John Diebold, 1944-2010 John Diebold, a marine scientist who sailed the world’s oceans for more than four decades using sound waves to study earthquake faults, underwater volcanoes and other normally hidden features of the seabed, died on July 1 at … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Forty years ago, on July 5th, 100,000 people lined the banks of the River Avon to witness the return of the SS Great Britain, or what was left of her. After spending 37 years on the seabed in the Falklands, she was a rusting … Continue reading
Whale of a skimmer not ready to attack Gulf oil after weekend of testing The behemoth Taiwanese oil skimmer, A Whale, is not yet ready attack the Gulf of Mexico oil spill after a weekend of testing proved inconclusive, said … Continue reading
No, not Moby Dick. Scientists have recently discovered the fossilized remains of an ancient whale with huge, fearsome teeth, which they have dubbed Leviathan melvillei, in honor of Herman Melville. The 12 million old whale was slightly smaller than a modern sperm whale but … Continue reading
We own a Roomba, which is a robot vacuum cleaner made by iRobot. It looks like a cross between an overgrown hockey puck and a squashed R2D2 from Star Wars. It softly whirs and occasionally beeps as it crisscrosses the floor vacuuming, until … Continue reading
We recently reviewed Max Hardberger’s new book, Seized, A Sea Captains Adventures – Battling Scoundrels and Pirates while Recovering Stolen Ships in the World’s Most Troubled Waters. This week , he was interviewed in Time Magazine: High Seas Repo- Man Max … Continue reading
NASA has recently published an analysis of the arctic operations of the icebreaker USCGC Healy. The Healy has been serving as a research vessel in Arctic water with more than 4,200 square feet of scientific laboratory space, numerous electronic sensor systems, … Continue reading
We have fallen way behind in our book reviews. Until we catch up, here is a review of Julian Stockwin’s new novel, Victory, republished with permission from Astrodene’s Historic Naval Fiction. Astrodene Review: Victory by Julian Stockwin Victory starts off with a major setback … Continue reading
“A Whale” is by far the biggest oil skimmer ever built. The bigger question question may be, “Will it work?” The converted oil/bulk ore carrier is currently docked in Boothville, La., docks as it is made ready for 48 hours … Continue reading
After a season’s delay due to lack of access to icebreakers, Parks Canada is renewing its search for Franklin’s ship’s Erebus and Terror. They will also be searching for the HMS Investigator, a ship which was caught in the ice … Continue reading
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that an agreement has been reached between Norwegian Cruise Line and the SS United States Conservancy, a preservationist group, to save the SS United States from the scrap yard. The Conservancy is reported to have agreed to pay NCL … Continue reading
The Redpath Toronto Waterfront Festival started yesterday and will run through July 4th. The festival is hosting fifteen sailing ships and schooners, including HMS Bounty, the brig Niagara, the Bark Europa, the Pride of Baltimore II, Brig Roald Amundsen, … Continue reading
We recently posted about the centennial of Robert Falcon Scott‘s departure on his ill-fated expedition to reach the South Pole. Now the Australian National Maritime Museum will host a new exhibit, the Quest for the South Magnetic Pole. The quest to … Continue reading
Update: According to her AIS (Automatic Identification System) the A Whale is now off Louisiana. Thanks to Buck for pointing it out. Click here to see per position on the chart. A Taiwanese-owned, Liberian-flagged tanker, the A Whale, has been modified … Continue reading
We are five days late but nevertheless would like to wish Commander William Donald Aelian “Bill” King a most happy 100th birthday. He is only living submarine commander from World War II. He initially served on the battleship, HMS Resolution, and later becoming … Continue reading