Among the fleet of ships and boats that make up the fleet at the Mystic Seaport Museum, the Danish lighthouse tender Gerda III, built in 1926, is a ruggedly attractive double-ender. Nevertheless, she could easily be overlooked. That would be a … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Following the recent collisions between US Navy destroyers and merchant ships, various internet sites posted the AIS tracks of the collisions. Well, they posted half the AIS tracks anyway. The merchant ships used AIS while the Navy did not. While … Continue reading
The almost intact wreck of a German submarine that sank during World War I has been located in the North Sea off Belgium, in 98 feet of water. The type UB-II submarine is said to be in good condition, with … Continue reading
Here is a short video about the Kalmar Nyckel, a replica of Dutch built pinnace purchased by Sweden in the mid-1600s. What makes the Kalmar Nyckel so fascinating for me is that while there are a goodly number of 18th … Continue reading
I will be participating in Jersey City’s 9th Annual Book Festival — Tales of Our Cities, in Van Vorst Park this Sunday. I will have a table with my books and books by other Old Salt Press authors starting at … Continue reading
The fallout continues from the recent collisions with merchant ships in the Pacific involving the destroyers USS Fitgerald and the USS John McCain. The collisions resulted in the deaths of 17 US sailors. Earlier in the year, two guided missile … Continue reading
My latest novel, Evening Gray Morning Red, will be published on October 15th in print and as an ebook. The Kindle ebook is available for pre-order on Amazon. About the novel: In Evening Gray Morning Red, a young American sailor must escape … Continue reading
Not all oil pollution is petroleum. Recently, there have been reports of strange yellow blobs washing up on the beaches of France’s Opal Coast. The blobs described variously as “foamy balls,” “strange spongelike clumps,” “yellow mousse” and “possibly the biggest … Continue reading
The UK’s latest and greatest new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth is driven not by nuclear power but by fossil fuels. Why is that? The Save the Royal Navy blog has an interesting analysis. Here are a few of the … Continue reading
Almost two years ago, we raised the question — Are the new foiling Open 60 monohulls “the future of ocean racing or [are they] a foil too far?” The results of the Vendee Globe around-the-world, single-handed race last January may have … Continue reading
Hurricane Irma devasted islands in the Caribbean and did serious damage to cities in Florida. 6.5 million residents of Florida alone lost power and the damage toll is still being calculated across the state. The cities on the West Coast … Continue reading
Hurricane Irma absolutely devastated many islands in the Caribbean. Now, in the aftermath of the catastrophic storm, aid is being sent by a small armada of ships and boats from governments, corporations and private citizens. The need for help is … Continue reading
I watch this short documentary on the Great Manhattan Boat Lift of 9/11/01 at least once a year. In the face of natural and unnatural disasters, it is good to be reminded that when things are at their worst mariners will … Continue reading
Something to take one’s mind off the apocalyptic hurricane bearing down on the west coast of Florida. Rare images of blue whale feeding behavior Krill Joy From Slate:This video catches a rare glimpse of a gigantic, lunge-feeding blue whale deciding … Continue reading
As Hurricane Irma proceeds toward South Florida with apocalyptic fury, it is getting harder and harder to find a place of safety or a way to escape. Gasoline and supplies are in short supply. The few north-south roads out of … Continue reading