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8/3/2023

Training ship empire state vii

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State University of New York Maritime College
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State University of New York Maritime College (SUNY) Training Ship Empire State VII

State University of New York Maritime College State University of New York Maritime College 13,995 followers13,995 followers

Long awaited, yesterday was an exciting day for Maritime College as the Empire State got underway for sea trials from Philly Shipyard for the first time. One photo shows the Empire State VII leaving the shipyard with the Patriot State training ship in the background. Second photo shows the Empire State stern view. Thanks to MARAD, TOTE Services and Philly Shipyard for their work in achieving this important milestone.

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8/3/2023

U.S. Navy Orders Nine More Arleigh Burke Destroyers for Undisclosed Price

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U.S. Navy Orders Nine More Arleigh Burke Destroyers for Undisclosed Price
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Christening ceremony for the future USS Harvey C. Barnum at Bath Iron Works last Saturday (USN)

The U.S. Navy has awarded a pair of large block buy contracts for a total of nine additional Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which are the backbone of the surface combatant fleet. Unlike past order announcements, the prices were not disclosed. 
The contracts are split between General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine (BIW) and Huntinton Ingalls Industries (HII), which builds Arleigh Burke-class hulls at its Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Mississippi. The two yards are the only producers of Navy destroyers and were the only two bidders. They will continue to produce this mission-critical vessel class until the debut of the as-yet-undesigned DDG(X) future destroyer. 

The 1980s-era Arleigh Burke-class design was supposed to sunset years ago, and it would have been replaced in production by the futuristic Zumwalt-class, also built by Bath. That plan was scrapped when issues with the Zumwalt's cost and performance prompted the Navy to scuttle the program. The continually-upgraded Arleigh Burke remains the service's go-to platform for a multirole destroyer. The Navy's future DDG(X) will be larger and will have more room for lifecycle upgrades.    
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8/3/2023

What Happens if the North Atlantic's Circulation Shuts Down?

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What Happens if the North Atlantic's Circulation Shuts Down?
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Nordic Seas and subpolar basins with surface currents (solid curves) and deep currents (dashed curves) that form part of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (R. Curry / Woods Hole)
Amid news of lethal heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere comes the daunting prospect of a climate disaster on an altogether grander scale. New findings published in Nature Communications suggest the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, or Amoc, could collapse within the next few decades – maybe even within the next few years – driving European weather to even greater extremes.

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8/2/2023

Calculator Policy for All Mariner Credentialing Examinations

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Calculator Policy for All Mariner Credentialing Examinations

To standardize calculator usage during U.S. Coast Guard mariner credentialing examinations, the National Maritime Center (NMC) is implementing the following: Beginning January 1, 2024, all mariners testing at a regional examination center, monitoring unit, or federal/state maritime academy will be issued a Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS calculator.

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Capt. Paul Kalapodas is a licensed CG Merchant Mariner, and shares updates with the CG periodic circulars regarding credentialing of mariners. 

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7/30/2023

Cummins Hydrogen Engine

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Cummins Hydrogen Engine Will redefine DIESELS FOREVER
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While all of this is very interesting and exciting, we likely won't be seeing either the 6.7L or 15L hydrogen engines enter production for quite a while. As per Cummins, the 15L engine will enter full production in 2027 and the 6.7L should be as soon as 2023.
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7/28/2023

Blue Water Boat Delivery

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Offers captain and yacht delivery services in Maine, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas

Contact  https://www.bluewaterboatdelivery.com/
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  • Vessel Port-to-Port Delivery
  • Selling or Buying and need to move your boat
  • Long Distance Deliveries
  • Sailing or Motor Yacht Delivery
  • New owner boat orientation
  • Chesapeake, and the Carolinas area

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7/26/2023

finding a good fit

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Finding a good fit: What to know about crew agents
A good crew agent bridges the gap between captains and crew by knowing well the needs of both.

