If you are near Norfolk, VA this Friday through Sunday, you may wish to stop by the downtown waterfront to enjoy the myriad of activities associated with the Norfolk Harborfest®. Described as America’s largest, longest-running, free maritime festival, the iconic … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
A fire broke out on the dinner cruise ship Spirit of Norfolk on the Elizabeth River in Virginia on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of 108, including 89 elementary school students celebrating their kindergarten graduation. Fortunately, all passengers were accounted for … Continue reading
On the United Nations World Oceans Day, here is a very well-done, short video on the role of the oceans in climate change. As greenhouse gases warm the Earth, our oceans play a significant role in absorbing heat that helps … Continue reading
In July of last year, we posted about Captain Bill Pinkney‘s induction into the National Sailing Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award as an “Enthusiastic Trend Setter.” Captain Pinkney was the first African American to solo-circumnavigate the world via Cape … Continue reading
Twenty-seven years ago, a plan was conceived to reconstruct Maine’s first ship, Virginia, built by in 1607 by settlers of the Popham Colony at the mouth of the Kennebec River. The original 51′ pinnace was the first English ocean-going ship … Continue reading
Yesterday, we posted about Poseidon’s ribbon weed, Posidonia australis, a clonal seagrass. Researchers recently discovered large meadows of the self-cloning sea grass growing in Shark Bay, off the westernmost tip of Australia. DNA testing of the seagrass, covering over 180km, … Continue reading
Australian researchers were performing a genetic survey of Poseidon’s ribbon weed (Posidonia australis), a species of seagrass growing widely in Shark Bay, off the westernmost tip of Australia. Researchers collected shoots from across the bay and examined 18,000 genetic markers … Continue reading
Congratulations to Admiral Linda Fagan, who today assumed command as the 27th commandant of the US Coast Guard. Breaking a major glass ceiling, (or perhaps a glass overhead), she also becomes the first woman to lead the service, as well … Continue reading
On May 27, 2022, Australian solo sailor Mark Sinclair, 63, finished the 2018-2019 Golden Globe Race. He finished last and took four years to complete the race, but he finished, which is an accomplishment in its own right. Sinclair had … Continue reading
The first Congressional hearing addressing UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) in more than fifty years, yielded very few answers. The main takeaway from the hearings was that, while most sightings could be identified, a number of events have defied all attempts … Continue reading
Fleet Week has returned to New York harbor after a two-year pandemic pause, bringing 3,000 sailors, marines, and coastguardsmen to the city. The week-long celebration will include public ship visitations, a variety of military demonstrations, and a mix of new … Continue reading
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine grinds to a bloody stalemate, the Russian navy is effectively blockading the northern Black Sea, cutting off maritime trade at Ukrainian ports, in what world leaders call a deliberate attack on the global food … Continue reading
On Monday, the US Navy released the report of its investigation of the underwater collision of the Seawolf Class submarine, USS Connecticut, with a seamount in the South China Sea. From the report’s Executive Summary: On 2 October 2021, Connecticut … Continue reading
“Social distancing” during an outbreak of a contagious disease is difficult for dolphins as well as for humans. Researchers are now investigating how dolphin social interactions may help spread the virus that has resulted in significant dolphin strandings and die-offs … Continue reading
In 1975, 9-year-old Jonathan Searle appeared in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster movie “Jaws.” In the movie, Searle and his real-life brother, Steven, memorably played two pranksters who caused mass panic on the beach after swimming into the ocean with a cardboard fin. … Continue reading
Andrew Bedwell hopes to set a new world record for sailing the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic. His vessel, Big C is just over 1m/3.2ft long. If all goes according to plan he will set off in May 2023 … Continue reading
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has announced that a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be named the USS Telesforo Trinidad in honor of a Filipino sailor who rescued two crew members when their ship caught fire … Continue reading
The museum ship, the retired United States Navy Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans, partially sank after taking on water at its berth in the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, in mid-April. Now that the historic ship has … Continue reading
Here is a short demonstration video from Toby Hodges at Yachting World of Neoocean’s Overboat electric personal foiler. Unlike the noisy and generally noxious jetski, the Overboat is practically silent, uses roughly 80% less energy than a comparable outboard motor-driven … Continue reading
In January, we posted about the successful test demonstration of the world’s first fully autonomous ship navigation systems on a large car ferry on a 240-km route from Shinmoji (Northern Kyushu) to Iyonada, Japan. Now, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), … Continue reading