Originally posted on gCaptain. Reposted with permission. “The Finest Hours” is far from a perfect movie. Nevertheless, it recounts a remarkable story of heroism at sea that is well worth retelling. For anyone who has spent any time around ships, … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
We recently posted that the organization that operates the Hudson River sloop Clearwater was in serious financial trouble and had canceled its yearly music festival. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that the executive director, Peter Gross, has resigned, citing “significant differences … Continue reading
In October, the SS United States Conservancy announced that it had retained the services of a broker to explore selling the SS United States for scrap. Prospects for the ship looked dire. In a dramatic reversal of fortune, Crystal Cruises has … Continue reading
On February 3, 1943, the troopship SS Dorchester was in a convoy bound for Greenland when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat. Of the 904 soldiers and crew aboard, 672 died. Among the dead were four US … Continue reading
Hōkūleʻa, the Polynesian Voyaging Society double hull sailing canoe has arrived in Brasil, after a voyage across the Atlantic, continuing on its round the world voyage. Over the last 40 years, Hōkūleʻa has sailed over 150,000 across the Pacific. In its … Continue reading
Hawaii 2 is an island in St. George lake, near the town of Liberty in Maine. It was known as Birch Island until it was renamed by its new owners, who purchased it in October 2014. The new owners are … Continue reading
In the late 60s and early 70s, hovercraft ferries were the ships of the future. Hovercraft, flying on cushions of air, operated across the English Channel carrying passengers and cars at speeds of 40 to 60 knots. Some imagined that one-day hovercraft … Continue reading
On Friday, more 4,000 longshoremen walked off the job shutting down piers and container terminals in New York and New Jersey. By Saturday, the most longshoreman had returned to work. Strangely, no one seems to know why the wildcat strike … Continue reading
If you are in the New York area come help celebrate Lilac, America’s only steam-powered lighthouse tender at a Maritime Mardi Gras fundraiser on Fat Tuesday, February 9th from 6 – 8 PM on 79 Walker Street on the 6th … Continue reading
Two American sailors, Bob Weise and Steve Shapiro, both 71, have been attempting to sail across the Atlantic from Norway to Maine in a 40′ gaff rigged sloop named Nora. They began the attempt last July and it has not … Continue reading
Yesterday, we posted about the boiler problems on the historic steamer Sabino at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic CT. During a major restoration of the steamer, built in 1908, it was determined that the boiler will need to be … Continue reading
The steamer Sabino, built in 1908, has been a popular attraction at the Mystic Seaport Museum since 1974, offering boat rides on the Mystic River to an estimated 33,000 passengers yearly. The steamboat; which the museum bills as the oldest … Continue reading
Numbers are fine but sometimes the best way to communicate scale is visually. The image above is what it would have looked like if the largest passenger liner of roughly 100 years ago, RMS Titanic, was followed closely by the … Continue reading
Here on the west bank of the Hudson River, I spent most of the morning digging out from yesterday’s blizzard, which dumped around 30 inches of snow on us. So, it seems like a good time to think of sunshine … Continue reading
Anyone who may doubt that we live on a water planet or that what happens at sea has a huge impact for everyone, even those living far inland, need only look to this year’s El Niño . The US East … Continue reading
The sad saga of the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) continues. The USS Fort Worth, the third Freedom Class LCS delivered, was testing its engines at dockside in Singapore and seriously damaged the ship’s combining gear. The LCS have both diesel and … Continue reading
Only days after hearing good news about funding for the Pride of Baltimore II, there is very grim news about the organization which operates the Hudson River sloop Clearwater. The Clearwater organization announced that it is facing deep financial problems … Continue reading
When I hear “Volvo Round ….” I immediately fill in the blank with “the World.” (OK, technically, the race is named the Volvo Ocean Race, not the Volvo Round the Word Race.) I had never heard of the Volvo Round … Continue reading
Tremendous news for a great ship. On Monday, Maryland’s Governor Hogan announced a $1.5 million private-public partnership with the replica Baltimore clipper, Pride of Baltimore II. Under a new agreement, the state will commit the funds to Pride of Baltimore … Continue reading
When I was in high school in Florida in the 70s, the question was not “will the manatees become extinct?” but “how fast?” The manatees appeared to be doomed by a loss of habitat, pollution, slow birth rates and being … Continue reading