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TOP TIPS:Commit to long-term
For best results, you need to commit to a long-term position. “Those do go to the top of the pile,” Quirk said of crew CVs with longevity. Sometimes departures are due to a sale of the yacht or an unsafe situation with the boat, and that’s understandable. But moving around a lot is a red flag, she said. 
Work with lots of agents
“Crew should absolutely form relationships with multiple agents,” Quirk said. “Go with all of the crew agents, then stick with the ones you connect with. The service doesn’t cost anything for crew.” 
Keep in touch
If you form a bond with an agent, then keep in touch, Quirk advised. Let them know what you are doing, when you expect to leave a yacht, your latest certificate or license, and your newest skills. “It helps to get a note like, ‘I will be available next month,’ ” she said.
Add keywords to CVs
Agents use a large database and keyword searches, Quirk said. Yacht crew licensing is important, but extra skills and hobbies, such as diving, are vital. “Captains will ask for specifics, and if they are not listed in your skills or hobbies, you might not come up in a key search.”
Click here for more information on mastering your CV and here to learn about negotiating your pay.

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7/25/2023

women taking the helm

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Women, it’s time for you to take the helm!
InterMarine customers are invited to an exclusive seminar to learn how to take command of your boat.

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PROGRAM OUTLINE
- How to use a VHF radio
- Rules of the road
- Start and stop the boat
- Boat operation and handling
- Dock the boat safely
- Tying lines
- Optional for each woman: docking on a T (touch and go)
- And so much more.
At the end of the class, you will receive a certificate of participation.
*This event is sponsored by InterMarine.

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Captain Paul Kalapodas works with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and hold periodic Vessel Safety Courses to the public, as a public education initiative.  

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7/25/2023

Cpt paul kalapodas holds symposium with maritime executive

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South Florida InfraGard Chapter: Maritime Security - Protecting Our Ports

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Presentation held with FBI INFRAGARD Program
InfraGard is a national information sharing program between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the private sector.

A national information sharing program between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the private sector, the collaboration and communication produced are crucial to protecting our organizations, people and nation's critical infrastructures and key resources.

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Presentation on Maritime Security – Protecting our Maritime Port of Miami & Ft. Lauderdale

On Friday, September 24th, the STAR Center in Dania Beach hosted a Presentation on Maritime Security, sponsored by the FBI’s South Florida Infragard Chapter. Members of the FBI, USCG, DHL, AMO and Miami Dade Police Department were present to offer their expertise on port, vessel and cargo security. (Pictured Right: Presenters and Members of InfraGard

The presenters included:
Brian LeBlanc, Assistant WMD Coordinator, FBI


  • Capt. Gerard Pannell, Director of Training, STAR Center
  • Capt. Paul Kalapodas, President, S. FL Chapter Alumni Assoc., N.Y. Maritime College, Fort Schuyler
  • Steve Krivdo, USCG
  • Special Agent Kathleen Cymbaluk, FBI
  • Det. Tom Chaney, Miami Dade Police Department, Homeland Security Bureau
    Presentations on Maritime Threats and Security

    Ninety percent of the world’s cargo moves on ships making ships and ports vulnerable to terrorism. Assistant WMD Coordinator for the FBI, Brian LeBlanc says threats include the contamination of food or water on a cruise ship or the smuggling of illegal substances or explosives into a cargo hold. While cargo is accounted for and recorded on a ships manifest, a very small percentage actually gets inspected. Capt. Gerard Pannell explained that the cargo is cleared and manifested for each voyage and the reliance on each port's proper documentation is vital.

    Technology and communication between agencies remains the key to increasing port security. Advances in technology are allowing for quicker and more efficient screening of more cargo, but despite the increase, a majority of containers do not get inspected and communication between the ports, FBI and local agencies can help to fill these gaps.

    Capt. Paul Kalapodas pointed out another rising concern in the foreseeable increase in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers, whose cargo is very explosive. The concern is that these carriers could be hijacked and become floating bombs, threatening nearby passenger vessels and ports. Due to increasing threats like this one, many ports are beginning to see the need for in-house personnel and training to handle security threats. Capt. Gerard Pannell presented his solution to this problem, a course he helped develop, training 'in-house' response teams to respond effectively to crises and assist local and federal authorities in gathering the right information.


