Jubilee Sailing Trust’s Tall Ship Lord Nelson to be Auctioned to Pay Off Charity’s Debts

The tall ship Lord Nelson is being offered for sale at an online auction by the global advisory and investment firm Gordon Brothers, acting on behalf of Richard Lewis and Sarah O’Toole, the joint administrators of Jubilee Sailing Trust Limited. … Continue reading

Debris Found from Submersible Titan — Five Onboard Believed to Have Died in Catastrophic Implosion

Pieces of the Titan submersible were found today on the ocean floor, about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic. The debris was ‘consistent with a catastrophic implosion,’ the Coast Guard says. All five onboard the submersible are believed … Continue reading

Long-Standing Concerns About Safety of Missing Titan Submersible

As frantic search and rescue efforts continue to attempt to locate the missing submersible Titan, which went missing on Sunday on an expedition to dive on the wreck of the Titanic, long-standing concerns about the safety of the submersible have … Continue reading

Update: the Race to Find Missing Submersible Titan With Five Onboard — 40 Hours of Air Remaining

The US Coast Guard is racing against time to locate and rescue a submersible with five people onboard that went missing on Sunday morning in the North Atlantic while attempting to dive on the wreck of the Titanic. The area … Continue reading

Search Underway for Submersible Missing on Titanic Wreck Dive

The US Coast Guard is searching for a submersible carrying five people on a dive on the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland. The submersible Titan, which began its dive towards the Titanic wreck site on … Continue reading

Update: Ship Tracking Casts Doubt on Coastguard’s Account of Boat Disaster Off Greece

We recently posted about an overloaded fishing boat carrying migrants that capsized and sank early on Wednesday morning in deep waters about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern Greek coastal town of Pylos. The BBC reports on evidence casting … Continue reading

Roger Payne, Biologist Who Discovered Whale Song, Has Died at 88

Harrison Smith, writing in the Washington Post, describes Roger Payne as “a biologist who put his ear to the ocean and pioneered the study of whale songs.” His recordings of their hypnotic, intricately patterned vocalizations — haunting wails, birdlike chirps, … Continue reading

Overloaded Migrant Boat Sinks Near Greece — at Least 78 Dead, Hundreds Feared Drowned

Reuters reports that rescuers scoured the seas off Greece on Thursday following a shipwreck that killed at least 78 migrants, as hopes of survivors dwindled and fears grew that hundreds more, including children, may have drowned inside the crowded vessel’s … Continue reading

Three British Tourists Missing After Fire on Dive Boat in Egyptian Red Sea

The BBC reports that three British tourists are missing after a fire broke out on board a dive boat on the Egyptian Red Sea.   Twenty-six other people, including 12 Britons, were rescued from the boat, called Hurricane. Initial reports suggested the … Continue reading

Endangered Vaquita Porpoises Hanging on, Conservation Efforts May be Working

Great News. The vaquita porpoise, the world’s rarest marine mammal, swimming right on the edge of extinction, appears to be hanging on. Conservation measures in Mexico to save the endangered porpoise may be working.     The New York Times reports … Continue reading

Hurtigruten to Launch Zero Emissions Electric Cruise Ship With Solar Sails by 2030

Norwegian ferry and expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten has revealed plans for a zero-emissions electric cruise ship with retractable sails fitted with solar panels, that will sail the Norwegian coast by 2030. The 500-passenger ship is designed for coastal service with … Continue reading

More Supply Chains Woes — Strikes at West Coast Ports

Following over a year of negotiations, labor negotiations at US West Coast ports have stalled, resulting in a wave of strikes. As reported by Splash247.com, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents more than 22,000 dock workers at West Coast … Continue reading

Navy Selects First Female Master Chief Petty Officer in the Service’s 230-Year History

The Navy has selected an active-duty female gunner’s mate for promotion to master chief petty officer for the first time in the service’s 230-year history. Senior Chief Gunner’s Mate Jessica Saunders, who joined the Navy in 2002, was slated for … Continue reading

On National Donut Day — Captain Gregory & the Birth of the Modern Donut (& the Donut Hole)

Today is National Donut Day. Why is there a national day for donuts? The day celebrates an event created by The Salvation Army in Chicago in 1938 to honor those of their members who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I. But who invented … Continue reading

Mystery & Tragedy on Italy’s Lake Maggiore — Fatal Boating Accident a Birthday Celebration or a “Spy Party”?

On Sunday, an overloaded chartered houseboat on Italy’s Lake Maggiore was caught in a sudden, violent storm and capsized, killing four of the 21 passengers and two crew. Sadly, this sort of boating accident, while tragic, is not entirely out … Continue reading

Wind Turbine One, Cargo Ship Zero — Off Course General Cargo Ship Allides With Wind Farm

We missed this story the first time around, but it seems worthwhile to mention it, all the same. For what is being referred to as the first time it has occurred, a merchant ship had an allision with a wind … Continue reading

Malaysia Detains Chinese Barge on Suspicion of Looting WWII British Warship Wrecks

For more than a decade, warships sunk in World War II have literally been disappearing from the ocean floor.  Illegal scrappers operating grabs from barges have been looting of Australian, American, British, Dutch, and Japanese warships for scrap metal in … Continue reading

Update: Trying to Sail 1,900 NM in a One Meter Boat — Forced to Turn Back on First Day, Boat Destroyed

A year ago, we posted about Andrew Bedwell, who planned on attempting to set a new world record for sailing the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic. His vessel, Big C is just over 1m/3.2ft long. On Saturday, Bedwell set … Continue reading

Royal Navy’s XV Patrick Blacket Tests GPS-Free Quantum Navigation System

Last year we posted about the christening of the Royal Navy’s research ship XV Patrick Blacket. (The “XV” designation refers to “experimental vessel.”) The 42-meter, 270 tonne modified crew-supply ship is intended to be a platform on which to test … Continue reading