maxim spontaneously tie the knot. Once at Manderley, gorgeous, overflowing flowers permeate every room, their pungent toxicity choking and strangling the new arrival with phantom limbs. Ghosts dwell in these halls, in this cold sunshine, thus proving with both pictures that one neednt be possessed in order to feel haunted.

Excerpt from:

What to Watch Before Knives Out: Rebecca - /FILM

On the flat, marshy stretches of Marylands eastern shore, not a huge amount has changed since Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery here 170 years ago. Rivers and streams lace a wedge of land dotted with wood-board churches and small towns. Crabs and oysters are plucked from the adjacent Chesapeake Bay.

The climate crisis is set, however, to completely transform low-lying Dorchester county, threatening to submerge some of the key heritage associated with Tubman, the celebrated abolitionist whose daring missions helped free scores of slaves from bondage in her homeland.

If planet-warming emissions arent radically scaled back then swaths of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad national historical park, only established in 2013, will be inundated at high tide by 2050, according to projections by University of Maryland scientists.

A $22m (17m) Tubman visitor centre, completed in 2017, is set to be severely menaced by the rising waters, the analysis finds, along with several churches connected to Tubman and Joseph Stewarts canal, where timber was transported from a business that had enslaved her father.

Dorchester county is a poster child as to what the rest of the world can expect with flooding, said Peter Goodwin, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

The county doesnt rise more than 1.5 metres (5ft) above sea level and is exposed on three sides to the bay, which can act as a funnel to push storms on to the land. The seas could swell by as much as 60cm by 2050, a situation compounded by the fact the land is sinking, a hangover caused by the retreat of ice sheets from the last ice age.

Its worrying, Goodwin said. The county is beautiful but its going to look very different. If we can get ahead of things and plan for the future then you can help define what the shoreline will look like. The problem is if you dont do that then people are going to drift away and the culture will be eroded.

The situation is causing alarm among those who have highlighted Tubmans legacy. These landscapes are rapidly vanishing because of climate change, said Kasi Lemmons, director of Harriet, a new film based on Tubmans life. Losing landmarks such as these underscores the need to protect and preserve the land and our national history for the generations to come.

Proximity to water for communication, transportation and food has long been intrinsic to Dorchester county but flooding is increasingly chipping away at the routines of day-to-day life. High-tide water lapped in residents front yards and is now reaching porches. Carelessly parked cars can end up sodden. School buses struggle to get down roads that are in constant repair. The storms are getting fiercer, as the water and atmosphere warms.

The encroaching tides now also imperil the cultural touchstones of Tubmans life.

The former slave was born in Dorchester county in 1822 and despite suffering a severe head injury managed to escape to Philadelphia as a young woman. She then helped guide more than 70 enslaved people north to freedom via a network of safe houses and routes known as the Underground Railroad.

Several locations on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, a driving loop of important Tubman sites, are already being eroded, according to Tubmans biographer Kate Clifford Larson.

Were not going to have those landscapes to tell those amazing stories if something doesnt happen quickly, Larson said. In the 20 years Ive been to these sites Ive seen them start to disappear because of the water seeping in.

Some of the roads become impassable and you have to wait out until the water recedes. And some of the precious, really precious, African-American historical and cultural sites are at the most danger right now because they are in the lowest-lying areas.

Larson frets about where the resources will come to protect places such as the New Revived Methodist church in Smithville, in the heart of Tubmans former community that often has a waterlogged graveyard. They are going to need to move the graves and that costs a lot of money, she said. Its frightening how quickly these sites are becoming threatened.

The Rev Darlene Dixon has only been the pastor of the New Revived for five months but has already experienced being temporarily cut off from her church by a storm that pushed 15cm of water on to the roads and on to the cemetery.

People are concerned, and naturally I am, too, Dixon said. The biggest part of their angst the unknown which storm, which high tide will cause major damage.

Dixon said a seawall may have to be erected to protect the church but that may not stop the surrounding community, already one of the poorest in Maryland, crumbling away as the flooding intensifies.

People here have big hearts but there are not many people left in the community because they want to make a living. Theres the fear of the water too, she said. We are seeing change occur before our eyes.

The National Park Service, which oversees the Tubman park, is putting together an assessment of the threats it faces. Deanna Mitchell, the park superintendent, said she reassures tourists that the visitor centre has been built on a relatively elevated piece of land with sea-level rise in mind.

