Category Archives: High Seas

Not a bad way to start a new gig.

One of the warships under the command of a Canadian sailor heading CTF-150, the multinational task force policing Middle Eastern waters for contraband, just seized about $3.7 million worth of heroin.

Three days after I assumed command of Combined Task Force 150, we achieved some tactical and tangible success at sea, Commodore Dan Charlebois said Tuesday in an interview from Bahrain.

Its a great start to the deployment.

A boarding party from the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea located seven bags containing a total of 275 kilos of heroin Jan. 30 aboard a dhow it stopped to search in the Gulf of Oman.

The illicit narcotics were destined for the markets of the world, Charlebois said.

Thats close to about $3 million (US) that would normally go to help finance terrorist activities and I would say, almost as importantly, thats just about 300 kilograms of drugs that arent on the streets internationally, but of course even back at home in Canada because these organizations have networks that are far-reaching. And the team at sea just prevented all those drugs from getting on the streets.

Charlebois who was the skipper of HMCS Regina in these same waters eight years back when the Halifax-class frigate deployed to the Middle East said the American boarding party did a fantastic job with the search.

These individuals are extremely skilled at hiding illicit material on board their ships, he said of the heroin smugglers. The drugs were well-hidden. But these boarding teams are extremely well-trained.

Searches of this nature can take as much as a day. You can appreciate the climate at sea: Its hot, these vessels are cramped, theyre dirty, the boarding teams are obviously observing COVID precautions, so everything (has) another layer of complexity.

The boarding party moved the crew to the forward section of the dhow before starting the search, he said.

Theyre well-armed, theyre well-trained and, tactically, very proficient.

The dhows crew did not put up any resistance, Charlebois said.

When they see a boarding party approaching their ship and in the background is a ship like the USS Philippine Sea -- which is an enormous cruiser -- they are extremely compliant. In fact, in a lot of cases, youll see the crew of the dhow start to move to the forepeak of the dhow even before the boarding team gets alongside in their boat. They dont want any part of starting trouble with one of these boarding teams.

Hes responsible for policing about twomillion square nautical miles or 6.8 million square kilometres -- of ocean, including the Arabian Sea.

While he wont say exactly how many warships and aircraft he has at his disposal, Charlebois said they can come from 33 countries involved in the international coalition aiming to provide maritime security in the Middle East.

We have a lot of assets at sea and in the air to help locate and interdict smuggling of illicit material in this region and I think we do a very successful job at finding it.

Since 2017, CTF-150 has confiscated more than $1 billion worth of narcotics, including heroin, cocaine, hashish and methamphetamine, he said.

I cant tell you if were getting all of it. The skeptic in me says we might not be. But I think were getting absolutely as much as we can with the assets that we have, for sure.

The drug finds dont lead to criminal prosecutions. It is search and seizure only, Charlebois said. There is no legal foundation to prosecute these individuals at this point in time. So, what we can do is confiscate and dispose of illicit cargo. We just want to find it and dispose of it so its not sold and the money doesnt continue to finance terrorist activities. And moreover, those drugs dont make it to the streets in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Boston, Washington, New York you name the city.

Charlebois is also on the lookout for charcoal from Somalia.

We are looking for it more to report the movement of charcoal in the region, he said. And the reason for that is environmental in a sense. The production of charcoal can have a devastating impact on the environment. And charcoal has been used in the past to fund illegal activity, much like narcotics, but I would say to a lesser extent.

The naval warfare officer traces a direct line between the contraband his people are hunting for and terrorist activities in the region.

After years of intelligence work and police work, co-operation with international agencies, and different partner countries, direct financial lines have been drawn to different terrorist organizations, Charlebois said, naming Islamist militant group al-Shabab, and in the past al Qaeda and Daesh.

Charlebois is due to turn over command of the task force to New Zealand in mid-July. Hell still be in charge when HMCS Calgary sails to Middle Eastern waters this spring.

While hed normally visit the ship, the pandemic might prevent that from happening this time around. Would I love to visit Calgary when shes in theatre? Absolutely, he said. In a perfect environment, which means not in a pandemic, I would. But I would say for the time being my movements will be minimal and I will be staying and operating out of the headquarters here in Bahrain and very likely not visiting Calgary. I dont like to rule anything out, but first and foremost we have to protect our ships at sea.

None of the ships under his command have seen COVID-19 cases thus far, he said. Charlebois doesnt know if theyll have access to vaccines before his six-month deployment is done.

Charlebois who served aboard Halifax-based ships including HMCS Charlottetown, HMCS Halifax, and HMCS Fredericton, where he was the executive officer -- joined the navy at 17 in 1992 and spent his formative years here.

I come from a navy family, he said. The navys in my blood.

The father of two girls, one who turns eight on Valentines Day and the other 11, now calls Ottawa where he says its about as cold as Mars lately home. He tips his cap to families at home that lend stability to sailors at sea.

To me its probably the single most important pillar that supports our deployed operations, Charlebois said. Our families at home continue to support and encourage us, manage the home, manage kids learning virtually, still working jobs, shoveling snow. I dont think our families get enough credit, frankly.

