Happy Birthday AMVER — Sixty Years of Saving Lives at Sea

We are a few days late in celebrating AMVER‘s 60th birthday. Originally called the Atlantic Merchant Vessel Emergency Reporting System, AMVER became operational on July 18, 1958. When it expanded beyond the Atlantic, the name was changed to the Automated … Continue reading

Canal to Coast: Reuniting the Waters — Harbor Tour, NY Harbor and the Erie Canal, Aug 2

As part of the continuing Erie Canal Bicentennial celebration, the Waterfront Alliance is sponsoring a harbor tour on August 2. During the tour, I will be providing commentary and narration on the enormous impact that the Erie Canal has had on … Continue reading

Gold & the Wreck of the Russian Cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi — Real or Hype?

Salvors have announced the discovery of the wreck of the Russian armored cruiser, Dmitrii Donskoi, which was scuttled in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War following the Battle of Tsushima. The wreck was found in 1,400 feet of water about one … Continue reading

Graving Dock Flooding Damages USNS Miguel Keith at General Dynamics NASSCO

Oops. Last Wednesday, the graving dock at the General Dynamics NASSCO yard in San Diego, CA flooded after the dock gate at least partially collapsed. The ship under construction in the graving dock, the USNS Miguel Keith, floated off the docking … Continue reading

Viking Ship Draken Harald Hårfagre — East Coast Tour 2018 Underway

The Draken Harald Hårfagre, the largest Viking longship built in modern times, has begun its summer tour of the East Coast of the United States.  After departing from Mystic Seaport on July 9th, it is now bound for Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Only the … Continue reading

Spanish Divers Find Wreck of World War II Submarine U-966

In June, three Spanish divers located the wreck of the German World War II submarine U-966 near the coast of Galicia in north-west Spain. The BBC reports that the submarine’s wreckage is spread widely in a very rocky area where rough weather often makes diving … Continue reading