Update: Tanker Mattheos I and Crew Released Without Ransom – Why the Gulf Of Guinea is Not Somalia

Just over a week ago we posted about the hijacking of the product tanker 45,000 DWT tanker,  Mattheos I, with a crew of 23, off Benin in the Gulf of Guinea.  Last Saturday, the ship and crew was released. No ransom … Continue reading

Russian Nuclear Sub, Svyatoy Georgiy Pobedonosets, Damaged in Collision with Fishing Vessel

What is interesting about this story is how it has been reported.  Here is what we know: The fishing boat, Donets, ran into the Russian nuclear submarine, Svyatoy Georgiy Pobedonosets (St. George the Victor,)  in the Avachino Bay on the … Continue reading

Updates: Murderer on HMS Astute Sentenced, Kidnapped Briton in Somalia & MSC Luciana Refloated

Updates on three previous posts:  On Monday, Able Seaman Ryan Donovan was sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to murdering a senior officer on board the HMS Astute last April.   Submariner’s grudge turned proud day into tragedy British tourist Judith Tebbutt, … Continue reading

The Great Brigantine Race of 2011

Talk about match racing!  This Sunday off Newport Beach, CA, two identical brigantines, the Irving Johnson and the Exy Johnson, will race.  They will be manned by crews from rival local clubs, the Bahia Corinthian and Balboa Yacht clubs, under the supervision … Continue reading

“Pirate” Battle on the Delaware with the A.J. Meerwald, the Kalmar Nyckel and the Gazella

Frankly, the A.J. Meerwald , the Kalmar Nyckel, and the Gazela deserve far better.   The A.J. Meerwald,  the “Official Tall Ship of the state of New Jersey,” is  a 1928 built Delaware Bay oyster schooner.  The Kalmar Nyckel , the Delaware’s “Official Tall Ship,” … Continue reading

Fire on Norwegian Cruise Ship, MS Nordlys, Kills Two and Injures Nine

A fast burning fire in the engine room of the Norwegian cruise ship, MS Nordlys, killed two crew members and injured nine others.  The more than 200 passengers aboard the ship were safely evacuated to the town of Aalesund, 230 miles (375 kilometers) northwest of … Continue reading

Mariners’ Response to 9/11 – Carolina Salguero & Jessica DuLong Speaking Aboard the Lilac

If you are in the vicinity tomorrow evening be sure to stop by the historic buoy tender LILAC at the Hudson River Park’s Pier 25 at North Moore Street, Tribeca, Manhattan, where Carolina Salguero & Jessica DuLong will speak on the Mariners’ Response … Continue reading

The Elissa – A Galveston Treasure and Fine Indian Pale Ale

The folks at the Pint Jockeys blog have suggested a great way to support the repairs to the 1877 Barque Elissa, which is believed to have been a victim of stray current electrolytic corrosion resulting from underwater  electrical cable damage after Hurricane Ike. … Continue reading

Don’t Shoot, We’re Republicans! – The Strange Saga of the USS Iowa and the “Willie D”

The news that the battleship USS Iowa has found a new home brings to mind the story of the battleship and the destroyer USS William D Porter, nicknamed the “Willie D.”   The USS Iowa served in World War II as … Continue reading

Yet Another Reason Not to Smoke – Woman Falls Off Ferry While Lighting her Cigarette

A 23 year old woman reportedly fell overboard into the North Sea just after 8.30pm on Monday night from the Princess Seaways DFDS ferry bound from from Newcastle to Ijmuiden. The woman was reportedly lighting a cigarette at the rail … Continue reading

MT Phoenix Finally Free from Salt Rocks, Sheffield Beach, South Africa

The MT Phoenix, which has been hard aground and leaking oil on a South African beach, is finally free. This Saturday, two salvage tugs, Smit Amanda and Smit Siyanda, under the direction of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), successfully towed the ship … Continue reading