Monthly Archives: October 2019

Detail of a portrait of Herman Melville by Joseph O. Eaton (18291875)(Houghton Library/Harvard University/Wikimedia)Two-hundred years after his birth, Melville helps us to cope with the dilemmas of our existence.

Poor Herman Melville. If only he would have known the fame and critical acclaim that awaited him after his deathif only he would have been able to enjoy some of the fruits of the astounding success that Moby-Dick was later to achieveperhaps his storm-tossed life would have been a bit more calm.

Born in New York City in 1819 to a woman whose grandfather was a Revolutionary War hero and to a man who, having been a fairly well-off businessman, would soon go bankrupt, Melville struggled all his life with financial issues. He pursued literary fame and fortune in much the same way that his now-famous antihero pursued the great white whale: strenuously, desperately, but ultimately futilely. It was only years after his life ended that Melville at last earned the recognition that he had so desperately craved and so rightfully meritedthe recognition that he was one of the greatest writers ever birthed by the New World.

Melville, our American Conrad, churned out a variety of novels, novellas, and short stories based upon his adventures on the high seas, where he sailed on merchant-marine and whaling voyages, which he had joined as a consequence of his destitution. These works, which include Typee and Billy Budd, achieved moderate success during his lifetime but not enough to grant him the kind of economic liberty that other great writers of his stature have receivedthe kind of freedom that would have allowed him to work fulltime as a writer. When Melvilles magnum opus, Moby-Dickthe novel upon which his reputation as one of the writers who created American literature and defined the American sublime restswas first published, it was widely perceived as a pointlessly puzzling, overly difficult work, and it was largely ignored thereafter. It was only a generation after his death, with the dawn of the modernist movement in literature and the artsa movement that considered difficulty in art a mark of distinction, not a reason for derisionthat Moby-Dick was rediscovered, fully appreciated, and finally elevated to its place atop the pinnacle of the American literary canon.

A boatload of books have been written about Melville and his masterpiece, including Nick Selbys Herman Melville: Moby-Dick and Nathaniel Philbricks Why Read Moby-Dick? With more than 100 scholarly and popular tomes on Melville now available, what newand what moreis there to say about him and Moby-Dick?

Enter Geoffrey Sanborn, a professor of English at Amherst College, and his slim, eminently insightful recent volume The Value of Herman Melville. Sanborn reads Moby-Dick through the lenses of philosophy, literary criticism, and psychoanalytic theory, and brings the author and his work alive in ways that few have done before. With the generosity of a patient teacher and the enthusiasm of a wise and knowledgeable tour guide eager to show travelers the hidden wonders of a quaint old city he knows well, Sanborn allows us, and invites us, to read Melvilles great novel in ways that illuminate its meaning for us in our lives today, giving us the tools to approach Moby-Dick not only as a monumental, occasionally intimidating work of art but as a text which is invaluable in the life-wisdom it contains and in its ability, if we read it carefully, to help us better cope with the existential dilemmas of our existence.

Though it does provide a brief overview of Melvilles life, this is not a full-scale biography. What Sanborn offers instead is arguably more valuable: a clear, compact, carefully calibrated assessment of Herman Melville and his enduring literary value. Sanborn invites us to try to forget about Melvilles weighty reputation as one of the giants of American literature and to instead read him without preconceptions. This helpful approach allows the strangeness of his workstheir sheer power, their defamiliarizing magnificenceto capture and captivate us.

Sanborn provides close and comparative readings of Melvilles novels, from his earliest works to his mature ones, charting Melvilles path from a talented (if rough-around-the-edges) writer to one who blossomed brilliantly in Moby-Dick, giving expression to what was deepest in himself. This is the highly improvisational Melville, the Melville who appeared to write Moby-Dick almost spontaneously, as Stanley Crouch has observedthe Melville who plunged in, as Sanborn writes, and forged ahead without entirely knowing where he would end up.

Sanborn argues that Melvilles value for us lies in his continual capacity to turn this world into another world, as Melville puts it in The Confidence-Man. Melvilles writing, says Sanborn, is a resource for living. Sanborn advises us not to be overly concerned with Moby-Dicks (or any artworks) meaning, because such concerns can detract from the immersive experience of being absorbed in the work. Granting, though, that questions about an artworks meaning are unavoidable, Sanborn proffers several explanations, including a philosophical and psychological reading of the great white whale that is one the most profound interpretations of Moby-Dick that I have ever encountered:

The problem with The World, as Melville thinks we all secretly know, is that it seems formed in lovesugary, mild, dreamy, cool, calmbut harbors within itself, for each of us, sources of fright. . . .In the figure of Ahab, Melville externalizes the part of himself that is saddened and infuriated by the enticing/betraying structure of The World, in the hopes that at least some of his readers will feel spoken for, will feel their own sadness and fury flowing out. . . . Everyone experiences, at some time or other, the full traumatic force of The Worlds enticement and betrayal. The central aim of the Ahab/Moby Dick story is to make us more aware of the parts of ourselves that have registered that shock, and, as a result, more aware of what we secretly have in common with each other.

The white whalelike the worldholds out so much promise, but all too often it lets us down, often in the most devastating, cold, and cruel of ways. The whale, as Ishmael memorably puts it, is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life . . and this is the key to it all. And knowing this is the key to understanding Moby-Dicks value: It helps us to realize that the world, despite its seeming indifference to our concerns, keeps going, keeps on spinninginviting us, in the midst of the whirlwind of our own struggles, to do the same. Melvilles value for us all, Sanborn argues, lies in his works totality of effort: the creative vitality they engender within us to (like Ishmael and like Melville himself) keep pushing forward, to keep seeking to create, to keep seeking those energizing, revitalizing experiences that the world never ceases to offer, and of which we can always partakeas long as we are receptive to them.

The quest to write the Great American Novel has long been the American literary equivalent of the mythical quest for the Holy Grail. Writers ranging from Mark Twain to John Updike to many in between (Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Roth, Morrison) have all staked their claim to this prize. Among the perennial roster of contenders, there is a strong case to be made for Moby-Dick. No other novel captures the monomaniacal ambition that is part of the American character and the all-too-frequent futility and frustration with which our ambitions ultimately meetthan Melvilles masterpiece. The hunt for the uncatchable white whale is as American as the pursuit of fame, wealth, and happinessgoals many of us will never achieve, but which something about our indomitable American idealism never allows us to desist from pursuing. But if that never-ending pursuit is particularly American, so is the multiethnic, multiracial, and multinational nature of the cosmopolitan crew of the Pequod. And so is the camaraderie and close male friendship shared by Queequeg and Ishmael. And so too is the perennial hopefulness symbolized by Ishmaels having survived the wreckage of the Pequod and being rescued by the providential arrival of the Rachel.

