HMS Medway Torches Smugglers’ Boat Carrying £24m of Cocaine in Caribbean

Sky News reports that HMS Medway, a Royal Navy River-class offshore patrol vessel, pursued a drug smuggler’s boat after it was spotted near the Dominican Republic, alongside a US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment and accompanying aircraft. Once it was … Continue reading

Russia Suspends Grain Export Deal Following Ukrainian Drone Attack on Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol

The BBC reports that Russia says that Ukraine carried out a “massive” drone attack on Saturday on the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, damaging one warship. Nine drones were used, a top official said. Unconfirmed … Continue reading

Remembering “HMS” Bounty Lost in Hurricane Sandy — Survivors’ Interview

Ten years ago today, the replica of HMS Bounty sank in Hurricane Sandy off the coast of North Carolina. Despite horrific conditions, the US Coast Guard was able to rescue 14 of the 16 aboard the ship when she sank. … Continue reading

Dutch Fishing Vessel Rescues British Kayaker Clinging to Buoy in Dover Strait

The BBC reports that a Dutch fishing vessel has rescued a British kayaker found clinging to a buoy in the Channel after his kayak capsized. He is reported to have been holding onto the buoy for several days. The captain, … Continue reading

Record Drought Shuts Down Traffic In Mississippi River and Tributaries

In August, we posted about an extreme drought in Europe that dramatically reduced water levels in major rivers, including the Rhine, Elbe, Loire, Danube, and Po. Now a near-record drought in the US Midwest has dropped water levels in the … Continue reading

Entangled Humpback Does Spy Hop & Back Flip to Assist Marine Rescue Team, Freeing It From Fishing Gear

A wonderful story from the BBC.  After receiving multiple calls about a humpback whale entangled in 300ft (91m) of fishing gear and a buoy, Canadian officials dispatched a marine rescue team. They tracked down the beleaguered whale off Texada Island, … Continue reading

Tree Rings Help Identify Long Lost Rhode Island Whaling Ship Dolphin in Patagonia

In 1858, the whaling ship Dolphin sailed from Warren, Rhode Island, and never returned. The New York Times notes that the ship’s 42-person crew was rescued the following year from the waters of the southern Atlantic Ocean by an Argentine mariner, … Continue reading

Artemis EF-24 Passenger Ferry — America’s Cup Technology Applied to Hydrofoils

Artemis Technologies, an applied technologies spin-off from the Artemis Racing America’s Cup team, has announced its latest design, the EF-24 passenger ferry. The ferry is a 100% electric hydrofoil vessel with a capacity for 150 passengers and an operating range … Continue reading

US Navy & Marines Have Contaminated Water Issues — From Pearl Harbor to Carriers to Camp Lejeune

The US Navy and the Marine Corps have a serious water contamination problem. Last December we posted that on the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, over 1,000 military families were forced from their homes and suffered illness by … Continue reading

Götheborg of Sweden, World’s Largest Wooden Sailing Ship, Arrives In Malta

The world’s largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship, a replica of an 18th-century Swedish East India Company ship, Götheborg of Sweden, arrived in Valletta, Malta this week. The Götheborg is on its way to Asia, and Malta is the 12th stopover … Continue reading

Update: Submarine USS Clamagore Towed From Patriots Point to be Scrapped

In March, we posted that the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in South Carolina had decided after years of debate to scrap USS Clamagore, a Cold War-era submarine that proved too costly to maintain. This week, the Balao-class submarine was … Continue reading

Jet Pack Demonstration in New York Harbor From Royal Navy Flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth

During her recent visit to New York to host a two-day Anglo-American defense conference, the Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth was used in a training demonstration in the harbor using jet packs. The BBC reports that the Sussex-based jet … Continue reading

Grand Theft Walleye — Fisherman Charged With Cheating in High Stakes Tournament

On Sept. 30, two fishermen, Jacob Runyan, 42, of Ashtabula, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 35, of Hermitage, Pa., participated in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament in Cleveland. The stakes were high. If the fish landed by the pair weighed … Continue reading

New Aden, Chinese VLCC With Four Rigid Wing Sails

In 2020, we posted that China Merchants Group had signed a contract with Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) for two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) each with four rigid wing sails to provide wind-assisted propulsion. The first of the two … Continue reading

Footage Documents Orcas Killing Great White Shark Off South Africa, Devouring the Liver

Over the last five years, a macabre mystery has been playing out on the South African coast. The carcasses of great white sharks have been washing ashore on local beaches with their bellies ripped open and their livers missing. What … Continue reading

Update: New Wind Challenger Sail Assisted Collier Shofu Maru Enters Service

We have been following the development of the Wind Challenger Project since it first was unveiled in 2012. Initially developed by the University of Toyko with the support of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Oshima-shipbuilding, the concept is for a sail-assisted ship with retractable … Continue reading

On World Octopus Day — Amazing Brains & Morphing Skin of Octopuses & Other Cephalopods

In observance of World Octopus Day, here is a short video of a TED talk by Roger Hanlon looking at the amazing brains and morphing skins of octopuses and other cephalopods. The amazing brains and morphing skin of octopuses and … Continue reading

Damian Browne, First to Row From NYC to Galway, 112 Days at Sea With a Dramatic Finish

Former-professional rugby player Damian Browne became the first person ever to row from New York to Galway.  Browne began the 112-day voyage, titled Project Empower, from Chelsea Piers in Manhattan on Tuesday, June 14 at 3.10am. After spending 2,686 hours … Continue reading