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
Rick Spilman
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
From the BBC: Fighter jets, specifically F-35 Lightning stealth jets, have landed on the UK’s new £3.1bn aircraft carrier for the first time. Portsmouth-based HMS Queen Elizabeth was commissioned into the British fleet last year. The crew are currently undergoing sea … Continue reading
Three years ago this week, the ro/ro container ship El Faro sank with all hands in Hurricane Joaquin northeast of Crooked Island in the Bahamas. The 28 American crew and 5 Polish repair technicians died. Recently the National Transportation Safety Board … Continue reading
A Chinese destroyer came perilously close to the US destroyer Decatur as it sailed 12 nautical miles off Gaven and Johnson reefs in the Spratly Islands. The Chinese destroyer is reported to have approached within 45 yards of the Decatur, which … Continue reading