Sarah Hebert – Sailing Across the Atlantic by Windsurfer?

Sarah Hebert, a young French athlete with a heart condition, is now in her 12th day of attempting to sail across the Atlantic Ocean on a stock “off the beach” windsurfer.   Fortunately, this is not quite as crazy as it sounds. … Continue reading

The Really, Really Ancient Mariners – Solutreans, Neanderthals & Hobbits

For most, a river or an ocean is a boundary. For a sailor, each is a highway.  But, when did the first sailor set out across the water? Recent research suggests that the early man may have gone to sea, and indeed, … Continue reading

Costa Concordia Pre-Trial Hearings Begin – Has Anything Changed in Cruise Operations?

In a hearing today in the Tuscan city of Grosseto, Italian Judge Valeria Montesarchio will ask court appointed experts to examine the “black box,” which contains digital recordings of the night of the grounding and sinking of the Costa Concordia off … Continue reading

Giving Away HMS Victory? A Smart Move? Not All Are Happy

The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) is giving Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar,  HMS Victory to the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in Portsmouth.  The ship would stay a commissioned warship and thus will be able to retain bragging … Continue reading

Ocean Acidification – Worst in 300 Million Years and the Consequences

Two recent articles suggest a grim future if ocean acidification is allowed  to  continue  at current rates. Oceans absorb much of the carbon in the atmosphere and as we increase atmospheric CO2, the oceans grow progressively more acidic. A new study published in Science suggest that ocean acidification … Continue reading

George H. Moffett Jr. – Educator and Longtime Captain of the Mystic Seaport Schooner Brilliant

Sad news. George H. Moffett Jr., the captain of the Mystic Seaport Museum schooner Brilliant for 25 years, has died of melanoma at his home in Connecticut. He was 66. Moffett was from a naval family. His grandfather, Admiral William A. Moffett, was … Continue reading

Thursday Daydream : the Mayan – David Crosby’s Legendary Schooner

On one hand, this is a very interesting use of Youtube by a yacht broker selling a classic yacht.   Here Bob Craven gives us a tour, a bit of history and low key sales pitch on David Crosby‘s legendary schooner – … Continue reading

Galleon San Jose, the “Holy Grail of Ship Wrecks”

Yesterday, we posted about the lawsuits still ongoing related to the wreck of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes and quoted Cecilia Rodriguez, writing for Forbes.  Today Ms. Rodriguez has a wonderful article about the Galleon San Jose, often referred to as the “Holy … Continue reading

Update – Costa Allegra: A Big Catch for the Fishing Vessel Trevignon

The 275′ French tuna purse seiner Trevignon has made a much bigger catch than normal – the 28,430 gross tonne cruise ship Costa Allegra.   The Trevignon is slowly towing the cruise ship to Mahé, in the Seychelles, and is expected to arrive early … Continue reading

Danish Warship Absalon Rescues 16 Hostages from Hijacked Ship, 2 Hostages Die in Attack

Sixteen hostages were freed when the Danish warship HDMS Absalon attacked pirates in control of a hijacker vessel off the coast of Somalia late Sunday.  Two crew from the hijacked ship were found to have severe injuries and subsequently died.   The circumstances of … Continue reading

Plunderers Plundering the Plunder – Peru Claims Share of Coin Treasure

The silver and gold coins valued at $500 million that Odyssey Marine recovered from the wreck of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes have now been flown to Spain.  American courts ruled that the coins had been removed illegally and that they … Continue reading

Costa Allegra: Not A Sister Ship – the Unusual Transformation from Container Ship to Cruise Ship

The headlines from several media sources (see here or here) have referred to the Costa Allegra, the cruise ship adrift in the Indian Ocean after an engine room fire, as a sister ship to the Costa Concordia.  A sister ship is generally defined as a “a ship of the … Continue reading

Cruise Ship Costa Allegra Adrift off Seychelles After Fire

Sixteen months after the Carnival Splendor was blacked out by an engine room fire in the Pacific off the coast of Mexico, another Carnival owned cruise ship is drifting, dead in the water, after an engine room fire.  The Costa Allegra, a cruise ship … Continue reading