Nasco Diamond
On Thursday morning, Nasco Diamond loaded with 55,000 tonnes of nickel ore from Indonesia to China was reported missing and believed to have sunk off the southern coast of Japan. Five of the twenty five crew have been accounted for, with at least one fatality. Empty rafts and oil slicks were seen near where the crew members were rescued. Japanese and Taiwanese Coast Guards continue to search for the remaining missing twenty crew.
Rescue launched for Chinese crew off southern Japan
Today the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners, Intercargo, issued a statement about the risks of transporting nickel ore. If the moisture content in the ore is too high, the water in the ore can separate during the voyage, creating a free surface effect which can destabilize a ship and potentially lead to capsizing.
The Canadian War Museum is marking the 100th anniversary of Canada’s navy with a fascinating new online exhibit – 
On this anniversary of the armistice on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day or the eleventh month that ended the “war to end all wars,” it seems worthwhile to remember the often overlooked role of merchant mariners in national defense. Though it was kept secret during the war and largely ignored afterward, 1 in 26 mariners serving aboard US merchant ships in World WW II died in the line of duty, suffering a greater percentage of war-related deaths than all other U.S. services.
Thirty five years ago today the ore carrier 
Update: 
William Hammond’s new novel, 
Sad news from over the weekend. A 
The CBC’s program “
In September, we posted that the 
The 150 windowless inside staterooms on the new 4,000 passenger cruise ship, 
The 
