Looking slightly like a miniature Costa Concordia, the 60.2 meter (197′) French yacht Yogi rolled and sank after reporting a ‘mechanical failure’ in high seas and Force 8 winds on Friday. The yacht sank between the islands of Skyros and Psara, 19 nautical miles … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Canadian Submarine HMCS Corner Brook ran aground during manoeuvres off Vancouver Island in June 2011. Two sailors were slightly injured. The Canadian navy never described the extent of the damage or released a photograph of the damage to the sub. The sub has now just … Continue reading
We have previously posted about the CBC’s “Land and Sea,” a program which for thirty years has been focussed on stories from people who live off the land and the sea on the Canadian Atlantic. In December, they featured a wonderful documentary on Nova … Continue reading
Armed guards, reported to be Italian naval personnel, on the tanker, Enrica Lexie, fired on and killed two Tamil Nadu fishermen off Kochi on Wednesday, believing the fishermen to be pirates. Indian authorities said the Italian guards fired without warning in violation … Continue reading
Pirate attacks are escalating in the Gulf of Guinea, with tragic consequences. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre posted on its website that eight armed pirates boarded a drifting bulk carrier, awaiting berthing instructions, on Monday in the Gulf of Guinea, 110 … Continue reading
A quick look at two quirky structures that look like a boat and a ship left high and dry. What appears to be a modest houseboat is perched above the Purcell Room of Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre … Continue reading
The ketch Irene, built in 1907 to carry bricks and tiles, has set sail with a cargo of Devon ale for Brittany and Spanish olive oil for Brazil, on what will be, if all goes well, a five month voyage which will also carry … Continue reading
The Guardian reports that, “Russian scientists have confirmed they have drilled through more than 2.3 miles of ice to reach Lake Vostok, a 16,000 sq km (6,200 sq mile) body of water that has been isolated from the rest of … Continue reading
According to the Russian magazine Vlast, “Russia [was] … on the verge of the largest man-made disaster since Chernobyl” when a fire broke out on December 29th, 2011 on the K-84 Ekaterinburg, a Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, in a dry-dock in Murmansk. Sparks … Continue reading
Happy Valentines Day to all. In honor of the day, here is a video by Tying It All Together showing how to tie a Celtic Heart Knot. How to Tie the Celtic Heart Knot by TIAT (A Knotty Valentine) [iframe: width=”560″ … Continue reading
Many years ago, I was in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on a container ship having major steel work done in the CSBS drydock. In those days, there was a scrap yard within sight of the drydock and for the week or so that … Continue reading
The Falklands War, or the Guerra de las Malvinas, depending on which side you choose, began on April 2, 1982. As the thirtieth anniversary of the war approaches, a war of worlds between the ex-combatants, the UK and Argentina, has escalated. Eggs and … Continue reading
Costa Lines has asked ten companies to bid on salvaging the Costa Concordia. The bids are due early next month and Costa has plans to award a contract by the end of March. Smit Salvage, Svitzer Salvage, Mammoet Salvage, Titan … Continue reading
Earlier this week, we posted that a circuit court had upheld previous rulings against Odyssey Marine Exploration, requiring the company to return to Spain $500m (£308m) worth of gold and silver coins it had recovered from the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de las … Continue reading
Pity the river boatman. Just a few months ago, a European drought lowered the water levels on many rivers and canals, significantly limiting barge and ship traffic. The lower river levels also unexpectedly exposed un-exploded ordinance from World War II. In … Continue reading
The Lettie G. Howard is in trouble. The wooden Fredonia schooner was built in Essex, Massachusetts in 1893. She was acquired by the South Street Seaport Museum in 1968 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. She was recently drydocked … Continue reading
The Navy newest Littoral Combat Ship will be named the USS Gabrielle Giffords in honor of the former Arizona Congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt one year ago. The USS Gabrielle Giffords will be the 17th ship to be named … Continue reading
It is easy to forget how many ships and boats are indeed operated by the United States Army. Earlier this week the 80 feet long vessel, Enin Meto, with 101 people aboard, was bound from Lib to Ebeye, two island … Continue reading
What is the oldest living thing on the planet? My first guess would have been the giant sequoia, which can grow to be several hundred feet tall and live to be several thousand years old. It turns out that the … Continue reading
At around 2AM local time Wednesday, the container ship Horizon Reliance rescued three Canadians, two men and a 9 year old boy, from the 33 foot disabled sailboat, Liahona, about 411 nautical miles east of Honolulu, Hawaii. The winds were gusting over 40 knots … Continue reading