In November 2018, a Royal Navy nuclear submarine came within 50-100m of a collision with the Stena Superfast VII ferry near the entrance to Belfast harbor, according to an inquiry by the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch. The Guardian reports: … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Today, Mayflower II, a replica of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to Plymouth, MA, was towed to New London, CT for two weeks of sea trials and final outfitting before returning to its homeport in Plymouth. In September of … Continue reading
Here is a wonderful short virtual tour from yesterday of New York whale watching from American Princess Cruises. https://www.facebook.com/americanprincesscruises/videos/2699750606968413/ … Continue reading
The removal of the capsized car carrier Golden Ray is being delayed by the coronavirus. We recently posted about the VB-10,000, nicknamed the “Golden Arches,” the largest heavy-lift vessel ever built in the United States, that was getting ready to … Continue reading
At the end of June, we posted that the Maine windjammer passenger fleet faced an uncertain season due to the pandemic. Shortly thereafter, the State of Maine, working with the Maine Windjammer Association and others, agreed on a set of rules … Continue reading
The Netherlands has the largest, still operational, historical sailing fleet in the world, consisting of 400 traditional, authentic sailing vessels. There are real concerns that the historic fleet may be destroyed by the aftermath of COVID-19. With the fleet locked … Continue reading
We have posted in the past about the heroic and pioneering US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Sara Faulkner. She was the first of only a handful of women who have qualified and served as rescue swimmers. Faulkner joined the Coast … Continue reading
For a third day, the USS Bonhomme Richard continues to burn at the dock, despite the best efforts of hundreds of Navy and civilian firefighters to quench the inferno. The casualty raises the question, are dockside fires on ships worse … Continue reading
On Sunday at around 8 AM Pacific Time, an explosion and fire were reported aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard dockside at the Naval Base San Diego. More than 24 hours later, the fire is still raging. Fifty-seven … Continue reading
The US Coast Guard will name the eleventh ship in its new Legend-Class National Security Cutter (NSC) program in honor of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a pioneering code-breaker for the Coast Guard during the prohibition era and World War II. Marine-Executive … Continue reading
On March 27, astronomers discovered a new comet that they designated C/2020 F3. The comet was located using NASA’s space telescope, the Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE), the comet is being called Neowise. While not one of … Continue reading
For decades scholars have argued over how the myriad islands of Polynesia came to be settled. Did the early settlers sail or drift on rafts from South America on the prevailing currents and then continue to sail westward? Or, did … Continue reading
How little we know about the ocean is staggering. What little we know and understand about orcas, killer whales, is just one example. For years, there were thought to be two types of orcas — residents and transients. Residents stayed … Continue reading
Recently, four statues of Confederates were removed from city property in Richmond, Virginia. Three of the individuals represented by the statues were well know — Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, and the Confederate generals, Stonewall Jackson and J.E.B. … Continue reading
On April 24, Angela Madsen set off from Marina del Rey, California bound for Hawaii in the 20′ ocean rowing boat, Row of Life. A three-time Paralympian and a Marine veteran, her goal was to be the first paraplegic and … Continue reading