News reports are that salvors fighting the fire on the car carrier Fremantle Highway have been temporarily stopped in their attempt to cool the exterior of the stricken ship with water. There are serious concerns that water from the firefighting could … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Near midnight on Tuesday, the car carrier Fremantle Highway, loaded with nearly 3,000 cars, caught fire and has been burning out of control off the Dutch island of Ameland. The Dutch coast guard said one crew member had died and … Continue reading
In 1863, Henry Dodd organized a race between Thames River sailing barges. It has become the longest-running, regularly organized, national racing event for traditional sail in the world. In absolute terms, it ranks as the second oldest sailing race behind … Continue reading
CNBC reports that Maya Merhige, a 15-year-old from Berkeley, California, successfully swam around the entire island of Manhattan in eight hours and 43 minutes on July 15th, becoming only the third person her age to complete the “20 Bridges Swim,” … Continue reading
Back in 2021, we posted about a pledge made by Maersk that it would launch the world’s first carbon-neutral cargo liner vessel in 2023 – seven years ahead of its initial 2030 target. This week, Maersk fulfilled that pledge, when … Continue reading
We have posted about orcas attacking and even sinking sailboats off the Iberian peninsula. Recently, we posted about a surfboard-stealing otter. Now, officials say that four swimmers were injured in dolphin attacks on a beach in central Japan. The BBC … Continue reading
An Australian sailor and his dog were recently rescued by a Mexican tuna trawler after surviving for almost three months at sea. Before setting sail in April from the Mexican city of La Paz on his catamaran, Aloha Toa, bound … Continue reading
The BBC reports that an entire pod of 55 pilot whales died after a mass stranding on a beach in the Outer Hebrides. Only 15 were alive after they washed onto Traigh Mhor beach at North Tolsta on the Isle … Continue reading
When the Ambassador Cruise Line cruise ship Ambition arrived recently in the port of Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, its passengers admired the rugged coastline and the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. For many, however, the sense … Continue reading
Bloomberg reports that delays at naval shipyards mean that nearly 40% of US attack submarines are out of commission for repairs, about double the rate the Navy would like, according to new data released by the service. As of this … Continue reading
We have followed the outbreak of orca attacks off the Iberian peninsula over the last several years. Here is an only slightly less threatening story of a mischievous female sea otter which has been harassing surfers and stealing surfboards in … Continue reading
In Miguel de Cervantes’ epic novel Don Quixote, the namesake hero mistakes a row of windmills for evil giants and launches a bold, if comically unsuccessful, attack. The windmills win, as the errant knight is swatted from his steed by … Continue reading
Last Wednesday night at 9:38 PM, a fire broke out on the 10th deck of the ro-ro/container ship, Grande Costa D’Avorio, docked at Port Newark, as vehicle loading operations were underway. The fire broke out in five to seven cars and … Continue reading
The much-anticipated live-action movie Barbie has been banned in Vietnam over the appearance of a map in the background of one scene allegedly depicting Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea, claims disputed by Vietnam and at least seven … Continue reading
Two firefighters were killed on Wednesday night after they became trapped while fighting a fire on the ro-ro/container ship, Grande Costa D’Avorio, docked at Port Newark. Approximately a dozen other firefighters were reported to be injured. The fire broke out … Continue reading