The conference, held at the STAR Center in Dania Beach was very informative and the STAR Center even offered up their high-tech bridge simulator to those in attendance.

Capt. Paul Kalapodas whom helped coordinate this most recent event, can be contacted regarding future events in South Florida

www.infragard.org
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7/22/2023

Vanguard vs. Fidelity vs. Schwab: Fees

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 It’s no secret that Vanguard, Fidelity and Charles Schwab could be considered three of the most popular and well-known brokerage firms. Each offers a wide range of products and services, from banking and investment products to financial advisors and financial planning services.
However, there are some important differences, from fees to financial services to research resources, each of which could impact your customer experience.
If you’re interested in getting financial advice, consulting a fiduciary financial advisor can be a great first step. That’s why we created a free tool to help match you with up to three financial advisors.
Click here to take our quick retirement quiz and get matched with vetted advisors in just a few minutes, each obligated to work in your best interest.
While your advisor matches may not necessarily be associated with the above institutions, research suggests people who work with a financial advisor feel more at ease about their finances and could end up with about 15% more money to spend in retirement.1
A 2022 Northwestern Mutual study found that 62% of U.S. adults admit their financial planning needs improvement. However, only 35% of Americans work with a financial advisor.2
Overview of Vanguard vs. Fidelity vs. Schwab Vanguard, Fidelity and Schwab are three of the biggest players in the brokerage space, offering a wide range of investment and banking products. In fact, you can open a variety of account types at these institutions. But they stack up slightly differently when it comes to fees and their specific suite of services.
Vanguard made a name for itself by creating and offering low-fee investment products such as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It still does this, and even non-Vanguard clients can buy Vanguard funds via a brokerage account. The firm has grown to now offer non-proprietary investment products and funds.
Fidelity is perhaps best known for its personal investment products, namely brokerage accounts that allow users to trade stocks. Clients can invest in a wide range of stocks, bonds and other investment products using a Fidelity brokerage account. Fidelity also makes an effort to provide investment resources to its clients and doesn’t usually charge fees on all trades, though more and more brokerages and broker-dealers are moving toward fee-free investment models.
While not as well known for its funds as Vanguard, Schwab still has a number of passively and actively managed funds that you can invest your money into. You also have the option to trade individual equities. It also offers free robo-advisor services, and those who want to work with a real advisor will have that option as well.
Vanguard vs. Fidelity vs. Schwab: Fees
Most brokerage platforms have gotten rid of transaction fees over the past couple years, and Vanguard, Fidelity and Schwab are no exception. Brokerage account holders at each of the three institutions won’t have to pay any commissions or trading fees for trading stocks. Trading mutual funds is mostly free at all three institutions, particularly for in-house mutual funds.
The one place you’ll incur consistent transaction costs is when it comes to options trading. However, transaction costs for options at each institution are comparably quite low. Keep in mind that these are contract fees, not commissions.
$0.65 per option3,4charged by Fidelity and Schwab $1.00 per option 5 charged by Vanguard. While some, more specific transactions may incur additional fees, the experience using each of these three institutions can be quite low cost and could be entirely free if you only invest in individual equities and in-house funds, among other investments. Other investments may cost you. For example, you’ll need to pay $35 per transaction if investing in mortgage-backed securities with Vanguard.
It’s worth noting that these fee schedules don’t include the charges you’ll incur for owning shares of certain funds. Fidelity has a wide variety of funds that have no expense ratio, and both Vanguard and Schwab have average expense ratios that are a lot lower than the industry standard.



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    christine cooper new to the team

    Based in Miami she embraces the opportunity to work on the water and apply her marine and yachting skills. 

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  • Meridian Marine Group
  • Services
  • About
  • Contact
  • Sea Log
    • Caribbean Motor yacht
    • 135' Yacht
    • Instructor at Maritime College
  • News
    • CG Auxiliary
  • Nautical Shop
    • Engineering Equipment