Monthly Archives: September 2020

1819, Manchester. Sarah McCaffrey and her mother Emily attend a talk at St Peters Field by the renowned orator and reformist Harold Hartford (a fictional character based on Henry Hunt). The establishment, wary of the revolutionary sentiments growing among the poorer working classes in the shadow of the French Revolution some twenty years earlier, have outlawed attendance at the talk, but Sarah and her family are among the sixty to one hundred thousand who attend. When the Hussars are dispatched to break up the gathering, a massacre ensues and Sarahs mother and father are among the casualties.

Amid their grief, Sarah and her brother Sam are singled out by a man named Briardown who has been building cells of dissenting citizens who wish to bring about reform in English by violent means. Sarahs involvement in one of these groups will change her life forever, and see her fleeing England for her life aboard The Serpent after her co-conspirators are caught and hanged. Passage aboardThe Serpent may itself be a death sentence. The careless actions of a member of the crew see their vessel make a dangerous voyage through treacherous conditions. As the only survivor of the wreckage, Sarah must make a new life for herself in Sydney, and realise that there are more ways than one to change things.

Once again, Meg Keneally has presented a fully realised historical portrait of the early days of convict Australia. The novel is split into two parts; the story of Sarahs life in England, her voyage at sea and the shipwreck itself make up the first half of the book, and her life after she is rescued, the second. These two parts are both captivating stories, centring the eponymous wreck of the novel as the turning point of Sarahs life.

It is clear that Keneally has done a lot of research into maritime matters, the scene in which the ship is destroyed are some of the most vivid and terrifying I have ever read. Based on the real life wrecking of theDunbar in 1857 the deadliest wreck in New South Wales history the description of bodies (and parts of bodies) floating in the water provide a haunting coda to the action at the end of part one.

Sarah, as the only survivor, grows and changes as a character once she reaches Sydney and is taken under the wing of Mrs Thistle, herself a former convict but now seems to own half the businesses in the town. A strong willed and compassionate character, Sarahs relationships with Mrs Thistle and Nell, a woman of easy virtue whom she meets in the infirmary, show the power of the connections made by women at the time.

A number of scenes also work to show the precariousness of a womans position in the colonies. This is aptly highlighted through the murder of a number of prostitutes, and the resentment that is directed towards Mrs Thistle, whose wealth seems to draw more ire than that of her male counterparts because of her sex. Despite the challenges she faces, and the looming threat that she will be discovered by the superintendent and tried for her involvement in the failed uprising, Sarah is a loyal friend and has a good moral compass. She is a character to root for and the beating heart of this novel.

If you enjoyed Meg Keneallys previous novel,Fled,then you will findThe Wreck an exciting and entertaining follow up. Its full of rich historical detail, compelling writing and all the seafaring detail you could possibly hope for.

Meg KeneallysThe Wreck is available now through Echo Publishing.You can order your copy from Booktopia HERE.

More to Explore on the AU:

Visit link:

Book Review: Adventure and rebellion on the high seas combine in Meg Keneally's The Wreck - the AU review

Tautog (or black fish) have a delicious white flesh and are commonly caught in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the fall. They remind me of grouper but are much smaller and can be found near rocks, on mussel beds and around structure of all types.

Tautog are not often sold in fish markets because they are difficult to harvest commercially as they are usually caught by rod and reel or fish traps rather than trawling for them. Anglers catch tautog on the bottom, green and Asian crabs are commonly used as baits, with tautog jigs (usually tipped with crab) becoming more commonplace to catch them.

The minimum legal size in Massachusetts and Rhode Island is 16 inches with a three fish/person/day limit until Oct. 14. On Oct. 15, the limit jumps to five fish. A 10-fish-per-boat limit applies, however, but does not apply to for-hire charter and party boats.

If you want to land tautog and seek a few tips on how to catch them, attend Capt. Charlie Donilons Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association videoconference seminar at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28.

Captain Donilon is an industry innovator. He was the first charter captain in the area to have a shark diving cage in the 1970s, one of the first to start tagging rather than taking sharks, one of the few with an inspected vessel for 18 rather than six passengers and the first to run a mate school. One of the things he knows best, however, is how to catch tautog and he is more than willing to share his knowledge of tautog-catching strategies and tactics with others.

You need to be an RISAA member to participate in the Zoom seminar. Twelve such meetings on various topics are held throughout the year, and now with videoconference seminar capabilities, additional one-of-a-kind seminars also will be offered. You can attend all seminars and obtain other RISAA membership benefits for $55 a year. Join online at risaa.org.