This the first time Canadian sailors have taken command of multinational fleets off northern Europe and the Middle East at the same time.

Its extremely significant, Charlebois said.

It demonstrates Canada is committed to rules-based international order. Were committed to security of the high seas. Were committed to our partners, whether theyre NATO partners or our partners here in combined maritime forces. The missions are different, but both demonstrate Canadas willingness and capability to deploy globally and to contribute and to, frankly, pull our weight.

Commodore Bradley Peates recently took command of Standing NATO Maritime Group One. The rapid reaction force operates in Western and Northern European waters, including the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Norwegian Sea.

He was born to be at sea, but he was also born, in my opinion, for cold weather, said Charlebois, who calls Peates a pal.

He had spent two years up in Yellowknife as deputy commander Joint Task Force North he's well-used to the cold and Im quite happy that hes operating where hes operating and Im operating where Im operating here in the 22 C weather.

In an interview from Portsmouth, England, over the weekend, Peates said hes pretty happy with the single digit temperaturesaboard his flagship, HMCS Halifax. Overall, its not bad weather at all.

With 32 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, Peates stressed that having two Canadians sailors commanding multi-national fleets at the same time demonstrates Canadas ability to lead on the world stage.

Commodore Charlebois whos just taken over command of CTF-150 is a close personal friend of mine and so it is a unique opportunity for the two of us, who have grown up in the navy together, to be in command at the same time, Peates said.

He took over command of the fleet from the Portuguese in a virtual ceremony due to the pandemic.

Halifax is sailing with a German tanker and recently conducted exercises with two German frigates, he said. All the training -- done in English -- is to foster interoperability with allies.

We have a responsibility to NATO to provide a continuous maritime presence and to be ready to respond across a full spectrum of operations, whether thats a search and rescue type mission to crisis or conflict if required.

The plan is to patrol the Western European side of the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and Norwegian Sea and conduct exercises with warships from other countries along the way including Poland and Norway.

Our intention is to remain in a COVID bubble, Peates said. When were at sea operating with each other, we dont have to wear non-medical masks. We dont have to worry about physical separation. But certainly, when we go into a port where well embark goods we implement full force health protection measures.

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Canadian sailor at the helm of massive heroin bust - SaltWire Network

Louis Cass, a data analyst working for Army Futures Command, wanted to work with ships. So he turned to the Armyyes, the Army.

I like shipsso I joined the Army, he said, beginning his story. The Army was the first thing that popped into my mind. My recruiter got me in as a cargo specialist, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Most people do not consider the Army when thinking about a career on the high seas, but unbeknownst to them, the mostly land-based service maintains a large fleet of logistics support vessels.

As a young man, Cass worked at a shipyard in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. He said he became bored with his job, and sought out a new adventure which involved his passion for seaborne vessels. He shipped out for basic training in 1983, and afterward moved to Fort Eustis, Virginiawhich would be his home for the majority of his Army career.

Cass served in the 7th Transportation Groupwhich is now the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary)where he helped load and unload numerous vessels and vehicles. He also found the adventure he was looking for, having deployed to several countries and participated in numerous missions.

When the Persian Gulf War broke out, Cass and his team knew they were going to be called upon once again. One of the first clues that they were going to war was the protective gear they receivedit was designed to defend them from chemical attacks.

There was no hesitation, he said. We knew that it was for a purpose, and that we were going to be busy because there were aircraft, vessels and rail which needed to be loaded and unloaded.

The Soldiers deployed to the Port of Dammam in Saudi Arabia, where he served as the port operations non-commissioned officer. Casss responsibilities included vessel discharges, ammunition storage, and coordination with host nation support for all crane and material handling equipment.

When the advanced party arrived in Saudi Arabia they found themselves in a very fast paced, fluid environment. The 551st Transportation Company ran the arrival and departure airfield control group at Dhahran Air Base, where over 5,000 Soldiers arrived daily. 7th Transportation Group staff officers and noncommissioned officers also worked at the airfield, coordinating with host nation authorities for cargo trucks and buses to move incoming Soldiers to their field sites.

The 7th Group also opened the King Khalid Military City and Kuwait International Airport, Cass recalled. Overall the 7th Transportation Group supported numerous operations from the sea, land and air in and out of Saudi Arabia. We discharged most of the cargo from hundreds of means of transportation. Units shipped their cargo to the Port of Dammam. The Group would provide support for those units while waiting for their equipment to arrive from the continental U.S. and overseas. Once the equipment arrived, the Group would unload the equipment and ensure the units were prepared for onward movement into the theater of operation.

The 7th Transportation Group was responsible for all theater movements from the Port Of Dammam to the airport in Kuwait City and into numerous camps and bases within the theater, Cass added.

Cass was also responsible for the safety of military personnel, civilian employees and contractors during port operations, and during inbound attacks on the port. He remembered one of those attacks as if it were still fresh in his mind.

We heard the missile go across our building and explode, Cass recalled. The sirens went off a few seconds later. Thats when we went into action, put our gear on and braced ourselves. I jumped into my truck and drove up and down the pier making sure everyone had their gear on.

