Autonomous barges may soon be carrying cargo and passengers on Amsterdam’s 100 km of canals. Referred to as roboats (as in robot boats, not rowboats) they can also be linked together to create bridges and performance stages and platforms. The … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
At the end of January, we posted about a shipwreck that was suspected to be the remains of the schooner Clotilda, the last vessel to carry slaves to the United States. The wreck was roughly in the right place on … Continue reading
The Draken Harald Hårfagre, the largest Viking longship built in modern times, will be touring the East Coast of the United States this summer. From the Draken website: Beginning in June through October, plans for East Coast Tour 2018 currently consist … Continue reading
My favorite underwater volcano is getting frisky again. Kick’em Jenny, is located off the northern coast of Grenada, in the Lesser Antilles. It rises almost a mile from the ocean floor and is roughly 600 feet below the surface. Recently, the government of … Continue reading
On this day, March 14th, in 1757, Admiral John Byng was executed by firing squad on the quarterdeck of HMS Monarch in the Solent for the crime of failing to “do his utmost against the enemy.” Byng was the first … Continue reading
In the beginning of February, we posted about Paul Cuffee, one of the first African-American ship captains and ship owners. In honor of Captain Cuffee, the New Bedford Whaling Museum will be breaking ground on the Captain Paul Cuffe Park, on March … Continue reading
On February 28th, Indonesian police seized the superyacht Equanimity, moored in Bali, at the request of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Equanimity is a 300′ luxury yacht owned by Malaysian financier Jho Low. The yacht, which is reported to have … Continue reading
Congratulations to Neil and Ariel Weisbrod. Their documentary, Secrets of a Frozen Ocean, won Best Documentary at the New York City International Film Festival. I was fortunate enough to see the world premiere of this fascinating documentary last Wednesday. The premiere, fittingly … Continue reading
This looks fascinating. The New Bedford Whaling Museum has announced that, in partnership with Mystic Seaport Museum, they have developed the world’s most comprehensive whaling history database which is now available online for everyone to use at WhalingHistory.org. In their … Continue reading
There is a new newest oldest message in a bottle. In 2014, we posted about a German fisherman who found a 101-year-old message in a bottle, making it the oldest message ever found in a bottle at that time. Then … Continue reading
On International Women’s Day, it seems a good time to remember Mary Ann Brown Patten, the first woman to command an American merchant ship. The year was 1856. The ship was the clipper ship Neptune’s Car, bound for San Francisco from New … Continue reading
When was the first surprise attack by carrier aircraft on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii? The obvious answer is the Japanese carrier attack of December 7th, 1941. But what about February 7th, 1932? We posted yesterday about … Continue reading
The wreckage of the USS Lexington, sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II, has been located by the expedition crew of research vessel (R/V) Petrel, owned by billionaire-explorer Paul Allen. The ship was found roughly 500 … Continue reading
Norwegian Billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke has pledged to give away a substantial portion of his US$ 3.8 billion fortune to fund efforts to help save the world’s oceans. Last May, he announced the construction of a 596′ long state-of-the-art ice-strengthened oceanographic … Continue reading
As if the waters off North Carolina’s Outer Banks aren’t dangerous enough, this morning the US Coast Guard released an announcement that “70 stray cargo containers pose a threat to mariners off North Carolina.” The Maersk Shanghai lost approximately 70 to 73 cargo containers due … Continue reading
The first time I visited Mystic Seaport Museum, in addition to spending time on the historic ships, I recall spending quite a while talking to the docent in the village cooperage. The production of barrels, for the storage of oil on whalers, as well … Continue reading
In a speech yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened the United States with a new generation of nuclear weapons. Putin showed video animations of nuclear warheads raining down on Florida from a new design of an intercontinental cruise missile that he described … Continue reading
Alexander V. Ezhkov, the owner of the ill-fated Polina Star III, has a story to tell about his experience with the yacht builder Oyster Marine. Ezhkov has put up a website to detail what took place from when in 2012, he ordered … Continue reading
Next Wednesday, March 7th, at 6PM, Neil and Ariel Weisbrod‘s new documentary, “Secrets of a Frozen Ocean“, will have its world premiere at the New York City International Film Festival at the Producer’s Club 358 W 44th Street, NY, NY … Continue reading
2017 was a disastrous year for the North Atlantic right whale and 2018 looks no better. In fact, it could be worse. Last year 17 North Atlantic right whales, died which is more than died in the past five years … Continue reading