NASA - NASA Finds 2011 Ninth-Warmest Year on Record

NASA - NASA Finds 2011 Ninth-Warmest Year on Record: "The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000.


NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which monitors global surface temperatures on an ongoing basis, released an updated analysis that shows temperatures around the globe in 2011 compared to the average global temperature from the mid-20th century. The comparison shows how Earth continues to experience warmer temperatures than several decades ago. The average temperature around the globe in 2011 was 0.92 degrees F (0.51 C) warmer than the mid-20th century baseline."

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Mariners guide to NY Harbor

Thanks to North River, New York Sailing for this:

MARINER'S GUIDE full length from Ray Fusco Inc. on Vimeo.

Rounding the horn: solo around the Americas in a 27 foot sailboat

You know I love adventures like this.  Matt Rutherford has enormous skill and determination.  But he's also got the weakest piece of equipment I've ever seen for an ocean voyager - a 40 year old 27 foot boat.  Capt. Doug Pohl reports 

The Horn

Matt Rutherford

Solo Around the America's Under Sail | An audacious attempt at sailing the Northwest Passage and circumnavigating entirety of both continents, to benefit Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating: "I’ve now doubled the Horn, which means I sailed from 50 south to 50 south non-stop. Back 100 years ago it was common practice, but these days boats usually stop along the way and round the horn in a series of steps from safe anchorage to safe anchorage (understandably so). I spent 22 days in the furious fifties and I had a good time. I had four gales in a row before the Horn but the weather has been nice ever since. That gale I saw coming decreased in strength and it only blew 30kts and the one behind it did the same thing. I love the temperature down here; it’s around 55 degrees which is great for me. At night it gets a bit colder and I can feel it when I breathe, all wrapped up in my warm sleeping bag. What can I say, I’m a Celt. My ancestors didn’t live in warm sunny places. I’ve been spoiling myself by making blueberry pancakes every morning (thanks to self-reliance) along with a cup of coffee. I’ll tell you, life is pretty good!"

Circumnavigating Ellesmere Island - by Sea Kayak - NYTimes.com

Arctic Adventure - A 1,500-Mile Trip by Sea Kayak - NYTimes.com: "To stave off a breaching 3,000-pound walrus from the cockpit of a small sea kayak, Erik Boomer recommends using the paddle.
“Sort of like a Heisman stiff-arm, hit him in the face and try to feed him the paddle,” he said. “Then start paddling.”
The first 600 miles of the Ellesmere Island expedition had not been so sporting — lots of marching along on skis with skins, towing the boats."

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Seven National All-Time Heat Records Set in 2011 | ThinkProgress

Seven National All-Time Heat Records Set in 2011 | ThinkProgress: "By Dr. Jeff Masters, in a Wunderblog repost:

"The year 2011 was the tenth warmest year on record for the globe, but the warmest year on record when a La Niña event was present (Ricky Rood has a discussion of this in his lastest post.) Seven nations and one territory broke all-time hottest temperature records. This is a far cry from 2010 (which tied for the warmest year on record), when twenty nations (plus one UK territory) set all-time hottest temperature records. One all-time coldest temperature record was set in 2011; this was the first time since 2009 one of these records was set. The all-time cold record occurred in Zambia, which ironically also set an all-time hottest temperature record in 2011."

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USCG Icebreaker Healy aids Russian Tanker Renda

The Renda, a Russian tanker, is bringing fuel to ice-jammed Nome Alaska, aided by our only icebreaker in the arctic.  This is the price of the Tea Party.  We have only the USCG Healy.  The Polar Star has been drydocked since 2006 thanks to federal budget cuts.

Maine Shrimp Boil Recipe | Stephencooks

It's an aromatic, herbal broth!

Maine Shrimp Boil Recipe | Stephencooks

Waiting for the Margaret E

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission set a short winter shrimp season.  It opened the 30 day trawl a month late on January 2.  MWF only - 3 days/week.  A short day, too: nets on spools at 1 PM.  But last night after  two days of fishing the regulators bent: fishing allowed until 3 PM.  So if you're into the fish you can keep going - maybe get your limit - 5,000 lbs.
So the fleet came in heavy as darkness fell this snowy Friday evening at Friendship harbor - where perhaps twenty lobstermen have rigged their boats to drag nets instead of haul lobster traps. We waited for the Margaret E at Wallace's Lobster for our first shrimp of the season. I like 'em cajun style. Just seems right.

(click on images to enlarge and slideshow)

No. 22 Harvard Loses to Fordham - 60 - 54 NYTimes.com

OTHERWISE: No. 22 Harvard Loses to Fordham - 60 - 54 NYTimes.com:

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Men at work: Friendship harbor at year's end

Friendship harbor (click on photos to enlarge)

rigged for trawling

Friday, December 30, the last workday of the year was a busy day in Friendship harbor.  By a rough estimate of the dinghies at moorings in the morning about 20 fishing boats were out - baiting and hauling traps, or bringing them in for storage in the off season.  Others were getting ready for the shortened shrimp season.  The Department of Marine Resources has declared:

"The 2011/2012 fishing season specifications are a total allowable catch (TAC) of 2,000 metric tons, with the season closing when landings are projected to reach 95 percent of the TAC (1,900 mt). The trawl season will start January 2, 2012 with three landing days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Vessels may only land once a day. The trap season will start February 1, 2012 with a 1,000 pound landing limit per vessel per day [and no days out]."

Delayed a month, it will be a short season, hard on Friendship's fleet.