Ironically, Cass was in such a hurry to protect his people that he forgot his gear in his office. Another Soldier noticed, and warned him of his vulnerability. The operations NCO returned to his office and donned his ensemble as quickly as possible.

We thought it was a funny moment: here I am driving around telling people to put their gear on, and I myself didnt have it, Cass remarked.

The attacked had passed, with none of the missiles landing on or near the port. Cass called his wife to let her know he was okay. He remembered how his wife was overcome with emotion upon hearing his voice.

When she heard my voice, I could hear her laughter, Cass said, as he too could not help becoming emotional as he recalled the moment. Bad news travels fast, and good news is not so fast. I wanted to make sure my wife and kids knew I was safe and that everything was good.

Not every day on deployment was dramatic or exhilarating; there were many slow days as well. Cass remembered being so bored, he and a lieutenant would capture flies and place them into a company formation.

On especially balmy days, Cass and his colleagues would drive up to a group working under the hot sun and hurl water balloons at them. Other methods the deployers used to entertain themselves were playing board games, collecting baseball cards, reading books and doing arts and crafts.

Some of Casss favorite memories were the times he and his colleagues would gather on top of the barge they used as a barracks facility. There, they formed their own club where they would drink non-alcoholic beer and hang out. These meetings would turn into opportunities for mentorship and bonding.

After a long days work we would go on top of the barge, Cass recounted. We would talk about what happened that day or nightwho angered you and how we could do betterlittle after-action reports just between the group. But we had a lot of fun, we had a good time. I firmly believe that during Desert Stormwe were all about teamwork; we were about camaraderie.

Such camaraderie played an important part in keeping the team together. Because Cass already deployed several times before Operation Desert Storm, he was prepared to be away from his family. But he also knew he had teammates who were never so far away from home before. Cass made it a point to help his comrades feel that although they were far away from home, they were still with familytheir brothers in arms.

Desert Storm showed me what brotherhood actually meant, Cass remarked. We talked to one another constantly, we looked out for one another and we made sure that when one stumbled, someone would pick them up and continue the mission. Teamwork was epitome, heart and soul of our lives. Not since then have I seen such bonds.

Finally, after one year in the desert, it was time to return home. Cass and his team flew to Langley Air Force Base (now part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis) where they were met by their families and loved ones.

During the homecoming ceremony, Cass caught a glimpse of his family. He couldnt hold back his emotions, and smiled while standing in formation.The moment was caught by a photographer.

When I looked forward, I could see my family thats why I had the big grin in that picture, Cass said. Just seeing my family was phenomenal beyond words.

Desert Storm was not Casss last deployment. He would go on to continue travelling around the world, accomplishing many more missions before retiring after 23 years of service. He quipped that if not for his advanced age, he would even join the Army again.

I deployed all over the world, he concluded. I went through two passports in my career going to numerous countries. It was a good time. I have no regrets whatsoever, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

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Away from home, but still with family - DVIDS

The scratches are clearly visible on Hermanus Busto.

Photo: Aitor Badiola

Spanish fisherman Joso Zaldombed, 55, who was struck by German sailor Boris Hermann on Wednesday, has also returned to Earth. Zaldimbide (Click here for an interview about the accidentThe 15-man crew of the Hermanus Busto returned safely to the fishing village of Ondrroa on Saturday morning. This was stated by the owner of the ship, Eitor Badiola. Herrmanns high-tech yacht collided with Hermanos Busto 90 miles from the finish line of the famous Vende Globe regatta on Wednesday. After 80 days sailing around the world, Hermann missed a chance to win the regatta. He had reached the final at Les Sables-dOlonne in France on Thursday fifth in the final ranking.

The owner of the ship Badiola Make photos available to Sddeutsche ZeitungTo confirm that Hermanos Bustos Automatic Identification System (AIS) was operational at the time of the collision with the Herrmann Seaexplorer. The image shows the first and apparently the most recent of ten recoverable pages with archive data for AIS. Accordingly, Hermanos Bustos AIS was put into operation for the last time on January 5, 2021 and has yet to be discontinued.

Das AIS Monastery of Hermanus Busto.

Photo: Aitor Badiola

Another photo shows ships currently registered by AIS for Hermanos Busto and shown by Calling Tracer.

There was a controversy over the Spanish Hunters AIS after the accident. Hermann had initially indicated that the Spanish hunter had turned off AIS. He himself went to sleep. He had previously triggered all alarms on his yacht. The Spanish hunter had defended himself against suspicion of shutting down Air Force Intelligence. Captain Zaldombide said, He shouldnt say that, damn it.

After Hermann had doubts on Friday morning whether the Hunters AIS was operational, the raft was put into operation in the afternoon. There are no accusations on my part, Hermann said after a phone call with Badiola. In a hurry, I realized this as the simplest and most straightforward explanation, because Ive already seen one or another fishing boat that doesnt have AIS. The causes of the collision remained a mystery to him.

Red / sz.de

Posted today at 12:13 PM

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Accident on the high seas - now the fisherman provides pictures of evidence - The Weston Forum

The teams left Far North Queensland and headed south to Australias adrenaline capital, the Gold Coast. But sadly, despite coming second at the first Pit Stop, The Twin Models, Alex and Jack, bravely chose to withdraw from the Race due to Alexs mental health.