Melvilles great anti-hero Ahab may fail in his pursuit of his holy grail, but Melville himself may have succeededalbeit 25 years after his deathin the pursuit of his: the writing of, if not the Great American Novel, at the very least the King Lear of American literature: our existentially bleak, yet preternaturally hopeful, grand masterwork. As Sanborn, regarding the meaning of Moby-Dick, so powerfully puts it, even though the ongoingness of the world can seem terrifying in its stolidity, its unresponsiveness to human concerns, Ishmael survives. The whale swims away. The worldwhich is, as it turns out, capable of bearing our psychic investments in itspins on.

A version of this piece first appeared at The Imaginative Conservative.

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The World Spins On: The Enduring Value of Herman Melville - National Review

Royal Caribbeans newest ship, Odyssey of the Seas, is set to feature the most action-packed top deck in the companys fleet as well as a number of ground-breaking firsts designed to create game-changing cruise vacations.

In a just-released statement, Royal Caribbean said the ship, which will be the first Quantum Ultra Class ship to arrive in North America, will offer dialed-up onboard adventures, as well as a two-level pool deck and a collection of restaurants designed to please every palate.

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Some of the additional notable Odyssey highlights include its ultimate SeaPlex activity space, which is being billed as the most interactive arcade to ever sail. The space will include VR games for individual and group play, augmented reality walls and floors for high-tech competitions and family experiences.

Adding to the mix, Odyssey will debut a reimagined Adventure Ocean where young adventure seekers can choose their own immersive experiences across an entirely new layout, while a new maxed-out teen lounge with gaming consoles, music and movies will provide hangout options indoors and outdoors on an exclusive patio.

The ships dining options will include Teppanyaki, which will serve Far East flavors, and Giovannis Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar featuring rustic Italian dishes and a contemporary flair.

Entertainment across the ship will include high-tech signature productions in the Royal Theater and Two70, where art and multimedia are merged for surrounding performances.

The Odyssey of the Seas will also include the North Star glass capsule, which is to be located 300 feet above sea level and will provide 360-degree views.

Odyssey of the Seas will set an all-new standard created to deliver the most memorable vacations by combining immersive experiences, the best of Royal Caribbeans trendsetting innovations and the signature Royal Way service of our dedicated crew members, said Michael Bayley, president, and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. This Quantum Ultra Class ship introduces a new way to see the world as she becomes our first purposefully built vessel for island hopping on both sides of the Atlantic.

As for Odysseys vibrant, two-level pool deck, it will offer a variety of options to sit back and soak up the sunincluding two open-air, resort-style pools and four whirlpools, surrounded by casitas and hammocks.

The youngest globe-trotters meanwhile may want to head to Splashaway Bay, an aqua park that includes colorful waterslides, fountains, water cannons and more.

For adult travelers, theres the Solarium, an exclusive space on the top deck, that allows for me time, including swimming pools and whirlpools, a full-service bar, daybeds and hidden nooks for ultimate relaxation.

The ships inaugural year is slated to kick off next November in the Caribbean taking travelers to destinations like Curacao, Aruba, Grand Cayman and Mexico on eight- and six-night itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Odyssey will then sail to her homeport of Rome in May 2021 and become the first Quantum Ultra Class ship to cruise Europe for the summer.

While in Europe, passengers will be able to explore storied towns in Turkey and Greece, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the ruins of Ephesus, the ancient Acropolis of Athens, the classic Cycladic architecture of Mykonos and more.

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Royal Caribbean Unveils Bold Features on New Odyssey of the Seas - TravelPulse

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. South Kingstown has its own share of stories local lore, legend and legitimate and Claremary Sweeney is hunting them down for her series of mystery novels laced with pages of town flavor and intrigue.

A South Kingstown resident for many decades, she has now published four mystery novels set in South Kingstown. Her characters and details appear in surroundings so familiar that readers could think they are bystanders watching the action.

I create the setting and the scene, some place I know and can write about, she said during a recent interview about putting the town in her literary limelight. I compose them from all the things I heard. No character is someone I have ever known, they are all composites, she added.

This authors string of self-published books are the composites of real and imagined events infusing her tale of mystery into local places like the Kingston train station history and milieu that put both readers and the authors imaginations into fictionalized tales of drama and intrigue.

The stories also have a Who Done It? flavor for murder. Sweeney brings a twisting plot with seriousness as her characters explore means, motivation and opportunity among suspects. It comes from within herself, she explained recently.

I always loved mysteries. I loved the who puzzle element of mystery, figuring stuff out. It is just a challenge for me to go from here to here, and what the journey is that takes you there, she said, adding, It isnt so much solving the puzzle, its how you get through to solve the puzzle.

Sweeney, who recently signed copies of her books at Wakefield Books, said the creative flow starts with an intriguing idea about South Kingstown.

The idea wants to be expressed. Settings drive me I just love settings. Do you feel them? Are they like a person to you? Arent they like a person with their arms around you? she asked with enthusiasm whose roots go deep in her years as an English teacher and Army Reserve Corps photographer from 1977 to 1981.

I create the setting and the scene, some place I know and can write about. You give me an idea Im passionate aboutand then on top of all that, I create characters. And I love to do that. I compose them from all the things I heard. No character is someone I have ever known, they are all composites because Im a sponge, she said.

I dont know who the killer is. I know who will get killed and how they will get killed. I have suspects and they will tell me later on in the book and who has best means, motive and opportunity, she added.

Characters take over the crafting of the book, Sweeney noted, both figuratively and literally in her subconscious mind.

The characters up in my head are insane. They live up there. One night, while I was writing Last Sermon for a Sinner, the young priest was screaming at me and woke me up at two oclock in the morning, the storyteller explained, eyelids opening wide to grab the attention of her audience. Her voice pitch rose and sunk, like a ship in the high seas heading toward a determined destination, as she talked about this character.