Striped bass and bluefish. Jordan Haywood of Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay said: "We have a lot of school bass coming through the Cape Cod Canal, mixed with bluefish and false albacore. One of our associates caught an 18-pound false albacore in the Canal. Not many large stripers being caught right now in the Canal." Harris Gatch of Watch Hill Outfitters said: "Striped bass and bluefish are being caught from the beaches and jetties in South County. Slot limit fish [28 inches to less than 35 inches] are being caught along with fish larger than the slot limit. And, we still have some large fish being caught at Block Island." John Littlefield of Archies Bait & Tackle in Riverside reported: "We had two large fish over the slot limit caught at Sabin Point this weekend, where theyre also catching bluefish from shore." Jeff Ingber of Ocean State Tackle in Providence said: "Bass fishing slowed a bit at Block Island and off Newport but anglers are still catching bass on the surface." Ken Ferrara of Rays Bait & Tackle in Warwick said: "We have striped bass in the East Passage of Narragansett Bay and schools of bluefish on the surface. Anglers are catching keeper striped bass in the Providence River, too."

"Tautog fishing is picking up. The fish are not here in high numbers yet but anglers are catching some nice fish," Gatch said. Ferrara reported: "Keeper tautog [minimum size is 16 inches, three fish/person/day] are being caught at Codington Cove, Middletown, with tautog and black sea bass being caught at Brenton Reef and Seal Rock." Ingber reported: "The tautog bite has been solid at the rock piles off Narragansett as well as off Beavertail and Newport." Late this week, anglers who could deal with high seas were hooking up with keeper tautog on ledges and rock piles around Brenton Reef and Seal Rock and Ledge off Newport.

False albacore. Ingber said: "Anglers are catching albies with epoxy jigs. ... Popular types include Hogy and Gunslinger. ... They are working well for customers. Anglers are hooking up off Newport and Beavertail to Narragansett, Scarborough Beach and Point Judith." Ferrara said: "Albies are running off Newport and Narraganset."

Scup fishing remains very strong in the Bay and along the coastal shore. Littlefield reported: "Scup fishing has been very good at Sabin Point, Kettle Point and Colt State Park with northern king fish and Tommy cod being caught at Colt Park as well." Ingber said: "Scup fishing is good at the Hurricane Barrier and at Sabin Point."

Freshwater fishing is picking up as the water cools. "Anglers are targeting largemouth at Stump Pond, Carbuncle Pond with fall pickerel soon to be targeting," Ingber said. "The freshwater bite is more active now as fish are leaving the deeper water and moving closer to shore, where shore anglers can reach them."

Dave Monti holds a captains master license and a charter fishing license. He is an RISAA board member, a member of the R.I. Party & Charter Boat Association, the American Saltwater Guides Association and the R.I. Marine Fisheries Council. Forward fishing news and photos to Captain Dave at dmontifish@verizon.net or visit noflukefishing.com and his blog at noflukefishing.blogspot.com.

Continue reading here:

Fishing Report: Its time to learn about hooking tautog - The Providence Journal

The crews of the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756) and an Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules airplane conduct joint operations in the Pacific August 14, 2020. The crews were participating in the multi-country maritime Operation Nasse designed to prevent Illegal, unregulated or unreported (IUU) fishing in Oceania. U.S. Coast Guard

HONOLULU The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756) returned to Honolulu Sunday following its nearly two-month patrol supporting the multi-country maritime Operation Nasse throughout Oceania, the Coast Guard 14th District said in a Sept. 15 release.

Operation Nasse is an annual Pacific Quadrilateral Defense Coordination Group operation consisting of assets from the United States, Australia, France, New Zealand, and Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency which completed Aug.23.

This is the first time the Coast Guard has sent a surface asset to participate during the Pacific Quadrilateral Defense Coordination Groups operation, said Lt.j.g.Joseph Fox, an assistant combat systems officer aboard the Kimball. Service members from the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball and an Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 aircrew conducted joint missions with their multi-national counterparts to achieve the common goal of preventing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the Pacific.

The purpose of this years operation was to investigate the effect COVID-19 had on fishing activities on the high seas and to identify fishing vessels not complying with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) conditions. Illegal, unregulated or unreported (IUU) fishing undermines a nations sovereignty, threatens its economic security, and weakens global rules-based order.

Each participating country provided assets to support the operation including flights by RNZAF P-3KOrionsbased out of Auckland, Australian Maritime Border Command Dash 8s based out of Brisbane, and French Guardians fromNoumea.

The partners cooperation provided a significant reach in surveillance which allowed the French patrol boat LaGlorieuse and the Kimball tohome in onspecific vessels identified as possibly being of interest to confirm their activities were within regulations.