The remaining twelve teams were tasked with finding their way to Kirra Beach, to perform a challenge with Australias iconic lifesavers. Using a series of life saver signals, one teammate directed their other half in an Inflatable Rescue Boat, to a set of numbered buoys.

And believe us when we tell you the huge surf wasnt the only drama on the high seas! The Power Couple Holly and Dolor tried their best not to argue; The Geek couldnt see his Princess; and Jordan from The Dancing Exes became airborne and capsized. Chaos is an understatement.

Last to leave the beach were The Power Couple and The Mums, and just as The Mums raced to hail down a cab which turns out, belonged to The Power Couple an icy exchange ensued, as Dolor told The Mums to vacate the cab, refusing to share. Ouch.

Next, the Detour saw the teams chose between learning a synchronized swim routine and finding a special golden token in classic Aussie Ugg boots. Uggs sounds easy, right? Guess again. With hundreds to choose from, and some loaded with set mouse traps, this was no easy feat.

As Dolor struggled to keep his head above water in the synchronized swim, so too did The Power Couples plan to abstain from arguing. A few tantrums and seven attempts later, they finish the Detour in last place.

Finishing their Detours, The Parents, Shane and Deb, and The Super Sikhs raced toward the Roadblock, seeing one team member race a dirt bike around a track in 55 seconds.

In last place again, were The Power Couple, who caught up to The Mums at the dirt track. Dolor was quick to assume he could overtake Shannon, but was left eating Shannons dirt. She was a boss on that bike!

Onto then next location, WetnWild water park, teams had to race down a heart-stopping, free fall water slide, before arriving at the Pit Stop.

The Super Sikhs slid down to first place at the Pit Stop, yet again. Not only did they maintain their lead, but they also received a First Class Pass, meaning they will not compete in the next lead and cannot be eliminated.

And if that wasnt enough of a win, The Super Sikhs were handed this seasons new powerplays: the Salvage and Sabotage. A Salavage is a bonus or advantage of some kind given to one team. A Sabotage is a disadvantage or setback given to one team.

After Beau revealed this leg was a predetermined non-elimination leg, in an effort to be fair, The Super Sikhs awarded the Salvage to The Power Couple and the Sabotage to The Mums.

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RECAP | The Twin Models Withdraw From The Amazing Race Australia - TV Blackbox

BY REBECCA KUKU

Papua New Guinea was hit by Tropical Cyclone Lucas at 5am this morning with heavy torrential rains and strong winds causing flooding and falling trees and power pylons.

So far one death has been reported in Port Moresby after a tree fell on a family home.

TheNational Weather Service has also issued a heavy rain and flash flood warning in the capital city and Central Province.

Duty Forecaster Peter Warupi said that Cyclone Lucas was now out of the country heading towards Vanuatu and Noumea.

Renewal gale force winds warning have also been issued for all coastal waters of Yule Island to Port Moresby to Hood Point/Aroma Coast and Samarai Islands.

All Milne Bay islands, including Finschhafen to Vitiaz/Dampier straits and south of West New Britain, including the ocean waters of the east Coral and west Solomon seas, he said.

Warupi also said that strong west to Northwest winds of 34-47 knots are expected to continue for the next 24 hours, causing very rough and high seas.

Heavy rains, showers and isolated thunderstorms associated with the monsoon trough to be experienced for the next couple of days.

Heavy rains are forecasted to persist over low lying areas, valleys and along rivers, streams and lakes in Highlands, Gulf, Central, NCD, Milne Bay, Oro, including East and West Sepik, Madang and Northern Coast of East/West New Britain and New Ireland province, over the next 12/24 hours causing flooding and landslides, he said.

Warupi called on the public to take necessary precautions.

All affected communities are urged to move to higher grounds, store clean drinking water and food and to avoid driving through or crossing flooded roads, bridges and rivers.

His office will continue to provide weather updates and warnings.

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Heavy Rain and Strong Winds expected to continue for the next couple of days - POST-COURIER

Tropical Depression 07F TD07F has further weakened into a low pressure and remains to the far Northwest of the Fiji group.

According to the special weather for Fiji TD07F issued from the RSMS Nadi at 12pm today the associated convergence zone will bring gale force winds up to 65km/hr with heavy rain over Vanua Levu, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands, Lomaiviti and Lau group.

For Vanua Levu, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands, Lomaiviti and Lau group expect damaging gale force winds with average speeds of 65km/hr, gusting upto 90km/hr.

Impacts will be minor damages to weak structures, minor damages to houses of very light materials in exposed communities.

Damages to crops and vegetation with trees tilting due to gales.

Periods of rain, heavy at times and few thunderstorms.

This will continue to bring floods to roads, villages, towns and communities near streams, rivers and low lying areas.

Expect moderate to heavy swells and breaking waves reaching the coastal areas that may cause possible coastal inundation and sea flooding especially during high tide.

Poor visibility in areas of heavy rain and thunderstorms.

For the rest of Fiji expect strong west to northwest winds with average speeds of 65km/hr and momentary gusts of up to 80km/hr.

