The 120 year old ketch, Leader, was dismasted yesterday in force seven winds off Portland Bill, Dorset; losing her main mast, boom, sails and associated rigging. An RNLI lifeboat was called to assist and successfully towed the Leader and her 16 … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
Ironically, the further inland from where Hurricane Irene made landfall in Brooklyn, the more damage and disruption the storm caused. While the 19th Annual Great North River Tug Boat Race and Competition went off without a hitch, the annual Waterford Tugboat Roundup scheduled … Continue reading
While here in New York harbor, we were cheering on tug boats racing along belching black smoke, the good folks in Gloucester, Massachusetts were celebrating classic schooners. The tug boat race was great fun, but I do so love schooners and the schooners at … Continue reading
The Hudson River as it enters New York harbor is still an unhealthy shade of brown from all the runoff from Hurricane Irene. Nevertheless it was a fine day to be on the river, especially to watch the 19th Annual Great North River Tug … Continue reading
Fin whales have been called the “the greyhounds of the sea” because they are fast and sleek. grwoing to almost 90 feet, they are the second longest animal on the planet but only the the sixth heaviest. Though they are baleen whales, … Continue reading
The thief is described as a man, 40 to 50 years old, dressed in black leather, wearing a dark coat, carrying an 8 foot long whale tooth. The man was also reportedly walking a white dog. He allegedly stole the tooth … Continue reading
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
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
A human foot wearing a running shoe washed ashore in British Columbia recently. It is the eleventh foot to have washed up on the coast of the Salish Sea, the coastal waterways surrounding southern Vancouver Island and Puget Sound, … Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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
With Hurricane Irene slamming into North Carolina and bearing down on New York harbor, this seems quite timely. Here is an article for anyone who may forget how fundamentally the sea effects us all. A new study suggests that “El … Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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