Rodents have always been a problem on ships, but things seem to be getting out of control. Last week we posted (somewhat facetiously) of a rodent problem on the Tall Ship Elissa after a rather large mouse named Minnie stopped by … Continue reading
Category Archives: Ships
Peter Stanford and Robert Ferraro, two of the founders of the financially troubled South Street Seaport Museum in New York City, spoke to museum volunteers on Saturday. They presented their vision of how the museum could be saved and revived. … Continue reading
In March of last year we posted about the attempts to scuttle HMAS Adelaide as an artificial reef off New South Wales. (See HMAS Adelaide – A Hard Ship to Sink ) “She was scheduled to be scuttled … but … Continue reading
The US Navy keeps trying to find new and different ways to blow things up. Last December it demonstrated an electromagnetic railgun potentially capable of hitting a target 100 miles away. Recently, it has used a a solid-state laser, aboard the USS … Continue reading
One hundred and eleven years ago today the US Navy accepted its first successful submarine, the USS Holland. The previous November, in New York harbor, the Holland passed the Navy’s tests. She ran for one mile underwater, surfaced, fired a torpedo then … Continue reading
Reports now indicate that Ryan Donovan, 22, a sailor on HMS Astute, burst into the submarine control room and opened fire with an SA80 assault rifle yesterday, killing the ship’s weapons engineering officer, Lt. Cmdr. Ian Molyneux, 36, and wounding a second officer, Lieutenant Commander … Continue reading
After dabbling with space ships, Richard Branson has turned to the deep oceans. The Virgin Oceanic team will be diving to the deepest ocean depths in a one man submarine designed by Graham Hawkes. The submarine has an operating depth … Continue reading
The BBC is reporting that one sailor has been killed and another seriously injured on the Royal Navy nuclear submarine HMS Astute. A member of the crew is reported to have shot two of his fellow sailors before being overpowered. HMS Astute, the Navy’s newest and most advanced submarine, is docked at … Continue reading
Fire Island is a thirty mile long barrier island on the south shore of Long Island, east of the entrance of New York harbor. Last week, Le Papillon, a 50′ steel pinky schooner, went ashore on the beach on Fire … Continue reading
The Tall Ship Elissa was built was built in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1877 by Alexander Hall and Co. She has been fully restored and is currently sailing out of Galveston, Texas. She recently successfully completed drydocking and inspection. A small piece of … Continue reading
A boat overloaded with migrants sailing from Libya capsized south south of the island of Lampedusa , off Sicily, early today. Fifteen are confirmed dead and between 130 and 250 are believed to be missing. Migrant boat sinks off Italy, up to 250 … Continue reading
A disturbing report from New Zealand on abusive conditions for seamen aboard chartered fishing vessels in New Zealand waters. Slavery at sea exposed Alerted to terrible conditions on foreign fishing vessels after nearly 30 people lost their lives, Michael Field began asking questions. … Continue reading
HMS Bounty is making ready to sail from San Juan, Puerto Rico tomorrow to begin this season’s European voyage. She will be calling at ports in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Poland, Sweden, Germany and Russia, before returning to the US around October. For her … Continue reading
The fascinating story of the last running World War II motor torpedo boat, the PT 658, an historic relic rescued, rebuilt and restored by a group of gray-haired ex-PT boaters. Save the PT Boat PT Boat 658 [iframe: title=”YouTube video player” width=”425″ height=”349″ … Continue reading
Fewer than 300 people live on the Tristan da Cuhna island chain, the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, 2,816 kilometres from the nearest land. An estimated 200,000 penguins, however, including roughly half of the world’s endangered Northern Rockhopper penguin, call the … Continue reading
The Ark Royal is for sale, presumably to a scrap yard but “alternatively the vessel may be purchased for re-use/refurbishment for non-warlike purposes.” The main engine, most machinery and all weapons will be removed. She will be available for inspection in early May and all bids … Continue reading
We recently posted about “Women At Sea: Screening, Conversation, Reception,” which was held last Wednesday in Manhattan. The program included a fascinating documentary Shipping Out, the Story of America’s Seafaring Women and a panel discussion with a number of women … Continue reading
Times have been tough for Horizon Lines, the US Jones Act container shipping company that was spun off from Sealand in 2003. In addition to suffering decreased revenues in the general economic downturn, in late February Horizon agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge … Continue reading
On February 16, 1941 the S.S. Gairsoppa was bound from India to Britain, when she was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank 300 miles southwest of Galway Bay. In addition to pig iron and tea, she carried silver bullion … Continue reading
Last week, while searching near the the wreck of Nuestra Senora de Atocha, Bill Burt, a diver for Mel Fisher’s Treasures, found a 17th century gold chain worth $250,000. Deep sea treasure: 17th century gold chain worth $250,000 plucked from … Continue reading