Stuck in the Ice, Searching for Shackleton’s Endurance

In early February, the Endurance22 expedition set off from Cape Town, South Africa for Antarctica’s Weddell Sea aboard the icebreaking research ship, SA Agulhas II. Their objective is to locate, survey, and film the wreck of Endurance, Ernest Shackleton’s ship that … Continue reading

France & Germany Seize Oligarchs’ Yachts, Others Flee Sanctions

The net of sanctions is tightening around the superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs. Yesterday, Germany seized the 512-foot yacht Dilbar, valued at nearly $600 million, owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who faces European Union sanctions over Russia’s invasion of … Continue reading

UK and Major Container Ship Lines Ban Russian Cargo and Ships Over Ukrainian Invasion

The impact of Russian sanctions is spreading across the shipping industry. Yesterday, Britain announced that Russian ships would be banned from UK ports as part of a new package of sanctions against Russia. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that he … Continue reading

Ukrainian Engineer Attempts to Sink Oligarch’s Yacht — “My Boss is a Criminal”

A Ukrainian marine engineer was detained after attempting to sink the Lady Anastasia, a 48-meter-long $7 million superyacht owned by Russian oligarch and arms tycoon, Alexander Mijeev. The attempt took place on Saturday at Port Adriano in Mallorca. The 55-year-old … Continue reading

France Seizes Russian Ro/Ro Baltic Leader in English Channel Over Sanctions

France seized a Russian-flagged ro/ro cargo ship, Baltic Leader, on Saturday, in the English Channel, in accordance with recent sanctions put in place following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ship was bound for St. Petersburg, Russia, but was diverted … Continue reading

Update: Fire on Car Carrier Felicity Ace, Adrift Off Azores, Burning Out

Reuters is reporting that the fire, which swept through the car carrier Felicity Ace carrying thousands of luxury cars, leaving it adrift off Portugal’s Azores islands has lost its intensity, probably because there is little left to burn, a port … Continue reading

Twelve Missing After Euroferry Olympia Catches Fire Near Corfu

This has been a bad week for shipboard fires. The car carrier Felicity Ace caught fire Wednesday in the Atlantic, off the Azores, and is still burning and adrift, awaiting salvage tugs. Fortunately, the 22 person crew was evacuated safely. … Continue reading

Car Carrier Felicity Ace on Fire and Adrift in the Atlantic

The car carrier Felicity Ace caught fire yesterday in the Atlantic Ocean, 90 miles southwest of the Azores. The Portuguese Navy and four merchant ships in the area responded to the car carrier’s distress call. The crew of 22 were … Continue reading

Hybrid Cruise Ship Le Commandant Charcot Assists RRS Sir David Attenborough in Antarctic Ice

Britain’s new polar expedition ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, encountered particularly difficult sea ice conditions during a resupply mission as part of the research ship’s first polar expedition. It was assisted in its attempt to deliver the supplies to support … Continue reading

Update: The Weather Window That Never Opened, Sails of Change Postpones Jules Verne Attempt

In November we posted about the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change (ex-Spindrift 2) and its crew of 11, waiting to set off from La Trinité-sur-Mer, in southwest Brittany, on their latest attempt to claim the Jules Verne Trophy. To win the trophy, they … Continue reading

Putin’s Yacht Graceful Makes Hasty Departure from Germany

German media reports that the 83-meter yacht, Graceful, believed to be owned by Vladimir Putin, has made a hasty departure from Hamburg, Germany, bound for Russia, before finishing repairs and renovations at the Blohm and Voss shipyard. Some speculate that … Continue reading

Descendants of the Clotilda, the Last Slave Ship, Commemorate Discovery of the Wreck

For several years, we have followed the search for and the ultimate discovery of the schooner Clotilda, believed to be the last ship to carry enslaved Africans to the United States. Now, descendants of the survivors are commemorating the discovery … Continue reading

Flagship Niagara to Sail Again in 2022

Officials from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) have confirmed that Brig Niagara, Pennsylvania’s Flagship, will sail the Great Lakes again this summer. Erie News Now reports that because of concerns over COVID-19, Niagara hasn’t sailed since 2019 — … Continue reading