Occasional rain, heavy at times and few thunderstorms with very rough to high seas and poor visibility in areas of heavy rain and thunderstorms.

For mariners, a gale warning remains in force for Vatu-i-Ra passage, Koro sea, Lau waters and northern Vanua Levu waters.

Expect northerly winds up to 45 knots gusting to 65 knots.

This will bring very high seas with high risk of sea travel for mariners.

A strong wind warning remains in force for the rest of Fiji waters.

Expect west to northwest winds up to 20 to 30 knots with gusts up to 45 knots with rough to very rough seas.

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The Fiji Times TD07F: Further weakened into a low pressure - Fiji Times

The vast ice sheet on Greenland has become unstable and technology isnt storming to the rescue. The world is not on a trajectory to curb global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius were almost there already. Everybody is asleep. Its like the Titanic, wails sea level rise guru John Englander, an oceanographer and author who has made it his lifes mission to shake the world awake before its too late.

Too late for what? To secure coastlines all over the world ahead of the rising sea, which is pushing coastlines farther inland. To protect property values, to strategize and reorganize economic priorities, to move seaside nuclear reactors, you name it. Life as we know it.

Part of the reason for the global somnolescence is that scientific reports by nature err on the side of caution. Thus, the current sea level rise estimates for 2050 or 2100 (which distract from the fact that sea level rise will continue afterward) are typically conservative, which in this case means they understate the real rise. Its also considered rude to conclude that the world is careening toward hell in a handbasket.

But the world is not on a minimalist trajectory. It is not heading for a mere 40-centimeter (16-inch) increase by 2100 based on the optimistic scenario, which is losing credence. The official (UN-IPCC) high end of forecasts is around 90 centimeters by 2100 but even that is too optimistic in Englanders view, as he warned in a joint paper with other academics in December: Twenty-first century sea level rise could exceed IPCC projections for strong-warming futures.

Sea level rise by 2100 could be 2 meters. It could be 3, or 4 meters, he says. The only thing we know is that we dont know: the situation is fluid, you should excuse the expression. And we know that a lot of the water will come from Greenland.

To warn the general population, however, Englander feels sciences kid gloves are inappropriate at this point. Mounting evidence indicates climate change is accelerating and creating vicious circles that quicken it even more. The destabilization of Greenlands ice sheet is a case in point.

It is hard to reconcile reports of its accelerated melting and destabilization with estimates that it will, nonetheless, take maybe five to six centuries for all Greenlands ice to melt. Englander explains this seeming incongruity.

Ive been there several times, leading expeditions, he tells Haaretz. Its hard to comprehend how vast Greenland is. Its 2,500 kilometers north to south and about 1,000 kilometers east to west, literally from east of the Mississippi in the U.S., and from Maine to Florida i.e., nearly 2.2 million square kilometers.

In Middle Eastern terms, Greenland is about the size of Saudi Arabia. (Israel is about 22,000 square kilometers in area about twice the size of B-15, the biggest-ever iceberg caught on camera, which calved off the Ross Ice Shelf. )

Greenland is covered by a layer of ice 1 to 3 kilometers thick; if it all melts, it will raise global sea levels by over 7 meters. No one thinks that can happen quickly. It will take centuries, at least. The question is what will happen by 2050 and 2100, Englander drives home the point.

Asked if the Greenlandic ice sheets recently reported destabilization could change his vague expectation that the melt should take centuries, Englander offers the only answer he can: maybe. Which is all the more reason to wake up.

Sea level rise cannot be stopped

Even if carbon dioxide emissions were to screen to a halt today, even if cows were to start farting flowers instead of methane, even if every car were to suddenly morph into a tree, further sea level rise is inevitable. Like the Titanic, its direction cannot be diverted anymore, though its momentum might be influenced.

It is time to glance again at John Englanders famous graph of historic correlations between atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, global mean temperatures, and sea level over the last 400,000 years. The graph shows exactly what the problem is:

Atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen to levels last seen millions of years ago, approximately speaking (neither Donald Trump nor the coronavirus changed the trajectory in any meaningful sense). Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature are correlated: if the one rises, so does the other. The higher the CO2, the higher the global mean temperature at a lag. Again: at a lag. Temperature has yet to proportionately react to the increase in carbon dioxide levels.

Yes, after CO2 rises, temperature will too but how long the reaction will take depends on a practically infinite array of parameters, so it cannot be predicted with any meaningful accuracy. All we can say is it will happen, and the fact that the globe has experienced year after year of record heat is just the start. Oceans, being vast and dense and saline, take longer to react than the air or shallow lakes, but as the air warms, so does their surface and then their depths. The Arctic has been among the worst affected there are days parts of it are hotter than in Tel Aviv.

Apropos of which, forecasting the future of Israels coast is tricky.

The coastline has moved kilometers inland over the last 50 years, says Dr. (emeritus) John K. Hall of the Geological Survey of Israel, adding that this conundrum tends to be met with massive denial. The beaches are eroding, the cliffs are coming down, he adds. At sea rise levels of 20 to 30 centimeters, it is difficult to draw lines with any accuracy, to say which neighborhoods will be affected and which spared but the key issue is the likelihood of increasingly violent storms smashing into the beaches and cliffs. If sea levels come up, storms will beat the hell out of the coast, Hall predicts.

