I am aware of only one man who was praised by both Eisenhower and Hitler. A repost on the anniversary of D-Day. General Dwight David Eisenhower said that “Andrew Higgins … is the man who won the war for us. … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Last week, the YM Efficiency, a 4250 TEU container ship bound from Taiwan to Sydney, Australia lost 83 containers in heavy seas while 30km off the coast of Port Stephens. In addition to the containers lost overboard, 30 other containers were … Continue reading
The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor has been closed indefinitely after serious structural cracks were discovered. The memorial was built in 1962 and is positioned athwartship over the wreckage of the sunken battleship USS Arizona. The monument is only accessible by shuttle … Continue reading
A certain number of brass bells and gongs from bell and gong buoys off the coast of Maine have turned up missing and the US Coast Guard has recently issued a press release asking the public’s help in identifying the … Continue reading
Recently, Hannes Frank was walking along Plage du Pin Sec, near Bordeaux and found a portion of a real estate sign which had washed ashore on the beach. The sign was worn and part of it was ripped away, but “Diane … Continue reading
Today is National Donut Day. I was not aware that such a day existed until I bought a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts this morning and was offered a free donut in honor of the day. (I did not … Continue reading
Last week, the Navy marked the 50th anniversary of the loss of the Skipjack-class nuclear submarine USS Scorpion (SSN 589) in a private observance at the Scorpion Memorial on Norfolk Naval Station. 99 officers and crew died when the submarine sank on May 22, … Continue reading
Slate recently featured an animation of 50 million years of whale evolution represented in one minute. The animation is the work of Jordan Collver, an illustrator and science communicator in the U.K. Collver used a series of illustrations to show … Continue reading
The replica stern-wheeler MV Oliver Cromwell sank in the Irish Sea while under tow from Gloucester to Northern Ireland. The vessel was reported to have started taking on water 10 miles west of South Stack near Holyhead, Anglesey, on Friday, sinking within three … Continue reading
A post from several years ago that is well worth reposting. What was the most dangerous service in World War II? The Army, the Navy, the Marines? In fact, it was the Merchant Marine. 1 in 26 mariners serving aboard merchant ships … Continue reading
On June 7th, The Working Harbor Committee (WHC) is sponsoring a Hidden Harbour Tour® — Brooklyn Waterfront Past & Present — featuring guest speakers Capt. Maggie Flanagan, WHC & Waterfront Alliance, and Bill Miller, renowned maritime historian & author, www.billmilleratsea.com. … Continue reading
Last February, we posted about human bone fragments found near the wreck of the pirate ship Whydah Gally on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The bones were located close to where a pistol, which possibly belonged to the ship’ captain, “Black Sam” Bellamy, had been recovered. Forensic … Continue reading
We recently posted about Portside NewYork’s tanker Mary A. Whalen‘s 80th birthday. We also posted about the ex-USCG lighthouse tender Lilac‘s 90th birthday, which is tomorrow. (Stop by for cake.) And coming up next weekend, June 2, is the oyster … Continue reading
On Monday, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announced in a press release, that they “recently obtained authorization by Maritime Archaeology Consultants (MAC), Switzerland AG, and the Colombian government to release new details from the successful search for the three-century-old … Continue reading
Where is Fat Leonard? Fat Leonard, as Leonard Glenn Francis is known, was supposed to testify in Norfolk next week about his crooked dealings with dozens of Navy officers. Except that apparently, he won’t. Fat Leonard was arrested in 2013 in the worst corruption scandal in … Continue reading
We recently posted about the tanker Mary A. Whalen‘s 80th birthday. The historic lighthouse tender Lilac is also celebrating her 85th birthday. 2018 Season Opening — 85th Birthday with Cake The ex-USCG Cutter Lilac, originally built for the U.S. Lighthouse Service, was launched on May … Continue reading
Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing on an intriguing news item. A cannon said to be from HMS Bounty, the ship made famous by a mutiny in 1789, is being put up for sale at an upcoming auction. According to … Continue reading
A recent statement by Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL), who happens to be a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee, is disturbing at best. He suggested that sea levels are not rising because of climate change but because … Continue reading
The historic tanker Mary A. Whalen is turning 80 on May 21st. As part of a month-long celebration, Portside NewYork and the Mary A. Whalen is hosting an Art Inspiration Day and Birthday Tanker Tours. The events take place tomorrow, Sunday, May 20th, from … Continue reading
As the song goes, “What do you do with a drunken sailor?” The answer for the police in Newport, RI early last Tuesday morning, when a group of sailors associated with the Volvo Ocean Race got rowdy, was to arrest … Continue reading