Sea Captains: San Francisco 1800s

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Captain E. M. Nielsen

January 1, 1912, San Francisco Call, San Francisco, California, USA

SHIP IN TYPHOON'S GRASP THREE DAYS 
Steamer Jason Escapes Foundering a Hundred Times in Far East 
Captain E. M. Nielsen Remains on Bridge 72 Hours Guiding Vessel

To be tossed about on the high sea as a chip during a terrific typhoon when steaming off the Chinese coast several weeks ago was the experience which the Norwegian steamer Jason was forced to go through. The steamer arrived here early yesterday morning.

So dangerous did Captain E. M. Nielsen consider the situation that he remained on the bridge for 72 hours without sleep or rest.

The Jason left Karatsu, a port in the orient, December 8 and was only two days out when the typhoon was encountered. The tempest started with terrific wind storm from the northwest. Captain Nielsen thought it would be necessary to put back to port, but on the second day of the storm when he attempted to put about he found it impossible.

On the third day the seas ran so high that they broke over the entire vessel. The crew was ordered below decks and the hatches nailed down. The only persons allowed above decks were the captain and his first mate. Time and again the stanch little steamer rose on high billows, while the propellers whirled their force out of the water, and then plunged down into one of the valleys of the ocean. The ship was shaken from bow to stern and it was feared that each plunge would be the last.

The fury of the wind and the force of the seas threw the Jason completely out of its course. When the typhoon abated Captain Nielsen found that he was several hundred miles off his proper line of navigation.

Origins of Nielson/Nielsen

Recorded in many spelling variations and found throughout Europe and Scandanavia, this is a surname of ancient origins. An estimated eighty spellings include: MacNeill, O'Neill, Neal, Neale, Neil, Niall, Neill, or the patronymics Neals, Neilsen, Neilson, Nielson, Neelson, Nealon, and Nelson. The origination is from the pre-7th century Gaelic name 'Niall' meaning 'champion'. It is claimed that the personal name was 'borrowed' from Ireland by the Norse-Vikings, and introduced into Scandanavia as 'Njall', before being taken to Normandy by the 'Norsemen' in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was then 'returned' to the British Isles with the Norman Conquest of 1066, as Neil or Nell. Recorded in surviving ancient charters is that the O'Neil's were the chief clan of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland from the 10th century. In Scotland during the reign of King James Vth of Scotland, the Neilsons were the hereditary Lords of Bute. The first recorded spelling of the family name is supposed to be that of John Neilson, dated 1314, in the Royal Charter of Craigcatte, during the reign of King Robert of Scotland (1306 -1329). Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation.

Visitors to Ancient America:
The Evidence for European and Asian Presence in America Prior to Columbus
William F. McNeil
For many years people have speculated that Europeans visited America before Columbus in the late 15th century and have presented various pieces of evidence in support of their arguments. This book synthesises such evidence combining a historical overview of early American history with particular case studies pertaining to sites, inscriptions, artefacts and human remains which have formed the basis of arguments for and against such claims. William McNeil's study covers such subjects as ancient ship technology and capability, navigation and knowledge of winds and currents across the Atlantic prior to the 15th century. He assesses whether theories of Viking journeys to the coast of North America are justified, whether the Icelandic sagas are a record of such travels, and whether there are any other sources in European literature that may be interpreted as chronicling voyages to America.

Dansk Etymologisk Ordbog: Ordenes Historie
(Gyldendals Rode Ordboger) (Danish Edition)
Niels Age Nielsen
Text in Danish.

The Authority to Sail: The History of U.S. Maritime Licenses and Seamen's Papers
Robert Stanley Bates, George Marsh (Editor), John F. Whiteley (Forward) (Batek Marine Publishing, 2011; Nominated in 2012 for a Pulitzer Prize)
This book depicts important aspects of our maritime history as a result of original research done by the author, Commodore Bates, the holder of an unlimited master's license who has enjoyed a distinguished fifty-year career in both the Coast Guard and the American Merchant Marine.

The U.S. Coast Guard issues all Captain Licenses for U.S. Ports.
Note: Other countries have different regulations, i.e. the RYA (Royal Yachting Association), conducts certification for Britain and Ireland. As of 2011, they did not recognize the USCG certification; certification through their courses was required.

Master Unlimited is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of a vessel any gross tons. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws. All persons on board, including officers and crew, other shipboard staff members, passengers, guests and pilots, are under the captain's authority and are his or her ultimate responsibility. The STCW defines the Master as Person having command of the ship.

The Sea Chart
The Illustrated History of Nautical Maps and Navigational Charts

John Blake
The sea chart was one of the key tools by which ships of trade, transport and conquest navigated their course across the oceans. Herein is a history and development of the chart and the related nautical map, in both scientific and aesthetic terms, as a means of safe and accurate seaborne navigation. 150 color illustrations including the earliest charts of the Mediterranean made by 13th-century Italian merchant adventurers, as well as 18th-century charts that became strategic naval and commercial requirements and led to Cook's voyages in the Pacific, the search for the Northwest Passage, and races to the Arctic and Antarctic.

Get Your Captain's License. Fifth Edition
Charlie Wing
Considered the quickest, easiest, and least expensive way to prepare for the U.S. Coast Guard captain's ratings exams required for anyone who takes paying passengers on a boat, and useful for serious boaters who want to save money on insurance. 350 pages of seamanship and navigation tutorials. More than 1,500 questions and answers from the Coast Guard exams. Includes an interactive CD-ROM with all 14,000 questions and answers in the USCG database, so you can take an unlimited number of practice exams