Last of the Flying P Liners Still Sailing, Russian Navy’s Kruzenshtern, Visiting 20 Ports in 11 Countries in 2013

For a handful of ships, the great age of sail has not yet ended.  In 2013, the Russian Navy sail training ship Kruzenshtern will call in 20 seaports in 11 countries and will take part in several international regattas. The ship, originally built in … Continue reading

Puntland Forces Free 22 Crew from MV Iceberg 1 – Held Hostage for 33 Months by Somali Pirates

Wonderful news. Forces of Somalia’s semiautonomous Puntland region are reported to have raided the MV Iceberg I on Sunday and to have rescued 22 officers and crew who had been held hostage by Somali pirates for 33 months.  The Puntland forces had … Continue reading

Trident Nuclear Sub HMS Vigilant “Stuck in the USA for Christmas”

The nuclear submarine HMS Vigilant will apparently be spending the holiday season in the USA after damaging a rudder when test-firing a Trident missile in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida on October 23.   The sub is reported to … Continue reading

Stena Primorsk Runs Aground in Hudson River South of Albany, NY, but That is Not the Interesting Part of the Story

Yesterday morning, the tanker, Stena Primorsk, ran aground in the Hudson River about ten miles south of Albany, NY after suffering a steering gear failure.  No oil was reported to have been spilled. There are a whole range of interesting aspects … Continue reading

Remembering Dona Paz, Asia’s Titanic – 25 Years Ago Today

Barista Uno on the Marine Cafe blog, posted this morning about a sad anniversary. Twenty five years ago today, the passenger ferry Dona Paz collided with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Philippines. With a likely death toll of over 4,000 people, the sinking of the Dona Paz was deadliest … Continue reading

Rhode Island’s Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry On Schedule For Anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie

There is still more steel to be welded, rigging to be run, and money to be raised, but the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, Rhode Island’s Tall ship, looks to be on schedule to be sailing in time for the 200th … Continue reading

(Potentially) Really Great News About the Tanker Mary A. Whalen

Really great news about the tanker, Mary A. Whalen. (Negotiations are not finalized so perhaps we should say “potentially great news” so as not to jinx anything.)  For the last six years, the historic tanker and PortSide New York, the non-profit educational organization based on the ship, have been … Continue reading

Update: SS Badger – Days May Be Numbered as Special Provision Removed from Funding Bill

We recently posted about the SS Badger, a 410-foot long coal-fired passenger and vehicle ferry operating in Lake Michigan and the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes. Her supporters call her a national treasure, while to her … Continue reading

Bulk Carrier Cape Apricot Takes Out Largest Berth at North America’s Largest Coal Exporter

At around 1 AM on Friday morning, the Cape Apricot, a cape-sized bulk carrier, chartered to K Line, smashed through a coal conveyor serving the largest of two berths at Westshore Terminals in Vancouver, Canada.  An undetermined amount of coal … Continue reading

The Battle of Plattsburgh and Pearl Harbor

It seems to me that history is all about connections. Lawrence Gooley, writing in the Adirondack Almanack, notes how many ships present at the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, were named in remembrance of those who fought … Continue reading

Five Dead, Six Missing After Car Carrier Baltic Ace Sinks in Collision

Following the sinking last night of the car carrier Baltic Ace, the bodies of five sailors have been recovered.  Six of the crew are missing and presumed dead in the icy waters of the North Sea. The 485-foot long Bahamain-flagged   car … Continue reading

Car Carrier Baltic Ace Sinks After Collision with Container Ship Corvus J in Shipping Lanes Off Rotterdam

The car carrier, Baltic Ace, is reported to have collided with the container ship, Corvus J, this evening in crowded shipping lanes around 60 miles off the coast of Rotterdam.  The Baltic Ace is believed to have sunk. Her crew of 24 took to … Continue reading