37 Injured in Staten Island Ferry Crash Dozens of people were hurt when a Staten Island Ferry crashed into a dock at the St. George terminal on Staten Island about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the authorities said. The ferry was the … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Ancient treasures set for auction in Indonesia An ancient treasure trove salvaged from a 1,000-year-old shipwreck found by Indonesian fishermen is set to go under the hammer in Jakarta Wednesday with a minimum price of 80 million dollars. Belgian treasure-hunter … Continue reading
Close cooperation between the ship’s personnel and the Russian military allowed Russian special forces to storm the captured tanker Moscow University without unduly jeopardizing the safety of the crew. Russian special forces capture oil tanker … Continue reading
This Monday, May 10th, PBS’s American Experience series will broadcast Ric Burns’ new documentary, Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World. It looks fascinating. The history of the American whaling industry from its 17th-century origins in drift and shore whaling off … Continue reading
The US Naval War College has published a collection of essays on Piracy and Maritime Crime: Historical and Modern Case Studies, edited by Bruce A. Elleman, Andrew Forbes, and David Rosenberg. The essays look at piracy around the world and throughout history … Continue reading
When Jessica Watson arrives back in Australia in a few weeks, she may be the youngest person to have circumnavigated the world non-stop, but she will not necessarily be granted the record for doing so. According to the rules laid … Continue reading
Fans of naval fiction either know or should know of Astrodene’s Historical Naval Fiction web site and forum. A wonderful resource, lots of great information on books both old and new, as well as very nice folks in the forum. … Continue reading
An intriguing item from Jim Klein on the Marine History List. They are now filming the search for the cannons from the Beeswax wreck. From the Beeswax Wreck Project site: One of the most popular mysteries of the Oregon Coast … Continue reading
Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing along two articles about historic maritime clocks. The conservators at the Mariner’s Museum have restored the engine room clock from the USS Monitor which sank in 1862. On the other side of the Atlantic, … Continue reading
A tragedy at the 2010 Sea Cadet Festival. Sea cadet, 14, dies after falling from ship in Solent A 14-year-old sea cadet has died after falling overboard in the Solent. The boy, from Kent, was on the training ship TS … Continue reading
World’s smallest tall ships sail under Tower Bridge… without the bridge deck opening With the traditional rigging of a tall ship but only a fraction of the size, these two vessels are dwarfed by Tower Bridge. The world’s smallest tall … Continue reading
When the new New York City fireboat 343 arrived in New York harbor yesterday, one of the fleet greeting her was the fireboat John J. Harvey. (Will has some great photos and commentary the tugster blog.) I am struck by … Continue reading
I ‘ve got to say that I prefer Neil Young’s and David Crosby’s taste in yachts somewhat better, but Johnny Depp’s Vajoliroja does have a certain idiosyncratic style. Johnny Depp’s very own pirate ship in the Caribbean … Continue reading
Two hundred and twenty one years ago yesterday, the crew of HMS Bounty staged a mutiny that remains famous to this day. Four sailors are attempting to recreate Captain Bligh’s epic 3,700 nautical mile voyage in a 23 foot long open boat … Continue reading
The first offshore wind farm in the United States has been approved by Washington. The Cape Wind project is a proposed 130 turbine wind farm in Nantucket Sound. It has been opposed for years by home owners in Cape … Continue reading
I’ve always been a fan of Baltic traders. They were serious working craft. They aren’t necessarily graceful but do possess a certain robust beauty. The schooner W N Ragland, a Baltic trader built in 1913, converted to a yacht, is for sale. For … Continue reading
Max Hardberger’s Seized, a Sea Captains Adventures – Battling Scoundrels and Pirates while Recovering Stolen Ships in the World’s Most Troubled Waters is a fascinating account of one man’s remarkable career and personal journey. In addition to working professionally as … Continue reading
The prospect of women serving aboard Navy submarines will no doubt pose challenges in logistics and procedures. These may be minor, however, compared to the problems caused by banning smoking aboard subs, which the Navy will do starting December … Continue reading
In 2007, Eric Jay Dolin wrote Leviathan, The History of Whaling In America, a wonderful book that follows the American whale fisheries from shore whaling, to the fleets of whale ships that sailed in every ocean, to the industry’s decline in the … Continue reading
There is an interesting conflict going on over the new draft proposal by the International Whaling Commission which would allow limited commercial whaling at levels significantly lower than currently practiced by Japan, Iceland and Norway. Depending on who you listen to this is either a good thing – … Continue reading