Arthur John Priest — the Unsinkable Stoker

Arthur John Priest was born on this day in 1887. He earned the nickname “the unsinkable stoker” after surviving the sinking of four ships, including the Titanic and its sister ship Britannic, as well as living through two ship collisions. … Continue reading

Tidal Power — Trials in East River on New Recyclable Blade Design

One of the concerns with wind and tidal energy installations is that the turbine blades are built from materials that are not easily recyclable. As the blades wear out with use, they could create a significant disposal problem. For the … Continue reading

Scientists Accidentally Discover the World’s Northernmost Island off Greenland

The BBC reports that a group of scientists say they have discovered by luck what they believe is the world’s northernmost island off Greenland’s coast. In July, the scientists flew to collect samples to what they thought was Oodaaq Island, that … Continue reading

Scientists in Egypt Discover Fossil of an Amphibious, Four-legged Whale

Scientists in Egypt have announced that they have discovered the fossilized bones of a previously unknown amphibious, four-legged species of an ancestral whale. The semiaquatic whales called protocetids, existed over forty million years, during the Eocene period, according to findings … Continue reading

Congratulations to Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, First Woman to Command a Nuclear-Powered Carrier

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt is now the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln — becoming the first woman to lead a nuclear carrier in U.S. Navy history. Bauernschmidt, who previously served as the carrier’s executive officer from 2016-2019, relieved … Continue reading

Update: Yara Birkeland, Crewless Electric Container Ship, First Voyage by Year’s End

In 2017, we posted “ Yara Birkeland, Autonomous Container Ship — Is This Really a Good Idea?” The question remains unanswered, but we may have a better idea when the 103 TEU, all-electric, crewless feeder ship is delivered and completes its … Continue reading

Carnival Passenger Dies of Covid, CDC Recommends Vulnerable Avoid Cruises Even if Vaccinated

On a recent voyage from Galveston, TX, one passenger and 26 crew members tested positive for Covid-19 on the Carnival Vista. The passenger, Marilyn Tackett, a 77-year-old retiree from Oklahoma, subsequently died. The outbreak represented the highest number of cases … Continue reading

Navy Sinks USS Ingraham, Last Oliver Hazard Perry Destroyer Built, in Live-Fire Exercise

The Drive reports that on August 15th, 2021, the U.S. Navy sank the USS Ingraham in a  Sinking Exercise (SINKEX) off Hawaii as part of the ongoing and unprecedently massive Large Scale Exercise 2021. Not a whole lot is known … Continue reading

As Hurricane Henri Approaches, Looking Back at the Great New England Hurricane of 1938

Hurricane Henri is expected to make landfall on the eastern portion of Long Island or in southern New England on Sunday afternoon. It will be the first hurricane to strike New England in 30 years. My wife and I cut … Continue reading

Update: Ocean Revival Adventures, First to Row From NYC to London

Congratulations to the Ocean Revival Adventures team who have become the first to row from New York to London. The team of four serving and former serving Royal Marine Commandos completed the epic 72-day, 3,700-mile row across the North Atlantic … Continue reading

Exhibits Return to Historic Lighthouse Tender Lilac With Work By Melissa Godoy Niet

In addition to being a museum ship as America’s only steam-powered lighthouse tender, the ex-USCG Cutter Lilac serves as a community arts and education space. Unfortunately in the past year, the pandemic temporarily shut these programs down.  Now the exhibitions … Continue reading

WWII Submarine USS Cod Returns to Cleveland After $1.4 Million Drydocking and Repairs

Tomorrow, the Gato Class submarine USS Cod commissioned in 1943, will be towed back to its dock in Cleveland, OH following a $1.4 million drydocking at Donjon Shipbuilding in Erie, PA. While on dock, the 78-year old submarine had ballast … Continue reading

Orca Encounters Continue on Spanish Coast, New Restrictions on Smaller Sailboats Issued

Last September, the Spanish government issued restrictions on operating sailboats less than 15 meters long off a section of its Galician coast after multiple cases of encounters with pods of orcas, also known as killer whales. Last week, Spain issued … Continue reading

Third Replica Maryland Dove Under Construction

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is nearing the completion of the construction of a new Maryland Dove, a reproduction of the 17th-century trading ship that accompanied the first settlers to what is now Maryland in 1634. Maryland Dove is owned … Continue reading

Full Sized Titanic Replica Under Construction at Theme Park in China

Five years ago we posted about the beginning of the construction of “A Close to Unsinkable Titanic in China’s Sichuan Province.” Construction began on November 30th, 2016 in Suining, Sichuan province, China, 745 miles from the sea. The full-sized replica … Continue reading