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Category Archives: Current
At the end of May, we posted about the “unfortunate economics of tall ships.” All ships, sailing ships included and perhaps, especially, are devilishly expensive to maintain and run, and income is tough to come by, especially in these difficult economic times. One … Continue reading
The Smit 16,320-hp ocean going tug Fairmount Expedition has reportedly been successful in controlling the spread of the fire on the MSC Flaminia, the 6,732 TEU container ship which was abandoned in middle of the North Atlantic last Sunday after suffering a … Continue reading
The 86′ schooner Larinda sank in Halifax harbor during Hurricane Juan on September 29, 2003. She was raised from the harbor bottom and following a nine year restoration has returned to Halifax for this year’s Tall Ship Festival. The design and construction of the … Continue reading
Last September we posted about the sinking of a ferry off Zanzibarwith the loss of 200 passengers. Yesterday, another ferry sank off the Zanzibar coast. Thirty eight are confirmed dead with another 100 missing. Zanzibar police spokesman Mohamed Mhina said, “Search operations continue but … Continue reading
Last September we posted that Odyssey Marine Exploration had located the wreck of the S.S. Gairsoppa, which was torpedoed in February of 1941 by a German U-boat. When she sank, the ship was loaded with 240 tonnes of silver believed … Continue reading
On Sunday we posted about an explosion and fire aboard the container ship MSC Flaminia in the North Atlantic about a thousand miles west of Cornwall. The first officer died from burns received in the fire and one crew member is missing. … Continue reading
On a fog-shrouded Tuesday, the schooner Unicorn was the first to arrive in Halifax for their Tall Ships Festival. In addition to being a lovely topsail schooner, the Unicorn is the only tall ship sailing in the world with an … Continue reading
One of the greatest threats to many endangered species of whale is being run down by ships or getting entangled in fishing nets. This week, federal maritime officials have approved a plan to protect whales in and around San Francisco Bay that features … Continue reading
Falls of Clyde is the last four-masted full-rigged iron ship and the only surviving sailing oil tanker. The ship was launched in 1878 in Port Glasgow, Scotland, for the Fall Line. She became a museum ship in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1971, but was … Continue reading
The container ship, MSC Flaminia, is in flames, drifting in the North Atlantic, roughly half way between Britain and Canada, approximately 1,000 miles west of Cornwall. One man is reported either be missing or to have died from burns. At least … Continue reading
Today the the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance hosted the “City of Water Day” to celebrate New York – New Jersey harbor. Festivities were centered on Governor’s Island and Liberty State Park with activities spread across the waterfront from Edgewater to Brooklyn and Staten Island. In addition to … Continue reading
We have been following the construction of the Dragon Harald Fairhair, (or in Norwegian Draken Harald Hårfagre) the largest Viking longship to have been built in modern times. (See our previous post – Building the Viking Longship Dragon Harald Fairhair.) Built of oak, … Continue reading
This story just keeps getting stranger. A year ago last June, the Swedish treasure hunters, Ocean X Team, saw something that they did not understand while doing sonar sweeps of the bottom of the Baltic Sea. There appeared to be a 200′ diameter … Continue reading
In February 2011, we posted that the the SS United States Conservancy had purchased the S.S. United States from Norwegian Cruise Line. The sale was made possible by a $5.8 million gift by Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest. Since then the Conservancy has raised $5 million of the estimated $25 million needed … Continue reading
Last February, we posted about the modification to the USS Ponce prior to being sent to the Persian Gulf. (See Mine-Detecting Dolphins and USS Ponce, Commando “Mothership” in Persian Gulf?) We included the question mark in the post title because, while … Continue reading
Early airplane wings were built of canvas stretched over a wooden frame, held together with wire rigging. Modern airplane wings are built of aluminum and other metals. The comparison to sails, masts and rigging on ships may not apply directly. Nevertheless, the … Continue reading
Ernest Borgnine has died at the age of 95. He joined the Navy in 1935, straight out of high school and served through World War II, leaving the service with the rank of gunner’s mate 1st class. He became an actor, appearing in over … Continue reading
The City of New York is a city of islands, large and small, floating in a vast harbor and waterway. Only one of the five boroughs is on the mainland and that even borough, the Bronx, is on a peninsula, with water on three sides. … Continue reading
To say that this will be a busy weekend on the New England waterfront may be an understatement. Following the 4th of July festivities in Boston, OpSail 2012 CT starts today in New London, CT, with an impressive fleet of ships. Only about 50 … Continue reading