Air and sea surveillance, and maritime intelligence sharing provided an opportunity for the participants to work collaboratively to detect, deter, suppress, and report potential IUU fishing activity.

In addition to Operation Nasse, the crew of the Kimball also conducted a high seas patrol off American Samoa and Fiji.

Working closely with their Fijian counterparts, the crew supported U.S.-Fiji bilateral agreements and enforced partner nations respective Exclusive Economic Zones while promoting legal, sustainable fisheries.

In the Pacific,theannualtuna catch is estimated at over $5 billion and provides a significant percentage of the income of many of the South Pacific Nations. Ensuring that vessels operating on the high seas are complying with WCPFC regulations to protect fish stocks and other marine life resulting in these valuable resources remaining sustainable for future generations.

All asset crews were working to national rules regarding COVID-19,implemented to keep all personnel as safe as possible while still being able to achieve many of the operational goals.

Read more from the original source:

Cutter Completes Multi-Country Patrol for Illegal Fishing in the South Pacific - SEAPOWER Magazine Online

A rescue operation was launched after a fishing vessel broke down in a Sutherland bay yesterday evening.

Members of Dornoch based independent lifeboat group East Sutherland Rescue Association (ESRA) braved a rough sea and other difficulties, including darkness and poor communications, to go to the aid of the stricken boat, which had anchored close inshore at Loth Bay.

Group spokesman Antony Hope said that ESRA had been tasked at 6.39pm by Aberdeen Coastguard and had launched its boat Glen Cassley in a moderately calm sea just 17 minutes later.

On board were a four-strong crew Gareth Dixon, Neil Ackroyd, Hugh Fullerton Smith and Neil Dalton.

It took the team just under an hour to reach Loth Bay in rising winds and with an increasingly turbulent sea - waves were breaking at around 1.5 metres.

Mr Hope said: Control of the incident was handed over to Shetland Coastguard and communications were difficult with poor transmitting and receiving conditions.

Standing by at Glen Loth were the RNLI Wick lifeboat and a second, larger, Helmsdale based fishing vessel. But neither were able to approach the boat because of the bays shallow water and rocky reef.

Rescuers decided the smaller Glen Cassley would tow the boat out of the bay and into deeper water. The tow would then be taken over by Wick lifeboat.

With darkness encroaching, the Glen Cassleys searchlight had to be utilised.

Mr Hope said: Amid a confused sea with breaking waves, considerable spray reducing visibility and appalling communications difficulty, the tow was successfully carried out."

The fishing vessel was taken to Helmsdale harbour by the Wick lifeboat.

Mr Hope continued: The Dornoch lifeboat returned to base at 10.20pm. The incident was fairly straightforward for ESRA, due to recent crew training in towing and despite two crew members having never experienced a live tow, particularly at night and in testing conditions.

On return it was gratifying to find almost a full shore crew turn-out to recover the boat and wash down, refuel and service it.

It was an excellent performance from both boat and shore crews.

Click here for more news

Get a digital copy of the Northern Times delivered straight to your inbox every week and read the full newspaper on your desktop, phone or laptop.

View post:

Dornoch lifeboat crew battle high seas and poor communications to go to aid of stricken fishing boat - Northern Times

With a king tides advisory up for the state Tuesday, University of Hawaii scientists warn in a published paper that Earths warmer temperatures will expand oceans and generate higher seas that coincide with high tides that will become more extreme this century.

We looked at how accelerating thermal expansion will affect the variability of sea level, so we go beyond the projections of sea level rise, and we look at annual and year-to-year fluctuations in the sea level, said lead scientist Matthew Widlansky, associate director of the UH-Manoa Sea Level Center. If the ocean continues to warm, that thermal expansion that drives these sea level fluctuations accelerates.

What that means ultimately for Hawaii is that the tendency for king tides will become more extreme in the future with continued greenhouse warming.

In a yearlong study published in Communications Earth and Environment in August, UH scientists assessed sea level projections into the year 2100 in the context of the Earths climate responding to greenhouse warming. They analyzed 29 computer global climate models.

While future sea level changes remain uncertain in many locations, all 29 computer models concluded that theres a strong possibility that sea level fluctuations will increase in the future because of how oceans expand faster at higher temperatures.

In a UH news release, Fabian Schloesser, a researcher at the Sea Level Center who collaborated on the study, said that sea level variability increases in a warmer climate because the same temperature variations, for example related to the seasonal cycle, cause larger buoyancy and sea-level fluctuations.

