Here is a fascinating bit of history from the “History Guy” about when the navies of the Republic of Texas and the Republic of the Yucatan faced off against the most modern warships of their time, the ironclads of the Mexican … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
On Monday, I was fortunate enough to have been invited by the good folks at Highland Park Whisky to sail for an afternoon on the Draken Harald Hårfagre in New York harbor. At 115′ feet from stem to stern, Draken Harald Hårfagre is the … Continue reading
In the dark and oxygenless waters of the Black Sea two miles below the surface, a team of maritime archaeologists, scientists and surveyors has discovered what it believes to be the world’s oldest intact shipwreck. Carbon dating suggests that the … Continue reading
In 1899, a hurricane carried 15 ships ashore on Dog Island, a barrier island on the northwestern Florida Gulf coast. Recently, Hurricane Micheal unearthed several of the lost ships. The exposed wooden ships now rest in plain view near the west … Continue reading
Here is the very nicely done 2018 promotional video for Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, produced by Leftcoast Media House. Grays Harbor, Washington is homeport to the West Coast’s tall ships, Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. Grays Harbor Historical Seaport: Learn. Sail. Discover. from … Continue reading
The HMS Queen Elizabeth, Great Britain’s new aircraft carrier, sailed beneath the Verrazano Bridge yesterday on a weeklong visit to New York harbor. The ship which cost £3.1 billion is 932 feet long, displaces 65,000 tonnes, and is the largest … Continue reading
Barrier-shattering naval engineer Raye Montague has died at the age of 83. At the age of 7, she was inspired to become an engineer after she toured a captured German submarine with her grandmother during World War II. As an African-American … Continue reading
This Saturday, October 20, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at Manhattan’s Pier 25, at West Street and N. Moore Street, on the Hudson River, the retired U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Lilac will be hosting a celebration of 79th anniversary of the founding of the … Continue reading
As someone who has been reading Georgian naval fiction since I was a teenager, I am well acquainted with Gibraltar and the famous Rock. I recently had the opportunity to visit the British Overseas Territory, one half of the Pillars of Hercules, … Continue reading
After the flooding caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, a proposal was developed to build storm surge barriers to protect New York City and nearby municipalities. Given the rising sea levels and increasingly violent storms associated with climate change, many … Continue reading
Where did the rule of loading women and children first into the lifeboats in an emergency come from? It is actually more of a guideline than a rule as it is not explicitly called out in admiralty law. It all … Continue reading
Here is another old favorite, a companion repost to yesterday’s repost of “The Unsinkable Hugh Williams – Truth Behind the Legend?” We recently posted in response to a video, “The Strangest Coincidence Ever Recorded?.” It recounted how three men named Hugh … Continue reading
I am traveling this week, so it seems like a good time to repost an old blog favorite, the remarkable story of the unsinkable Hugh Williams. There is a video bouncing around the web these days called “The Strangest Coincidence … Continue reading
On the resort beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula masses of stinking sargassum seaweed have been washing ashore for several years. From Miami Beach to Barbados sargassum is spreading across the Caribbean and Florida. The seaweed is killing fish, turtles and other sea life as well as befouling beaches … Continue reading
A repost on Throw-Back Thursday from all the way back to 2008. Tattoos have become very popular of late. Tattoo Facts & Statistics notes that “thirty-six percent of those ages 18 to 25, and 40 percent of those ages 26 … Continue reading
It sounds like a low budget horror/sci-fi flick — “Nasty Mutant Green Crabs Invade Maine.” Sadly, it is no movie pitch. LiveScience reports that an aggressive breed of green crab is indeed invading Maine’s waters. Green crabs have been in North … Continue reading
Ocean racing seems to have been taken over by boats made entirely of carbon fiber, costing slightly more than their weight in gold, as well being as festooned with foils, articulating keels and every high-tech whiz-bang device that millions of dollars … Continue reading
Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a swimming robotic fish with a soft silicone skin, which they have dubbed SoFi, for “soft fish.” SoFi is controlled by a modified video game controllers sending ultrasonic signals to … Continue reading
The New York State Canal Corporation’s website still refers to the tug Urger as the “flagship” of the Erie Canal. The Urger served more than 60 years hauling machinery, dredges, and scows on the Erie and Champlain Canals until she was retired from service … Continue reading
The State of New Jersey has opened the bidding on a 1,100 megawatt offshore wind project, the largest of any state in the nation. The project is the first step in meeting New Jersey’s goal to deploy 3,500 megawatts of … Continue reading