Sadly, this is not an April Fools joke. The Mystic Seaport Museum is another casualty of Covid-19, at least for the duration of the pandemic. The Hartford Courant reports that as of today the museum is closing indefinitely and laying … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
The brig Pilgrim, a replica of the ship immortalized in Richard Henry Dana’s 1840 memoir, Two Years Before the Mast, sank at the dock over the weekend in Dana Point, CA. The replica brig, owned by the Ocean Institute has served … Continue reading
When particularly interesting ships arrive in New York harbor, I like to go down the waterfront, as time permits, to see them in. This morning was chilly and overcast and in the spirit of social distancing, I watched the arrival … Continue reading
The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort is currently steaming north toward New York harbor to help support the city hospital system during the coronavirus crisis. The ship will dock at a newly dredged berth at Pier 90 on the Hudson … Continue reading
We recently posted about two virtual tours available on the historic frigate USS Constitution. In these days of the coronavirus lockdown, the ship is closed as is the shoreside museum. Just as you can tour the ship virtually, the USS … Continue reading
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) has diverted to Guam following an outbreak of coronavirus onboard. Following initial news of three infected sailors, the number of cases is now said to have risen to “dozens.” The sailors … Continue reading
Despite the pandemic caused by the coronavirus, known as Covid-19, ships keep moving across the oceans. Oil tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships carry critical resources and manufactured goods to industry and consumers across the globe. Now, however, dozens of … Continue reading
The US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, is the largest aircraft carrier ever built and, at over $13 billion, is also the most expensive. Nevertheless, because of problems with mission-critical systems, the ship has been referred to … Continue reading
If you are among the hundreds of millions locked down during the current coronavirus outbreak and would like to get out, even virtually, you might want to take a virtual tour of the USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides. … Continue reading
Social and the mainstream press have been running stories showing swans and dolphins returning to the canals of Venice in the wake of the shutdowns to limit the coronavirus. The possible silver lining to the overwhelming tragedy in Italy appears, … Continue reading
As a brief respite from the current madness, here is a mixed-up montage of sailing footage from the Castle Films newsreel named Windjammer Thrills. The newsreel starts with the square-rigged training ship Christian Radich, moves on to fishing schooner races … Continue reading
In the United States recently, there has been a lot of attention given to those who hoard toilet paper in preparation for the coronavirus onslaught. As toilet paper is one of the basic necessities of modern life, hoarding seems to … Continue reading
The plan was for the Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) ships Vasco da Gama and Columbus to refuel, reprovision and swap passengers in the port of Phuket, Thailand before returning to their respective homeports to be temporarily laid up. When … Continue reading
The good news is that the Pentagon announced that it is activating the two US Navy hospital ships, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, notionally to provide additional capacity in the developing coronavirus pandemic. The bad news is that it is … Continue reading
More that one hundred Australian doctors and dentists on a medical conference cruise have found themselves stranded onboard the cruise ship Roald Amundsen off Punta Arenas, Chile after the country after the country banned cruise ships from docking in response … Continue reading
The story goes that somewhere around the year 400 AD, a lad of 16, named Maewyn Succat, was kidnapped by pirates from his home in what is now Wales and was taken as a slave to Ireland. He was enslaved … Continue reading
While there is an understandable concern for the passengers on cruise ships struck by the coronavirus, the crews are often overlooked. What challenges do they face and what happens to them when the last passengers leave the ships? Nowhere to … Continue reading
After all the stress of the past week, some beauty and tranquility feels appropriate. Here is some absolutely breathtaking drone footage, shot by Ryan Smith, of the Training Ship Kennedy returning to Massachusetts Maritime Academy from Sea Term 2020. A … Continue reading
The press release from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) was clear — the cruise industry is now shut down. No more cruising from the United States. CLIA is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, representing more than 50 … Continue reading
The Russian Navy recently found and raised a Soviet G-5 Type motor torpedo boat sunk in the Siege of Sevastapol during World War II. Approximately 300 G-5s were built, of which 73 were lost during World War II. Despite specific … Continue reading