Berkshire Sail and Power Squadron

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This painting by Ken Marschall beautifully illustrates how the wreck of Italian liner Andrea Doria would likely have appeared in the hours and days immediately following her loss, with many pockets of air still escaping from inside the gleaming hull and with her pretty lines still razor sharp and as new. Diver Peter Gimbel became the first explorer to reach the site at around 10.00 AM on the 27th of July 1956, just under twenty four hours after the vessel had come to rest on the sea floor. He reported ghostly scenes of loose luggage, paper, bedding, and curtains floating freely around the wreck, escaping oil, and a great quantity of rising bubbles, the trails of some of which he used to locate sections of the ship 250’ (76m) below the surface of the Atlantic.

Of very interesting note is the story of the port side lifeboat seen here pointing upright at center, the craft held aloft above the ship by its intact inner buoyancy tanks. During the evacuation of the Andrea Doria, an immediate list of nearly twenty degrees and worsening prevented the use of all boats on this side of the ship, and most eventually floated away as the liner went under. This lone example however was pulled down with the Doria, and was photographed by Peter Gimbel and others with its buoyancy tanks slightly crushed by pressure but intact. The lifeboat remained in this position for nearly twenty five years until finally breaking free of its rotted lashing and rising to the surface sometime during the spring of 1981. The drifting boat then went unnoticed for some number of weeks before being discovered by Con Edison workmen, washed ashore on New York’s Staten Island on the 1st of July and reportedly remaining in almost usable condition.

Painting by Ken Marschall

The basis of sea lore.....

We have all heard about the infamous cat of nine tails used to punish sailors in the Royal Navy by flogging. But did you know the cat was kept in a canvas bag which is where the term “letting the cat out of the bag” came from. And here is another bit of trivia: the bosun, or his mate, needed a clear space on deck to use the cat or, as the saying goes, “enough room to swing a cat”. Some say the cat was made new each time. But if that were so, then why have the bag?

A major shipping disaster. Ship diverted from planned course, had wrong charts, and failed to have a proper lookout both visually and by radar. All of these basic rules are taught by USPS in our piloting and navigation courses. Join and take a course (or three!). Don't be like this crew.

MOL comes clean on how this year’s most high profile shipping accident occurred - Splash247 Japanese shipping major Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) today came clean on what most in the industry already knew – the reason for this year’s most high profile shipping casualty. Japan’s largest shipping line also warned in the unveiling of new safety measures that from now on it would become far mor...

In the days leading up to the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn.

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Jupiter - Saturn Conjunction 😍 Read all details about conjunction in bio link article✍️. The two planets will be closer in the sky on 21 December 2020 than they've been in almost 400 years! Look to the southwest an hour after sunset all December long to watch Jupiter and Saturn get closer each day. They will be just one-fourth the width of the Moon apart on 21 December 2020. Credit:@planetarysociety 🔆 For such amazing content follow us 🔭🌌🚀 Follow: @cosmosopedia 🌕 Follow: @cosmosopedia 🚀 Follow: @cosmosopedia 🌕 Follow: @cosmosopedia 🚀

Star of Bethlehem
On Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice, two planets will appear nearly aligned resulting in an event so unusual that early astronomers called it a Christmas miracle or the Star of Bethlehem. It happened 800 years ago ( 1220).

On Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice, Jupiter and Saturn will nearly align.

The best time to view them is about an hour after sunset. Look to the WSW (West South West) 215°Bearing and 19°above the horizon.

Jupiter will be brighter (-2 mag.) and Saturn will be dimmer (0.8).

Here is a table of values from my location in western Massachusetts..
Body True Bearing° Ht. above Horizon° Brightness
Jupiter. 215. 19. -2.0
Saturn. 215 19. 0.8
Sunset 1623. Zn 238.2. 0.

Thanks to one our Senior Navigator members in the Berkshire Sail and Power Squadron For this information.

Read this and change your habits before the next boating season.

Sun exposure on board | The Ensign magazine Anyone who spends time on or near the water gets plenty of sun, which could cause damage or health problems. Assess your level of risk.

Educate yourself. Take a course with us. Be safe. Don't be this person.

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Sharpen your boating skills with USPS educational videos like this one. Contact your local Power Squadron to learn more and meet new boating friends.

Electronic Navigation with GPS The new “Electronic Navigation with GPS” video shows how the Global Positioning System (GPS) can benefit recreational vessel navigation. Viewers will learn h...

Spring and boating season is coming to waters near you. There is still time to sharpen your skills. Just a few bucks for priceless knowledge. How can you lose? Sign up now for your favorite seminar.

Become a Better Boater With Online Seminars!

With just a few bucks and two hours of your time, you can boost your boating acumen while keeping yourself and your guests safe on the water. Take one (or all) of our 9 boating online seminars today:

–Using GPS on your boat
–Your marine VHF radio
–Marine traffic near you
–Weather for boaters
–Planning your cruise
–Boating on rivers, locks & lakes
–Boat propane systems
–Prepping your boat and dock for a hurricane
–Getting home when the captain is disabled

https://americasboatingclub.org/education-matters/online-boating-education/

We have all heard the song performed by Gordon Lightfoot. Here is the story.

Edmund Fitzgerald's doomed journey began this day in 1975 Follow along on the interactive map to see the ship's route before she was caught in the storm's deadly grip.

PWC's are very popular and are often a first watercraft purchase. Watch this short video for safety instructions when you or a passenger falls off the PWC and how to right it after rolling over.

PWC Person Overboard and Roll-Overs The new “PWC Person Overboard and Roll-Overs” video shows how to safely retrieve a person who falls off a personal watercraft (PWC). Viewers will also learn ...