He was really ticked. You make a mistake. Youre a Catholic, you know better than to put Palm Sunday two weeks before Easter, he said, she recalled. I was born on Palm Sunday. Dont you think I should have known this? she asked rhetorically, explaining that eagerness to develop an upcoming scene blinded her to the calendars actual date as the week before Easter.

When I discovered it, I had to do a lot of rewriting of chapters, she said, bringing her mini-tale about writing and unexpected twists to an end. Silence fell, she looked for the nod that the listener understood her dilemma.

And so it goes day in and day out for Sweeney, 70, who likes to explore, talk and write about ideas and scenes that need solving. On Nov. 8 she will be the featured guest speaker at the weekly seminar at the Rhode Island Forensics Lab at the University of Rhode Island.

Her presentation is titled, Inside the Devious Mind of a Murder Mystery Writer, and, she smiled while adding, The subtitle is Unearthing Hidden Sins. Her lecture is open to the public.

Her mind, she said with some introspective analysis, has always been like a sponge. It soaks up scenes, conversations, hidden meanings, overt statements and many details - clear and obscure that make up life around every day.

She notes that her curiosity, personality and willingness to engage with and learn from people has drawn out some unusual stories and situations.

I dont know why Im a magnet for strange things and strange people, she said, summoning again her storytellers voice and persona. She then unravels a conversation about national intrigue with a Ukrainian Embassy staff member she met sitting next to her on a plane.

In another instance, she recalls an early association with convicted killer Michael Woodmansee who admitted to the 1975 murder in South Kingstown of five-year-old Jason Foreman. She said she worked in plays with Woodmansee at the Peace Dale Library.

These and other similar situations, she said, probed her own thinking about the complexities in her novels and approaches for her characters.

You dont know who youre with. You dont know people. You really dont. You talk to them. You listen to them. You do things with them. And you dont know them unless you really dig deeply, said the ever-present narrator about how life imitates her art and craft of storytelling.

Much of her work starts with that deep dig, such as historical research at local repositories, including the South County History Center, the Kingston Hill Library and Peace Dale Library. Each provides a trove of information useful for framing in her mind how the mystery will be built and ways it can unfold later.

And then there are the actual South County natives who are more than willing to sit with me and talk about their memories of the villages that make up South Kingstown, she said.

Her book writing career began in earnest in 2015 by authoring childrens books. She followed that in 2017 with Last Train to Kingston, the first of her South Kingstown setting mystery novels.

Since then she wrote Last Rose on the Vine (2018), Last Carol of theSeason (2018), recently released Last Sermon for a Sinner (2019) and upcoming next year, Last Castle in the Sand, which is scheduled for launch in the fall of 2020.

All her books are self-published through The E Book Bakery, self-publishing agents for paperbacks, ebooks and audiobooks, in Narragansett. Design for her covers has been done by South Kingstown resident Zachary Perry.

Writing and publishing books is much more a hobby than a money maker, said Sweeney, who said that shes sold about 3,000 copies of her books, but everything goes back into self-publishing. I really dont make any personal money from it.

The research, writing, unraveling and re-packaging of mysteries keeps her mind turning and grounded in meaningful work, said this now retired school-administrator-turned-author.

Its not tedious (work) at all because I really love South County and enjoy finding out more about this awesome area. Thats a good thing because being a totally undisciplined character, I probably would not enjoy the time invested in the research if it werent interesting, she said.

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SK author shows there's simply no place like home - The Independent

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At 1000 p.m. CDT (0300 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Olga was located near latitude 27.8 north, longitude 92.2 west. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the northeast near 17 mph (28 km/h). Olga is forecast to move quickly northward to north-northeastward on Saturday and then turn northeastward late Saturday or Sunday. On the forecast track, the center of the post-tropical cyclone will move up the Mississippi valley tomorrow and toward the great lakes later this weekend.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Weakening is expected after the cyclone moves over land Saturday morning.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km) from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure based on earlier data from an air force reserve hurricane hunter aircraft and surface observations over the northern Gulf of Mexico is 999 mb (29.50 inches).

There are no coastal tropical cyclone watches or warnings in effect.

Please see high seas forecasts issued by the National Weather Service and products from local National Weather Service forecast offices for information on the non-tropical watches and warnings associated with this system.

Wind: gale-force winds associated with Olga and its remnants should spread over portions of the northern Gulf coast tonight and Saturday morning.

Rainfall: the post-tropical cyclone, along with rainfall ahead of the system along and north of the frontal boundary across the central Gulf coast, is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches with maximum totals of 8 inches across the central Gulf coast into portions of the lower Mississippi valley and western Tennessee valley through Saturday morning. These rains may produce flash flooding across the central Gulf coast into the lower Mississippi valley and western Tennessee valley.

Coastal flooding: above-normal tides and associated coastal flooding are possible across portions of the northern Gulf coast. Please see products from local National Weather Service forecast offices for additional information.

Tornadoes: isolated tornadoes are possible tonight into Saturday morning across parts of southeast Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and western Alabama.

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Tropical Depression Forms In The Western Gulf Of Mexico - WPLG Local 10

If you live along one of our coasts, an ocean in your front yard, you might find it hard to believe that the water is rising, and could soon flood you out.

Higher tides, bigger storm, yes, but water so high, storms so large, so often that we cant live here anymore? Maybe not.

A recent article from Bloomberg News says people who believe climate change poses serious problems are no more likely to take action than non-believers.

All of them might want to read the book A New Coast by Jeffrey Peterson, published by Island Press.

The book has a great title, because thats what were going to get.

Peterson makes two things clear. First, the water is rising, and it will continue to do so for a long time. We have already fueled the Earths climate mechanism for that.

Second, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, particularly when they bump against the federal government.

Local, county, and state officials in many cases recognize the problem. There are plans for efforts to mitigate the damage higher seas will bring. The book itself offers a list of things that can be done.

The problem, from the top down, is a federal government that refuses to acknowledge the obvious, according to what Peterson sees.

He points to the dilemma facing people who own those homes with an ocean in the front yard. Face the future and sell now while value is untouched? Move from the home and neighborhood you love? Wait until the high water impacts life, then sell an obvious problem for far less money? Just ride it out, make do?

Those are questions for people in this country, simple questions compared to what other parts of the world face. Island nations disappearing. Cities unlivable. Industries ruined. Eventually, people in the billions looking for a new place to live.

