A few days ago we posted about the boats Washington used to cross the Delaware. Designs have changed since then, Here is a wonderful animation by Raphaël Pierrot of the new French Navy landing craft, the engin de débarquement amphibie rapide … Continue reading
Category Archives: Ships
In 2009, the non profit foundation that owns the schooner Virginia, the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation, ran out of cash. Burdened with $1.6 million of debt, they were forced to lay up the schooner. Now, the outlook for the schooner … Continue reading
The Russian fishing vessel Sparta, which was holed by ice below the waterline in the Ross Sea off Antarctica on December 16th and has been trapped in the ice for over ten days, is now undergoing temporary repairs. On Monday, … Continue reading
More progress in the completion of Rhode Island’s tall ship, SSV Oliver Hazard Perry. The not yet tall ship was recently launched at Sims Metal Management in Providence and towed to Senesco Marine in North Kingstown to continue construction, including … Continue reading
The plan was for the South Korean icebreaker Araon accompanied by the fishing vessel Chiyo Maru No 3 to break through the ice to reach the stricken Russian fishing vessel Sparta today on Christmas Day. The Sparta was holed below … Continue reading
The South Korean icebreaker Araon and the fishing vessel Chiyo Maru No 3 may reach the stricken Russian fishing vessel Sparta on Christmas Day. The Sparta is a 157 feet long fishing vessel with a crew of 32 aboard which … Continue reading
The Russian fishing vessel Sparta is afloat, though just barely after being holed by ice at the edge of the Ross ice shelf in Antarctica. Why was an non-ice strengthened fishing boat fishing in such treacherous waters in the first place? That is the question being raised by the Vyacheslav Martyanov, … Continue reading
Perhaps if I worked as fast as the folks in this video, I might get something done. Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing along the link to the building of the lugger Grayhound. In March of 2010, we posted about … Continue reading
On December 15th last year a boat loaded with asylum seekers wrecked on Australia’s Christmas Island, killing 48 or more than half of the passengers aboard. On Saturday, a boat bound for Christmas Island sank off Indonesia roughly 50 miles off … Continue reading
The Russian jack-up drilling rig, Kolskaya, capsized while under tow in a storm in the Sea of Okhotsk, 200 KM off Sakhalin Island at 12.45 local time (0145 GMT) Sunday. Of the 67 crew on board, 14 were rescued, four are reported to have … Continue reading
On Friday we posted about the Russian fishing vessel, Sparta, which was in danger of sinking off the Ross Ice shelf in Antarctica. The ship with a crew of 32 had been holed five feet below the water line and … Continue reading
Last month we posted about the Bugis schooners of Indonesia – Where the Age of Sail Never Ended – the Bugis Phinisi, an Appreciation. Recently AFP (Agence France-Presse) published an article about another region where the age of commercial sail … Continue reading
The Maltese flagged 6,600 DWT dry cargo ship, TK Bremen, was stranded this morning in high winds on Kerminihy beach at Erdeven, in southern Brittany, near the port of Lorient, France. Some of the 220 tons of fuel on board … Continue reading
The 157 feet long Russian fishing vessel, Sparta, with a crew of 32 aboard, was holed below the waterline after striking sea ice in the Ross Sea off Antarctica early Friday morning. The vessel is reporting have a one foot hole, five feet … Continue reading
Last Sunday the first Chinese aircraft carrier returned from its second round of sea trials. The as of yet unnamed carrier, which reports suggest will be christened Shi Lang, was originally the unfinished Russian aircraft carrier Varyag whose keel was laid … Continue reading
In western Norway, an ocean going Viking longship is taking shape. Named the Dragon Harald Fairhair, (or in Norwegian Draken Harald Hårfagre) she is the largest Viking longship to have been built in modern times and is due to be … Continue reading
German maritime archaeologists believe that they have to have found a urinal used by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the wreck of the light-cruiser, Udine, lying on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The Udine was sunk by the British in … Continue reading
Sad news from the Palmetto State. The South Carolina Maritime Foundation plans to try to sell the schooner Spirit of South Carolina to pay off its mounting debts. The foundation is reported to be being sued by a bank and a … Continue reading
The Vale Brasil is the largest dry cargo ship in the world with a capacity of over 400,000 DWT. It is the first of the Valemax class of Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOC). The Vale Brasil was built with one purpose – to carry iron … Continue reading
The first images of the design of the royal barge that will carry the Queen of England down the Thames during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year have been published. With no disrespect implied to the Queen, I am a … Continue reading