When a hurricane approaches, there are only two choices for the crew of a yacht — either get out of the hurricane’s path, which may or may not be possible and can be very risky, or to hunker down in … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
After being lost for 103 years, the wreck of Australia’s first submarine, HMAS AE1, has finally been located in almost 1,000 feet of water east of Rabaul, not far from Duke of York Islands in Papua New Guinea. The submarine, built in the Vickers … Continue reading
Up to 80% of illicit drugs enter the US by maritime routes. (We recently posted about the ongoing battle against cocaine being imported into the US by narco submarines.) Here is another example, although it does not involve submersibles. It … Continue reading
Congratulations to Francois Gabart who just set a new record for sailing around the world single-handed. The 34-year old Gabart sailed his 30 meter (98 foot) long MACIF maxi-trimaran around the globe alone in a remarkable 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes … Continue reading
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the heir to the Saudi throne, has notionally been leading a sweeping crackdown on corruption and self-enrichment. This has not stopped him from making some rather impressive purchases himself. Two years ago, the prince purchased, through intermediaries, Chateau Louis … Continue reading
The third leg of the Volvo Ocean Race from Cape Town to Melbourne has subjected the fleet to the fury of the Southern Ocean. With steady winds of 50 knots with gusts to over 60, the seven boats have been surfing … Continue reading
A disturbing video of a shark being dragged backward at high speeds behind a motorboat off the Gulf Coast of Florida hit the internet this summer. Now, three men behind the video may be facing prison time. The Miami Herald identifies … Continue reading
The Sunderland Tall Ships Festival is projected to attract m ore than 1.5 million people next July. For those of us lying awake at night wondering what we should wear to the event, designer Kathryn Russell has at least one … Continue reading
North Atlantic right whales are among the rarest of marine mammals. Only about 450 of the whales are thought to exist. In 2017 alone an estimated 17 right whales have died while only 5 whales are believed to have been … Continue reading
The Sailing Anarchy blog has posted a note from Rob Densem, General Manager of Farrier Marine, of Christchurch, NZ.: It is with a heavy heart that I tell you Ian Farrier passed away in San Francisco on his way back from the … Continue reading
We are pleased to learn that the Old Salt Blog has been ranked 14th in Feedspot’s Top 50 Oceanic Blogs and Websites on the Web. The criteria for selection were: Google reputation and Google search ranking Influence and popularity on Facebook, … Continue reading
On November 25, 1881, the steamer Jane Miller sank in the Georgian Bay off Lake Huron with the loss of 28 passengers and crew. This summer, American shipwreck hunters Jared Daniels, Jerry Eliason and Ken Merryman, located the wreck in Colpoys … Continue reading
Joe George is no longer the “unknown sailor” on the USS Vestal. The Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer has announced the posthumous award of the Bronze Star Medal with V device for valor to Chief Boatswain’s Mate Joseph L. George for … Continue reading
Russian billionaire oligarch Oleg Burlakov recently spent around $200 million to purchase the Black Pearl, a new sailing yacht built by Oceanco Yachts. The yacht has three free-standing DynaRig masts and is strongly reminiscent of the three-masted Dynarig Maltese Falcon, launched in 1990. The … Continue reading
As a teenager growing up in Brooklyn, Norman Baker dreamed of adventure. And he didn’t just dream. At the age of 13, he won a contest where the first prize was flying lessons. He became an avid pilot and at the age … Continue reading