The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Friday, July 23, 2010

Storm in the Gulf of Mexico[ 1515 ].

Gulf storm puts BP spill efforts on hold

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Storm clouds form near a BP station in Alexandria, Virginia, July 19, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Molly Riley
By Kristen Hays
HOUSTON | Fri Jul 23, 2010 5:03am EDT
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Bonnie threatened efforts to plug BP Plc's Gulf of Mexico oil leak on Friday and officials said many of the vessels and rigs involved in the operation would prepare to move out of the system's path.
"While these actions might delay the effort to kill the well for several days, the safety of the individuals at the well site is our highest concern," retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said in a statement late on Thursday.
They were to have started preparing "to move out of harm's way" Thursday night, Allen said, though it was unclear exactly when they would pull out or stop operations.
Among the rigs involved is the one drilling the relief well that will permanently kill the leak. It had been on track to intercept the ruptured well by mid-August.
Officials have said an evacuation could force a delay of 10 to 14 days in operations. But the blown-out well will remain capped even as the evacuation forces a temporary halt to operations, including monitoring.
BP capped the well last week, choking off the flow of oil that has caused an ecological disaster for the first time since the April 20 rig explosion. Its containment efforts have been keenly eyed by investors because BP's ultimate costs may hinge on how much oil is determined to have flowed into the Gulf.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Bonnie, the second named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, was packing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.
It formed near the Bahamas on Thursday on a track that could take it over the BP spill site. The storm is expected to move into the eastern Gulf on Friday night and Saturday.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency as the storm is forecast to hit the state's coast on Sunday.
The largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, triggered by the explosion that killed 11 workers, has unleashed an environmental disaster in the Gulf and devastated the region's tourism and fishing industries.
Workers have been close to completing the relief well and launching a "static kill" operation to pump heavy drilling mud and possibly cement into the well.
The spill has sparked a crisis for British energy giant BP, which created a $20 billion fund to compensate victims of the disaster and still faces mounting costs.
BP shares remained relatively steady in New York trading on Thursday, climbing 0.3 percent as the overall market rose. It is due to report quarterly results next week.
President Barack Obama, who has been under political pressure for his handling of the spill, will spend the August 14 weekend along the hard-hit Florida Gulf Coast, the White House announced.
(Writing by Ed Stoddard; editing by Todd Eastham)
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