Bout TIME!

http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/romneyinks5.htm

Well, as I sit at my Chief Engineers desk on my ship have fishing withdrawls, for I won't wet a line till late this month....for the first time this year.... I have to side with the Transpotation industries side on this one.

Individual state laws like on the West Coast and now Mass are confusing and make it extremely difficult for the shippers. There are already International and Federal measures for this. And no company intentionally does harm.

Sounds like some people won't be happy till they drive all the Transport companies out of business, then what?

Be ready to pay more to heat your home, fill the car and boat. It is these Individual State laws that contribute to say for example California $3 a gallon gas prices.

As far as tracking ships, well that is already possible thru a technology called AIS. Incentives for Double Hull vessels, this is already in progress thru OPA'90 to phase out single hulls. But it is a misconception that this will halt all spills. Most large ships carry the fuel they burn (bunkers) in the double bottom tanks. Double Bottoms only surround cargo fuel. So a large vessel carrying 900,000 odd gallons of bunker fuel can also spill when grounded.

Thru ISM/ISO and the IMO vessel accidents are in decline. But the bottom line it that these are accidents.

Sorry for going on so long but guys in my industry just feel like more regs squeeze us every year and jobs are lost to foreign ships with less trained crews.

Salty, I know allot of people feel the way you do but what if the Mass legislature passed a bill making the Tackle manufactures pay a fine everytime someone polluted the water with lost tackle. It would raise the price of plugs and discourage people from buying.

My fingers are tired, Jon