No Joke — SNL Comedians Buy Staten Island Ferry

It sounds like the setup to a joke or a late-night skit — two comedians from NBC’s Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, along with comedy club owner Paul Italia, just bought a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat. … Continue reading

In Aftermath of Volcanic Eruption, Tonga Plunged Into Digital Darkness

The underwater volcano that erupted off Tonga on Saturday with the force of 500 Hiroshima nuclear bombs covered the island nation with ash and sent tsunami waves of up 50 feet (15 meters) striking some islands, killing at least three. Efforts are … Continue reading

Congratulations to Admiral Jude Terry, First Female Royal Navy Admiral

Congratulations to ex-Commodore Judith Helen “Jude” Terry, who was appointed today the first female admiral in the history of the British Royal Navy.  Rear Admiral Terry, 48, with 25 years’ service around the globe and at home in the UK, … Continue reading

Flight 1549, NY Harbor Ferries, & the Two “Miracles on the Hudson”

An updated repost — a look back at the twin miracles on the Hudson from thirteen years ago yesterday. On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency water landing in the Hudson River. If the plane’s pilots, … Continue reading

Underwater Volcanic Eruption Near Tonga Triggers Tsunami

Tsunami waves caused by a major underwater eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano have hit the Pacific country of Tonga. A tsunami warning sent residents scrambling to higher ground. Tonga’s capital lies just 65km north of the volcano, on … Continue reading

HMS Victory & the Ship of Theseus, Thoughts on Varied Lives of A Ship

We recently posted about an announcement that an additional £35m is being committed for continued repairs to the HMS Victory, specifically to replace rotting planking and frames and to complete the rerigging of the ship. As it has been 256 … Continue reading

EcoClipper Raising Capital to Fund Sailing Cargo Fleet

The Dutch firm EcoClipper has plans to launch retrofitted and purpose-built sailing vessels to carry cargo and passengers on a variety of international routes. Today, they announced that they have started to raise capital in cooperation with blockchain partner Bondex, … Continue reading

On 100th Year Anniversary of Drydocking: £35m Committed to Ongoing Restoration of HMS Victory

One hundred years ago today, on January 12, 1922, Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar, HMS Victory was moved to Drydock No. 2 in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for restoration and preservation. In honor of the anniversary, it was announced … Continue reading

Skeletal Remains Of At Least 6 Pirates Found At 1717 Whydah Shipwreck Off Cape Cod

Last February, archaeologists in Cape Cod recovered six skeletons from the ruins of the Whydah, a British pirate ship that sank during a 1717 storm with 146 men—and a trove of treasure—on board. A team led by Barry Clifford, who discovered … Continue reading

Congratulations to Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell, First Woman to Command USS Constitution

Congratulations to Commander Billie J. Farrell who will be the 77th commanding officer and the first woman in the 224-year ship’s history to command the USS Constitution. She will assume command of the ship, known as Old Ironsides, during a … Continue reading

On 100th Anniversary of Shackleton’s Death, Two Memorial Expeditions in His Honor

Sir Ernest Shackleton died 100 years ago yesterday, on January 5, 1922, of a heart attack on South Georgia on an expedition to map the still uncharted coastal regions of Antarctica. He was only 47 when he died. Now, two … Continue reading

Will Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford be Ready to Deploy in 2022?

When the USS Gerald R. Ford was delivered in 2017, it was still years away from deployment as an aircraft carrier. Most of the 11 Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE) didn’t work. The electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting … Continue reading

CDC : Avoid Cruise Ship Travel Due to COVID-19 Omicron Variant

Late last week, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised its COVID-19 travel health notice level for cruise ships to its highest warning level and said people should avoid traveling on cruise ships regardless of their vaccination status, … Continue reading