On Friday morning, we posted about the capsize of the “tugboat” Katherine G, off Liberty Island in New York harbor. It turns out that the Katherine G is not tugboat in the conventional sense. Will Van Dorp at the tugster blog calls it … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
In early October, the container ship MV Rena ran hard aground on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, New Zealand, resulting in an oil spill which the New Zealand Environment minister Nick Smith has referred to as the country’s most serious maritime environmental … Continue reading
In the mid to late 19th century, American clipper ships set the standard for the world and challenged the maritime supremacy of Great Britain. After World War II, the US merchant marine fleet was the world’s largest, representing about 43 percent of the world’s shipping trade. … Continue reading
Some excitement in my neighborhood this morning. Three crew from the tug Katherine G were pulled from the water near Liberty Island in new York harbor, after the tug capsized at around 9:45 this morning. The men were rescued by … Continue reading
We posted recently about the discovery of the 164′ Japanese fishing vessel, Ryou-Un Maru, which had been carried out to sea from the port of Hachinohe, a year ago by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. The ship was found drifting 120 miles off Haida Gwaii, British … Continue reading
It is never a good sign for a new class of Navy ships when an article about them appears on the front page of the New York Times. The article, Navy Plowing Ahead on New Coastal Ship, Despite Woes by Elisabeth Bumiller, focuses on … Continue reading
In March of 2011, we posted about reporting done by Ron Regan at NewsChannel5 in Cleveland, Ohio, concerning radiation leaks at a nuclear power plant at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. There is concern that these radiation leaks are related to … Continue reading
Robert Ballard, the oceanographer who lead the expedition which discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985, was interviewed by Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report last night. He discusses how the search for the Titanic was a cover for … Continue reading
The truly Titanic obsessed do not have to wait for the centennial of the tragic sinking of the so-called “unsinkable” passenger liner. They now can follow the Titanic via either a Twitter feed or an iPad app which mark down the events of leading up to … Continue reading
We recently posted about an upcoming event at Mystic Seaport Museum honoring the bicentenial of the War of 1812 which features the privateer schooner Lynx. We also posted about an on-line documentary, the Privateer Lynx. While we are focussing on on the … Continue reading
On Tuesday evening, the 82m general cargo ship, Carrier, was blown ashore in high winds and seas near a quarry jetty at Llanddulas, near Colwyn Bay, Wales. Two lifeboats and an RAF helicopter successfully rescued seven Polish crew members from … Continue reading
Roughly a year ago we posted about the 75th anniversary of Captain Frank Swift buying laid up schooners which had previously carried stone, lumber, hay and all manner of goods, and began carrying vacationers to cruise in the Maine summers. Many … Continue reading
In November we posted about the first shakedown day cruise of the Alexander von Humboldt II, Germany’s newest tall ship. The new ship, operated by Deutsche Stiftung Sail Training (DSST), is replacing the 1906 built Alexander von Humboldt which has been sailing as a … Continue reading
Yesterday we posted the Clipper Round the World 68′ racer, Geraldton Western Australia, which was struck by a large wave in a storm in the Pacific. The wave sheared off the boat’s steering pedestal, damaged electronics and injured four crew, who were … Continue reading
Norwegian rogue adventurer Jarle Andhøy, 34, along with four other crew members on the 54-foot yacht, Nilaya have been arrested by the Chilean Navy. Andhøy is returning from his second Antarctic voyage, both of which he has undertook without permission, permits or insurance. His first voyage ended … Continue reading
According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, fishing nets are the biggest killer of whales and dolphins across the globe. Last week alone, two gray whales migrating off the coast of California were caught in fishing nets. A week … Continue reading
In a pleasant contrast to events surrounding the sinking of the Costa Concordia, the passengers aboard the fire damaged cruise ship Azamara Quest are reported to have high praise for the actions of the captain and crew. A fire broke out in one of the ship’s engine … Continue reading
Hammacher Schlemmer’s catalog is subtitled: “Offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected for 164 years.” One item for sale certainly qualifies as “unique.” They currently list for sale the World War II PT-728, the only PT boat in existence licensed … Continue reading
A large wave broke over the 68′ yacht, Geraldton Western Australia, one of ten yachts racing in the Clipper Round the World Race, while in the Pacific approximately 400 miles off San Francisco. The wave swept the deck, shearing the … Continue reading
Update: The MS Carnival Triumph was allowed to sail as scheduled following last minute negotiations. The 2,758-passenger cruise ship MS Carnival Triumph was supposed to sail today for a five-day cruise to Yucatan and Cozumel. Instead, a Texas judge has ordered the ship … Continue reading