Schooner Western Union Designated Florida State Flagship

The Florida Legislature has designated the schooner Western Union as the state’s official flagship. The schooner was built in 1939 and served for 35 years as as a cable vessel for the Western Union Telegraph Company, repairing and maintaining undersea … Continue reading

Pascal Vaudé Wins Bouvet Guyane Solo Atlantic Rowing Race 2012 in Record Time

Pascal Vaudé has won the Bouvet Guyane Solo Atlantic Rowing Race  and has set a new record of 37 days, 10 minutes and 26 seconds.  This morning Julien Besson crossed the finish line taking second place just in front of Henri-George Hidair, … Continue reading

Sarah Hebert, Suffering From Anemia, Suspends Atlantic Windsurf Crossing

On Monday we posted about Sarah Hebert’s bold attempt to cross the Atlantic by windsurfer.  She has been battling 3-to-5 metre swells and constant 25-knot winds.  Now, suffering from extreme dizziness, diagnosed to be caused by anemia, she has suspended her attempt but vows to return … Continue reading

What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor ? Breathalyzers on Navy Ships & a Couple of Drunken Captains

From 1655 to 1970, the Royal Navy issued daily rations of rum to their sailors.  In the US Navy, alcohol was prohibited in 1913.  Now almost 100 years later, the US Navy is going one step farther.  Ray Mabus, the Secretary of … Continue reading

Matt Rutherford – Resupplied off Recife, Sailing North

We recently posted about Matt Rutherford needing to be resupplied to continue his attempt to sail single-handed entirely around the Americas in the St. Brendan, a 27′ Albin Vega.  Last week, Matt rendezvoused with a small boat, two miles off the coast of … Continue reading

Titanic and the “Supermoon” – Did the Moon Sink the Titanic? The Answer is No.

The headline writers have been having fun.  The Daily Beast headline reads – Moon to Blame for Titanic Sinking?  Reuters asks and answers its own question – “What sank the Titanic? Scientists point to the moon.”  The Times of India gets alliterative … Continue reading

Faces of the USS Monitor – Using Forensic Reconstruction to Identify Unknown Civil War Sailors

When the revolutionary ironclad warship USS Monitor sank off Cape Hatteras, NC during the Civil War, in December of 1862, 16 of her crew of 62 were lost.  One hundred and forty years later, in August of 2002, when the turret of … Continue reading

Why PortSide New York & the Tanker Mary A. Whalen Must be Saved

Portside New York, based on the historic tanker Mary A. Whalen, has been putting on fantastic educational, cultural and and community programs and events on the Brooklyn waterfront front for the the last six years, without ever having a permanent berth.  Now PortSide is … Continue reading

Sarah Hebert – Sailing Across the Atlantic by Windsurfer?

Sarah Hebert, a young French athlete with a heart condition, is now in her 12th day of attempting to sail across the Atlantic Ocean on a stock “off the beach” windsurfer.   Fortunately, this is not quite as crazy as it sounds. … Continue reading

Costa Concordia Pre-Trial Hearings Begin – Has Anything Changed in Cruise Operations?

In a hearing today in the Tuscan city of Grosseto, Italian Judge Valeria Montesarchio will ask court appointed experts to examine the “black box,” which contains digital recordings of the night of the grounding and sinking of the Costa Concordia off … Continue reading

Giving Away HMS Victory? A Smart Move? Not All Are Happy

The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) is giving Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar,  HMS Victory to the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in Portsmouth.  The ship would stay a commissioned warship and thus will be able to retain bragging … Continue reading

Ocean Acidification – Worst in 300 Million Years and the Consequences

Two recent articles suggest a grim future if ocean acidification is allowed  to  continue  at current rates. Oceans absorb much of the carbon in the atmosphere and as we increase atmospheric CO2, the oceans grow progressively more acidic. A new study published in Science suggest that ocean acidification … Continue reading

George H. Moffett Jr. – Educator and Longtime Captain of the Mystic Seaport Schooner Brilliant

Sad news. George H. Moffett Jr., the captain of the Mystic Seaport Museum schooner Brilliant for 25 years, has died of melanoma at his home in Connecticut. He was 66. Moffett was from a naval family. His grandfather, Admiral William A. Moffett, was … Continue reading

Thursday Daydream : the Mayan – David Crosby’s Legendary Schooner

On one hand, this is a very interesting use of Youtube by a yacht broker selling a classic yacht.   Here Bob Craven gives us a tour, a bit of history and low key sales pitch on David Crosby‘s legendary schooner – … Continue reading