By definition, shipping is the ultimate offshore industry. For most, the business of shipping is largely invisible, literally beyond the horizon. I recently came across two representations of global shipping – a plot developed from ship’s logs from the 18th … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
The Chinese icebreaker Xue Long, or Snow Dragon, has gotten to within around 6-7 miles of the expedition cruise ship, MV Akademik Shokalskiy, before it too was stopped by thick ice off the coast of Antarctica, south of Tasmania. Three icebreakers … Continue reading
A few hours ago, Professor Chris Turney, on the MV Akademik Shokalskiy currently trapped in pack ice off Antarctica, south of Tasmania, tweeted: Great news. Icebreaker Snow Dragon on horizon with penguins! Everyone very happy! We suspect that the penguins are … Continue reading
Expedition cruising is often considered “adventure travel” as it involves smaller ships and often more exotic destinations. The scientists and passengers on the current cruise on the ice-strengthened expedition cruise ship, MV Akademik Shokalskiy, appear to be having more of an … Continue reading
We hope everyone is having a joyous holiday season. Here is a beautiful version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “Christmas at Sea.” Sting – Christmas At Sea (Live from Durham Cathedral) … Continue reading
Did you catch GliderPaloosa 2013? No? Neither did I. It was easy to miss as it was almost entirely underwater. GliderPaloosa 2013 was an event held in September and October, sponsored by NOAA in cooperation with Dalhousie University, the University of Maine, … Continue reading
On July 9, 1866, Captains Hudson and Fitch with their dog, Fanny, sailed from New York in a three masted full-rigged 26 foot long boat named “Red, White, and Blue.” They arrived in Margate in in East Kent, UK on August … Continue reading
The brochure for for the cruise liner Lakonia promised “A MARVELOUS CHRISTMAS CRUISE TO SUNNY MADEIRA AND THE CANARY ISLANDS…HAVE YOUR HOLIDAY WITH ALL RISK ELIMINATED. ENJOY A HOLIDAY YOU WILL REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.” Now fifty years later, … Continue reading
There was a recent story in the press about the wreckage of a German World War I submarine beached of mudflats on the banks of the River Medway in Hoo, Kent. The sub is, believed to be the UB-122, one … Continue reading
President Obama recently nominated Vice Admiral Michelle Howard to serve as vice chief of naval operations, the service’s No. 2 uniformed officer. If confirmed, she will be the first black and the first woman to hold the job and the first … Continue reading
A recent article in PastHorizons – Adventures in Archaeology looks at the images of ships scratched in the stones of medieval churches of England. This sailor’s graffiti shows a wide range of vessels that would have plied the waters … Continue reading
Recently there has been disturbing news that the wreck of HMAS Perth is being stripped by scrap merchants in the sea off Java. In February 1942, the Leander class cruiser HMAS Perth was sunk by Japanese torpedoes in the Battle … Continue reading
Got a minute? Here is an animation of the world’s weather across the globe, showing the winds blowing across our ocean planet, as forecast by supercomputers and updated every three hours. You can also rotate the globe in any direction … Continue reading
This year, Seaworld Orlando is sponsoring “Bands, Brew and BBQ” during February and early March. There may be fewer bands to go with the BBQ and brew than originally planned. At least seven well known performers and bands have pulled … Continue reading
Fiona Shaw, in an excerpt from a new staged reading of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” This scene features the passage that birthed the expression “albatross around your neck.” The show, directed by Phyllida … Continue reading