Great video of the replica frigate l’Hermione calling in Brest. L’Hermione – Escale à Brest [Drone] from Nautimages on Vimeo. … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Hashima Island lies nine miles off the port of Nagasaki, Japan. Between the seawall which encircles the small island and the abandoned apartment blocks rising from it, many think that it looks like a battleship, earning the nickname, Gunkanjima, or … Continue reading
The news program 60 Minutes broadcast National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) footage of the wreck of El Faro last night. The TOTE Ro/Ro was lost with all 33 aboard in Hurricane Joaquin in October. The footage is striking and … Continue reading
Anti-terror police in the UK are suddenly concerned that the SS Richard Montgomery, a Liberty ship which sank over seventy years ago loaded with high explosives in the Thames estuary, might be a potential target for terrorists. Reportedly, the government … Continue reading
The schooner Amistad, the official flagship of the State of Connecticut, has seen difficult times in recent years. Built fifteen years ago at Mystic Seaport, until recently, the ship had been in receivership since 2014, after Amistad America, the non-profit which ran the … Continue reading
Happy New Year! On New Year’s Day 1995, a sea monster capable of sinking ships and sending sailors to their deaths was documented for the first time. I am not speaking of a mythical serpent or another beasty, (which may or may … Continue reading
As this is Thursday, which is to say “Throwback Thursday“, as well as the anniversary of the sinking of the USS Monitor, which sank off Cape Hatteras 153 years ago tonight, it seems a good time to repost our review … Continue reading
Battles at sea usually last a few hours. Battles in court can last far, far longer. In the Battle of Santa Maria on October 5, 1804, when a British squadron attacked a Spanish treasure fleet, the ship Nuestra Señora de … Continue reading
Two wonderful drone videos of the Clipper-Brig Morgenster shot last November. Thanks to Joost for passing them along. Ocean Tall Ship Morgenster sailing on the Ocean on her way to the Cape Verdes. Full square rig and stunsails set. With a … Continue reading
Despite having a damaged rudder, the American super-maxi Comanche was first across the finish line in this year’s Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race, leading the next closest boat, Rambler by roughly 50 miles. This is the first time since 1998 that an … Continue reading
John Beedon, who describes himself as a “scrawny old Yorkshireman”, has become the first person to row solo across the Pacific. The 53-year-old rower left San Francisco in June and arrived in Cairns, in eastern Australian, after 209 days alone … Continue reading
The American yachts Comanche and Rambler are battling over the lead in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race, which has turned into a major boat-breaker. Twenty-nine boats, representing a quarter of the fleet, have retired from the race, most with damage from … Continue reading
Happy Boxing Day and with it a wild beginning to this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. The race began with three yachts colliding at the starting line. The Chinese Ark 323, Lupa of London, and Cougar II were forced to … Continue reading
We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. Here is a slightly different take on Jingle Bells by members of the US Navy band. Dueling Jingle BellsHere’s one of our favorites from this year’s holiday concerts, with a bit … Continue reading
To celebrate The Shantyman being chosen as one of the Best Indie Books of 2105 by Kirkus Reviews, we are having an impromptu promotion. Here is how it works — today and tomorrow, The Shantyman will be available in Kindle … Continue reading
Past attempts to claim the Jules Verne Trophy, awarded to the fastest sailboat to circumnavigate the globe, have been solitary affairs — a single sailboat attempting to break the previous record time. That changed on November 22, when two veteran … Continue reading
Back in the early 200s, the US Navy began a program to build a new class of Littoral Combat Ships, LCS, which were intended to be fast, agile and, at least by US Navy standards, relatively inexpensive, which could operate … Continue reading
I am extremely pleased to announce that my novel “The Shantyman” has been selected as one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books for 2015. From the review: With eloquent accuracy, Spilman’s novel captures the life of a 19th-century sailor…. Spilman’s colorful, … Continue reading
What should a sailor carry with him or her when clambering around a boat or sailing ship? A rigging knife and marlinspike are common. Some prefer a sheath knife, whereas I am happy with a folding knife and marlinspike that … Continue reading
A new IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association) 60 design by Guillaume Verdier and VPLP Design has raised the question whether the design will be a the future of ocean racing or whether it is a foil too far. In addition … Continue reading