Its a beautiful facility and the landscape is beautiful, too, she said. Every time I go to work Im immediately in a mode of reflection. I see that with visitors, too.

Im optimistic that we can address whatever comes our way if people can come together on this. We are nine miles away from Chesapeake Bay, which gives us a sort of buffer. But thats not a cure-all. Theres no way to deny that theres sea-level rise.

Go here to see the original:

Culture will be eroded: climate crisis threatens to flood Harriet Tubman park - The Guardian

Last we heard from emo hard rockers Coheed And Cambria, they had postponed their remaining tour dates for the year while drummer Josh Eppard went in for heart surgery. Now, the band appear to be looking to the future, as theyve today announced that theyll be embarking on their own cruise, along with a handful of their peers, nextfall.

The inaugural S.S. Neverender Cruise, as its being called, will sail between Miami, Florida, and Nassau in the Bahamas, from October 26 to 30, 2020. Coheed will play two sets while onboard the ship, with one focusing entirely on their early material and deepcuts.

Also on the boat will be a line-up of other bands,including:

Also advertised for the boat is Emo Nite, seemingly referring to the LA-based party/festival group of the same name. That said, they might be talking about some sort of emo-themed party night. Either way, bring a blackhoodie.

The band released the following animated trailer teasing theevent:

More information on the S.S. Neverender can be found at the cruiseswebsite.

READ THIS: Inside Coheed And Cambrias new beer collaboration with Coney Island Brewing

Coheed are following in the footsteps of several infamous bands who have taken their act on the high seas. Flogging Mollys Salty Dog Cruise has become a yearly staple in the lives of those who go on it regularly, while earlier this year Slipknot announced that they would be launching their own Knotfest Cruise, to embark thisAugust.

Perhaps its for the best that Coheed created their very own cruise instead of riding along with Slipknot. When he took part in our In Conversation series earlier this year, the bands own Claudio Sanchez revealed that opening for the masked Iowans took somewhat of a toll on theband.

We do pretty well as a support act, Claudio told us. With Iron Maiden there was a lot of similarities, so I dont think it was as toughBut Slipknotin select cities, it was a little rough.

When audience membersare really verbal, Claudio elaborated, getting laughs from the crowd, [about] how much they dont like you, that can be kind of discouraging. But for the most part, you just close your eyes. Thats why I have the hair. Most of the times I dont see it, I hear about it afterwards.

Watch the entire interviewbelow:

Read the original:

Coheed And Cambria Have Announced Their Own Cruise - Kerrang!

Built on its connection to the ocean, Hamburg is Germanys Gateway to the World. From here, the Elbe River winds its way across Europe to Prague; in the other direction lies the stormy North Sea.

One of the worlds great commercial ports, Hamburg also has three passenger terminals, making it a major cruise destination, too.

The compact city centre is packed with visitor attractions. The Maritime Museum and quirky Chocolate Museum are both worth a visit, while fashion fans will love the chic boutiques on Gnsemarkt and Neuer-Wall.

Seafood-lovers will be in heaven, with a choice of affordable cafes in the studenty Schanzenviertel area or fine-dining options in the waterside Fischmarkt. Alternatively, visitors can head to the Portuguese Quarter for a memorable Mediterranean-style grill.

Hamburg is a music mecca, too you can see where it all started for the Beatles, then attend a classical concert at the Elbphilharmonie, the citys futuristic concert hall.

If you prefer peace and quiet, Hamburg can offer leafy parks, quiet canals and the beautiful Alster Lake, and you can even enjoy a sundowner in a beach bar at the rivers edge.

Museum Mile

Hamburgs famous Museum Mile comprises five major galleries. At the north end, close to the Hauptbahnhof Nord, is the venerable Kunsthalle, an imposing red brick building that houses one of Europes largest art collections. At the southern end isthe Deichtorhallen, two 19th-century market halls transformed into an impressive minimalist art space featuring avant-garde installations and photography.

St Michaels Church

The Baroque Hauptkirche Sankt Michaelis, known as Michel by locals, is Hamburgs most famous church. At least 2,500 people can fit inside its massive nave, and its 132-metre copper-covered spire has long been a welcoming landmark for seafarers.A rigorous climb up to the bell tower is rewarded with spectacular views across the city and harbour.

Sailing ships and beach bars

You can taste the romance of life on the high seas aboard museum ships including the Cap San Diego and the magnificent three-masted Rickmer Rickmers, which is permanently moored at the Landungsbrcke. A bracing ride on the river bus will take you to Oevelgnne Museum Harbour, where you can admire historic vessels from the age of steam.