The picture Peterson paints of refugees, the huge number of people displaced by an uncaring climate, is frightening, a picture of the future my grandchildren and yours will face. The impact of so many people made homeless by rising seas will not be local. Well all be involved.

Peterson writes about the choices we will make relocation, the social and psychological impacts, how businesses will respond, and the framework for the necessary national response.

He touchesthe problems wildlife will face. Birds will lose shoreline nesting and feeding opportunities. Birds that feed at sea will find new currents, new temperatures have changedthat menu, perhaps erasing it.Migrants will find their genetic maps for safe havens along the route no longer applicable.

This is a timely book joining the sudden increase in media coverage of acknowledgment of our reality. Peterson is at the front here, a long-time employee at the Environmental Protection Agency. He works on climate change policy.

This book should be mandatory reading for all persons seeking election to high public office. Followed by a test, with posted grades.

The book will be released in November. It is soft-cover, 408 pages, illustrated, $45.

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First comes the fire, then the flood - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Nearly all maritime kidnappings and hostage-takings in the nine months to the end of September this year took place in or near the Gulf of Guinea, said global maritime piracy watchdog the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

New data from the IMB shows that worldwide there have been 70 actual kidnappings of seafarers and 49 hostage-takings year to date. The West African country of Guinea alone saw 23 hostage-takings, Nigeria a further 12 and the West African country of Togo an additional seven. Cameroon and Nigeria were hot spots for kidnapping, too.

The IMB says about 86% of all maritime hostage-taking and 82% of all actual kidnappings happen in or near the Gulf of Guinea. The body adds that there were at least 119 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships from January through September. Thats a 31% decline compared to the 156 incidents recorded in the same period in 2018.

Although incidents are down, the Gulf of Guinea continues to be a concern for piracy and armed robbery-related activities, with kidnappings of crew members increasing in both scale and frequency, said Pottengal Mukundan, a director of the IMB.

That said, the IMB freely concedes that theres a high degree of under-reporting. The assistant director of the IMB, Cyrus Moody, told FreightWaves that the IMBs own research indicates theres roughly a 50% under-reporting of incidents.

Possible reasons why include the fear that insurers will hike rates if it is known that a ship was attacked. There are also fears that if an attack on a ship is reported then criminals may go harder on the crew, the next time the same ship is attacked. Some operators may worry that local authorities could hold or delay the ship.

The Gulf of Guinea lies between West Africa and Central Africa. Its the sea-space at zero degrees longitude and zero degrees latitude. There are different definitions what constitutes the Gulf of Guinea. The international Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for protection against piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea region, a document issued by the major global maritime shipping organizations, applies to the waters off the countries of Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon.

However, the Guidelines also say pirate attacks have occurred as far south as Angola and as far west as Sierra Leone, so the area of threat is enormous.

The Gulf of Guinea is an attractive area of operations for marine criminals for several reasons.

Firstly, it has many high-value targets.

There are many ships because there are numerous ports and a great deal of cargo. And, because vessels are entering or leaving port, ships may be traveling slowly. They may be sitting low in the water, and are therefore easier for pirates to board, because they are fully laden. Or they may be at anchor waiting for commercial instructions or repairs or for any number of other reasons. As Moody pointed out, ships are constantly entering and leaving, or waiting around or in, the area of high threat.

Secondly, the targets are poorly defended because of certain provisions of international law. That is also the reason why experts talk of piracy and armed robbery against ships, and why there is a distinction between the two in statistical tracking, even though theyre physically the same crime.

A summary of Article 101 of the UN Convention on the International Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) indicates that maritime piracy is any illegal act of violence committed for private ends by the crew or passengers of a private ship and directed on the high seas, or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any country, against another ship.

The International Maritime Organization, a specialized body of the United Nations, uses the international definition for piracy to define armed robbery against ships but with the difference that the crime happens within the borders of a country.

The key parts are the concept of high seas and outside the jurisdiction of any country. Or, to put it another way, whether a maritime crime is piracy or an armed robbery against a ship depends upon where the crime happens in relation to the international/territorial border.

So a crime against a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is piracy. But a criminal attack on a ship in, say, the Port of Long Beach, California, is armed robbery against a ship in the U.S.

On land, a man-made barrier, or a natural barrier such as a river, often marks the location of the border. While there are no visible barriers or landmarks at sea, nonetheless, there is still a border. Under UNCLOS, a countrys sovereignty can extend from the coast out to sea up to a limit of 12 nautical miles (about 13.8 U.S. miles). This sea-space is known as the territorial sea.

Just as crimes against crew and ships in U.S. territorial waters are subject to U.S. law, crimes against crew and ships in the waters off Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon are subject to the criminal laws of those countries. The close proximity of all those sovereign nations poses several challenges.

Law enforcers have a right of hot pursuit under article 111 of UNCLOS. Marine police (or navies) can chase and capture criminals who flee out of a countrys jurisdiction and onto the high seas. But if the criminals cross the border into a neighboring country, the chasing police lose that right. And, just as happens with neighboring countries the world over, police and criminal investigators cannot wander freely back and forth across borders to tackle crime.

A few years ago there was a big problem with Somali pirates attacking ships as they sailed through the Gulf of Aden. Deployment of armed guards aboard ships was the primary means of tackling Somali piracy along the east coast of Africa. Unlike ships in the Gulf of Guinea, however, ships sailing off the coast of Somalia were attacked in international waters and therefore the law of the local coastal state did not apply. So armed guards were a legally sensible response.

But that wouldnt work in the Gulf of Guinea. Ships have to enter and leave the territories of the coastal states to visit the local ports. Nations jealously guard their monopoly on the right to use armed force in their jurisdictions and generally do not allow large numbers of openly armed foreigners to enter and hang around in their territory. So ship-borne foreign armed guards would not be allowed.

National sovereignty presents a further problem to deterring or stopping pirates because not every country has a well-developed law enforcement and judicial system. Theres a good reason theres no piracy epidemic immediately off the coast of, say, the state of Oregon. U.S. law enforcement would take decisive action against repeated acts of organized piracy or armed robbery in that area. And the U.S. has prosecutors, courts, judges and a penal system to try, convict, sentence and imprison pirates and other maritime criminals.

Thats not so in the Gulf of Guinea.

Nigeria did not even have piracy as a crime, Moody explained to FreightWaves. So piracy (if outside the territorial sea) or armed robbery against ships couldnt even be prosecuted as such in Nigeria. However, Moody pointed out that Nigeria has more recently enacted laws against piracy.