In the study, upper-ocean temperatures worldwide were predicted to rise about 35 degrees by the end of the century with sea level fluctuations increasing by 4 to 10 percent on a seasonal-to-inter-annual timescale.

Theres been a lot of study of how greenhouse warming is likely to cause the increasing melting of land ice, so that causes more water to flow into the ocean, and also if the ocean warms, the water expands, Widlansky said Tuesday in a phone interview. Its also well studied and shown that the expansion of the ocean, that scientists call thermal expansion, is accelerating.

For Hawaii, this means loss of beaches, coastlines and damaged coral reefs impacts already seen at places like Baldwin Beach Park, Kaanapali Beach and along South Kihei Road.

On Monday, the National Weather Service issued a sea level rise warning for the state over the next few days during the afternoons and evenings. The weather service observed ocean water levels to be about half a foot higher than expected.

Combined with high astronomical tides and the new moon, coastal flooding is anticipated at beaches that are normally dry, the weather service said. Some minor coastal erosion also may occur, as well as saltwater contact with low-lying roads, docks, boat ramps and other coastal infrastructure.

Widlansky said that Hawaii experiences its largest tides during the summer and winter months, but more so at the end of summer when the ocean is at its warmest and takes up a little bit more volume and space.

Kahului coastal areas hit record-high monthly sea levels in June and July, he said.

So the high tides during the summer plus the high sea levels, thats what gives us the summer king tides, he said.

Overall, conducting this study and observing the environmental changes reinforce the need for monitoring and forecasting agencies like the weather service and other programs that monitor the tides and other conditions.

This is the type of work that we do at the UH Sea Level Center, he said. That type of monitoring, and eventually improving future outlooks, I think are going to be more and more important for mitigating and adapting to some of these coastal hazards.

For more information regarding the study, visit https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-0008-8#Sec8.

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

COVID-19 testing at the Wailuku Police Station closed down last week with no new cases beyond the three initial ...

Latest developments: State Department of Health reports 102 new cases Wednesday, including 97 on Oahu, four ...

Excerpt from:

With global warming, fluctuations in sea levels expected to increase - Maui News

Local conditions are expected to be calm, but we are closely tracking a tropical disturbance in the southern Gulf of Mexico.

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight:Partly cloudy conditions continue today, but rain chances are very low. A few coastal showers may move inland over St. Mary and Assumption parishes, but they will not be long-lasting. Temperatures today will be near 88 degrees and overnight temperatures will cool to near 71.

Up Next:All eyes are on potential tropical development in the southern Gulf of Mexico. A cold front is set to push south through Louisiana starting tomorrow. The behavior of this front will determine much of our weather pattern for the rest of the forecast period. As of now, it looks like this front will be successful in holding off major rain chances to the extreme coastal areas through the weekend, even if a tropical depression forms in the southern Gulf of Mexico. This can still change, so we will continue to watch it very closely. In the meantime, you can expect high temperatures in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s.

TROPICAL UPDATE:

Tropical Depression Sally continues to drop heavy rain over Georgia and the Carolinas but is now moving faster, near 12 mph off to the northeast.

Hurricane Teddy and Tropical Storm Vicky are still active out in the open Atlantic and are not expected to impact the United States. There is an area to watch over the southern Gulf of Mexico that is already producing showers and storms, and it is very likely to form into a tropical depression later today.

NHC FORECAST:

SALLY

At 400 AM CDT (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Sally was located near latitude 31.8 North, longitude 85.7 West. The depression is moving toward the northeast near 12 mph (19 km/h), and a northeastward to east-northeastward motion is expected into Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Sally will move across southeastern Alabama this morning, over central Georgia this afternoon and evening, and move over South Carolina late tonight into Friday. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 30 mph (45 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional weakening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Sally is expected to become a remnant low by tonight or Friday morning. The estimated minimum central pressure based on nearby surface observations is 1000 mb (29.53 inches).

TEDDY

At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Teddy was located near latitude 18.3 North, longitude 52.3 West. Teddy is moving toward the northwest near 12 mph (19 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue through the weekend. Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph (165 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Teddy could become a major hurricane Thursday night or Friday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 255 miles (405 km). The estimated minimum central pressure is 970 mb (28.65 inches).

VICKY

At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Vicky was located near latitude 21.9 North, longitude 36.7 West. Vicky is moving toward the west-northwest near 7 mph (11 km/h). A turn to the west is forecast later today, followed by a west-southwest motion on Friday. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Weakening is forecast, and Vicky is forecast to become a tropical depression later today and a remnant low by tonight. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 mb (29.77 inches).

