While some ill-advised politicians are referring to the threat from Covid-19, the rapidly spreading coronavirus, as a “hoax,” the US Navy is taking it very seriously. Ships in the 7th Fleet has been ordered to spend at least 14 days … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Mother Nature Network is reporting that a team of scientists led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) counted 55 Antarctic blue whales during their 2020 expedition to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia — a number they called “unprecedented.” In … Continue reading
An updated repost in honor of Frederick Douglass and Black History Month. Frederick Douglass was born around 1818. From an early age, he developed a close attachment to ships and the sea. His path to freedom led directly through the docks … Continue reading
Over the years, we have posted about the “world’s oldest beer” and the “world’s oldest champagne” found in shipwrecks dating from the 1700s. Recently, divers have located roughly 200 ancient Roman amphorae, believed to originally have stored wine, in an … Continue reading
For several years now, the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport‘s tall ships, the replica brig Lady Washington and the square topsail ketch Hawaiian Chieftain, have sailed the Pacific Coast offering educational and sail training programs. One highlight of these programs were the … Continue reading
Here is a breathtaking video of humpback whales bubble-net feeding in Alaska shot by the University of Hawaii, Mānoa Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP). The whales use bubbles to create virtual nets to herd their prey. The video was captured … Continue reading
A follow up to yesterday’s post about Thomas Downing, the free black owner of an upscale oyster house in New York’s financial district prior to the Civil War. While serving New York City’s white financial and political elite upstairs, Downing … Continue reading
In the decades before the Civil War, Thomas Downing, the son of slaves, became the acknowledged oyster king of New York City when New York was the oyster capital of the known universe. He had learned how to rake oysters … Continue reading
On Monday, February 24th, at 7:30 PM, New York’s Shiplore and Model Club, the city’s oldest nautical interest group, will be hosting a screening of the documentary “The Mystery of the Arctic Rose,” which examines the deadliest U.S. fishing accident … Continue reading
Betelgeuse, a red giant in the constellation Orion, is normally one of the 10 brightest stars in the sky. For those navigating by sextant, it is one of the 58 navigational stars. Recently, however, it has begun to dim and … Continue reading
Robert Smalls is an unsung American hero. If all goes well, he may soon get some of the recognition that he deserves. Last year, it was announced that Charles Burnett is directing a movie about Robert Smalls for Amazon Studios. … Continue reading
Storm Dennis was the second-strongest nontropical storm on record in the North Atlantic Ocean. It brought hurricane-force winds, towering waves, and significant flooding to Britain, Wales, and Ireland. It also brought something wholly unexpected — the abandoned general cargo ship, … Continue reading
In the United States, today is “Presidents’ Day,” a national holiday on the third Monday of February, falling between Lincoln’s (February 14th) and Washington’s (February 22) birthdays. Here is an updated repost of the tale of a patent granted to … Continue reading
David Debias, was a free black youth from the north side of Beacon Hill in Boston. In 1814, at only 8 years old, he signed aboard the USS Constitution, nicknamed “Old Ironsides.” He was rated as a ship’s boy and … Continue reading
Is the quarantine of the cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan an effective way to control the spread of the virus known as COVID-19 , or is it facilitating the spread of the virus to other passengers and crew aboard … Continue reading