Anyway, there is a growing unease in global scientific circles about simultaneously warning and reassuring the public. More and more scientists are warning that sea level will rise faster than previously thought. Which means what?

Forecast: Weasels?

The Greenland ice sheet alone locks up 7 meters of sea level rise, which is bad enough, but Antarctica locks up 65 meters more, Englander explains. All the other glaciers in the world add just 1 more meter. Looking at glaciers from Mount Kilimanjaro [in Kenya] to the Alps, its pocket change he says.

Ergo: the Arctic island of Greenland and southern continent of Antarctica contain about 98 percent of the ice on land, by volume. Yet modelers have been ignoring Antarcticas contribution.

This is why? For one thing, because the dynamics and precise timing of Antarcticas melting ice remain profoundly unclear. As we said, scientists tend to err on the side of caution, lest they be perceived as a pack of yowling Cassandras scorned by policymakers. If you stand on a soapbox shrieking The end is nigh, precious few will listen even as avenging angels begin to arrive.

But the result is that projections of half a meter to just-under-a-meter of sea level rise by the centurys end dont factor in Antarctica, nor do they factor in Greenlands destabilization, Englander explains.

That is bound to end about as well as the Euripides play performed in 408 B.C.E., where the actor Hegelochus meant to say, After the storm I see again a calm sea, but wound up saying, After the storm I see again a weasel. Well, 2,500 years belatedly, the unfortunate thespian may have had a point. Those are not calm seas on our horizon.

The Greenlandic irony

What does Greenland has destabilized even mean? That parts of the ice sheet and major glaciers are already exhibiting sudden break up and collapse. In 2012, the documentary Chasing Ice captured one huge collapse using time-lapse cameras. Meanwhile, Greenland is already the chief contributor to sea level rise today, and it has started to dawn on coastal residents and insurance companies and the like that something will have to be done.

Part of Englanders book due out on April 6, Moving to Higher Ground (The Science Bookshelf), discusses exactly these conundrums.

Why is it only an issue now? The science of climate change has been around for decades. Why is anybody still buying a beachside home?

Englander blames a failure of imagination. At the height of the Ice Age, the average sea level was 120 meters lower than it is now. As the latest Ice Age waned and the ice sheets melted, sea levels gradually rose sometimes more abruptly than at other times. But none of that happened during recorded history.

Civilization as we could recognize it a gradual transition from hunting-gathering to a settled lifestyle seems to have begun around 12,000 years ago, some places earlier, some places later, well after the Last Glacial Maximum 22,000 years ago. People adore living by the coast and always have. Even Neanderthals are thought to have frolicked in the water and dived for shellfish. And the first villages on low-lying shoreland were indeed inundated. Israeli archaeologists, for example, have found the remains of Neolithic villages off todays coast, under the waves of the Mediterranean.

But for the last 7,000 or 8,000 years, sea levels have been stable, near present-day heights, and we are not capable of imagining the situation otherwise, Englander postulates.

Sea levels have been creeping up since the industrial revolution began and some cities have noticed think of Miami and its sunny-day floods. But that is why we simply cannot fathom what a meter or two even mean. Its beyond our scope of experience.

The last time sea level was above present-day levels was 122,000 years ago, when it was some 7 meters above present, he explains.

Even at the accelerated warming rate, most people dont think well get more than a meter out of sea level rise from Greenland this century. But a meter of global sea level rise would be devastating, flooding literally thousands of coastal communities, he points out the obvious.

Three of the biggest cities in the world are in acute danger: Shanghai, Mumbai and Jakarta, and so are hundreds more from Alexandria to Boston to London.

Ironically, Greenlands own coastlines are probably safe. This is because as its ice cover melts, the land is rising, as land does when an enormous weight is lifted. It is the obverse of the situation in Jakarta, where the land is sinking because of groundwater depletion, the heavy buildings and sea level rise. Never mind 2100: the city is expected to be 95 percent underwater by 2050.

The human instinct is to be optimistic, [to hope] technology will come to the rescue. But it doesnt make sense in this context, Englander sums up. The oceans have been warmed almost a degree already and were going to warm them 2 degrees more. The ice is going to melt.

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Collapse of Greenland ice sheet to raise sea level faster than expected - Haaretz

MONTREAL A new research centre created at Montreals Polytechnique university will aim to protect ships from pirates and theyre not talking about Blackbeard or Captain Kidd.

Canadas Maritime Cyber Security Centre of Excellence will combine the expertise of two Polytechnique researchers, Quebec cybersecurity startup Neptune Cyber and Davie Shipbuilding. The five-year research project will focus on cybersecurity for critical maritime infrastructures.

Its time to do something, because the shipping industry is still lagging behind, technologically, said Neptune Cybers technological director, Jeremy Citone. Its time for the shipping industry to catch up.

Critical ship components, including navigation and motors, are more and more connected to the internet in order to diagnose problems at a distance and avoid having to send a repairperson onto a ship that could be half a world away.