You always have maritime crime where the response from law enforcement and the judicial system is not adequate or robust, Moody told FreightWaves.

However, Moody added, there is a sense that Nigeria acknowledges there is a problem and is taking the first steps to tackle offshore violence.

Moody said there was a regional law enforcement conference recently to discuss the issue, and local authorities are thinking about partnerships to carry out security exercises and safeguard local waters.

And, in the last few days, the Nigerian Navy has announced that it will use designated maritime courts to handle cases of piracy and maritime armed robbery.

Moody also said the Nigerian Navy will respond to calls for help.

We have good cooperation with the Nigerian Navy and the local maritime administration. Weve relayed information to the Nigerian Navy who have gone to assist, Moody stated.

But there are other obstacles to enforcement.

Africa is huge. And the Gulf of Guinea sea-space is vast. The straight-line distance from the western border of Ghana to the southern border of Cameroon is about 910 U.S. miles. If a mariner were able to sail the same distance in a north-northeast direction in a straight line from the southern tip of Florida, he or she would finish at roughly the same latitude as Richmond, Virginia.

Moody pointed out that if a navy does respond to a distress call in the further reaches of the Gulf of Guinea, its a few hours of sailing. Pirates have been, done what they need, and have left.

Thats a problem because pirates often kidnap and hold crew in some pretty inhospitable terrain. Nigeria alone saw 23 kidnappings and 12 hostage-takings of seafarers, and Cameroon saw another 23 kidnappings. Areas where hostages are held include marshes, rivers, swamps and jungle. So there are physical as well as jurisdictional barriers to tracking down pirates and robbers who have kidnapped crew.

Shipping industry executives do not discuss how much they pay in ransoms, and the crew are held hostage during the negotiation period for, on average, about four to 12 weeks.

Unlike their Somali counterparts, West African pirates kidnap crew, rather than hijack ships, because local law enforcement agencies would be able to track down and recapture a large ship. The Somali pirates were able to hijack and seize ships because they operated from a failed state with no local law enforcement.

The typical attack by West African pirates and robbers involves the pirates climbing aboard to loot the ship of small property and the crews personal effects and to kidnap the crew.

Theres lots of violence, Moody explained. There have been no fatalities this year, but crew do tend to get injured. The typical criminal activity is yelling, shouting and slapping to intimidate and get compliance from the crew. With the slightest resistance from the crew, they tend to get roughed up.

West African pirates tend to be armed with knives for cutting ropes, crowbars for breaking open doors and lockers, and heavy-caliber automatic firearms.

Apart from ransacking the ships and kidnapping the crew, the pirates also want to steal cargo. Typically, they seize smaller quantities of refined products of crude oil, such as gasoline, that can be sold in the local markets around the Gulf of Guinea.

The IMB is a not-for-profit and non-political specialist division of the International Chamber of Commerce set up in 1981 as a focal point to help counter international maritime crime. The International Maritime Organization (a division of the United Nations) adopted a resolution on November 20, 1981, urging governments and all other interested parties to co-operate and share information with the IMB to help in the fight against maritime crime.

One of the key functions of the IMB is to relay live piracy and armed robbery information. In the event of an attack, the IMB can relay information to local maritime police and navies who may be in a position to intervene. Secondly, the IMB can broadcast and emergency alert to all ships in the region so that they can take countermeasures or, if appropriate, render assistance. The warning will also let ships that are about to enter the high threat area.

As maritime piracy and armed robbery takes place all over the globe, the IMB will accept reports from around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The IMB urges ship operators and other appropriate persons to file incident reports.Your information may save lives, the IMB has stated.

Contact the IMBs 24 hour anti-piracy emergency helpline: + 60 3 2031 0014

The IMB can also be contacted by fax and email:

Fax: + 60 3 2078 5769E-mail: imbkl@icc-ccs.org / piracy@icc-ccs.org

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West Africa: the center of maritime piracy, armed robbery and kidnap - FreightWaves

Credit: Marvel Comics

Marauders #1Written by Gerry DugganArt by Matteo Lolli and Federico BleeLettering by Cory PetitPublished by Marvel ComicsRama Rating: 7 out of 10

Serving as a spiritual successor to X-Men: Gold if not an overt one, Marauders #1 brings Kitty Pryde to the mutant high seas, as she takes on a leadership role unlike any shes undertaken before. Writer Gerry Duggan and artist Matteo Lolli deliver a solid storyline for their intangible heroine, even if they dont necessarily reinvent the wheel in the same way as Jonathan Hickmans megahit series House of X and Powers of X.

Since the days of Chris Claremont, writers have bent over backwards to show how Kitty Pryde is different from the rest of the X-Men, but Id argue that the angle that Duggan has taken in Marauders makes her more sympathetic and likable than weve seen Shadowcat since the days of Joss Whedon. Without spoiling too much, Duggan really zeroes in on Kittys flaws, and seeing this one-time prodigy transform into a highly competent screw-up feels like a fun way to reinterpret the character - while Hickmans relaunch of the X-Men were all about big ideas and world-shaking twists, Duggans warmer, funnier style shows readers what its like to live in that weird, crazy world.

Artist Matteo Lolli, meanwhile, reminds me a bit of Mahmud Asrar - he does some strong expression work with Kitty and Iceman in particular, making them the emotional centerpieces of the book thus far. Additionally, Lollis fight choreography with Kittys phasing powers is rock-solid stuff, helping her establish her leadership bonafides and reminding readers shes not a kid, but a force to be reckoned with. Still, I do wish Lolli varied up his panel layouts a bit more - theres a little bit of a focus on horizontal letterbox panels, which make some of the establishing shots feel a little less than immediate.

That said, if theres anything holding Marauders back, its that Duggans singular focus on Kitty makes the actual team element of the book a little harder to swallow. Characters like Storm, Iceman and Pyro more or less just show up, rather than there being a particularly deliberate feeling behind this lineup - and unfortunately, theres a plot element that keeps Ororo and Bobby in particular feeling sidelined. Beyond Kittys fun action sequence, the only other character in the series that gets even a small chance to shine is Pyro, with an unexpected but satisfying team-up that definitely secures his place in the book.

