The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131029
LE T T E RS Letters to the editor are encouraged from readers who wish to say nice things, raise an industry concern, or even get something off their chest. Letters are published in good faith and may be abridged if too verbose or on the edge of being libellous. In fact, in 15 years we have only refused to publish two letters. For this reason, while we will protect an author's identity if requested by "name withheld on request," letters must be clearly marked by name and address, signed or emailed as verification of authenticity. Letters not clearly signed may not see the light of day. LOAD LINES Dear Sir Ships and the sea are a hobby/passion of mine and I think your mag is definitely the best around. These photos were snapped on a recent trip to South East Asia. I was wondering if these Vietnamese vessels on the Mekong River carrying sand have load lines? Seems like the cabin door is the limit. These vessels are numerous on the river and safety and navigation rules seem non-existent. Dave Mitchell, Takapuna water? Say I am leaving a boat ramp heading out to sea against a six knot tidal stream, then I would need to exceed five knots through the water to get anywhere. So you might say that the restriction should be based on five knots over ground, allowing the craft to do 11 knots through the water. But then, any boat drifting would actually be exceeding five knots over the ground, and if going five knots through the water with the stream would be covering 11 knots over ground. So then you might say that the restriction should be based on five knots through the water. Some may say that common sense should apply, but when it comes to bureaucracy, can we rely on that? How would anyone enforce such a rule and what does five knots actually mean? Sounds to me like too much leeway for a smart lawyer, if you'll excuse the pun. Finally, I read with interest Lea Clough's article in which he states "sloppy English, sloppy thinking." If I could quote from your editorial – "Nah, it would appear when it all gets too much it is easier to desert the ship! Wusses!" Well said Keith! Sloppy English maybe, but the all important meaning is well clear. Dene O'Loughlin, Marine Survey Tauranga Ltd WAYWARD POINT Dear Sir You have a wayward decimal point in my article in Professional Skipper magazine, March/April page 53. Published as $9590.00 was meant to be $959.00 as in my copy. Oops. Mekong River, Vietnam WHAT KNOTS Louise Deehan-Owen, Senior Lecturer Dear Sir Looking at the latest edition of your fine magazine, I initially suspected a typo when you mentioned a new hourly Maritime NZ charge of $313.55 including GST. But later in the NZMTA section, similar figures were mentioned. Maybe it's time I changed over to the public sector! Although I guess as always, the surveyors themselves will only get a fraction of that. The rest will be swallowed up somehow. My main reason for writing is about the five knot rule. What does it mean? Five knots over ground, or through the OYANG 70 Dear Sir Crusading reporter Michael Field has written an excellent article in the March 9 Dominion Post on the coroner's report on the sinking of Oyang 70. It quotes Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy as stating that the report was "a bit disappointing." Really? Presumably the Minister would describe Nazi Germany's treatment of Jews in the Holocaust as "not very nice." 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Valued at $1000. www.marineartgallery.net.nz May/June 2013 Professional Skipper 3