PortSide NewYork’s Norwegian Water Stories & a Night of Bluegrass

This is one of those great “only in New York” events. Next Thursday, PortSide NewYork and the historic tanker Mary A. Whalen are hosting the NYC premier of the Norwegian bluegrass band, the Paradise Mountain Boys, as well as a multimedia presentation of Norwegian WaterStories. … Continue reading

JPK Dominates Fastnet — the New Generation of Performance Crusiers

JPK Composites, a boat builder from Brittany, is helping to redefine performance cruising sailboats. In 2013, the father and son team of Pascal and Alexis Loison won the biannual Fastnet Race on corrected time, sailing their 33′ Night and Day, a JPK … Continue reading

Sea Shanty Sessions 20th Anniversary Celebration at the Noble Maritime Collection at Snug Harbor

In the summer of 1995, a group of lovers of the music of the sea got together on the deck of the windjammer Peking at the South Street Seaport Museum on the East River in New York to sing sea shanties. … Continue reading

Peacemaker & Coronet — Of Cults & Yachts

For the past fifteen years, the three masted barquentine motorsailer Peacemaker has been owned by the Twelve Tribes, a religious community, often referred to as a cult. The 158′ Class A “tall ship” served as floating ambassador for the fundamentalist group, which … Continue reading

Maidentrip — A Documentary of Laura Dekker’s Epic Voyage

I recently watched Maidentrip, a wonderful, award winning documentary by Jillian Schlesinger about 14 year old Laura Dekker‘s almost two year solo circumnavigation on her Jeaneau Gin Fizz ketch, Guppy.  It is a fascinating tale about young sailor’s coming of age … Continue reading

Engine Room Fire on Carnival Liberty Cuts Short Trip — Chronic Cruise Ship Problem Continues

Last Sunday, a fire broke out in the engine room of the 3,299 passenger Carnival Liberty after docking in Saint Thomas.  The passengers were disembarked and the fire was extinguished with the ship’s automated fire fighting system.  No injuries were reported. The damage was … Continue reading

Cutter Lilac Returns to Staten Island as Star of Commericial

In her long and varied career, the historic cutter Lilac has had many jobs. She served as a lighthouse and buoy tender — bringing supplies to lighthouse and maintaining aids to navigation. She also fought ship fires and rescued the keepers on … Continue reading