By the time you finish reading Marauders #1, this books high concept will click into place, and youll understand the idea of Kitty Pryde and her mutant pirates in a way that makes more sense than, say, a throwback to Nightcrawlers 1990s era hoop earring and buccaneer boots. Admittedly, Duggan doesnt necessarily capitalize on his page count in terms of introducing the rest of his characters, but his take on Kitty is a winning one, and hopefully as this series picks up steam, Marauders will shore up some extra goodwill for its high seas high concept.

Link:

Best Shots Advance Review: MARAUDERS #1 'Shows What It's Like to Live in that Weird, Crazy World' - Newsarama

Jaryd 'summit1g' Lazar has been enjoying himself after returning to Sea of Thieves on Twitch, but there are some issues that he would really like to see resolved in the near future.

The variety Twitch streamer has built up quite the reputation for unbelievable player vs. player (PvP)playsin the world of high seas and skeleton pirates, but things haven't always been going to plan after coming back.

He took a moment to plead for changes from developers during his October 20 broadcast, after becoming really frustrated with some aspects of the current meta.

Rare

Sea of Thieves' PvP action has been called into question by summit.

Just like many others in Sea of Thieves, summit was playing alone and wanted to try to get on board a few different Galleons during the stream, which he did do successfully on a number of occasions.

Although, there was a period of about 25 minutes during the livestream where he had a terrible time, getting destroyed by enemy crews that all wielded swords - and it wasn't just the streamer that thought the weapon was potentially a problem for the game. His chat very much agreed, after seeing what was happening.

"The f****ing meta in this game is unbelievable man. It's unbelievable! How is the meta just hold W and left click continuously forever? Come on."

The speed in which swords can strike opponents in Sea of Thieves is much faster than that of a weapon and the damage, judging by these clips, appears to be a similar per hit - handing the enemy crew a huge advantage over the player.

Once he had been eliminated once again, riding in the Ferry of the Damned,summit1g decided enough was enough and called out Rare directly. "It's just the most unskilled, piece of s**t way to play the game. It's crazy," he said with hishead in hands.

"Rare, please, please... PLEASE revisit your combat. Please revisit your stupid f****ing healing materials, like please. It's so f****ing disappointingly overpowered for the piece of s**t Galleons," he added. "Just do something man! Piece of s**t f****ing meta."

Clearly things got a bit heated during this segment of summit's broadcast, but those fearing him quitting the game shouldn't be too worried. He carried on playing for a long time after these clips were captured.

The former CS:GO player then posted about his frustrations to Twitter, where he - again - took his issues up with the game's developers directly.

"PleaseSeaOfThievesfix your combat.The sword brain dead meta is awful, either show some love to guns which got mega nerfed or put sword where it was before," he tweeted. "Solo/Duo players stand no chance against that right trigger Zerg.

There's a chance that he might jump into another game in the near future, if Rare doesn't respond with some sort of PvP update in due course. Even then, though, we'll have to wait and see.

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Summit1g blasts Sea of Thieves devs with PvP rant - Dexerto

While a heatwave continues over parts ofGauteng, North West, Free State and Limpopo, localised flooding is expected over parts of the Western Cape, according to the South African Weather Service.

Warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the North West and Free State, the extreme eastern parts of the Northern Cape, northern and central interior of the Eastern Cape, Central Karoo of the Western Cape, as well as western parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Localised flooding is expected over susceptible informal settlements of the Cape Metropole and Overberg District, with possible heavy falls over the mountains.

Galeforce west to south-westerly winds (60-70km/h, gusting 70-80km/h) are expected along the coastal regions between Gordons Bay and Port Alfred by the afternoon.

Watches

Severe thunderstorms are expected over the eastern parts of Mpumalanga and the south-eastern parts of Limpopo on Monday.

High seas, with wave heights in excess of 6m, are expected along the coast between Cape Agulhas and Port Alfred from Monday evening into Tuesday.

Special weather advisories

A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected over the eastern parts of North West and Free State, Limpopo and Gauteng, persisting until Monday.

Extremely hot temperatures are expected in the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and the Limpopo Valley, Limpopo Lowveld and the Western Bushveld on Monday.

Hot and humid weather will result in extremely uncomfortable conditions in Limpopo and the Lowveld of Mpumalanga.

Strong north-westerly winds (55 to 60km/h) are expected over the Central Karoo District and the Breede Valley of the Western Cape and Karoo Hoogland municipality of the Northern Cape.

The weather in your region

It will be fine in Gauteng,becoming partly cloudy and hot in the afternoon. The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

Mpumalanga will be partly cloudy in the east at first. Otherwise, it will be fine and hot, but very hot to extremely hot in the Lowveld. It will become partly cloudy from the afternoon, with isolated to scattered thundershowers in the east.

Limpopo will be partly cloudy and very hot, but extremely hot in the Lowveld, Limpopo Valley and Western Bushveld. Isolated thundershowers are expected from the afternoon, with scattered in the south-eastern parts.

Expect it to be fine, windy and warm to hot in the North West, while it will be fine, windy and cool to warm in the Free State.

It will be warm in the north-east and extreme north of the Northern Cape. Otherwise, it will be fine, windy and cool, becoming partly cloudy in the central parts by late morning with isolated showers in the extreme west, clearing in the evening. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly.

The Western Cape will be cloudy and cool to cold with isolated to scattered showers, but widespread in places over the south-west. Windy conditions can be expected along the south-west and south coast, as well as over the Karoo. The wind along the coast will be strong westerly to south-westerly, reaching gale force along the south-west and south coast from the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index is moderate.

The western half of the Eastern Cape will be fine and cool, but cloudy with scattered showers and rain along the coast, but isolated showers and rain along the coast and adjacent interior east of Cape St Francis, spreading to the interior by mid-morning. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly, becoming strong east of Tstistikamma by late morning, spreading west to Plettenberg Bay in the afternoon, reaching gale west of Cape St Francis at times in the late afternoon. It will be cloudy and cool over the eastern half of the Eastern Cape, with isolated showers and rain, but partly cloudy over the northern interior.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly, becoming strong in the afternoon, reaching gale force in places south of Kei Mouth in the evening.

KwaZulu-Natal will be fine in the west at first. Otherwise, it will be cloudy and cool, but warm to hot in places in the north. Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected, except in the extreme west. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly, becoming south-easterly in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index is low.

