The A.J. Meerwald, Official Tall Ship of the State of New Jersey, Completes 10-Month Restoration

The A.J. Meerwald, a Delaware Bay oyster schooner launched in 1928, is back in the water after an extensive 10-month restoration and refurbishment at Clark & Eisele Traditional Boatbuilding of Lincolnville, Maine. The Meerwald is also the “Official Tall Ship” … Continue reading

Tragedy on the Hudson — Two Die and Three Critically Injured After Chartered Boat Capsizes

Yesterday just before 3 PM, a chartered powerboat with 12 passengers aboard, capsized in the Hudson River near Pier 86 in Midtown Manhattan.  The accident fatally trapped a 7-year-old boy and 50-year-old woman underneath the overturned boat. Three others were … Continue reading

Crab Trapper Whiskey — Fighting Mutant Green Crabs One Bottle at a Time

In 2018, we posted “Mutant Green Crabs Invading Maine.” At the time we noted that it sounded like a low-budget horror/sci-fi flick, but that, sadly, an aggressive breed of green crab has indeed invaded Maine’s and neighboring states’ waters. Now, … Continue reading

Maine Windjammer 2022 Great Schooner Race in Penobscot Bay

Eleven schooners, many National Historic Landmarks, ranging in size from 57 to 135 feet, raced in the Maine Windjammer Association‘s 2022 Great Schooner Race in Penobscot Bay last week. As reported by the Courier-Gazette:  The vessels sailed past the Rockland … Continue reading

MV Mark W. Barker, First Great Lakes Bulk Carrier Built in 35 Years, on Sea Trials

Two years ago, we posted about the keel laying of the Interlake Steamship Company‘s bulk carrier MV Mark W. Barker at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI. The ship is now completing sea trials and is expected to enter … Continue reading

Russia Salvages Landing Ship Sunk by Ukraine Missiles

In March, we posted about the sinking of a Russian Alligator Class landing ship by a Ukrainian ballistic missile strike in the Ukrainian port city of Berdyansk, which Russia captured in late February.  The Russians are now salvaging the landing … Continue reading

Report: Navy Failed to Prevent & Respond to Hawaii’s Red Hill Fuel Leaks

In December we posted Hawaii Deputy AG: Pearl Harbor Leaking Fuel Tanks a “Ticking Time Bomb” describing the fuel oil leaks in the massive World War II era fuel tanks into the island of Oahu’s water supply that forced over … Continue reading

Update: Stinky Sargassum Threatens Post Pandemic Tourism in Mexico and Across Caribbean

In 2019, we posted about an 8,850-kilometer Atlantic sargassum belt from the Gulf of Mexico to West Africa. The floating mat of the brown buoyant seaweed had a devastating impact on beaches across the east coast of Mexico, the Caribbean, … Continue reading

SS Great Britain Returns to Bristol, 52 Years Ago Today

[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id=”4″]  Fifty-two years ago today, 100,000 people lined the banks of the River Avon in Bristol as the SS Great Britain returned to her birthplace. In the intervening years, the rusting hulk was meticulously restored to her former glory … Continue reading

Happy 4th of July – A Toast to Madeira, the Wine of the Declaration of Independence and the Liberty Riots

An updated repost fitting for the day. Happy 4th of July!  Those of us in the United States celebrate the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776. Immediately after declaring independence from Great Britain, the representatives in the Continental Congress drank a toast … Continue reading

Update: Historic Rotterdam Bridge Will Not Be Dismantled for Bezos’ Yacht

In February, we posted Billionaire Bezos’ Really Big Boat and the Rotterdam Railroad Bridge about reports that Rotterdam would dismantle the center span of a historic railroad bridge to allow the 417-foot-long, three-masted sailing yacht built for billionaire Jeff Bezos … Continue reading

27 Missing & Feared Dead After Typhoon Chaba Breaks Vessel in Half Off Hong Kong

Three crew members were rescued after Typhoon Chaba broke an unidentified engineering vessel in half. Twenty-seven crew remain missing and are feared dead. Search and rescue operations continued for others about 300 km (200 miles) southwest of the city, the … Continue reading

“Fat Leonard” Corruption Trial — Jury Convicts Four Former Navy Officers

We recently posted about how the “Fat Leonard” Navy corruption scandal is being dramatized in a new television series, based on an award-winning podcast. In the real world, the decade-long investigation and years-long trials are wrapping up.  The San Diego … Continue reading

Update: Palmer’s Titanic II & China’s Romandisea Cancelled?

For a decade, we have followed the various announcements by Australian billionaire Clive Palmer regarding his Titanic II project. In 2012, Palmer announced the construction of a modern “replica”  of the doomed passenger liner RMS Titanic which sank after striking … Continue reading