Right next to the harbour are the colourful little houses where sailors used to live, and next to these is the Elbe beach. In summer, locals and visitors alike flock here to see and be seen at the trendy beach bars, the most famous of which is the Strandperle.

Fish market

Grosse Elbstrasse in Altona is good for riverside dining but the best time to go is very early on a Sunday morning, when locals congregate at the Fischauktionshalle to see bands play until dawn. Early birds and night owls unite along the shores of the Elbe river to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere (its also a great place to buy souvenirs).

Hafencity

Futuristic architecture combines perfectly with historic UNESCO-listed warehouses in this newly developed district. You can easily explore on foot, but a night-time canal cruise offers an unforgettable experience.

The Elbphilharmonie

Hamburgs new concert hall is an architectural wonder that has redefined the citys skyline. Resembling a hoisted sail, its as famous for its budget-busting construction as for its brilliant acoustics. You can visit for free and enjoy spectacular views from the public observation platform.

Locals love TV chef Tim Mlzers Bullerei restaurant, but for a more traditional (and cheaper) treat, try the classic Fischbrtchen pickled herring in a roll with gherkins and onions at Brucke 10 near the fish market.

If youre visiting on a Saturday, dont miss the fantastic Flohschanze, Hamburgs most popular flea market, where youll find a great selection of vintage clothing, furniture, books and records at very reasonable prices. The market is open from 8am to 4pm.

See the original post here:

Hamburg City Guide: Best Things to See and Do in the German Cruise City - World of Cruising

How many times have you rebuilt your house? Sujit Mondal does not answer at first; he just gazes at the deceptive calm of the river he has to cross by boat to reach his home in Ghoramara. The 44-year-old resident of the sinking island of the Sundarbans archipelago has clearly been asked this question more times than he can count. Finally he answers: At least four.

Tucked under Mondals arm are several metres of neatly rolled net tarpaulin. He has bought it for 1,800 to cover the betel leaf trees he had planted a few weeks ago. He places it in his old mechanised boat. During the half-hour journey to his house, Mondal speaks of storms, particularly Cyclone Aila that wreaked havoc in the region in 2009. Tourists, journalists, researchers and climate watchers have all told him that the next cyclone will have a devastating impact on the quickly eroding island, Mondal says.

The ravages of monsoon are visible as the boat reaches Ghoramara. On a thatched hut hangs a green board that reads Ghoramara Ferry Ghat. The board is the only constant on the island; everything else is always changing. In fact, every year, with houses and acres of land being swallowed by a hungry sea, the topography of the island alters. The total area of Ghoramara was 8.51 sq km in 1975; it reduced to 4.43 sq km in 2012. The rapid erosion of the island, located at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, has grabbed the attention of all those attempting to understand how rising sea levels and climate change are impacting lives and migration patterns.

Ghoramara is unique in other ways too. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonetised all 500 and 1,000 banknotes in 2016, Ghoramara, which had no bank or ATM facility, survived on credit as there was no way of exchanging cash. Three years later, there is still no bank on the island. People make do with a post office. The last boat from the island departs for mainland West Bengal long before sunset, leaving the islanders cut off from the rest of the country at night. There is no grid-connected electricity and no din of modern life; only the sound of waves lapping the shores.

Mondal shows me his betel leaf plantation, situated a few hundred metres from the sea. He says his neighbour Nantu Dass crops were destroyed after the embankments were breached by seawater. The precariousness of their lives and livelihoods is obvious, but when asked what it is like to be living on a sinking island, the residents show annoyance. What is the point of asking us if the state does not care? they retort. Sanjib Sagar, the gram pradhan of the island, has maintained that issues like sea level rise cannot be dealt with at his level.

There is no proper healthcare either. Rituparna Ghati, an auxiliary midwife, says in her eight years of work, doctors set foot on the island only once, to attend a vaccination camp to prevent an outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis. Ghati is perhaps the only health worker in the entire State whose target population has reduced from 5,623 in 2011 to 4,696 now. There is no infrastructure for institutional deliveries on the island. Her job is to ensure that pregnant women are admitted to a state-run facility on the mainland days before the baby is due. Once her work is over, Ghati heads back to the mainland.