- Compiled by Adiel Ismail

Click here to see the specific forecast for your city over the next few days

See the original post here:

Your Monday weather | Heatwave persists over Gauteng and surrounds, while Cape Town gets a flood warning - News24

It makes sense that a show about the dangerous-as-hell business of deep-sea crab fishing would provide for some of the most fraught moments reality TV has ever had to offer.

These fishermen puttheir lives at risk every time they head outto mine the depths of the ocean for Alaskan king crab and other crustacean delicacies that consumers get to enjoy thanks to their blood, sweat and, more often than you might think, tears.

In turn, Deadliest Catch has won 16 Emmys, including two for Best Unstructured Reality Program (a rare assignation if there ever was one), spawned books and video games, and remains a must-watch for millions after 14 years on Discovery Channel.

But perhaps because of the very nature of the job at hand, the drama over 15 seasons hasn't been confined to the adventures unfolding at sea.

The most striking tragedy to afflict the show came five years in when Phil Harris, the tough, gruff and entertaining captain of theCornelia Marieone of severalcrabbing boats at the center of the actionsuffered a stroke.

He was hospitalizedand visits from his devoted crew, flock of buddies, and sons Jakeand Joshmuch of it captured for the show, as Harris wantedhad audiences weeping, as well as drew the interest of people who had never watchedDeadliest Catch before but were hearing about this heartrending upheaval taking place in the world of these rugged fishermen.

Harris, who was only 53, died on Feb. 10, 2010, and the season that chronicledthis sad turn of events premiered that April.

"Death is not uncommon in our industry," Josh Harris told the Los Angeles Times in 2010. "He always taught us to deal with that possibility."

"We're not characters, we're real people," added Time Bandit co-captainJohnathan Hillstrand. "Phil was an easy guy to lovehe was always the coolest guy in the buildinghonest, hardworking, old-school handshake kind of guy. I really loved him."

Producers and the network considered it their duty to honor Harris in a fitting way, and they felt they achieved that with how season six unfolded.

"We obviously weren't going to show anything that was distasteful," executive producer Thom Beers toldEntertainment Weeklyafter the episode in which Harris died aired."We were treading on really thin ice. Of course I had the shots of someone yelling 'clear' and getting the paddles out, but why would I show that? The whole point of it was to show that point-of-view of a family member at home who would get the call. That's the way we all live. That's how we find out how our fathers have died or passed away."

Beers continued, "The whole idea was to make it totally accessible to everyone who experienced a family member's passing. It was the rawest, barest form of filmmaking we have ever done. I pulled away, there was no music, no sound effects. I stayed with shots longer. When you are in those moments, everything slows down. I wanted to give it that same sense. Those pure simple moments of a man on his death bed telling his son he was sorry he wasn't a great dad and his son telling him he was the greatest dad in the world."

And then it was "back to fishing," Beers said. "We had a traumatic loss this season with Capt. Phil, but I think the lesson in the last episode is that we all go on. We carry that loss with us, but we still have to go back to work."

At the same time, Jake Anderson, a crew member on Sig Hansen'sNorthwestern, was dealing with the disappearance of his father, Keitha man who they said never spent a night away from his wife in 43 years of marriagein January 2010.His phone was discovered in a mud puddle near their house.

Two weeks after his family reported him missing, Keith Anderson's truckwas found parked in a remote area in Skagit County, Washington.

The trail ran cold, leaving Jake Anderson(whohad also been at sea in 2009 when he found out his 37-year-old sister Chelsea had died due to complications of pneumonia) withno closure, as well as a bit ofjealousy that Jake and Josh Harris at least were able to say goodbye to their father, as heavy as their loss was. He also wondered if something more sinister had happened to his dad, saying that the keys found in Keith's truck had blood on them.

"I just want to know what happened to my dad," Anderson said in 2010, per Perez Hilton. "I want to bring my father home. He wouldn't give up on us, and I'm not going to give up on him. I just don't know what to do. We need help, and I hope that someone out there will help give us some sort of closure."

Anderson also said, "My relationship with my dad has always been good.He is the one who taught me how to work hard and earn everything. He has always taken good care of my mom and all the kids. He was a real family man. I miss him and want to know what happened."

InJune 2012, a hiker found human bones that turned out to be Keith's.

In the meantime, Jake Anderson had been sober since 2009 after battling substance abuse issues that started when he began taking pills after a skateboarding injury and ultimately devolved into meth use and heavy drinking.

In his 2014 memoirRelapse, he opened way up about the low points in his life and credited being cleanalong with faith, family and his intense, demanding jobwith his ability to get through the loss of his sister and father.

"I don't have every emotion in my body running off negativity," Anderson explained to the Skagit Valley Heraldat the time. "Since I was sober I had the power of choice."

Jake Harris, on the other hand, continued to struggle in the wake of father Phil's death.

He was arrested on DUI and hit-and-run chargesin Shoreline, Wash., less than two weeksafter Phil died and various issues led to him leavingDeadliest Catchin 2013.

"He's lost in drugs still,"Josh, the elder Harris brother, said in the season nine premiere, which wasnoticeably missing Jake. "Jake's gotta take care of his own stuff right now. Deal with his demons."

Meanwhile, Derrick Ray,who took over as relief captain oftheCornelia Marie, left the show in 2011 and had nothing nice to say about either Harris brother.

Talking about a point where he accused Jake of using drugs on the boat, Ray told theOregonianin March 2011, "He was smoking dope in Dutch Harbor when we were shooting scenes prior to his father's funeral. There was a scene at night shot through the wheelhouse window and I was looking at charts and he was stoned to bejesus. I sat and had dinner with him and watched him drool on himself. He was filmed smoking dope on the boat."

Thatpurported footage didn't air on the show, but, Ray explained, "The Coast Guard has a zero-tolerance policy. Having drugs on the boat is against the law. I have a captain's license. I could lose my captain's license. There's footage of it and I knew he was smoking dope, and I was trying to get him to stop."

Ray further concluded that neither Harris brother really wanted to carry on the family business, and they only owned a portion of the boat anyway.

"They didn't want to be there," he said. "They're not fishermen, neither one of them...They want to make TV. Josh is not a fisherman and never will be. I think he grew up with Velcro on his shoes, because he couldn't tie a fishing knot if you held a gun to his head."

On After the Catcha few months later, the brothers confrontedRay face to face.

"You know what, we did work hard, and we did work for you as a captain," Josh told him.

"Did y'all ever own a crab boat before your dad did?" Ray replied.

