Paradoxically, whale watching by tourists to Iceland is booming. At the same time, the primary economic support for the hunting of whales by Icelandic whalers are also tourists to the island. Iceland is the largest whale watching destination in Europe. … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
In November 2017, Sarah Thomas, a marathon swimmer from Colorado, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She underwent chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation to fight the disease. One of the ways she coped was by continuing to swim. … Continue reading
Four ships from the Navy’s carrier Harry S. Truman Strike Group are deploying from the East Coast this week. Notably, the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman is not one of the ships being deployed as it is still undergoing repairs for … Continue reading
When crossing the Equator for the first time, sailors have traditionally undergone a “line-crossing ceremony” which often includes being dunked in the ocean three times. Recently, on my first northern line crossing, I inadvertently presided over my own unexpected dunking, … Continue reading
We have just gotten back from a week-long voyage along the west coast of Iceland from Akureyri to Reykjavik on the three-masted motor sailor Panorama. One of the stops was the village of Hólmavík, population 300. The village may be … Continue reading
On the same day that I heard the news of the horrific fire on the dive boat Conception which killed 34 passengers and crew, I also saw an article attacking the safety waivers granted to the riverboat Delta Queen. It … Continue reading
Here is a wholly random question. When and where was William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet first performed on shipboard? The first recorded shipboard performance of Hamlet, and one of the earlier performances anywhere, was in September 1607 on the East India Company … Continue reading
In May of last year, we posted about the Russians’ first floating nuclear power plant, “Akademik Lomonosov — Floating Chernobyl or Nuclear Titanic?.” At the time, the barge-mounted power plant was essentially completed but needed to be loaded with fuel. … Continue reading
More evidence that the first travelers to the Americas may have been sailors. The classic theory of the arrival of early people in North America was the Clovis model. The theory was that early humans migrated to North America by … Continue reading
Back in 2012, we posted about a series of photos that were floating around the internet. The photos were taken from a yacht that had encountered what appeared to be a beach, stretching as far as the eye could see … Continue reading
Imagine a yacht that is almost completely silent, with a close to unlimited range, and that doesn’t pollute. While it may sound too good to be true, this is what Silent Yachts is aiming for in its line of electrically-powered … Continue reading
I recently came across a reference for a “nocturnal for both bears.” It sounded, at first, like a piece of music written by Mussorgsky or perhaps Prokofiev, which it isn’t. It is a device used for telling time at night … Continue reading
Here is a fun “superlapse” video of last weekend’s Gloucester Schooner Festival Parade of Sail. Gloucester Schooner Festival Parade of Sail 2019 … Continue reading
I was away for the 27th Annual Great North River Tugboat Race last weekend so I am grateful for this wonderful video from Youtube shot from the winning tug, Vinik No. 6, in an exciting race on a beautiful Sunday … Continue reading
For the last several days, Jeanne Socrates has been within sight of the mountains of the Vancouver coast, tantalizingly close to completing her 4th circumnavigation, and, at 77, becoming the oldest person to sail around the world solo, unassisted and … Continue reading
The cruise industry in the Caribbean is donating to help the Bahamian victims of Hurricane Dorian. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Caribbean and Disney have all pledged millions in hurricane relief. Royal Caribbean is committing $1 million to Dorian disaster relief, … Continue reading
The 43rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, WA, starts this Friday and runs through the weekend, September 6-8, 2019. It is billed as the largest wooden boat festival in North America and promises to be a place where … Continue reading
A horrific fire broke on the commercial scuba diving vessel, Conception, off Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands of California, early on Monday morning. Thirty-four people are believed to have died in the fire. Five of six crew members … Continue reading
On September 7th at 2PM, the Plimoth Plantation‘s Mayflower II will be launched and recommissioned at Mystic Seaport Museum. The replica of the ship which carried the Pilgrims to Plymouth, MA has undergone a major three-year restoration at the seaport’s … Continue reading
Classic Sailor reports on a new Thames sailing barge: A new sailing barge is a rare sight – but in 1900 there were around 4,000 such barges registered to carry cargo up and down the London river – and the … Continue reading