Daily Archives: August 5, 2024
When it comes to boatbuilding, Peter Kass would rather build wooden boats by hand
There is something timeless, at least on the coast of Maine, about a boat made of wood. Crafting those boats requires skills and even tools dating back hundreds of years. In a time when most boats are built of fiberglass or other man-made materials, Peter Kass still does it the old way—building lobster boats and yachts from wood, the way he was taught when he was just 17 years old. Kass grew up in Massachusetts but said he moved to Maine after finishing high school to learn the boatbuilder’s trade. “I’ve always loved it,” he said, now in his early 60’s. “It’s challenging, very interesting…some parts dirty and unpleasant, but for the most part, it’s fun putting the parts together. I love boats,” Kass explained. Kass said he learned from the old-time wooden boatbuilders at the Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol; known at the time for building a series of wooden sailing ships, including a history of building commercial fishing vessels. He then worked at two other yards before opening his own shop, John’s Bay Boat Company, in 1983. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:07
Americans are ‘getting whacked’ by too many laws and regulations, Justice Gorsuch says in a new book
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said ordinary Americans are “getting whacked” by too many laws and regulations in a new book that underscores his skepticism of federal agencies and the power they wield. “Too little law and we’re not safe, and our liberties aren’t protected,” Gorsuch told The Associated Press in an interview in his Supreme Court office. “But too much law and you actually impair those same things.” The problem, he said, is that there has been an explosion of laws and regulations, at both the federal and state levels. The sheer volume of Congress’ output for the past decade is overwhelming, he said, averaging 344 pieces of legislation totaling two million to three million words a year. One vignette involves John Yates, a Florida fisherman who was convicted of getting rid of some undersized grouper under a federal law originally aimed at the accounting industry and the destruction of evidence in the Enron scandal. Yates’ case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where he won by a single vote. “I wanted to tell the story of people whose lives were affected,” Gorsuch said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:01
Argos Helena Crew Hold Memorial at Sinking Site of Argos Georgia
On Friday, 02 August, the vessel Argos Helena paid a poignant visit to the site where the Argos Georgia tragically sank on Monday, 22 July 2024. The sombre occasion saw Captain Leif Petter Hoddevik lay flowers on the sea in a heartfelt tribute to those who perished and those still missing from the ill-fated Argos Georgia. “A last greeting from Argos Froyanes and Ervik Havfiske,” expressed the part-owners, marking a moment of collective mourning and remembrance. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:38
Hurricane Debby makes landfall in Florida as Cat 1 storm.
Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida in the Florida Big Bend area as a Category 1 hurricane around 7 a.m. Monday. Sustained winds were 80 mph, making Debby a Category 1 hurricane at the time of landfall. Landfall came less than 12 hours after Debby strengthened from a tropical storm into a hurricane Although winds had already dropped to 75 mph by 8 a.m., forecasters warned life-threatening storm surge and “potentially catastrophic rainfall” are expected before Debby finishes with Florida and as it heads toward Georgia and the Carolinas. Debby is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rain to Florida, with some areas seeing up to 18 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:37
EU seal ban causing more harm than good, says Swedish researcher
Danny Pottle is an Inuk elder, who experienced first hand the impacts of the anti-sealing movement growing up in Rigolet, Labrador.
A Swedish researcher says the European Union’s ban on the import and sale of all seal products has caused more harm than good, and now is the time to lift the 15-year-old ban. Sven-Gunnar Lunneryd, who researches aquatic resources at the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, says ending the ban would help seal hunters and restore depleted fish stocks. His research demonstrates that in the Baltic Sea, where the grey seal population has recently increased rapidly, having a negative impact coastal fisheries in the region. “We maybe need to half the seal population to get the chance for depleted fish stocks to recover,” said Lunneryd. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:53
Fishermen’s dismay as funds diverted to port upgrade
Fishermen in Thanet say they have been “pushed to one side, forgotten about and ignored” after money for new facilities was redirected to a plan to reopen a Kent port. Thanet District Council (TDC) said it had no choice but to reallocate £3.5m slated for fishing upgrades to reopening Ramsgate’s port due to government rules. Some £3.5m from the fishing facilities upgrade programme was proposed to instead be redirected to the port and for a £4.5m grant to be given to any prospective operator of the port. John Nichols, a committee member and a former chairman of the Thanet Fishermen’s Association, said the loss of funding was “extremely disappointing”. “We need these very basic facilities, we don’t need to be pushed to one side, forgotten about and ignored,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:39