Given the state of affairs, it is natural that the rate of migration from Ghoramara is high. There are more women than men on every boat ride. In every other household, the men have left the island in search of jobs. They work as labourers in Kerala or Tamil Nadu, returning only during festivals or when the rising waters destroy their homes forcing them to rebuild yet again.

Visiting Ghoramara for the first time, Pranabesh Maity, a resident of a nearby island, Ganga Sagar, drops in at a primary school to find out the drop-out rate of students. Sabyasachi Pradhan, the teacher in-charge of Mandirtala Free Primary School, is prompt with figures. This year we have 126 children. Last year there were 136, and the year before there were 144. People know that they will have to move out and are getting their children admitted at different places, he says.

Many villagers, like Mondal, are planning to earn some money and relocate to Ganga Sagar. But Maity, who has a Masters in Linguistics from Calcutta University, points out that parts of Ganga Sagar too are eroding. And so he has a mission at hand: he plans to plant mangroves and educate children about environmental events and their impact on the Sundarbans.

Ganga Sagar, which appears like a drop of water on a satellite map, is the largest island in the Sundarbans archipelago. Every year, pilgrims flock to the island during Makar Sankrati. Home to 2.16 lakh people and covering an area of 280 sq km, it had a high decadal population growth of 20.38% between 2001 and 2011. One of the reasons could be that people from smaller sinking islands are moving to Ganga Sagar, says Tuhin Ghosh of the School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University.

Mondal wants to relocate to Bamkinagar locality on Ganga Sagar island after his fourth house too was claimed by the rising waters in Ghoramara. But life there is no better. One afternoon in August, the kutcha road that separates the localities of Bamkimnagar and Sumatinagar, on the eastern side of Ganga Sagar island, is muddy. People wade through knee-deep sludge to go from one house to another. The last house, which is exposed to the sea, belongs to Tumpa Mondal. She and her two daughters, one aged three years and the other six months, wait inside their hut. The tide water has receded but it has left its mark on the house. There is dampness in the air and the walls are mossy. The house floods twice a day, she says. We just sit on our bed waiting for the water to recede. I have added bricks under the legs of the bed. So now the bed is at a higher level. The family has no other place to go. Sometimes they share the bed with goats when the water rises.

Some areas of Ganga Sagar Dhablat Shibpur, for instance, located on the southeastern side have particularly suffered a lot of erosion in the past few years. Almost hundreds of acres are covered by mud. In the middle of this vast expanse still stand a few houses. One of them belongs to Abhijit Mondal. The 26-year-old repairs an old boat and narrates a tale that is no different from the stories of the residents of Ghoramara. They are all dependent on the sea for their livelihood, the same sea that sometimes destroys their homes. In the neighbouring village, Beguakhali, after a stormy night, locals venture out to sea to collect fish spawns. They get 150 for collecting 1,000 spawns.

Bamkim Hazra, the MLA of Ganga Sagar, under whose constituency the islands of Ghoramara and Mousuni also fall, has no solution to the problem. Though he was recently appointed chairman of the Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority, set up to accelerate development in the region, the MLA responds in the same way that the gram pradhan of Ghoramara did. Local bodies can do nothing in this case. Only the State and the Centre can do something, he says during an interaction with journalists at a climate change workshop.

The MLA spoke at length about the Gangasagar Mela, which has been declared a national festival like the Kumbh Mela. Then he spoke about saving the Kapil Muni Temple, which is the seat of an annual pilgrimage. The sea is advancing at a rate of 15 feet a year and soon the temple will go under, he pointed out. He said a 77 crore sea walling project was the only solution.

According to Hazra, over the past few years, about 1,120 families have relocated to Ganga Sagar from Ghoramara. These families have been given about six bighas of land on the island. Some have settled in a locality called Jibantala. Going from one house to another in the locality is a challenge because of the mud. There is no trace of a road.

The last hut at the end of the stretch belongs to Sheikh Safi. He came from Ghoramara to Ganga Sagar with his wife and two children in 2017. A daily wage labourer, Safi says his grandfather had 60 bighas of land in Ghoramara. While the family insists that they had not got any land from the government, the government responded that many people have settled in the land of the forest department, and will have to wait till the land records are changed.

Studies over the decades have recorded that the sea level in the area rose from 2.26 mm a year in 2002 to 12 mm in 2014 and by another 2.9 mm in 2019. All these figures are higher than the sea-level rise along the Indian coast (average increase of 1.7 mm a year). Its a well documented fact that islands have already begun disappearing: Lohachara went under in 2006 and the uninhabited island of New Moore was claimed by the sea in 2011.

