Monthly Archives: August 2020
Tropical Storm Isaias no longer forecast to restrengthen into hurricane, forecasted impacts remain the same
Tropical Storm Isaias is forecast to move northward and skirt the east coast of Florida today. While Isaias is no longer forecast to restrengthen into a hurricane, the impacts will remain essentially the same. Dangerous storm surge of 2 to 4 feet is expected in some coastal areas regardless of whether Isaias makes landfall in Florida. How much heavy rain occurs over eastern Florida will depend on the exact track it takes. Isaias is then forecast to move north toward the Carolinas and potentially make landfall there Monday night, causing high winds. Heavy rainfall totals are expected to cause potentially life-threatening flash flooding over the Carolinas and then the Mid-Atlantic Monday and Tuesday as Isaias moves north, and Moderate Risks of flash flooding are in place. Please see the National Hurricane Center for further and updated information on Isaias. >click to read< 08:31
Boats are blessed on the bayou during the annual St. Bernard Blessing of the Fleet
Shrimp, crab and fishing boats adorned in flags lined up for the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Saint Bernard Parish. Each boat was blessed with holy water by Archbishop Gregory Aymond in front of Robin Seafood Co. The Charlito donates money to the church during the annual St. Bernard Blessing 
of the Fleet in St. Bernard, La., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. Decorated shrimp, crab and fishing boats lined up to be blessed by Archbishop Gregory Aymond. The Ellie Margaret shrimp boat travels down the bayou fore the annual St. Bernard Blessing of the Fleet in St. Bernard, La. More photo’s, >click here< 22:36
Tropical Storm Isaias Public Advisory – Expected To Re-Strengthen To Hurricane Overnight
At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Isaias was located by an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 25.3 North, longitude 78.9 West. Isaias is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). A general northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected for the next day or so, followed by a north-northwestward motion by late Sunday. A turn toward the north and north-northeast is anticipated on Monday and Tuesday with an increase in forward speed. On the forecast track, the center of Isaias will approach the southeast coast of Florida tonight and move near or along the east coast of Florida Sunday and Sunday night. On Monday and Tuesday, the center of Isaias will move from offshore of the coast of Georgia into the southern mid-Atlantic states. >click to read< 20:08
FV Jubilee: Disaster averted just days before tragedy that cost three lives
The likely cause of a trawler capsizing and sinking off the Canterbury coast with the loss of all three fishermen aboard had happened on a previous fishing trip just days earlier, it’s been revealed. The 90-tonne, 16m Jubilee sank 22km off the Rakaia River mouth after sending a distress signal early 
on October 18, 2015. All three experienced fishermen on board – Jared Reese Husband, 47, of Timaru, skipper Paul Russell Bennett, 35, of Motueka, and 55-year-old Terry Donald Booth also from the Nelson region – died. A Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) probe concluded the sinking was likely caused by a hose left running,,, >click to read< 15:54
Deadliest Catch Fisherman Mahlon Reyes, Dead at 38
Mahlon Reyes, who was best known for starring in Deadliest Catch has died at the age of 38 after suffering a heart attack. The deckhand’s family have confirmed the news while sharing their “shock” over his tragic death. The sad news has been confirmed by Mahlon’s wife, who said his loved ones are “completely shocked” that he suffered a “massive heart attack”, as he had no existing health conditions his family knew of. His other half confirmed he died in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana after his heart attack last Saturday morning. Mahlon initially survived the heart attack after being rushed to hospital. >click to read< 14:23
Whale info way off, by Maine Lobsterman Leonard Young
Reading Bill McWeeny’s July 23 commentary bothered me a great deal. His statement that right whales have never been so close to extinction since they were hunted is untrue. I’ve been a lobsterman for almost 50 years, and we’ve been dealing with the whale issue for almost two decades. When we started this process, we were told there were 200 of these animals. Mr. McWeeny decided to omit the fact that we had modified our gear many years ago with sinking ground lines, breakaways in our end lines and more traps on end lines to decrease end lines. Since we did this, entanglements decreased considerably. These animals had increased to almost 500. Then they changed their feeding ground,, by Maine Lobsterman Leonard Young, Corea >click to read< 11:20
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 31, 2020
It’s the final Bristol Bay Fisheries Report of the season! A few stories about community on our last evening together. The bay smashed expectations this season — the total run is the fifth largest ever recorded. We see how the districts measure up in the last daily run summary of the season. >click to read<10:12
Fishing Industry Opposes New Floating Wind Farm Project Area
Navy says no to proposal to move floating wind farm area. The idea was discussed at the task force’s July 1 webinar, which replaced a planned public meeting in Morro Bay. Tom Hafer, president of the 90-member Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization, criticized the proposal, saying it amounted to a “bait and switch.” Originally, Castle Wind, one of the proposed developers, suggested it would ask for a site for up to 100 turbines some 30 miles off the coast. The company spent months huddling with the Morro Bay fishing industry and the city and got them to agree to the idea. A memo of understanding was signed. The new task force proposal being discussed could move the 900-foot-tall turbines as much as half the distance closer to shore into waters they use for fishing, Hafer said. “This is going to screw up fishing,” Hafer said. “This is going to change the migratory habits of a lot of fish out there — albacore, salmon, black cod. Who knows what these are going to do?” Hafer also is concerned that the wind industry will want more territory in the future as well. >click to read< 09:15
Foreshadowing of a fire
A funny thing happened last month, at the June 15 meeting of the Apalachicola Volunteer Fire Department. The firefighters were talking about whether the department could use a fire boat, and Chief George Watkins told the story of how 46 years ago when he was still in high school, the 72-foot Kingfisher burned in the Apalachicola River. On Tuesday, June 16, Watkins and Jimmy Moses were working on Little St. George Island when they got a page, “We didn’t see any smoke, but about the time we got almost to the bridge it blew up and we saw black smoke,” Watkins said. “We knew it was bad.” The 45-foot Desperado, captained by Michael Redman, was in in the process of coming up Scipio Creek from Port St. Joe when the mishap occurred. >click to read< 07:53
