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Captain Lou's Nautical News Headlines

Capt Lou's Nautical News April 14, 2019 IRWIN JACOBS FOUND DEAD IN MURDER SUICIDE Irwin Jacobs and his wife were found dead Wednesday in their 22 million dollar Lake Minnetonka mansion in an apparent murder-suicide. Irwin Jacobs was the CEO of Genmar Corporation which at one time was the biggest boat builder in the world, owning a dozen or more boat brands. Officers who responded to the home found the bodies in a bed along with a gun. Both irwin and his wife Alexandra were 77 years old. Friends said they were married for 57 years and were inseparable. They also said Jacobs' wife had been in a wheelchair for the last year or so and had signs of dementia leaving Irwin distraught over her condition. Jacobs, whose prominence faded in recent years, made a fortune as a corporate raider. In the 1980s he made Forbes list as one of the richest people in America. Besides owning the boat companies, he also owned part of the Minnesota Vikings football team and Bekins Van Lines. BOSTON MARATHON BULLET RIDDLED BOAT ON DISPLAY It has been 6 years since Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found hiding in a 22 foot boat named Slipaway II behind David Henneberry's home in Watertown. Henneberry who died in 2017, went out for a smoke in his back yard when he noticed his winter cover was disturbed. He went to fix it and found Tsarnaev bleeding inside the boat. When authorities arrived they opened fire on the boat. Today, the bullet-riddled boat is open to the public as part of an FBI guided tour. THREE RIGHT WHALE CALVES IN CAPE COD BAY Three North Atlantic right whale mothers and calves have been spotted in Cape Cod Bay so far this season. The Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown reported the mothers and calves were seen by surveyors from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. According to the Center for Coastal Studies, 219 North Atlantic right whales have been identified this season in Cape Cod Bay. JAPANESE STILL KILLING WHALES And speaking of whales, the Japanese factory whaling ship, Nisshin Maru, returned home from the Southern Atlantic Ocean with meat from 333 Antarctic minke whales. The whales were taken under the guise of "research" despite a three-decade moratorium on commercial whaling, but in fact the whale meat is sold at Japanese restaurants and makets. In December, Japan left the International Whaling Commission and announced plans to resume commercial whaling. However, Japan would no longer hunt whales in international waters, including in the Antarctic. Its fleet will now be confined to the island nation's own waters, up to 200 miles offshore. The Mayor of a historic Japanese whaling city said will expand his city's school lunch program to 100,000 servings of whale meat a year, in order to pass the culture on to the next generation. Whale hunting has roots in Japanese culture dating back thousands of years. PROPOSAL TO CUT COAST GUARD BUDGET DEAD The White House's 11.3 billion dollar Coast Guard budget proposal for fiscal 2020 is "dead on arrival" in Congress according to the chairman of the House subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security. Under the administration's proposal for the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard would have to scale back operations. Commandant Schultz acknowledged that the "flatlining" of funding over the last 10 years is having an effect. He said the Coast Guard is at a critical junction, adding that agency's readiness is in danger of eroding. Schultz said unlike the other branches of the armed forces which fall under the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard has not seen an uptick in funding in recent years. SMELT BROOK UNCOVERED IN WEYMOUTH LANDING The unearthing of a 150-section of the Smelt Brook which flows under a portion of Weymouth Landing was completed in time for rainbow smelt to lay eggs in the excavated section before the fish swim upstream toward Pond Meadow Park in Braintree. The eggs were discovered by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Brad Chase, a fisheries project leader with the state Division of Marine Fisheries said the rainbow smelt in the Fore River Watershed is the biggest smelt population in the state. Rainbow smelt is a favorite food source for striped bass, bluefish, birds, and marine mammals. Of course humans also like eating smelt which are rich in minerals and vitamins including omega 3s. State law permits capturing rainbow smelt with poles, hand lines, and ultra-light spinning outfits. CHARGES OF ANIMAL CRUELTY DROPPED ON MAN WHO ABANDONED HIS PET FISH Law enforcement officials in North Carolina went overboard in charging a man with cruelty to animals after he was caught abandoning his pet oscar fish. He was evicted from his home and left the fish behind. They arrested the man and immediately rescued the 6 inch long fish which had a hole in its head and brought it to a pet store where it is now recovering and will soon be available for adoption. Upon inspection of the aquarium tank, cockroaches were found in the water. However, authorities were forced to drop all charges and let the man off the hook because North Carolina�fs animal cruelty law does not protect fish.     27 YEARS ON RADIO STATION WATD 95.9 FM Listen to the live broadcast of "Nautical Talk Radio" with Capt Lou and crew Sunday mornings 11-noon (Boston time) on radio stations 95.9FM and 1460AM WATD, and soon to return on 1510AM WMEX. Also streamed around the world on www.959watd.com. Listen anytime to replay of recent shows at www.NauticalTalk.com. Recipient of 2018 Mass Boating & Yacht Clubs "Gannett Award" Winner of MASS/Rhode Island Associated Press "BEST TALK SHOW" Winner of Boston's Achievement in Radio "BEST INTERVIEW" award Recipient of American Lighthouse Foundation's "LEN HADLEY" award Recipient of Coast Guard's Joshua James Lifesaving Medal for public service Nominated Boston's A,I.R. "BEST PRODUCED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM" Judge of IBEX Innovation Products Judge of NMMA's Progressive New England Boat Show's Exhibitors 25 Year Retired Status U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Member of Boston Harbor Islands National Park Advisory Council Member of South Shore Harbormasters Association Member of Mass Marine Trades Association Member of Quincy Bay Race Week Member of Mass Boating and Yacht Club Association Member of Stellwagen Bank Charterboat Association Member of Boat Writers International Member of Boat/US Life Member of Mass Striped Bass Association Life Member and Past Commodore of Metropolitan Yacht Club

 

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS ON RADIO STATION 95.9FM WATD"

Listen to the live broadcast of "Nautical Talk Radio" with Capt Lou and crew, Sunday mornings from 11 - 12 noon (Boston time) on radio station  95.9FM WATD, streaming around the world on www.959watd.com. You can also listen to a replay of recent shows anytime during the week a www.NauticalTalk.com.

* Winner of Mass/Rhode Island Associated Press "BEST TALK SHOW"
* Winner of Boston's Achievement In Radio "BEST INTERVIEW" AWARD
* Recipient of American Lighthouse Foundation's "LEN HADLEY AWARD"
* Recipient of Coast Guard's Joshua James Lifesaving Medal for public service
* Nominated Boston's A.I.R. "BEST PRODUCED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM"
* Judge of IBEX Innovation Products
* Judge of New England Boat Show's Best Exhibitors
* Member of Boston Harbor Islands National Park Advisory Council
* Member of South Shore Harbormaster Association
* Member of Quincy Bay Race Week Association
* Member of Stellwagen Bank Charterboat Association
* Member of Boat Writers International
* Life Member of Mass Striped Bass Association
* Life Member and Past Commodore of Metropolitan Yacht Club