After a five year restoration, the 1841 built whaleship Charles W. Morgan is returning to the water at the Mystic Seaport Museum, tomorrow at 2 PM. The museum has set up a live web cam for those of us who … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
An Italian court has convicted five people of manslaughter related to the sinking of the cruise ship Costa Concordia in January 2012, which killed 32 passengers and crew. Each of the five agreed to plea bargains and none may serving … Continue reading
In February of 2010, the orca, Tilikum, attacked and drowned senior trainer, Dawn Brancheau, at SeaWorld Orlando. This was the third human death that Tilikum has been involved in, in captivity. Ironically, even though orcas are best know as “killer whales,” there … Continue reading
Were there once oceans on Mars? Scientists have found what they believe to have been a vast Martian coastline. From Slate Magazine: Was This Once a Vast Martian Coastline? Red Planet Riviera: Ancient Mars Ocean Found? … Continue reading
The story is dramatic. The North Korean 14,000 dwt bulk carrier Chong Chon Gang was stopped by the Panama Canal Authority. A container, believed to carry undeclared military weapons was found hidden in a cargo of bagged sugar. The Korean … Continue reading
This weekend, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance City of Water Day will be sponsoring celebrations and activities all around the harbor. Festivities will be held at Governor’s Island, New York and in Liberty State Park on the New Jersey side as well at 25 … Continue reading
About two years, ago we posted about two historic vessels in New York harbor, the ferry Yankee and the tanker Mary Whalen. In the space of two days, two different real estate and design publications featured articles about the grand … Continue reading
Last week, the Lion’s Club of Darwin, Australia held their 40th Annual Beer Can Regatta. The regatta raises funds for local charities through a fun event which is described as “uniquely Territorian in character and spirit.” Apparently nothing says Darwin, … Continue reading
You probably didn’t see “Sharknado,” a made-for-cable movie on the SyFy channel last night. I didn’t either and we should probably consider ourselves fortunate to have missed it. Or maybe not. It has been hard to ignore, however, as a … Continue reading
In a tragic twist, the engineer from the Dutch topsail schooner Wylde Swan is presumed to have drowned while attempting to assist the sinking Norwegian ketch Wyvern. When the Wyvern began taking on water while sailing in the Baltic in the … Continue reading
A US Navy’s X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System drone, nicknamed Salty Dog 502, successfully landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush at sea. The Navy press release reads, in part: “Today’s demonstration was the first time a tailless, unmanned … Continue reading
Following an out of control fire, the forward section of the container ship MOL Comfort finally sank yesterday. The ship had broken in half twenty four days ago on June 17th in the Arabian Sea, bound from Singapore to Jeddah, loaded with 4,500 … Continue reading
The gaff ketch Wyvern sank this morning while sailing in the Baltic as a Class B vessel in the Tall Ships Races 2013 from Aarhus to Helsinki. According to Sail Training International: She began taking on water earlier today at the centre … Continue reading
Two groups on opposite coasts of the United States are frantically working to save the 1895 built, SS Olympia, Admiral Dewey’s flagship in the Battle of Manila Bay and the last, just barely, surviving war ship from the Spanish-American War. The Mare … Continue reading
At the end of last October, the South Street Museum’s Waterfront Director, Captain Jonathan Boulware, and his crew of staff and volunteers scrambled to secure the museum’s historic ships, including two aged windjammers, moored on the East River, before they were … Continue reading
I will admit that I am not a lover of wooden vessels. An admirer from afar, perhaps. The truth is that I am afraid of rot. I don’t understand it, and, as is often the case, I fear what I … Continue reading
The title of the paper published in the journal Polar Biology doesn’t help much, unless you are biologist. The paper is titled, “Mitogenomic insights into a recently described and rarely observed killer whale morphotype.” Lara Sorokanich writing in National Geographic … Continue reading
This September, a fleet of tall ships will reenact the 1813 Battle of Put-in-Bay, Ohio, also known as the Battle of Lake Erie. The reenactment is part of the Great Lakes Tall Ships Challenge which kicks off today in Cleveland, OH through the … Continue reading
Unfortunately, the story is not that unusual. A ship owner in financial trouble and sailors find themselves abandoned on a ship, far from home, with no wages, and running out of food and fuel. This is what has happened to … Continue reading
This year the 4th of July fireworks in New York, sponsored by Macys, will be set off over the Hudson River. The North River Historic Ship Society is sponsoring their Fifth Annual Fireworks Gala offering views from the rooftop of … Continue reading