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But systems connected to the internet can become potentially attractive targets for hackers, who could try to paralyze a ship in the hopes of extracting a large ransom from the owner.

The idea is to see to what extent, with our background and our expertise, we can provide interesting solutions to make these systems resilient, said Polytechnique professor Nora Cuppens.

The solutions we know must be adapted so they can be applied in other specific fields, such as the maritime sector.

Hackers have shown repeatedly that they represent a serious threat.

In June 2017, a number of companies including Danish shipping giant Maersk were hit hard by the NotPetya ransomware virus. Maersk took almost two weeks to recover from the attack, which is said to have cost the company at least US$300 million.

Closer to home, Montreals public transit agency was victim of a ransomware attack last fall that paralyzed its activities for several days.

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One can easily imagine what could happen if cyberattackers took over the controls of an airplane in flight, or of several dozen cars on the highway. But what about an out-of control cargo ship steaming down the St. Lawrence Seaway?

We get the impression that not many people have asked themselves the question, Citone said.

As of Jan. 1, the International Maritime Organization has required shipowners and operators to integrate cyber risk management into their security initiatives. It is the first cybersecurity regulatory framework for the shipping industry, which previously operated without international standards, according to Cuppens.

Previously, what was in place amounted to procedures and guidelines on what to do in the event of a cyberattack, Citone said. But if the attack has already happened, its too late: youre in the middle of the ocean and youre down, he said.

Cuppens says that beyond attacks targeting port facilities or ships systems, theres a need to protect the entire supply chain, including trucks that bring merchandise to port.

Ships take up to five years to build, and its impossible to predict what threats could exist in the future. Therefore, the solutions whether on board or run from a distance need to be able to be deployed quickly and affordably if the industry is to adopt them, Citone said.

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Cuppens said solutions also need to take into account human factors, such as an employee who brings in a USB key to watch a film and ends up infecting the entire ship.

Within a year, the projects participants hope to have identified key vulnerabilities and laid the foundation for addressing them, Cuppens said.

Neptune Cyber and Davie will contribute a total of $1.7 million, of which $500,000 will be in cash and $1.2 million in support and equipment for the projects duration. About 10 graduate students will also be trained to become among the first specialists in the field.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan 28, 2021.

2021 The Canadian Press

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New maritime cybersecurity centre to fight pirates on the high seas and the digital world - Global News

The Vende Globe sailing race ended last night just as it started 80 days earlierwith high drama on the high seas. The solo, round-the-world race, considered the Everest of sailing, was hard fought until the very end, with five potential sailors in the running until the last stretch and no clear winner emerging until hours after the first sailor crossed the finish line.

Charlie Dahlin, the 36-year-old skipper of the 60-foot racing yachtApivia, sailed from the foggy Bay of Biscay into the coastal French town of Les Sables-DOlonne, where the race had started. His time of80 days, six hours, 15 minutes and 47 seconds was the fastest of the 2020-2021 event. But behind him were two sailors who could potentially be named the Vende winners because they had participated in the search and rescue of another racer whose boat had broken up and sunk in November.

Boris Hermann, who was closing in on Dahlin, had been awarded compensation time of more than six hours for his part in the rescue, and behind him was Yannick Bestaven, who had even more time10 hours and 15 minutesto deduct from his final timeline.

Eric Dahlin was the first sailor to make it across the finish line, but he wasnt the race winner.Courtesy Vendee Globe

It wasnt Hermanns night. Just 90 miles from the finish, in the dark ocean, his racing yachtSeaxplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco crashed into a fishing trawler, damaging the yachts starboard foil and forcing it to limp towards Les Sables-DOlonne. He had completed 99.6 percent of the 23,400-mile race, spending 80 days in the worlds most remote oceans, often with sleep deprivation and extreme cold. Like all the racers, Hermann was always trying to find an edge in the race. On the final day, many expected him to claim first place. Hermann himself was unhurt, though clearly shaken by the unfortunate event.

It was just another day in the Vende, which had seen a record 33 racers start the race and only 25 complete it, with the others experiencing broken boats in brutal sea conditions, sails torn asunder from 50-knot winds, and, in the case of Kevin Escoffier, a sunken race boat.Escoffier, who watched his boat break in half and sink in minutes, was forced into a life raft in the middle of a storm in 20-foot seas. He was lucky. Most times, other sailors were typically hundreds of miles away from each other, following different courses to get an edge with the weather.

Fortunately for Escoffier, Hermann, Bestaven and two other sailors were relatively close. Escoffiers dramatic rescue by Jean Le Cam was one of the biggest highlights of this years race. Le Cam himself had had to be rescued during the 2009 Vende.

Yannick Bestaven sailed a strong, smart race but was rarely the leader. With ten hours deducted from his final time for his aid in the rescue of another sailor, he emerged as the winner.Courtesy Jean-Marie LIOT / Matre Coq

In the end, Bestaven was declared the winner, thanks to his compensated time. He crossed the finish line third, behind Dahlin and Louis Burton. Dahlin had consistently led the race, which follows a traditional southern clipper route around three capesCape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Hornwhile sailing across four oceans, including the hostile Southern Ocean. Dahlin, a first-time Vendee sailor, had experienced challenges during the race, including having to repair a damaged port foil that severely compromised his vessels sailing abilities.

