What's in a name? Apparently not "Boaty McBoatface"

It is not very often that our maritime world is noticed by anyone outside it, but the newly commissioned NERC research vessel social media campaign to choose a name  has certainly grabbed the UK public's attention with the apparent winner  "Boaty Mcboatface" the clear winner in a public vote.

All for nought it would seem as the Government minister responsible for the final decision deemed it "unsuitable". 

Well, yes of course it is unsuitable, and perhaps more befitting something penned by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry of "Thomas the Tank Engine" fame, but it does have a cheerful note to it, and after receiving 124,000 votes - more than four times it's closest rival surely should have been accepted?

Democracy at work or just another sign of the times we live in?

Let us know your views or check out the NERC Twitter feed @NERCscience.

Diesel engines & Gen-sets on Partfindermarine.com

Our push to add more engines and gen-sets to the system with a new "public message" category and extensive coverage seems to be bearing fruit with a number of new additions since we launched this feature last month.

The image to the right is a GE Waukesha gas engine, we have a buyer looking for two units on the system at present.

Login to check it out for yourselves, click here or do drop us a line if you have any gen-sets or diesel engines you would like to add to the database. We'll be sure to keep you updated on how this promotion, and our target to expand our parts listing to break the 1M parts barrier is getting on in future editions.

Last place on earth.....

We wrote an article about the impending retirement of the last Royal Mail Ship ( RMS St. Helena) in a recent Newsletter, this month saw the publication of the schedule for the first flights from the new airport and the first direct flights to the UK, bringing this most remote and historic settlement within (relatively) easy reach of the adventurous UK holidaymaker for the first time.

Article link courtesy of our friends at Business Travel News. Excerpt below.

They call it the airport at the end of the world and no wonder. St Helena is a dot in the South Atlantic, 1,950km (1,210mi) west of the border between Namibia and Angola in south-west Africa and 4,000km (2,500mi) east of Rio de Janeiro. It is about 16km (10mi) long and 8km (5mi) wide and had a population as of the 2008 census of precisely 4,255, though presumably a few more now.

Don't miss out on Partfindermarine Notifications

We all like to think we know what is going on in our businesses, and we all probably think we are on top of our game, but there is always the chance that you could miss that opportunity or sale, and with the raft of social media "noise" that we are exposed to 24 hours a day the chances are you will be too busy looking at a fake Twitter or Facebook story to see a buyer desperately looking for a part you have on the shelf.

That's where the Partfindermarine.com "Notifications" come in. As a default we show you up to five of the last new parts, new users and new public messages listed, on an hourly, daily or weekly basis.

Unlike our competitors who only deliver these via e-mail, you can also set your Partfindermarine.com "Alerts" to be delivered via SMS, at no charge from us - just your regular SMS delivery charge. That's why we asked for your mobile number when you registered, and it's the only reason we need it.

You can customise these settings, adding specific items to your list to ensure you never miss an opportunity, whether it is as a buyer or a supplier. Login and click on Profile-Notifications.

We run 1:1 on-line training refreshers via Skype to help you so if you need a personal training course, please drop us a line here to book an appointment.

Not all doom and gloom

There seems to be an never-ending stream of bad news for the offshore and shipping industry at the moment, so perhaps time to reflect on what happened to you when the ship finally went down and you were on a desert island.

From 100 best jokes compiled by the Torygraph, sorry Telegraph, the late, great and very very brilliant Tommy Cooper

'Two cannibals were eating a clown – one said to the other, 'Does he taste funny to you?'