At a presentation, Tuhin Ghosh points out that Ganga Sagar, Ghoramara, and Mousuni islands are part of the Hooghly River estuarine system where there has been maximum human intervention. The Farraka Barrage, for instance, changed the sediment circulation pattern. Ghosh says reduced sediment supply in the region has led to changes in river hydrodynamics and coastal erosion. The rate of erosion here is more than the rate of accretion which is due to sediment starvation, he adds.

A report by the National Centre for Coastal Research in 2018 pointed out that West Bengal lost maximum land due to coastal erosion in the country (99 sq km between 1990 and 2016). However, the land gain in the State, due to accretion, has been only 16 sq km. An analysis of the entire Sundarbans points out that between 1969 and 2009, about 210 sq km of landmass has eroded in the region.

In his book Rivers of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta: A Fluvial Account of Bengal, river expert Kalyan Rudra quotes data from the India Meteorological Department to say that the Sundarbans experienced 367 depressions, 68 storms, and 77 cyclones between 1901 and 2012. The most disastrous was Aila in May 2009, which claimed more than 300 lives.

Rudra says Ghoramara, Sagar and Mousuni are located in the western part of the Sundarbans. Mangroves in these areas have been cleared for human habitation, he says, making these islands more vulnerable. He describes the Bengal Delta as a subsiding delta, which means that in the western part of the Sunderbans, land has been lost to the sea and there has been no new addition of land. He also warns that cyclones in the Sundarbans will increase because sea surface temperature is rising at 0.5C per decade in the region and the global average is 0.05C per decade. And since the western part of the Sundarbans has no mangrove protection, it remains most vulnerable.

Mousuni, which lies a few km south of Ghoramara and Ganga Sagar, is similarly exposed to the sea. Some believe that the unique sea horse shape of the island is most likely due to erosion.

At the southernmost tip of the island, where the remnants of vegetation and houses destroyed by the rising seas are still visible, a number of small resorts and backpackers destinations have come up in suicidal defiance of the sea and its erratic ways.

Suresh Bhandari has grand plans of building another resort similar to the one he already has at the edge of the sea. The locals who moved away from here after sea waters rose have allowed Bhandari to use what was left of the land to construct a resort. In the Sundarbans, people eke out a living by fishing, collecting prawn seeds, and betel leaf farming. But people at Mousuni have forayed into the tourism business. The number of home stays in the island are only proliferating.

Suresh babu has taken up a difficult job. It might take him years to build it. Ours is complete, says Chittaranjan Dolui of Chittaranjan Royal Rest House and Hut. Dolui has taken a loan of 15 lakh to set up his hotel. Please tell people in Kolkata about our facility, he says.

Dolui believes that tourists will flock to the island in the winter season. It is not clear what prompted these investors to suddenly think of these islands, 130 km from Kolkata, as potential tourist destinations. As in Ghoramara, not even basic healthcare is available here. The health centre, spread over a few acres, is shut on a Friday and looks as if it hasnt been visited by a doctor in many months.

Mousuni now has a 2 km concrete embankment, something which people in Ghoramara and Ganga Sagar believe will solve their problem. The embankment constructed on the western part of the island in Baliara is almost 60 feet high and built at an angle to prevent flooding. It was built at a cost of 33 crore. However, when the tide is high, sea water flows into the island.

By the end of October, people living on the three islands felt that the worst of the monsoons and the seasons biggest storms were over. But their hopes crashed when Cyclone Bulbul made landfall near Ganga Sagar on November 9. Rudra was monitoring the movement of the cyclone and was surprised that it remained over the Sundarbans from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. The locals say that it was the longest cyclone they have witnessed, he says. The islanders were saved as there was low tide and the seawater did not breach the embankments when the cyclone made landfall, experts say. The damage caused by Cyclone Aila, which made landfall during high tide, was worse as the seawater submerged large parts of the island. The sea level during high tide and low tide can vary as much as four metres, Rudra says. Cyclone Bulbul caused widespread damage to the Sundarbans. According to the State government, 5 lakh houses were destroyed and 35 lakh people in the coastal regions were affected.

When the cyclone struck Mousuni, Chittaranjan Dolui stayed indoors. His son Tapan Dolui was at the lodge built for tourists. Of the 12 rooms we built for tourists, four have been destroyed. Of the 30 lodges on the island, barring one or two all have suffered damage, he says. On Ghoramara, the cyclone brought many changes to the landscape including destruction of Sujit Mondals betel leaf planatation.

