The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) has published a remarkable and potentially dangerous interactive map of 1,200 years of shipwrecks in Scottish waters. The map is part of an effort to enhance the maritime record … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
We recently posted about three killer lighthouses. It turns out that lighthouse keepers had more to worry about than simply storms and terrible conditions. In the 19th century, lighthouse keepers had a high frequency of madness and suicide. Many assumed that … Continue reading
According to the historic coating specialists, Michael Crick-Smith and Ian Crick-Smith, the current black and orange-yellow color scheme of Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory is “an early 20th century invention of what an 18th century warship looked like.” Based on their study … Continue reading
I recently booked a berth on the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry on a passage next September from Newport to Bermuda under the command of Captain Richard Bailey. I find it hard to believe that it was so long ago, but nevertheless, … Continue reading
This morning, the press was abuzz with reports that last Monday, in the Mediterranean off Cyprus, US Navy SEALS boarded and took control of an oil tanker, Morning Glory, which had recently loaded a cargo of Libyan oil in the … Continue reading
Here is a good video to start the week. Kite foiling is an amazing new niche in the world of sailing. To be fair, kite boarders have sticking foils on the the bottom of their boards for years. Now, however, … Continue reading
I remember visiting the battleship USS Texas in the San Jacinto River in Texas as schoolboy from Dallas while on a family vacation, almost fifty years ago. Her 14″ guns were impressive and I still recall climbing around her anti-aircraft guns … Continue reading
Last Sunday was the second of two weekends of the Dana Point Festival of Whales, which celebrates the annual migration of gray whales which passes the coastal California community. Captain Todd Mansur of Dana Wharf Whale Watching was following two gray whales, … Continue reading
A re-post from four years ago that seems appropriate today. So Happy Pi day and a toast to Hakudo Maru, the Japanese celestial shipbuilder. Some call today Pi day, as the first three digits of the date (3.14) are the first … Continue reading
Safe Harbor Pictures recently released a short video about sail training on the Lady Washington. The Lady Washington is a replica of the first American ship to round Cape Horn. The original ship sailed from Boston Harbor on October 1, … Continue reading
I am very much looking forward to Alaric Bond’s latest, Torrid Zone, due out in April or May. He recently posted about it on his blog. Background to a Book I’ve now finished the second draft of The Torrid Zone, … Continue reading
Lighthouses can be dangerous places. They are placed specifically near hazards to navigation, where the seas are the roughest and the rocks the most treacherous. Here is a brief look at three deadly lighthouses. Tillamook Rock Lighthouse — Off the … Continue reading
On my way to an informal gathering of water-bloggers on Saturday, I passed by Captain Joseph Rose’s House at 273 Water Street in Lower Manhattan. I wanted to stop by because one scene in my next novel, The Shantyman, is set … Continue reading
It is remarkably difficult to grasp how large ships can be. I remember, many years ago, being amazed how a full sized city bus, which looked so large on the pier, seemed to shrink dramatically as it was hoisted and … Continue reading
There was a very nice post this morning on the Working Harbor Committee blog about my novel “Hell Around the Horn.” My thanks to the editor, Mai Armstrong. Have you read Rick Spilman’s novel Hell Around The Horn? It’s a thriller … Continue reading