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
Rick Spilman
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
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
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
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
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
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
Last February, Joe Davis, a landscaper who works at Rutland Water Nature Reserve. spotted something odd poking out of the mud. He called the county council and said, “I think I’ve found a dinosaur.” It wasn’t a dinosaur. But it … Continue reading
Outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to shift traffic away from the city’s roads to its rails system and, particularly, to “blue highways,” the network of waterways that have for so long defined the city. … Continue reading
On a cold winter’s day, here on the west bank of the Hudson River, the idea of sitting on a beach in a slightly warmer climate, watching the stars in their inexorable progression across the night sky, sounds absolutely glorious. … Continue reading
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
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
In January of last year, we posted that the operator of the ex-Cunard Queen Mary filed for bankruptcy. The converted ship is owned by the City of Long Beach and has been managed by Eagle Hospitality, ex-Urban Commons, since 2016. Now, … Continue reading
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
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
Congratulations to Murdoch McGregor, who was named Sailor of the Year 2021 at the British Yachting Awards. At the age of 82, Murdoch McGregor completed a 1,900-mile trip around the UK in June. The 80-day-long solo voyage in his 23-foot … Continue reading
Happy New Year to all! Here is a poem by Cicely Fox Smith, from Full Sail: More Sea Songs and Ballads, sung as a ballad by Larry Kaplan. New Year by Cicely Fox Smith … Continue reading
Tonight, many will watch in person, online, or on television, as a jeweled ball drops in Times Square in New York City at exactly midnight to mark the arrival of the New Year, 2022. In past years, the crowd in … Continue reading
We recently posted about how on the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, over 1,000 military families have been forced from their homes and suffered illness by drinking water apparently contaminated by petroleum from a leaking, World War II … Continue reading
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) updated its color-coded list of ships that tracks where passengers or crew have tested positive for Covid-19. The list is updated multiple times a week. The agency currently identifies 86 ships where the … Continue reading