On the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, Remembering Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Higgins Boat

I am aware of only one man who was praised by both Eisenhower and Hitler. A repost on the 75th anniversary of D-Day. General Dwight David Eisenhower said that “Andrew Higgins … is the man who won the war for … Continue reading

Who’s the Pirate — Blackbeard or the State of North Carolina? Supreme Court Will Decide

Edward Teach, better known as the pirate Blackbeard, terrorized the Caribbean and the North American East Coast in the early 18th century. Now a documentary filmmaker is claiming that the State of North Carolina is engaging in modern-day digital piracy. … Continue reading

World’s Largest Lionfish Tournament Removes 19,167 of the Invasive Predators

For several years, we have followed the attempts to control, if not eradicate, the invasive lionfish from the waters around Florida and the Caribbean.  Recently, divers participating in Destin, Florida’s Emerald Coast Open, which is described as the “world’s largest … Continue reading

Update: Clotilda, the Last Slave Ship Found

In January 2018, the news broke that a journalist believed that he had found the burned wreckage of the schooner Clotilda, the last vessel to carry Africans into bondage in the United States. By March, however, further research and excavation … Continue reading

GAO Report on USS Zumwalt Debacle — Deficiencies, Delays and No Big Guns

A new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticizes the Navy and the shipyard, Bath Iron Works, for serious deficiencies with the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer program. The report found more than 320 “serious deficiencies” found upon inspection when … Continue reading

Jeanne Socrates, Singlehanding at 76, Suffers Knockdown Off New Zealand

Singlehander Jeanne Socrates, 76, on her fourth circumnavigation, suffered a knockdown on S/V Nereida off the South Island of New Zealand. Despite damage to solar and wind charging equipment, Socrates is unhurt, and sails, rig, most instruments, autopilot and radio … Continue reading