After Cyclone Bulbul, Pranabesh Maity, who has planted 30,000 mangrove saplings this year, returned to his home in Ganga Sagar to interact with students. I want to tell them how unstable these islands are, he says. It is the sea and the rivers that have given us everything land, fish and all that the people of the Sundarbans need to survive. And someday when the rivers and sea come to reclaim everything, you have to be prepared.

Follow this link:

Hungry tides of the Sundarbans: How the rising seas create environmental migrants - The Hindu

A chocolate-themed cruise is set to lift anchor next spring that will sail with master chocolatiers and, quite literally, a boat-load of chocolate.

You could call it a dream trip for chocoholics: for eight days, the Costa Pacifica cruise liner will be transformed into a floating Willy Wonka chocolate factory, with tastings,workshops, tours and chocolate sculpting demonstrations planned throughout the trip.

The cruise departs from the coastal Italian town of Civitavecchia and sails to Genoa, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malta and Catania in Sicily. The program is organized in partnership with Eurochocolate, an annual chocolate festival that takes place in Perugia, Italy.

Read also: Most popular cruise destination of 2019 is historic French town

Also on the itinerary is a shore excursion to the Chocolate Museum of Barcelona, which traces the history of chocolate and features a model of the city's famous Parc Guell, in chocolate form.

The Eurochocolate Cruise departs April 16.

Princess Cruises also developed a "Chocolate Journeys" program with chocolatier Norman Love, whose chocolate confections and desserts are served in select main dining rooms across the fleet. The program also includes chocolate and wine pairing tastings and chocolate spa treatments.

The rest is here:

Chocolate-themed cruise to become Willy Wonka factory on the high seas - The Jakarta Post - Jakarta Post

Rotterdam (Reuters) - A Dutch foundation devoted to fighting plastic pollution in the worlds oceans on Saturday unveiled a new device designed to stop it from reaching the sea in the first place: by collecting and cleaning plastic waste from major rivers.

The Ocean Cleanup Foundation, a non-governmental organization best known for its attempts to collect and clean plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, said it has been testing a system based on similar principles a floating barrier to collect plastic passively for use in rivers.

To solve the plastic pollution problem we need to do two things: we need to clean up whats already in the oceans, for that we of course have the Ocean Cleanup System, founder Boyan Slat, 25, told Reuters.

Now we also hope to tackle the other side of the equation: preventing more plastic from reaching the ocean in the first place.

The foundations ocean system uses a large floating boom to collect rubbish. After initial setbacks and adjustments to the system, Ocean Cleanup reported earlier this month that it managed to pick up plastic from the high seas for the first time.

The river version, called the Interceptor, consists of a vessel that is anchored to a riverbed while floating arms which leave space for animals and river traffic to pass, organizers say divert waste into its collection system.

The system has already been tested on rivers in Jakarta, Indonesia and in Klang, Malaysia, the organization said on Saturday. Two more are planned for Can Tho in Vietnams Mekong Delta, and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Ocean Cleanup said that is still testing the river system and will not give out numbers on plastics collected until a rollout phase has been completed.

According to the group each device is capable of extracting thousands of kilograms (pounds) of detritus per day.

Slat said that 1% of rivers are responsible for 80% of the pollution in the worlds seas. That makes finding a solution to the problem of plastic pollution emanating from rivers quite achievable, Slat said.

Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by James Drummond

Read this article:

Dutch foundation launches project to tackle river plastic pollution - Reuters

If you thought this season of Below Deck was wild, just wait until you hear the whole story.

The Season 7 yachties are ready to reveal everything you didn't see on TV in the return of the Below Deck After Show coming soon to BravoTV.com and YouTube. Get ready to have all your burning questions about Season 7 of Below Deck answered, from behind-the-scenes intel to crucial updates on what happened with the crew after the charter season ended.

In last season's After Show, we saw anemotional side toCaptain Lee Rosbach as he reflected on Ashton Pienaar's overboard accident, got the dirt on all the hookups, and heard Kate Chastain's take on charter guest Krystal's unforgettable appearance on the show, just to name a few highlights. Revisit it all, above.

Catch up on this season of Below Deck here.

And you can relive the magic of the Season 6Below Deck After Show,below.

See more here:

The Below Deck Crew Will Spill All the High-Seas Secrets in the Season 7 After Show - Bravo