Update: Tsunami Floating Dock an Instant Tourist Attraction on Oregon’s Agate Beach

Earlier in the month, we posted about a a 66 feet long, 165 tonne, starfish and barnacle encrusted, steel and concrete floating dock that washed up on Agate beach, south-west of Portland, Oregon.  We were surprised to hear that the dock, torn free … Continue reading

Asylum Seekers Boat Capsizes North of Australia’s Christmas Island – 200 Believed Aboard

With a sad familiarity, another overloaded boat, filled with desperate asylum seekers trying to reach Australia’s Christmas Island, has capsized in Indonesian waters. Up to 200 people are believed to have been aboard the vessel when it capsized.  Indonesia’s search and rescue authority … Continue reading

Coast Guard – Link Between Texas and New Jersey Hoax Distress Calls?

Last week we posted about a distress call to the Coast Guard reporting a yacht explosion off the New Jersey shore, which was an apparent hoax.  The search and rescue operation which resulted is estimated to have cost over $300,000.  Now the Coast … Continue reading

New Hornblower Hybrid In New York Harbor – Powered by Diesel, Wind, Solar and Fuel Cells

In December of 2010, we posted about a new vessel under construction at Derecktor Shipyards for Hornblower New York. It was to be a hybrid excursion boat powered by diesel engines, as well as by solar and wind power and by hydrogen fuel … Continue reading

MV Alaed, Russian Ship Carrying Arms for Syria, Makes a U-Turn & Heads Back to Russia

The MV Alaed, a 9,00 DWT geared cargo ship, was reported to be carrying refurbished Russian attack helicopters, as well as missiles and other unspecified munitions, on a voyage from Russia to Syria.  Today, about 50 miles (80.4km) off Scotland’s north coast, the ship turned around … Continue reading

Dive on Baltic Sea “Millenium Falcon” Only Deepens Mystery

Last June, while doing sonar sweeps of the bottom of the Baltic Sea, the Swedish treasure hunters, Ocean X Team, saw something that they did not understand.  It appeared to be a 197 feet diameter disk-shaped object at the depth of approximately 275 feet.   … Continue reading

Dardanelles Raider HMS E14 – British Submarine Found Intact After 94 Years

On April 27, 1915, at the height of the the World War I Gallipoli campaign, Lt-Cdr Edward Courtney Boyle piloted the submarine HMS E14 beneath the minefields, guns and search lights of the the Narrows, the heavily defended entrance to the Dardanelles, the … Continue reading

The El Estero Fire – the Greatest Nautical Disaster that Didn’t Happen

Bowsprite was kind enough to pass along this forgotten moment in history, which fits in well with recent posts.  Like the case of the Liberty ship SS Richard Montgomery, it involves a ship loaded with high explosives and like the apparent “Blind Date” hoax, … Continue reading

US Sailing – Yacht Aegean Sank After Hitting North Coronado Island in Newport to Ensenada Race

In the early morning hours of April 28th, the yacht Aegean disappeared and sank in the Newport to Ensenada Race.  Wreckage of the  sailboat and the bodies of the fours sailors who had been aboard were subsequently found nearby. After initial speculation that there … Continue reading

Struck by a Breaching Whale – Circumnavigator Max Young Rescued off Baja

Since 1985, Max Young has sailed his Perry 50, Reflections, around the world.  He survived storm, calm, tsunami and pirates off Indonesia.  His voyage came to an end early Wednesday morning off Baja in the Pacific, 40 miles west of La Playa, Mexico, when a … Continue reading

Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival 2012 – A Music and Environmental Festival, 6/16 – 6/17

If you are anywhere near the the village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY (about 30 miles north of New York City), Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival 2012 promises to be a great weekend of music, storytelling and sailing. Over forty years ago, the folk singer, Pete … Continue reading

Diving Dock Dogs and a Tall Ship at the Sailing Seaway Clayton Festival

There have been lots of festivals this season with tall ships, but how many can boast dock diving dogs?  Last October, we posted about the new and growing sport of dock dogs, where dogs competing on how far they can jump into the water. … Continue reading

Mysterious Explosion – Yacht Blind Date Reported Sunk off New Jersey Coast, Possible Hoax

A very odd news report from this afternoon. At around 4:20 PM, a yacht identified as the Blind Date is reported to have exploded with 21 people aboard in the Atlantic, about 17.5 miles off Sandy Hook, New Jersey, according to NBC New York.  The people aboard are said to have … Continue reading