The repair involved a full day. For hours, he was attached to a halyard, swinging over the side of the pitching boat to fit a replacement part into the broken area. I dont know how many times I went back and forth30 or 40 timesto adjust the piece to fit the case, he said.

Many others also had to repair broken hulls or other parts of their yachts to move forward. The original race favorite, Alex Thomsen, was forced to retire within 10 days of the start because of irreparable damage to his yacht Hugo Boss.

Borris Hermann, at one point favored to win the event, crashed into a fishing trawler just 90 miles from the finish line, ending any hopes of being on the winners podium.Courtesy Vendee Globe

These boats are stressful, noisy and life on board is difficult, said Bestaven after arriving in port. There is also loneliness sometimes.

Dahlin, who was given a heros welcome on crossing the line first, also spoke of intense ups and downs while sailing alone, often hundreds of miles from help, in the worlds most remote oceans. But it is a magical race, he added. It has changed me, I am not sure how yet, but it has. There are so many emotions of such strengththings I have not felt before. It is so strong.

I feel like Im living a dream, hallucinating, said Bestaven, holding two victory flares over his head after crossing the finish line. You go from total solitude to thisto this party and these lights. Im still in my race. Its a childs dream.

Bestavens racing yacht was equipped with state-of-the-art foils that lifted the hull above the water to increase speeds.Courtesy Vendee Globe

The 48-year-old Bestavendescribing his best quality as stubbornnesshas been ocean racing for 20 years but, like Dahlin, this was his first Vende Globe. The winners podium will consist of Bestaven in first place, Dahlin in second and Burton in third.

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The Grueling 80-Day Vende Globe Sailing Race Finally Has a Winner - Robb Report

Tokyo rejects Beijing's claims to the South China Sea in message to United Nations

Japan recently joined six other nations by messaging the United Nations that it rejects Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The note verbale sent Jan. 19 to the U.N. dismisses a September claim by Beijing that its maritime territory there extends to a cluster of islands and reefs more than 1,200 miles from the Chinese mainland. A note verbale is less formal than a diplomatic note and is sent unsigned.

The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam have voiced similar objections in the U.N. since September over Chinas claims to outlying archipelagos, including the Spratly and Paracel island chains.

Japan makes no claims of its own in the South China Sea, but it objects to Chinas assertion of sovereignty in the sea and airspace around those maritime features found to be low-tide elevations, according to the note.

Setting a baseline around the island chains would allow Beijing to claim nearly all of the South China Sea. The sea is a critical shipping lane vital to more than half of all global maritime trade, according to the U.N.

Japan in its message said China tried to restrict overflights by Japanese aircraft of Mischief Reef in the Spratlys, where China has built an airfield and made other improvements. It did not specify whether the aircraft was commercial or military.

As a matter of fact, China protested the overflight of Japanese aircraft in the airspace surrounding Mischief Reef and attempted to restrict the freedom of overflight in the South China Sea, Japan said in the note.

Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday declined to provide details about the flight, citing operational safety, or of the Chinese protest since it is a diplomatic matter.

The U.S. regularly conducts freedom-of-navigation operations sailing near or flying over contested islands in the South China Sea, including Mischief Reef.

While it has no competing claims in the region, Japan does control a small, uninhabited group, the Senkakus, in the nearby East China Sea, a claim China actively contests. President Joe Biden in a phone call Wednesday assured Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that the U.S. commitment to defend Japan extends to the Senkakus.

Japanese maritime security expert Tetsuo Kotani on Tuesday said Japan, whose constitution generally forbids offensive military action, relies on the international order set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The rule of law and rules-based order in the maritime domain is critical for maritime nations like Japan, the Japan Institute of International Affairs senior research fellow told Stars and Stripes by email.

Kotani added that Japan was likely inspired to issue the note as part of a collective action by the U.S. and some European and Southeast Asia countries.

Notes from the U.K., Germany and France to the U.N. in September decried Chinas claims to the South China Sea and emphasized the importance of unhampered exercise of freedom of the high seas, in particular the freedom of navigation and overflight in that region.

China in September told the U.N. its claims are consistent with the Law of the Sea treaty, which spells out international rights and responsibilities regarding the oceans.

Chinas assertion mirrored its failed argument in a 2016 arbitration involving the Philippines at The Hague that the nine-dash line drawn by China in 1947 is based on its historic rights to the region. The line encompasses about 90% of the South China Sea.

Chinas territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea are established in the long course of history and have been consistently upheld by successive Chinese Governments, Beijing wrote to the U.N. in September.

Japan, however, said China had failed to invoke the relevant provisions of the treaty to back up its territorial claims.

The is no room for a state party to justify the application of baselines that do not satisfy the conditions stipulated under the Law of the Sea treaty, it wrote.

doornbos.caitlin@stripes.com Twitter: @CaitlinDoornbos

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Tokyo rejects Beijing's claims to the South China Sea in message to United Nations - Stars and Stripes