Reading about sailing in the media is often like reading a mystery story. The question is not, however, “who done it?” but “what really happened?” The reports of Louis Jordan who was found adrift in his disabled sailboat off Cape … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
On Monday, the US Coast Guard rescued nine crew members from the schooner, Liana’s Ransom, off the coast of Maine, after the schooner suffered engine failure and her sails became fouled. There are now reports that the schooner also lost … Continue reading
Dalniy Vostok, a Russian freezer trawler, has sunk in the Sea of Okhotsk off the Kamchatka peninsula. Of the 132 people aboard, 56 are reported to have died, while 13 remain missing. Sixty-three people were rescued. The trawler sank quickly at around 06:30 local … Continue reading
On April 1, often referred to as April Fool’s Day, it seems fitting to recount the voyage of Hugo Vihlen in his micro-yacht April Fool. In 1966, Hugo Vihlen sailed from Casablanca to Florida, aboard his 5’11” sailboat. In 84 … Continue reading
A short video providing a glimpse of life aboard TeeKay’s Aframax tanker European Spirit. Life at Sea | European Spirit … Continue reading
From May 20 — May 26 an estimated 1,500 Navy sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen will visit New York City in celebration of Fleet Week New York. Which ships will participate and what events are planned for them have not yet been announced. … Continue reading
Last week we posted that the Working Harbor Committee is sponsoring the showing of a wonderful documentary on the MV Liemba, an ex-German warship, a minor movie star, and also, at one hundred years old, the world’s oldest passenger ferry in service. The documentary … Continue reading
Surf photographer Ray Collins recently released a series of amazing photographs of ocean waves. Below is a short video of of the photographs and how he captured the amazing shots. … Continue reading
Here is a reminder just how difficult it is to fund, build, operate and maintain historic or replica ships. Those who do so successfully, deserve more credit than they receive. The Irish Examiner recently described how the replica “famine ship” Jeanie Johnson has … Continue reading
In August we posted about Rocking the Boat, an after-school program in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, a borough of New York City, which has been teaching neighborhood kids to build wooden boats for the last 15 years. Urban Boatbuilders … Continue reading
If you happen to be near New York City next Tuesday night, March 31st, be sure to stop by the Community Church to “take an epic journey down the longest lake in the world on Africa’s last surviving steamship…. the … Continue reading
This seems like a good day to celebrate birthdays. So, happy birthday to Commodore John Barry, born on this day in 1745, in Tacumshane, County Wexford, Ireland. He is considered by many to be the “father of the United States Navy.” But … Continue reading
In January 2011, we posted about Mark and Scott Kelly, two “starship sailors” — identical twin brothers who both graduated from merchant marine academies and went on to be astronauts in the US space program. Now, Scott Kelly is about … Continue reading
We posted recently that Jacques Cousteau’s famous research vessel, Calypso, might be in danger of being sold or scrapped. The Calypso, however, may have a savior in Prince Albert II of Monaco. After a long legal battle, a French court ordered Francine Cousteau, … Continue reading
Maneuvering a square-rigged ship can be a highly choreographed performance requiring both skill and timing. Here is a well done video of the 1883 built Star of India tacking and wearing. Star of India tacking and wearing … Continue reading
David Hayes recently reviewed The Shantyman on his Historic Naval Fiction blog. Reposted with permission. If you want to be taken to the deck of a clipper in the mountainous seas of a southern ocean gale, Rick Spilman is the … Continue reading
Happy first day of Spring! The arrival of the vernal equinox happens to coincide with a solar eclipse, as well as with a “supermoon,” and here on the west bank of the Hudson River, a snowstorm designated “Winter Storm Ultima.” … Continue reading
Some say that Captain Mary Becker Greene is still watching out for the riverboat Delta Queen. Captain “Ma” Greene served for almost sixty years as master and pilot of some of the finest steamboats on the inland rivers. She died in … Continue reading
Since 2008, the 1927 built sternwheel steamboat Delta Queen has been tied to a dock in Chattanooga, Tennessee, serving as a hotel. Now, with luck and a considerable investment, the old steamboat may be returning to the rivers to carry passengers once … Continue reading
On this St. Patrick’s Day, it seems worthwhile to recall the story of another Irish saint, Brendan the Navigator, who is said to have sailed off on a seven year voyage across the Atlantic, from Ireland to the “Isle of the … Continue reading