"I'm learning!" Josh said. "And you told me to ask, [saying] no question was a stupid question. I ask you one f--king question the whole season, you shut me down, you make me feel like s--t, then you proceed to start fights with ever f--king crew member on that boat. It was not your boat to begin with, and you knew that."

Josh becamecaptain of theCornelia Mariein 2015 and remains onDeadliest Catch.

Rick Gershon/Discovery Channel

Meanwhile, that same yearRamblin' Rosecaptain Elliott Neeseleft theshow,later tweeting, "To everyone yea I had issues but went to passages Malibu for 60 days and have a new outlook on things now!Hate all you want but I'm above it."

Two years prior he had been missing from the season nine promo reel, prompting fans to wonder if he was returning.

Sig Hansen remarked, "I am kind of not surprised that Elliot isn't here this year," while the narrator intoned, "Last season, Elliott faced huge setbacks, both at sea and at home."

Jake Harris, unfortunately, has had a lamentable journey since leaving the show. In 2016he was robbed and beaten after leaving the Quil Ceda Creek Casino in Marysville, Wash.,with a couple he met there; he later told police he woke up on the side of the road, missing $2,400 that had been in his wallet.

Josh Harris shared on social media that his brother was in intensive care with a cracked skull.

"My brother was jumped last night and some individuals decided to beat him pretty good, which is a terrible, terrible thing," he said. "They literally beat my brother, left him for dead, threw him out of a moving vehicle onto the side of the freeway.

Two suspects were promptly arrested.

"He's pretty messed up," Josh added. "Hopefully one day we'll get him back fishing again."

While only more time will tell if a return to the profession he once devoted his life to and which meant so much to their dad is in the cards, for now, Jake Harris has a lot of time on his hands to focus on turning things around.

Jake Harris was arrested again,on suspicion of drug possession and car theft after taking an impromptu trip to Phoenix from Washington with a woman and then leaving their hotel with her car, in April 2017.

Then, this pastJanuary, he was stopped by park rangers in Skagit County on suspicion of DUI and ended up leading them in a chase from the wheel of his RV that ended with his arrestfor driving under the influence as well as drug possession and possession of a stolen firearm.

The gun charge was dismissed but Jake Harris ended up pleading guilty toDUIand possession with intent to manufacture or distribute heroin, and was sentenced Aug. 1 to 18 months in prison, Oxygen.com reported.

In the meantime,Phil Harris wasn't the only premature loss for theDeadliest Catchfamily.

In February 2011,Time Bandit deckhand Justin Tennison died suddenly at the age of 33 in a hotel room in Alaska. The official cause of death was given as complications of sleep apnea. The crew scattered his ashes at sea.

"We've talked about...how living in a high-risk job you never know. His last wishes were to be cremated and taken out to the water for one long trip," deckhand EddieUwekoolani told ABC News.

The tight-knit crew of the Cornelia Marie suffered another blow whenTony Lara, a close friend of Phil's who came in to captain the ship in 2011, died of a heart attack in August 2015. He was 50.

"Still in shock over losing Capt #TonyLara @alaskatuff #RIP my friend You had a heart of gold #CorneliaMarie #DeadliestCatch @DeadliestCatch," tweeted his successor as Cornelia Mariecaptain, Casey McManus.

Sadlyenough, Lara's death came two weeks afterJoe McMahon, an associate producer on Deadliest Catch's ninth season, was shot to death in East Pasadena, Calif., not far from his home. He was 25.

The 24-year-old suspect in McMahon's killing was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound hours later.

"We are heartsick about this tragedy," Discovery stated at the time. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to all that knew and worked with him."

Another pastmember of the family, Blake Painter, the deck boss on theMaverick in 2006 who returned as captain in 2007, was found dead at the age of 38 in May 2018.

Friends told police that he had been happy and sober in the days prior to his death, but TMZ reportedthat July that numerous pills, including the painkiller Tramadol, and paraphernalia containing traces of drug residue were found in his home.

And just this month,Jerod Sechrist, featured briefly on the show as a deckhand in 2016, was charged in Floridawith heroin possession and violating probation on a past traffic offense.

But itisn't just the minor or formerDeadliest Catchcrew members whosebehavior on land doesn't match the integrity they try to maintain on the high seas.

It's harder to find excellent guys," Bill "Wild Bill" Wichrowski, now captain of theSummer Bay, explained to PopCulture.com this spring. "They used to be lined up 12 deep when we were making the crazy rock star money, but now it's almost easier to mold the ones you have and obviously, there's, throughout the fleet, there's addiction problems."

He had givendeck boss Nick McGlashana second chanceafterMcGlashan went to rehab.

"It's in my best interest to do the most for these guys that I can," Wichrowski said. "If you have a crew of five and you lose one, you lost 20 percent of your crew, so we can't really run these guys into the ground and make them want to quit and go home."

Nick"had helped me get where I am today, and I put a lot into him and I tend to get a lot out of him, and I hope that he keeps his head straight."

NorthwesternCaptain Sig Hansen, who's been on the show since the beginning, pleaded guiltylast year to misdemeanor assault for kicking and spitting on an Uber driverin 2017. He was given a deferred sentence of a year's probation and ordered to stay away from alcohol and marijuana and seek alcohol treatment.

The sentencing judge noticed a previous drunk-and-disorderly case in Hansen'spast from 2008.

"I hope that you will take this opportunity to make some positive changes in your life,"Seattle Municipal Court Judge Ed McKenna said, per the Seattle Times.

Less than two weeks later, Sig's younger brother Edgar Hansen, deck boss and relief caption on theNorthwestern, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a16-year-old girl in September 2017.

Edgar received a 364-day suspended jail sentence, was ordered to pay court fines and fees of $1,653,and was ordered toundergo a sexual-deviancy evaluation and treatment, as well as give a DNA sample to authorities, theSeattle Times reported in July 2018.

In pleading tofourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, officially classified as a "gross misdemeanor," Edgar admitted to forcibly kissing and touching the girl.

"I committed this assault for the purpose of my own sexual gratification,"Edgar said in a written statement obtained by theSeattle Times."I am very sorry for that conduct and I have commenced treatment to ensure that nothing like this assault ever happens again."

He did not return toDeadliest Catch.

Read the rest here:

The Surplus of Drama That Has Sprung From Deadliest Catch - E! NEWS