The major cruise lines have announced plans to restart at least some of their cruise operations in upcoming months, while tens of thousands of crew are still stranded aboard cruise ships. Carnival, the world’s largest cruise line, has announced cruises … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
A repost appropriate for Mother’s Day. Sailors choose their tattoos for various reasons. Among the most popular sailor tattoos are anchors, hearts and swallows. Not infrequently, “Mom” also made an appearance as a reminder of loved ones and home. On … Continue reading
Click on the image below to be taken to a virtual tour of the 127′ long schooner Zodiac. The schooner Zodiac was built in 1924 for the heirs to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. After a successful career as … Continue reading
Parades and large celebrations were planned for the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Victory in Europe Day, the end of World War II in Europe on this day in 1945. And then the pandemic came along. Nevertheless, the Royal Navy … Continue reading
In February, we posted “The Long Strange Voyage of the “Ghost Ship” MV Alta,” about a derelict ship that, after 17 months abandoned and adrift, washed up unexpectedly on the Irish coast near the village of Ballycotton in County Cork. … Continue reading
How is your day going? We hope that it is going better than the folks who were load testing a new 90 meter high Liebherr TLC crane on the offshore installation support vessel Orion 1. The crane had a 160-meter … Continue reading
As if a pandemic is not enough to worry about, the effects of climate change appear to be delivering some particularly nasty weather this year. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico have been described as being abnormally warm, freakishly … Continue reading
Two Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs), sunk in a disastrous rehearsal of the D-Day landing, have been granted protected status by the government of Great Britain. At least 749 US sailors and soldiers died when the ships were attacked by German … Continue reading
A calming post for a spring Sunday. Here is another wonderful time-lapse by Wes Snyder. From the Youtube description: “Capturing Cape Hatteras” is a time-lapse of the Milky Way, crescent moon, and sunrise on March 20th, 2020. Amidst all the … Continue reading
Unless you happened to be very wealthy, hiding out on a boat may not be the best strategy during a pandemic. While billionaires may be able to jet off to their yachts in the Grenadines, the merely comfortable may find … Continue reading
Yesterday, we posted about a virtual chantey sing this Sunday, organized by New York’s South Street Seaport Museum. Here is a slightly different take on a virtual shanty sing. The Sheringham Shantymen are celebrating their 30th anniversary and they are … Continue reading
New York’s South Street Seaport Museum‘s monthly Chantey Sing is returning virtually, this Sunday, May 3rd from 2-4pm. From the Seaport announcement: From our living rooms and kitchens, and even from the deck of Wavertree, join our round-robin of shared … Continue reading
USS Kidd, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was diverted to San Diego following a shipboard outbreak of the coronavirus. The ship had been deployed off South America on an anti-drug-trafficking mission when the outbreak occurred. So far, 64 of the crew … Continue reading
We recently posted about neon blue waves in Newport Beach, CA caused by the action of the moving water on a phytoplankton bloom. Here is a short video of dolphins swimming at night lit by the bioluminescent plankton. Stunning. Thanks … Continue reading
A good story for the lockdown. In February 1960, the USS Triton set out on a most unusual shakedown cruise. The nuclear-powered radar picket submarine sailed from New London, CT, and returned in May, having circumnavigated the world submerged, becoming … Continue reading
The Wylde Swan has returned to the Netherlands. The schooner, said to be the world’s largest topsail schooner, was completing an educational cruise of the Caribbean with 25 Dutch high school students, ages 14 to 17. The plan was for … Continue reading
Yesterday, senior Navy officials recommended that Captain Brett Crozier be reinstated as commander of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Captain Crozier was fired after a letter expressing concern about the health and safety of his crew in a shipboard … Continue reading
US military doctors, nurses, and technicians are among the best in the world, able to step in and to do their jobs under a range of challenging and demanding conditions. Fortunately, over 500 professionals from the Army, Navy, and Air … Continue reading
Recently, an outbreak of red tide off Newport Beach, California discolored the Pacific waters during daylight and then, once the sun had set, put on an amazing show of bioluminescence which turned the ocean waves a vivid neon blue. Not … Continue reading
The plan was to start moving sailors who had completed a 14-day coronavirus quarantine back on the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt beginning this Saturday. Politico reports that that plan has been delayed after a number of sailors tested positive for … Continue reading