Women on Subs – Not all that New

Julian Stockwin made a comment on Twitter this morning (what is the past tense of “to tweet?” by the way) regarding women on submarines.  He noted that Norway has had women serving on submarines for decades.   Indeed, the US … Continue reading

The Saga of Robert Falcon Scott – Complex and Controversial

British explorer Robert Falcon Scott was born today in 1868.  He died, along with his four companions, on the way back from the South Pole in 1912.   They had successfully reached the pole, only to learn that they had been beaten … Continue reading

Pelicans, Back From Brink of Extinction, Face Oil Threat

Though the pelican is featured on the state flag, by the early 1960s, brown pelicans had been pushed to extinction along the Louisiana Gulf Coast by DDT and other pesticides. In 1968 pelicans were reintroduction to Louisiana from colonies in … Continue reading

Pride of Baltimore Sailing in the Great Lakes this Summer

I am a huge fan of the “sharp-built” privateers that came to be known as Baltimore clippers.  They look fast sitting still and under sail, they are nothing less than breathtaking.   The Lynx, a replica Baltimore clipper, which was … Continue reading

Cornelis Drebbel’s Amazing Submarine at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum

I’ve just finished reading Julian Stockwin’sInvasion, the tenth of his Kydd series, which features among its cast of characters, Robert Fulton and his Nautilus of 1800. While the Nautilus is often called the first “practical” submarine, it was not the … Continue reading

Ballyvaughan’s Festival of Valleys with Wine Transported by the Ketch Bessie Ellen

In response to our post, Tall Ships Hit By Slumping Economy,  Will from the Tugster blog and Captain Peter from Nautical Log commented about the potential synergies of tall ships carrying cargo in addition to passengers.   Well great minds, and all that.  An example of … Continue reading

Atlantis – from the Seas to the Stars

A trivia question – what was the Space Shuttle Atlantis named after? A.  The Greek legend of the sunken continent. B.  The TV show – Stargate Atlantis. C.  Woods Hole’s first research vessel. I will admit that I surprised to learn that it was C.  The … Continue reading

Battle of Surigao Strait by Anthony P. Tully – a Review

A new look at the last battleship battle of  World War II and perhaps of all time.  A review by Steven Toby, republished with permission from the MarHst list. In this new book, Battle of Surigao Strait,  author Anthony P. Tully mines … Continue reading