While those of us on the East Coast of the United States have been watching the approach of the “superstorm” Hurricane Sandy, residents of the Hawaiian islands were under a tsunami warning following a a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Canada’s Pacific coastal … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Tropical Storm Sandy returned to hurricane strength on Saturday morning as it heads toward the U.S. northeast coast. The US Navy as ordered 24 of the larger ships in southeastern Virginia bases, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, out to sea to avoid the storm. … Continue reading
Daina Shipping, owner of the container ship MV Rena, has been fined NZ $300,000 (US $246,000) for discharging harmful substances after the Liberian flagged ship, ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, New Zealand in early October of last year. The ship subsequently broke up … Continue reading
As Hurricane Sandy works its way north, it is possible that it will join with a nor’easter to form what meteorologists are referring to as a “Frankenstorm,” a superstorm that could slam into the US Northeast causing damage projected to … Continue reading
On an overcast Thursday morning, the 122-foot top-sail schooner Lynx arrived at North Cove in lower Manhattan on the Hudson River. See our recent post. She will be open to the public for dockside tours and sails on Saturday and Sunday, … Continue reading
On Wednesday afternoon, the tug Benjamin Bailey rolled and suddenly capsized in the currents of the Piscataqua River. Fortunately the two crew men aboard managed to escape from the sudden capsize. The tug is owned by Ken Anderson of Riverside … Continue reading
The annual Sultana Projects Downrigging Weekend, now in its twelfth year, is one of the largest annual tall ship and wooden boat festivals on the East Coast. The Downrigging Weekend is described as “a celebration of maritime culture, wooden boats, and everything else that makes the Chesapeake … Continue reading
The title may be a bit unfortunate, but it is an interesting documentary nevertheless, featuring the brigantine Tres Hombres. The documentary trailer is posted below. The entire documentary can be watched here. Three weeks after the devastating earthquake on Haiti in 2010, eleven … Continue reading
After almost 51 years in service, twice its expected lifespan, the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is winding up its 25th deployment and will be heading back to Norfolk to be deactivated on December 1 and decommissioned once all reusable items are removed. USS Enterprise was the … Continue reading
Beluga whale ‘makes human-like sounds’ Sailors once called beluga whales the “canaries of the sea.” Sailors could hear the “song” of the beluga, a range of chirps and whistles, through the wooden hulls of their ships. There is a fascinating story … Continue reading
This Sunday there will be a full day benefit for the historic Fireboat John J. Harvey on Pier 66 (26th and the Hudson River) in New York. It looks like lots of fun. The festivities are divided into two parts. From 1-5pm the … Continue reading
While pre-trial hearings are underway in an Italian court, an Italian-American engineering consortium has begun salvage operations to remove the cruise ship, partially capsized off the island of Giglio. It will be the first time a ship of this size has been salvalged … Continue reading
Patrick Roy Bates, better-known as Prince Roy of Sealand – the title he awarded himself – died earlier this month at the age of 91 in Leigh-on-Sea,Essex, UK. In 1967, Major Roy Bates, a veteran of WWII, occupied a derelict … Continue reading
Today, on the 207th anniversary of Lord Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar, the Jubilee Sailing Trust‘s 55-meter three masted barque, Lord Nelson, sets sail from Southhampton, UK on a 23-month 50,000 mile journey around the world. The ship will visit more than 30 countries on all seven continents and cross … Continue reading
To commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, the schooner Lynx, “America’s Privateer,” will be visiting New York harbor from October 25th through October 31st. The 122-foot top-sail schooner will sail into North Cove Marina on the Hudson … Continue reading
A relaxing video for a Saturday morning. HMS Bounty slides gracefully back into the water at Boothbay HArbor Shipyard last Thursday. Thanks to Tom Russell on the Linked-in Traditional Sail Professionals group for pointing it out. In other news, HMS Bounty will be returning … Continue reading
Yesterday we posted about the Google Doodle honoring Herman Melville‘s Moby Dick on the anniversary of its publication. The reviews of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick when it was published in 1851 were decidedly mixed. There were indeed positive reviews to balance the … Continue reading
It has been a good couple of days for air search and rescue in the Pacific. U.S. Coast Guard C-130 airplane stationed at Air Station Barber’s Point on Oahu spotted three fishermen 70 nautical miles west of the Pacific atoll … Continue reading
Today the Google Doodle honors Herman Melville‘s masterpiece, Moby Dick, on this the 161st anniversary of its publication. Ironically, the book that has garnered Melville immortality also effectively ruined his career. Known as a writer of semi-autobiographical stories, neither the critics … Continue reading
In our previous post about the Great Chesapeake Schooner Race we focused on the Class AA schooners, the big boats over 50′. Big boats sail faster, right? Not necessarily. (Thanks to Paul Caroll for pointing out our oversight.) This year, the Class … Continue reading