The 2011 Great North River Tugboat Race and Competition this Sunday on the Hudson

The 19th Annual Great North River Tugboat Race and Competition sponsored by the Working Harbor Committee is scheduled to run this Sunday, September 4th, in the Hudson River off Pier 84 at the foot of West 44th Street.  The Parade of Tugs starts at 10:00 … Continue reading

Barque Picton Castle Announces New Atlantic Voyage

After five circumnavigations, Captain Daniel Moreland and the Barque Picton Castle will be changing their course for this year’s voyage focusing primarily on the Atlantic visiting ports in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and the Spanish Main. World Voyaging Tall Ship Picton Castle Announces New Voyage Around … Continue reading

Juna, the Beluga – Internet Mariachi Sensation & Irene Survivor at the Mystic Aquarium

I love the odd confluence of elements in this story. It seems a young couple, Kim & Kevin, decided to get married at Mystic Aquarium, in Mystic,Connecticut. They decided that the service would be held directly in front of the beluga tank.   For … Continue reading

Trio of Navy Ships off East Coast to Assist After Hurricane Irene

Three US Navy amphibious assault and transport ships; the USS Wasp, the USS San Antonio, and the USS New York; are just offshore of New York harbor as of this morning to provide assistance, if needed, to the states of New York, Connecticut or New Jersey after Hurricane Irene. … Continue reading

Surveying the Site of the “Battle of May Island” for New Windfarm

There was no actual battle at the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth off Scotland. Nevertheless, on the night of January 31st and the morning of February 1st, 1918,  270 sailors of the Royal Navy lost their lives off the Isle of May … Continue reading

East Coast Lobster Fisheries – the Best of Times and the Worst of Times

These are strange days in the lobster fisheries. Depending on where you are on the US East Coast, lobster fishing either is in trouble or is booming.  Even where thing are going well, there are serious concerns about the future. Earlier this year, the Atlantic … Continue reading

Post Irene Wrap-up: How the Ships & Boats Coped with the Storm

Hurricane Irene has swept past, not as bad as she could have been, but bad enough, nevertheless.  Downgraded to a tropical storm by 9AM this morning, she still caused significant flooding on the East coast, hitting  Philadelphia  particularly hard. The city, situated between the Delaware … Continue reading

New York at Port Condition X-Ray – Hurricane Irene Sweeps up the East Coast

Almost exactly a year ago, we posted about the “Top 5 Hurricane Vulnerable & Overdue Cities.”   Number 2 on the list was New York City. After Sunday, New York harbor may still be vulnerable but we will no longer be … Continue reading

Will a Governor’s Pen Sink the Battleship USS New Jersey?

The Battleship USS New Jersey has survived a lot.  Commissioned in 1943, she fought in World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War and supported U.S. operations during the Lebanese Civil War in 1983. Despite her success in combat, recent … Continue reading

Funding Available for 100 Young Sail Trainees Yearly

Sail Training International, in partnership with the Sultanate of Oman, will be providing funding for up to 100 tall ship sail trainees yearly.  The focus will be on young people who are who are financially disadvantaged or with a physical disability. … Continue reading

Historic Ships Getting Trendy in the Big Apple?

Two articles within two days are making me wonder if re-purposed historic vessels might be becoming  trendy in design circles around New York City.   Curbed, a New York real estate blog featured the 1907 Yankee Ferry in “Hudson River’s Coolest, Oldest Floating Home”  – “Taking … Continue reading

Portside NewYork Exhibit – The Maritime Role in New York on 9/11

Two years ago we posted about the largely overlooked maritime evacuation of lower Manhattan on 9/11.  With the bridges and tunnels shut down, between 350,000 and 500,000 people were evacuated by water in just a few hours. It was the largest maritime evacuation since … Continue reading

Lumber schooner Wapama, Last of its Kind, to be Scrapped

The National Park Service has decided to dismantle the 96-year-old steam lumber schooner, Wapama, a National Historic Landmark. The ship is the last of  of some 225 steam schooners that served the lumber trade and other coastal services along the Pacific Coast. … Continue reading