MV Delta Mariner in Wrong Channel in Bridge Collision, on a Long, Winding Voyage to the Gulf

The investigation is ongoing as to why the MV Delta Mariner  collided with the Eggner Ferry Bridge on the Tennessee River in Kentucky last Thursday night, taking out over 300′ of the span, but reportedly, the ship was in the wrong channel. … Continue reading

Costa Concordia Update – 17th Body Found, Fuel Pumping Delayed & Salvors Line Up to Bid

The body of a woman, believed to be a member of the crew, has been found in the wreck of the Costa Concordia, bringing the body count to 17. An additional 15 are missing and presumed dead. The Dutch salvor Smit has … Continue reading

Jarle Andhoy – Berserker on Another Illegal Trip to Antarctica

Jarle Andhøy calls himself as a “Wild Viking.”  He has been the subject of the Norwegian television series Berserk mot Nordpolen (“Berserk to the North Pole”), Berserk til Valhall (“Berserk to Valhalla”) and Berserk gjennom Nordvestpassasjen (“Berserk through the Northwest Passage”) which aired on NRK … Continue reading

“Rocket Ship,” MV Delta Mariner Takes Out Eggner Ferry Bridge

Last night around 8PM, the supply ship, MV Delta Mariner, operated by Foss Maritime, struck the Eggner Ferry Bridge on the Tennessee River in Kentucky, taking out a 300′ span.  The MV Delta Mariner is a 312-foot long and 8,000 horsepower supply ship,  designed … Continue reading

Costa Concordia – The Legal Battle Begins, Lawsuits Filed, Settlement Offered

Micky Arison, the chairman, chief executive and part owner of Carnival Corp. has been keeping a very low profile since the grounding and sinking of the Costa Concordia two weeks ago.  He has stayed in Miami and let Pier Luigi … Continue reading

Seafarers Held Hostage in Somalia – Invisible and Ignored

The last paragraph of the Associated Press article Navy SEAL Raid in Somalia Shows Campaign Ahead, reads: Several hostages were still being held in Somalia, including a British tourist, two Spanish doctors seized from neighboring Kenya and an American journalist kidnapped on Saturday. Based … Continue reading

USS Laffey, the Ship That Would Not Die, Returns to Patriot’s Point

The World War II destroyer, USS Laffey, has returned home to Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, near Charleston, South Carolina after a two year $9 million dollar shipyard period to repair her hull plating. The USS Laffey was commissioned … Continue reading

USCG Air Station Kodiac Rescues 11 from Two Fishing Boats

In two separate incidents, US Coast Guard Air Station Kodiac crews rescued eleven fisherman from two boats on Wednesday. The 58-foot fishing vessel Kimberly ran aground on Portage Bay southwest of Kodiak on the Alaska Peninsula Tuesday night around 8 p.m. but severe weather prevented the Coast … Continue reading

Update: Zanzibar Ferry Disaster – Captain and Crew Charged with Murder

Last September we posted about an overloaded ferry boat running between Zanzibar and Pemba, Tanzania which sank after capsizing taking the lives of at least 230 passengers.  Recently the captain and crew of the ill-fated ferry, MV Spice Islander, were charged with negligence and murder. … Continue reading

Update: Scrapping the TK Bremen on Kerminihy Beach

We posted last December about the Maltese flagged 6,600 DWT dry cargo ship, TK Bremen, which was stranded in high winds on Kerminihy beach at Erdeven, in southern Brittany, near the port of Lorient, France.  Now a bit over a month … Continue reading

A Whale’s Tale? Did Costa Cover Up Past Grounding on the Costa Fortuna?

In May 2005, while the cruise ship Costa Fortuna was making a close approach to the island of Sorrento, there was a “loud bang” after which the vessel rolled from left to right according to the ship’s photographer Roberto Cappello, 59.  He later would … Continue reading

Update: Costa Concordia – Fuel Removal Begins, Video of Staff Emerges & Body Count Rises

Crews from the Dutch salvage company SMIT are setting up to begin pumping 2,300 tonnes of diesel fuel from the sunken cruise ship Costa Concordia.  A crane barge and temporary tanks have been moved alongside the stricken ship. Pumping is expected to begin … Continue reading

Costa Concordia – the Inchino, Costa Management & the Web

The dangerous practice of the “inchino,” Italian for “bow” and often translated as “salute,”  appears to be widespread and not limited to Costa.  The “inchino” is performed by sailing a ship close to an island or port and blowing the ship’s horn, figuratively bowing … Continue reading

Costa Concordia Update: Death Toll Rises, Sanctuary Threatened, Salvage Options Considered

The death toll from the sinking of the Costa Concordia has risen to thirteen as divers discovered another body of a woman wearing a life jacket in a submerged passageway.   Eight of the thirteen victims have now been identified according to Italian officials. Four of the … Continue reading

Setting Square Sails on the Star of India

A well done video by the Maritime Museum of San Diego shot on the 1863 built iron windjammer Star of India.  Thanks to the Tall Ship Morgenster for pointing it out on Facebook. Setting square sails [iframe: width=”480″ height=”360″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/c97N5Ht_jkY” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen] … Continue reading

Nome Fuel Unloaded, USCG Healy and Russian Tanker Renda Must Now Get Out

After spending the better part of a month getting to Nome, Alaska to deliver an emergency supply of fuel to last the winter, the ice-strengthened Russian tanker Renda has finally off-loaded its cargo – 1.3 million gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline … Continue reading

Costa Concordia – One Week Later, What Do We Know? Not Very Much!

One week ago, the Costa Concordia grounded off the island of Giglio.    Eleven passengers or crew are confirmed dead. Twenty four people are missing.  The ship itself has sunk in shallow water having rolled 80 degrees on its side.  What else do we … Continue reading

Gianni Scerni, President of RINA, Resigns – Was Critical of Costa Management in Newspaper Interview

Shortly after Costa Crociere chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi blamed the grounding of the Costa Concordia on an ”inexplicable” error by the captain, Gianni Scerni, the president of RINA, sat down for an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Secolo XIX.  RINA, Registro … Continue reading