Russia’s Only Aircraft Carrier Catches Fire Again, Lawmaker Proposes Buying China’s Liaoning Carrier

Russia’s only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, has been out of service for years while undergoing maintenance for chronic operational problems. In just the most recent mishap, a fire broke out on the carrier, a few days before Christmas, while undergoing … Continue reading

Sydney Beaches Close After Sharks Attack Dolphin — What are Risks of Shark Attacks?

The BBC reports that several popular beaches in Sydney, Australia have been closed after sharks attacked a dolphin in waters near the city. At least two bull sharks were spotted in the Shelly Beach area, in northern Sydney, after the … Continue reading

Newport Ship: Medieval Vessel Described as ‘World’s Largest 3D Puzzle’

In June 2002 in the city of Newport, South East Wales, a mid-fifteenth-century sailing vessel was discovered during the construction of the Riverfront Theatre in the banks of the River Usk. Now, after two decades of documenting the remains of … Continue reading

SS United States – Exploration of the Abandoned Ocean Liner

The SS United States is a ship from another era. One of the last great ocean liners, very different from modern cruise ships, she was designed to carry passengers across oceans.  On her maiden voyage in 1952, she set speed … Continue reading

US Coast Guard Rescues 7 From Drifting Tug Legacy

On Saturday, January 14, the US Coast Guard rescued seven crewmembers from the tug Legacy, disabled and drifting about 30 miles off the coast of Ocean City, New Jersey. The Coast Guard reports that the tug Legacy notified watchstanders at Coast … Continue reading

Chantiers de l’Atlantique to Build Large Sailing Cruise Ships for Accor

Marine Log reports that French hospitality giant Accor S.A. has signed a letter of intent with Chantiers de l’Atlantique covering the construction of two very large luxury sailing cruise ships. The shipbuilder says “the order will be signed within a few … Continue reading

Remembering Charley Morgan — Legendary Sailor, Sailmaker, Yacht Builder, and Designer

Charles Eugene Morgan Jr., 93, known to all as Charley, passed away last weekend, just a few hours after his wife Maurine died. It has been said that Charley Morgan is the only person to ever single-handedly design, build, and … Continue reading

Fifty Three Years Ago, the Exploding Whale or How Not To Remove a Whale Carcass

Fifty years ago this November,  the residents of Florence, Oregon learned how not to dispose of a dead whale We recently posted about the burial of a dead humpback whale on the beach in Atlantic City. This was the correct … Continue reading

After Grounding, Maryland Bans On-Duty Marine Pilots From Using Cell Phones

The Maryland Board of Pilots has decided to enact a rule change that forbids on-duty pilots from using their phones after the Coast Guard determined that a distracted pilot’s cell phone use contributed to a container ship grounding.  In March … Continue reading

Wanted: Two Innkeepers on San Francisco Bay’s East Brother Light Station

The East Bay Light Station Bed and Breakfast Inn, at the entrance to San Pablo Bay from San Francisco Bay, is looking to hire two innkeepers for a period of two years. The joint positions, which start in April of … Continue reading

Iran Converting Two Panamax Container Ships to “Drone Carriers”

In 1982 during the Falklands conflict, the Royal Navy commandeered two British container ships and converted them into impromptu carriers carrying Harrier jump jets and Harrier helicopters. Now over 40 years later, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard is reported to … Continue reading

After Fire, Union Calls For New Staten Island Ferries to be Docked Pending Investigation

On December 22, the new Ollis Class Staten Island ferry Sandy Ground suffered an engine room fire at the height of rush hour, requiring the evacuation of 866 passengers and 16 crew members aboard. The ferry was anchored as firefighters … Continue reading

Cruise Ship Viking Orion Denied Port Entries Due to “Biofouling” — What Happened?

Eight hundred passengers, reported to be mostly Americans, found themselves stranded on the cruise ship Viking Orion off South Australia for seven days after the ship was denied permission to dock in Adelaide, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hobart, due to marine growth … Continue reading

New Year’s Repost: Watching the Ball Drop — the Nautical Origins of a New Year’s Tradition

Tonight, millions will watch in person, online, or on television, as a jeweled ball drops in Times Square in New York City at exactly midnight to mark the arrival of the New Year, 2023. In recent years, the crowd in … Continue reading

More Than 275 Artifacts Recovered from Franklin Expedition’s HMS Erebus

A team of researchers conducted 56 dives over 11 days in September on the wreck of the HMS Erebus from the 1845 Franklin Expedition near Gjoa Haven recovering more than 275 additional artifacts from the historic shipwreck. The newly retrieved artifacts … Continue reading

Greenland’s Glaciers Melting 100 Times Faster Than Estimated

A disturbing report from Phys.org. Greenland’s glaciers are melting 100 times faster than previously calculated, according to a new model that takes into account the unique interaction between ice and water at the island’s fjords.  Published in the journal Geophysical … Continue reading