MARITIME

MARITIMEPROFESSIONAL.COM
27,000+ Members: Join the largest networking group in the maritime industry
(Continued from page 8)
Henry Every
The King of Pirates
Keeping up with the Jones (Act)
Henry Every (or Avery) is remembered
for capturing the richest pirate prize
ever and also for apparently being
wise enough to retire from the business
and enjoy his ill-gotten gains. He was
born in the West Country of England,
famous for providing England with a
large percentage of its seafarers. He
served briefly in the Royal Navy, and
then moved on to the slave trade, where
the pay was better although dishonorable.
In 1693, he was serving as first
mate on the Spanish privateer Charles
II when the crew became disgruntled
and mutinied. The ship was renamed
Fancy and Every was elected captain.
After plundering ships off West Africa,
they moved into the Indian Ocean. In
1695, the Fancy had reached the Red
Sea and joined up with a number of
other pirates. They launched an uncoordinated
attack on the Mughal treasure
fleet that included the main treasure
ship Ganj-i-sawai and the smaller Fateh
Muhammed. Thomas Tew, commanding
the pirate sloop Amity, was killed
in an attack on the Fateh Muhammed.
The Mughal ship, though, had incurred
significant damage from that attack and
was unable to withstand a second attack
by Every on the heavily-armed Fancy.
Every then turned his attention to the
even larger Ganj-i-sawai, capturing it
also. The pirate crew was incensed by
the damage inflicted by the Indian vessels
and promptly tortured and killed
most of the Indian sailors and soldiers
on board. They also attacked the Indian
women on board, many of whom committed
suicide to escape their fate. The
treasure on the two Indian ships was
enormous, with an estimated value of
£600,000. Every’s share made him the
richest pirate in history. Because Britain
was seeking good relations with the
Mughal Empire, it launched a worldwide
manhunt for Every and his crew.
They had fled to the Bahamas, where
they divided the treasure and split up.
Many, though, were eventually captured,
tried, convicted, and hung. Henry
Every was never heard of again. Rumors
circulated that he had changed his
identity and assumed a quiet life back
home in the West Country, but there
was no evidence to support the story.
– Dennis Bryant, MarPro
During the past few
years, Bouchard has
again invested well over
one billion dollars in
new equipment. This
investment could have
certainly been cheaper
if built in foreign shipyards.
However, consider
all the jobs that were
created and the taxes
that Bouchard and the
shipyard paid, again,
in compliance with
existing regulations,
which gets back to my
first issue in managing
Bouchard – it all comes
full circle. And as for
the oil industry’s complaint
that rates are too
high, I didn’t hear them
complaining years ago
when owners were losing
money. The Jones
Act was fine then.”
Self-Inflicted Wounds
When the United
States government decided that it no longer needed the
Naval Base at Roosevelt roads, Puerto Rico, back in
2004, it also signaled the end of an era for the local island
economy which took a massive hit when the federal money
dried up. As a young Third Mate sailing for the U.S.
Navy’s Military Sealift Command, I visited the port and
base more than once in the early 1980’s. It was a vibrant
operation then, supporting not only the important training
of military aviators, but also accounting for as much
as 75 percent of the money flowing into local businesses.
Nevertheless, the Navy no longer had any need for the
base after it halted test bombing of the island of Vieques
following years of protests.
Local Puerto Rico officials are still bitter about the base
closure, some of whom believe that the U.S. government
was punishing them for the loss of their training areas. In
truth, it was merely a savvy financial decision (our government
does makes them once in a while) to withdraw
from the island. Shortsighted local activists (arguably) got
exactly what they deserved when they failed to comprehend
that the end of the training also signaled the end to
the need to operate from the remote location. The impact
on the local economy continues to this day, and reverberates
all over the rest of the island. In many respects, the
drama reminds me of what happened in the Philippines
when the U.S. Navy pulled out of Subic Bay when the
local government there wanted too much in return for the
extension of local leases on the port land. But, I’m moving
off point here again.
Bottom Line
The other usual Jones
Act defense arguments
also apply, including
the need to maintain a
robust shipyard industrial
base and trained
mariners to support the
U.S. military and protect
our shores during
times of peace and war.
Circling back to Puerto
Rico, a $72 billion debt
crisis has many causes,
but to blame the Jones
Act for the island’s
woes is simply shortsighted,
and frankly,
a misguided effort to
point fingers elsewhere
when the real problems
exist much closer to
home. U.S. flag shipping
has provided reliable
and regular service
to the island for
many years. That’s not
going to change, and,
in reality, it may be one
of the things that help the island to recover. In May, for
example, Crowley Puerto Rico Services announced that
it had executed a $48.5 million construction contract for
a new pier at its Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan, Puerto
Rico, further solidifying its commitment to the region. In
conjunction with the investment, the company and the
Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) also concluded a 30-
year lease extension for the Isla Grande property. That
kind of investment – and local commitment – is exactly
what is likely to create jobs and prosperity, with associated
tax revenues. What about simple, one-off port calls
from a low cost flag of convenience carrier? Not so much.
Let’s keep our eye on the ball here.
For Puerto Rico, keeping up with the Jones family also
means keeping the Jones Act intact.
– MarPro
Investment in Puerto Rican Trade
Pictured above is Perla del Caribe, the second of two
LNG-fueled Marlin Class ships built by General Dynamics
NASSCO for Tote, was launched at NASSCO’s yard
in San Diego. The 764-foot-long Perla del Caribe and
sister ship, christened Isla Bella, are Jones Act vessels
built for the Puerto Rican trade for TOTE Shipholdings
and will be operated by TOTE subsidiary Sea Star Line
out of Jacksonville, Fla.
(Photo: General Dynamics NASSCO)
10 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • SEPTEMBER 2015