AREAS TO WATCH

Thunderstorm activity has continued to increase and become better organized this morning in association with a well-defined low pressure system located over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Upper-level winds are gradually becoming more conducive for development and, if this recent development trend continues, a tropical depression or a tropical storm could form later today. The low is expected to meander over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico for the next day or so before moving slowly northward to northeastward on Friday and Saturday. An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the disturbance this afternoon.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...high...90 percent.

* Formation chance through 5 days...high...90 percent.

An elongated area of low pressure located a few hundred miles south-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands is producing disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for development during the next few days, and a tropical depression could form before upper-level winds become less favorable over the weekend. The low is forecast to move west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph during the next several days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...medium...40 percent.

* Formation chance through 5 days...medium...60 percent.

A non-tropical area of low pressure is located over the far northeastern Atlantic Ocean a few hundred miles east-northeast of the Azores. This system is forecast to move east-southeastward and then northeastward at about 10 mph over the next day or two, and its chances of acquiring some subtropical characteristics before it reaches the coast of Portugal late Friday appear to be decreasing. For more information on this system, see High Seas Forecasts issued

by Meteo France.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...10 percent.

* Formation chance through 5 days...low...10 percent.

The WBRZ Weather Team is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on yourAppleorAndroiddevice. Follow WBRZ Weather onFacebookandTwitterfor even more weather updates while you are on the go.

More:

Very little rain in the forecast, Tropical development likely in the southern Gulf - WBRZ

NEWPORT, R.I., Sept. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --The Ocean Race Summit in Newport, RI, USA, gathered over 680 registered participants from around the world on Wednesday, as well as a diverse and engaging group of international expert speakers, to develop and share solutions to restore ocean health.

Using an innovative and interactive online platform, including eight collaborative Action Labs, the Summit tackled challenging issues head-on with a focus on action and results.

"The ocean is the most important ecosystem in our life," said Jos Mara Figueres, the former prime minister of Costa Rica and co-founder of Ocean Unite. "Without a healthy ocean there is no life on the planet."

Mr. Figueres pointed to increasing the number of Marine Protected Areas, stopping climate change, and reaching an international agreement on governance of the High Seas as critical pathways towards restoring ocean health.

World renowned sailors Mark Towill (USA), CEO of the 11th Hour Racing Team, and Peter Burling (NZL), an Olympic gold medalist and America's Cup winner who was inspired to start his environmental foundation, Live Ocean, after competing in The Ocean Race in 2017-18, spoke about leveraging sport to make a positive impact.

"We want to demonstrate that being competitive at top level sport and prioritizing sustainability are not exclusive," Towill said. "It is to our benefit to be leaders in this space and to encourage others to join in We're at a tipping point and we want our team to be driving change."

"What scared me most during the last edition of The Ocean Race was what I didn't see - the lack of whales, albatross, tuna, compared to the stories I heard about in the past," said Burling. "The difference to where we are now is scary and shows how urgent the issue is."

The Ocean Race Summits have been developed in collaboration with 11th Hour Racing, an organization that establishes strategic partnerships to promote collaborative, systemic change benefitting the health of the ocean. Co-founder, Wendy Schmidt (USA), explained how this moment is a critical opportunity to contribute to science and to shift public perception about what ocean health means.

"At 11th Hour Racing we're working with The Ocean Race to reach audiences around the world - whether online, at Summits, or at Exploration Zones at stopover cities during the next Race - and changing their perceptions," said Schmidt, who is a philanthropist and investor, as well as a competitive sailor.

"Together we have a unique opportunity to join the sport we love with the science we need for the ocean."

"For many generations, we have been takers from the ocean and we have to change our mindset and be caretakers of the oceans," said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island).

"People have to put their mind to think about oceans in order to appreciate the work that needs to be done. But it can be done. It has to be done rapidly and with intention. But we can solve this."

NOTE TO EDITORS:Since 1973, The Ocean Race has provided the ultimate test of a team and a human adventure like no other. Over four decades of round the world racing, it has kept an almost mythical hold over some of the greatest sailors and been the proving ground for the legends of sailing.

We have a proven commitment to sustainability, and with the support and collaboration of 11th Hour Racing, Founding Partner of the Race Sustainability Programme and Premier Partner of The Ocean Race, we are inspiring action and creating tangible outcomes to help restore ocean health.www.theoceanrace.com

Media Contact:Peter Rusch+34 699 134 443[emailprotected]

SOURCE The Ocean Race

http://www.theoceanrace.com

Read more:

A Focus on Solutions to Improve Ocean Health at The Ocean Race Summit Newport - PRNewswire