The 157 feet long Russian fishing vessel, Sparta, with a crew of 32 aboard, was holed below the waterline after striking sea ice in the Ross Sea off Antarctica early Friday morning. The vessel is reporting have a one foot hole, five feet … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
Two stories about flotsam and ocean currents. The first flotsam from the earthquake and tsunami, which struck Japan on March 11, is beginning to arrive on the West Coast of the United States. A large black float, believed to have floated from Japan, was … Continue reading
Last Sunday the first Chinese aircraft carrier returned from its second round of sea trials. The as of yet unnamed carrier, which reports suggest will be christened Shi Lang, was originally the unfinished Russian aircraft carrier Varyag whose keel was laid … Continue reading
In western Norway, an ocean going Viking longship is taking shape. Named the Dragon Harald Fairhair, (or in Norwegian Draken Harald Hårfagre) she is the largest Viking longship to have been built in modern times and is due to be … Continue reading
German maritime archaeologists believe that they have to have found a urinal used by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the wreck of the light-cruiser, Udine, lying on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The Udine was sunk by the British in … Continue reading
Sad news from the Palmetto State. The South Carolina Maritime Foundation plans to try to sell the schooner Spirit of South Carolina to pay off its mounting debts. The foundation is reported to be being sued by a bank and a … Continue reading
I suppose for those who never got over not getting a jet pack for Christmas as a kid, the Zapata Racing water-jet Flyboard just might be perfect. It appears that if you connect one of these contraptions to a powerful … Continue reading
The Vale Brasil is the largest dry cargo ship in the world with a capacity of over 400,000 DWT. It is the first of the Valemax class of Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOC). The Vale Brasil was built with one purpose – to carry iron … Continue reading
The first images of the design of the royal barge that will carry the Queen of England down the Thames during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year have been published. With no disrespect implied to the Queen, I am a … Continue reading
For over 200 years, gundalows – sail and oar powered cargo barges – moved on the winds and tides of the rivers and estuaries along the New England coast. Yesterday, the brand new gundalow, Piscataqua, splashed into the the Piscataqua River … Continue reading
After being gutted by fire in 2007, the 1869 composite tea clipper Cutty Sark has been undergoing a methodical reconstruction. She reached a milestone recently when her foremast was restepped in the ship. The main and mizzen masts are expected to be … Continue reading
Yesterday we posted about the New York Police Department Harbor Unit’s use of ROVs to maintain security in the harbot. We had missed an amusing post by Portside New York‘s Carolina Salguero on NPYD security training on the MARY A. WHALEN. From her post: … Continue reading
New York harbor was the sight of the first use of a submersible in combat. On September 6, 1776, Eza Lee in command of the Turtle, a one man submersible designed by David Bushnell, attempted and failed to sink Admiral Richard Howe’s flagship HMS Eagle. Today, modern … Continue reading
HMS Ocean, a Royal Navy amphibious assault ship, had planned for a seven week deployment but was diverted to Libya and ended up being away for 225 days with 176 at sea. When they received word that they would be back in … Continue reading
Within hours of the tsunami that struck northern Japan last March, the internet was abuzz with the somewhat bizarre suggestion that the earthquake and wave which followed might be some sort of cosmic retribution for Japanese whaling. Regardless of what one thinks of that suggestion, … Continue reading
Last April, Commander Etta Jones was relieved of duty as captain of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Ponce. The Ponce‘s executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Kurt Boenisch, was also relieved. A Navy report examining allegations made against Commander Jones substantiated … Continue reading
Last Sunday we posted about the CBC program,Land and Sea, which was broadcasting a half hour documentary on traditional schooners in Nova Scotia. It is now available to watch on-line. The documentary tells the story of four different schooner owners … Continue reading
Several years ago I took a sail on the AJ Meerwald in New York harbor. While on the sail I saw the schooner Pioneer, owned and operated by the South Street Seaport Museum, also sailing in the harbor. Despite having … Continue reading
We seem to need to put a face to our enemies. On the cover of Time Magazine of December 22, 1941, the face of the enemy was Admiral Yamamoto, labeled as “Japan’s Aggressor.” The image of the admiral is a … Continue reading
It was inevitable. The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association will observe the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on this day in 1941. It will be the Association’s last observance. The group has too few remaining members to carry on and will disband on … Continue reading