In yesterday’s New York Times, Rose George of Leeds, UK was an Op-Ed Contributor. In her essay, Flying the Flag, Fleeing the State, she starts off by calling many ship operators criminals and comparing them to Somali pirates: But maritime lawlessness … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
A sign of changing times. A Russian submarine will be participating in a NATO undersea rescue exercise off the Spanish coast scheduled for next month. Russian submarine to participate in first-ever naval exercise with NATO warships … Continue reading
For hundreds of years, coastal schooners carried cargoes up and down the hundred harbored coast of Maine. By the early part of the last century, the schooners were being replaced by trucks and trains. In 1936 Captain Frank Swift started buying laid up … Continue reading
As the sands of Fire Island are swallowing Le Papillon, Cyclone Yasi has uncovered a mysterious shipwreck on an island off the Queensland coast. Cyclone Winds Unbury Island’s 130-Year-Old Shipwreck The huge cyclone’s intense winds blew away sand on one … Continue reading
If Detroit was and is the “motor city,” then perhaps Bivalve, New Jersey was the Oyster Capital of the World. By the late 1880s, 90 railcars full of oysters were shipped from Bivalve every week. Oysters were once the largest … Continue reading
The Coast Guard released a report yesterday that was highly critical of Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drill rig, which exploded and sank last year. Transocean contributed to Gulf disaster, Coast Guard report says Flaws in Transocean Ltd.’s … Continue reading
In July of last year we posted about the discovery of 30 bottles of champagne thought to pre-date the French Revolution in a wreck on the Baltic seabed. In November, wine experts tasted the “world’s oldest champagne” which was judged to be … Continue reading
I recall many years ago how excited the guide was on a whale watching trip out of Provincetown when we sighted a mother right whale and her calf not long after leaving the dock. I can only imagine how researchers … Continue reading
Douglas Faulkner, who died recently, had a varied and highly accomplished career as a naval and marine architect. He was involved in the design and testing of the first British nuclear submarine, HMS Dreadnought. He was later an assistant professor at the Royal Naval College, … Continue reading
There appears to be both good and bad news exactly one year after the explosion and fire that sank the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, killing eleven, and triggering the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum … Continue reading
The MV Asphalt Venture was hijacked by Somali pirates on September 28, 2010. After negotiating and being paid a multi-million dollar ransom, the pirates released the ship and part of the crew yesterday, but continued to hold seven Indian seafarers hostage, reportedly in retaliation … Continue reading
Until fairly recently, every springtime, American shad made their annual runs up the Delaware, Hudson, Connecticut and other rivers of the East and Northeast to spawn. The shad fishery in the Hudson lasted until the 1970s when their numbers dropped precipitously. After dropping off … Continue reading
Brad Van Liew sailing Le Pingouin is expected to cross the finish line in Charleston, SC, his adopted home town, some time today, continuing to dominate the Velux Five Oceans singlehanded around the world race. Thus far, he has won all four legs of the around the world race thus far. … Continue reading
Day 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series in Qingdao, China provided more than a few thrills and spills among the eleven “eXtreme 40” catamarans engaged in what has been described as “close combat racing.” DAY 3: EXTREME! A major collision, … Continue reading
Not quite three weeks ago the 50′ steel pinky schooner Le Papillon came ashore on Fire Island, a barrier island off Long Island, northeast of the entrance to New York harbor. Will van Dorp at the Tugster blog has taken some amazing … Continue reading
Great news. The Sloop Providence, replica of the American Revolutionary sloop of the same name is sailing again after being laid up for 3 1/2 years. She was purchased last year from the City of Providence by boat builder … Continue reading
Oopps. In what is being described as a “school-boy error” the British Ministry of Defence posted a report on-line which revealed secret information about the UK’s nuclear powered submarines. The sensitive material was “redacted” by turning the background black, so that the text was not readable. … Continue reading
New York and Philadelphia are major ports and centers of art and culture. By all rights both should be home for major and successful seaport museums. Sadly that is not the case. Last month we posted about the Independence Seaport … Continue reading
On a cold and rainy April day here on the banks of the Hudson River, it is nice to consider sunnier climes. An interview with the Maho Noborisaka, Second Mate on the Tall Ship Soren Larsen. A Wind In Her … Continue reading
Rodents have always been a problem on ships, but things seem to be getting out of control. Last week we posted (somewhat facetiously) of a rodent problem on the Tall Ship Elissa after a rather large mouse named Minnie stopped by … Continue reading