In the east side of New York harbor, the New York State side, the lowly oyster is a hero. Not only will restored oyster beds help filter and clean the water of the harbor, they could also play a critical … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
The weather is bitterly cold here on the west bank of the Hudson River, so it seems like as good a time as any to look toward the warmer waters of the Antipodes. A video from the Spirit of Adventure … Continue reading
In 2012, we posted about the collision between the passenger ferry Sea Smooth and the ferry Lamma IV off Hong Kong near Lama Island. The collision killed 39, all passengers on the Lamma IV . The Lamma IV was carrying staff and family members of … Continue reading
It is currently around 18 degrees F on the west bank of the Hudson River, but with the wind chill the figures are somewhere in the negative numbers. It seems appropriate, therefore, to post this wonderful video, shot by an … Continue reading
Happy Valentine’s Day! The day is named for one of several martyrs named Valentine. Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni both have feast days on February 14th. The day is also associated with an old Roman fertility festival Lupercalia. February … Continue reading
Edward Heerema, the president of Swiss-based Allseas Group S.A., had decided to name their newest and largest ship, Pieter Schelte, after his father, Pieter Schelte Heerema, who was an accomplished marine engineer. Unfortunately, that is not the only thing that his … Continue reading
In 1799, Eleanor Reid was only 21 and newly married to Captain Hugh Reid, commander of the Honorable East India Company extra ship Friendship. It was her husband’s first command and he was under orders to carry a cargo of Irish convicts, the … Continue reading
After a 19 month trial, Captain Francesco Schettino has been found guilty of manslaughter associated with the grounding and sinking of the Costa Concordia in 2012 in which 32 passengers and crew died. Another 150 passengers and crew were injured. … Continue reading
I recently saw an ad titled, “Endeavour Yacht for Sale,” from a high-end yacht broker. It caught my attention because I owned, sailed and lived aboard an Endeavour 32 sloop, a few decades ago. It seemed unlikely, however, that the … Continue reading
Award winning author Joan Druett recently interviewed V.E. Ulett, author of the Blackwell’s Adventure series, on her World of the Written Word blog. Reposted with permission. The author of the rousing historical Blackwell series kindly consented to allow me to … Continue reading
The Hardtackers Shanty Crew put out a fine new promotional video just a week or two before the publication of my new novel, The Shantyman. The events are unrelated but feel fortuitous. See our review of the Hardtacker’s CD, Don’t … Continue reading
In January, we posted about winter crew training classes for volunteer crew on the replica ship Kalmar Nyckel. The classes run for nine Saturdays between January and April. At the time we didn’t ask where or how the training would take place. The … Continue reading
Alaric Bond’s latest novel, The Guinea Boat, is set in the south-east of England during the brief Peace of Amiens of 1803. Two young men, Nat and Alex, meet in the coastal village of Hastings and become friends. Both are outsiders. Nat … Continue reading
Terribly sad news. Captain Virginia A. Wagner passed away on Friday January 30, 2015 in Newport, Rhode Island, following a courageous battle with mesothelioma cancer. From Scuttlebutt Sailing News: Virginia was amongst an elite sorority of professional female captains and … Continue reading
In V.E. Ulett’s new novel, Blackwell’s Homecoming, Captain James Blackwell, his wife Mercedes and their family have returned to Great Britain, after an extended sojourn in the Pacific. Yet, is Britain still their home? The family is quickly caught up in … Continue reading
My new novel, The Shantyman, is now available as a Kindle ebook and will soon be available in print. The book is based on the true story of a most unusual shantyman with a troubled past. Many years ago, I read Frederick … Continue reading
David Hayes reviews Antoine Vanner’s Britannia’s Shark on his excellent Historic Naval Fiction blog: Britannia’s Shark by Antoine Vanner continues the adventures of Commander Nicholas Dawlish, serving in the Royal Navy as the Victorian Era draws to a close. The series so … Continue reading
I am very excited about the new releases from Old Salt Press. They include Antione Vanner’s Britannia’s Shark, V.E. Ulett’s Blackwell’s Homecoming, Joan Druett’s Eleanor’s Odyssey and Lady Castaways, Alaric Bond’s The Guinea Boat and my own new novel, The Shantyman, which … Continue reading
75 year old Australian yachtsman Jon Sanders recently sailed into Perth after finishing his ninth circumnavigation. Yes, you read that correctly — his ninth circumnavigation. Sanders is best known for his incredible voyage in 1986 – 1988 in which he circumnavigated the world three … Continue reading
Here is a short video by the Harbor School, a public high school located on Governors Island in New York harbor. The school’s mission is to “provide a college-preparatory education built upon New York City’s maritime experience that instills in students … Continue reading