Leaked Recordings Challenge Greek Coast Guard Account of Deadly Migrant Shipwreck

On June 14, 2023, the Adriana, an aging fishing trawler overloaded with up to 750 people, capsized in international waters off the Greek town of Pylos. One hundred and four men were rescued, and eighty-two bodies were recovered.  An additional 500 … Continue reading

In Honor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion During Black History Month — the Floating Freedom School

At a time when programs supporting the American values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are being banned in schools across the nation, it is incumbent on the rest of us to keep alive the history that some are now seeking … Continue reading

Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Pushes Back Against DOGE Cuts of Corps of Engineers’ Critical Employees

In a surreal moment, Elon Musk, who heads the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE), pranced around on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week in oversized sunglasses, a black gothic MAGA hat, a thick gold chain around his … Continue reading

Black History Month Repost — John Henry Turpin : Pioneer, Survivor, and Overlooked Hero

John Henry Turpin was among the first Black Chief Petty Officers to serve in the United States Navy. He was also a survivor of two naval disasters — the catastrophic explosions of the USS Maine in 1898, and USS Bennington in 1905.  … Continue reading

The Hanging of Captain Nathaniel Gordon of the Slave Ship Erie — February 21, 1862

A repost in honor of Black History Month. On this day,  February 21, 1862, 163 years ago, Nathaniel Gordon, captain of the slave ship, Erie, was executed by hanging in New York City. Under the Piracy Law of 1820, slave … Continue reading

Celebrating DEI & Black History Month — Harriet Tubman & the Great Combahee Ferry Raid

Last week, the New York Times reported that Harriet Tubman posters, origami paper cranes and rainbows have been disappearing from the halls of the American schools at NATO headquarters in Belgium, a response to the Trump administration’s rollbacks of diversity, … Continue reading

Historic Passenger Liner SS United States Finally Departs Philadelphia on Its Last Voyage

[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id=8]    SS United States, the largest and fastest transatlantic passenger liner ever built in America, was towed this morning from the dock in Philadelphia where it has been moored for nearly three decades, on the first leg of … Continue reading

Leo’s Row : Russian NHS Doctor Hits Halfway Mark in Transatlantic Row for Ukraine

Dr Leo Krivskiy, a doctor with the UK’s National Health Service, is rowing 2,630 nautical miles solo across the Atlantic to raise money for medics in Ukraine in a 6m (20ft) ocean rowing boat called Happy Socks. The BBC reports … Continue reading

Close Encounters of the Humpback Kind — Gulping & Spitting Out Swimmers, Surfers, & Kayakers

A video of a humpback whale gulping up and spitting out a kayaker has gone viral over the last week.  Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell Simancas, in the Strait of Magellan, off Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region, when … Continue reading

Update: USS Harry S. Truman Put into Souda Bay for Repairs After Collision

USS Harry S. Truman, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that collided with the merchant bulk carrier M/V Besiktas-M off the coast of Egypt, put into Souda Bay, Greece, for repairs, US 6th Fleet announced on Sunday. “While the ship is fully … Continue reading

Belated Congratulations to Zara Lachlan, First Woman to Row Solo from Mainland Europe to Mainland South America

We recently posted about Ananya Prasad who completed the 2024-2025 World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic Challenge, a 4,800-km race across the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to Antigua, in 52 days. Ms Prasad, 34, born in India and raised … Continue reading

Celebrating Frederick Douglass on Valentine’s Day — “I Will Take to the Water”

Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of both the day and Black History Month, here is an updated repost about Frederick Douglass. But what does Valentine’s Day have to do with Frederick Douglass?  As a slave, Douglass never knew the date … Continue reading

Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Collides with Bulk Carrier in Mediterranean Sea Near Suez Canal

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, collided with M/V Besiktas-M, a 53,00 DWT bulk carrier, on Wednesday evening near Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea, the Navy said Thursday. The incident … Continue reading

Forty Two Years Ago Today — Remembering the SS Marine Electric

Forty-two years ago today, on February 12, 1983, the collier SS Marine Electric loaded with 24,800 tons of steam coal, capsized and sank in a storm 30 miles off the coast of Virginia. Thirty-one of the 34 crew members died. While … Continue reading