Nautical Coincidence & Lifeboat Morality – Richard Parker and the Mignonette

Here is another old favorite, a companion repost to yesterday’s repost of “The Unsinkable Hugh Williams – Truth Behind the Legend?” We recently posted in response to a video, “The Strangest Coincidence Ever Recorded?.”  It recounted how three men named Hugh … Continue reading

After Unloading 500 Containers & Additional Dredging Ever Forward is Finally Free

Stuck in Chesapeake Bay mud for more than five weeks, the container ship Ever Forward is finally free. Refloating the 1,100-foot long ship required discharging 500 containers and additional dredging but she was dragged by seven tugs from the mudbank … Continue reading

Museum Ship USS The Sullivans Floods at Dock in Lake Erie

Sad news. The museum ship, the USS The Sullivans in the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park was taking on water Thursday morning.  Buffalo News reports that Paul Marzello, park president and CEO, said the park staff realized … Continue reading

Moscow Burning — Explosions & Fire Engulf Russian Flagship Moskva

Moskva, a guided-missile cruiser and the flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet, suffered ammunition explosions and fire while operating in the Black Sea off Odesa on April 13. Exactly what happened is unclear.  Reuters reports that Ukraine’s southern military … Continue reading

The What, How, & Why of the Ancient Principle of General Average

Following several attempts to free the Ever Forward, the ship’s owner declared General Average, citing “the increasing costs arising from the continued attempts to refloat the vessel.” What this means, in practice, is that the owners of the cargo now … Continue reading

Update: Floating Cranes Begin to Unload Containers from Stranded Ever Forward

Container News is reporting that the unloading of containers from Ever Forward has begun. The plan is to unload 550 containers over the next few days to lighten the load of the ship before the next refloat attempt. Salvors are … Continue reading

Repost: Snorkeling With Manatees in a Murky Crystal River

Yesterday, we posted about Florida manatees that are starving because pollution in Florida waterways has decimated the sea grass that manatees rely on as food during the winter months.  I was reminded of a post from 2017 about snorkeling with … Continue reading

Update: Florida Manatees Are Starving, 10 Tons of Lettuce May Be Too Little, Too Late

In December we posted about an emergency feeding program for starving Florida manatees to help them survive the winter. The sea grass that manatees rely on for food has been decimated by pollution, killed off by algae blooms fueled largely … Continue reading

Navy Seeks To Dispose of All Freedom-Class Littoral Combat Ships Now in Service

USNI News reports that the nine Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) currently in Navy service – the youngest of which commissioned in 2020 – have been marked for disposal as part of the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget … Continue reading

Changes at the Helm of the Historic Maine Schooner Lewis R. French

Congratulations to Captain Becky Wright and Nathan Sigouin who have taken over the helm and the stewardship of the historic Maine schooner Lewis R. French. Launched in April 1871, the French is a National Historic Landmark and the oldest commercial sailing vessel … Continue reading

Congratulations to Glaciologist Dr. Heïdi Sevestre on Winning Inaugural Shackleton Medal

Congratulations to glaciologist Dr. Heïdi Sevestre on winning the inaugural Shackleton Medal for the Protection of the Polar Regions. Dr. Sevestre, a pioneering climate activist, expedition leader, scientific researcher, documentary maker, and lobbyist, receives a prize of £10,000 as a contribution … Continue reading

Update: Containers to be Unloaded From Seriously Stuck Ever Forward in Chesapeake Bay

On March 13th, the container ship Ever Forward missed a turn in the Craighill Channel in the Chesapeake Bay, not long after leaving the Port of Baltimore, and ran up on a mudbank just outside the channel while traveling at … Continue reading

Back From the Dead: Snake Island Border Guards & the Russian Warship

On February 24, 2022, the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian naval vessel Vasily Bykov ordered the 13 Ukrainian border guards on Snake Island in the Black Sea to surrender. The border guards replied, “Russian warship, go f*** yourself“. … Continue reading