Whale Wars War of Words: Sinking of the Ady Gil Ordered by Watson?

Last January the power boat Ady Gil was hit by the Japanese whaling ship, Shonan Maru 2, during the Sea Shepherds‘ protest/reality TV show.  Who was responsible for the collision is still the subject of controversy. Now the captain of the Ady … Continue reading

Chauncy Maples Makes a Million Pounds

In June we posted about the missionary/hospital steamer, the Chauncy Maples.   Launched in 1901, she is the oldest ship in Africa.   She is being restored to return to duty as a traveling clinic on the 560 kilometer long Lake … Continue reading

Stealth Submarines – Concerns in Asia & Flaking Tiles in the US

Aren’t all submarines supposed to be stealthy?  I suppose some are stealthier than others.  The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong is reporting concerns by China’s neighbors that China may have already built a stealth submarine.  On the other side of … Continue reading

Lucky Fluckey

Today is the birthday of Rear Admiral Eugene Bennett Fluckey, known as “Lucky Fluckey,” who died in 2007 at the age of 94.   In addition to having one of the truly great nicknames,  he was one of the greatest submarine skippers of … Continue reading

Shrinking U.S. Flag Fleet Draws Attention In Congress

A press release by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, strikes me as either sad, funny or perhaps a bit of both.    The press release is titled:  Cummings Continues Investigation Into American … Continue reading

Do They Serve Canned Meat on the USCGC Harriet Lane?

I will admit to doing a double take when I saw the USCG press release announcing “Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returns home after 9-week patrol.”   I wondered, who would name a ship the Harriet Lane?  For the record, the … Continue reading

Destroyer Arthur W. Radford to become reef off New Jersey coast

Perhaps not a case of swords into plowshares, but at least a destroyer into an artificial reef.  In November, the 535 foot decommissioned Navy destroyer, USS Arthur W. Radford, will sink beneath the waters off Cape May Point to become the longest vessel ever turned … Continue reading

Passengers Should Embark and Disembark by the Gangway Only

Passengers should embark and disembark by the gangway only. Three stories, two of them tragic, of unusual arrivals and departures from cruise ships last week. On the Holland America  cruise ship,  Prinsendam, passengers were shocked when  a powered hang glider made a crash landing on … Continue reading

MV Lugela Hijacked then Freed off Somalia after Crew Retreats to Engine Room

Well planned passive resistance proved to be an effective tactic for the crew of the MV Lugela this weekend.  Earlier this month we posted about the hijacking and subsequent recapture of the M/V Magellan Star from Somali pirates by US Marine commandos, after … Continue reading

At Sea Memorial for AHS Centaur 67 Years After Being Torpedoed

The Australian Hospital Ship Centaur was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland, Australia, on 14 May 1943. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 were killed.  The exact position of the sunken ship … Continue reading

The Man Who Fell to Shore – What Reid Stowe Found Waiting for Him When He Returned From 1,151 Days on the Open Sea

We have posted about Reid Stowe’s remarkable non-stop voyage of over 1100 days at sea.   Now that Reid has been home for several months, Adam Sternbergh writing in the New Yorker magazine has written a portrait of Reid’s voyage … Continue reading

Fire Damaged Ferry, 86-year-old M/V Kirkland, Won’t be Rebuilt

Argosy Cruises has announced that the 86 year old ferry, MV Kirkland, which was severely damaged by fire at the end of last month, will not be rebuilt.  The 1924 wooden-hulled car ferry served passengers all over the Pacific Northwest. The … Continue reading

Sink the HMAS Adelaide !

It looks like the guided missile frigate HMAS Adelaide will indeed be scuttled off Avoca Beach, north of Sydney in New South Wales, to create an artificial diving site.  Last March we posted about a court case brought by environmentalists which prevented the planned scuttling … Continue reading

Is the Aircraft Carrier USS John F. Kennedy too big for Portland?

We have previously posted about efforts to permanently moor the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy in Portland, Maine.   The Navy is is considering proposals from Portland and Rhode Island.  Many in Portland are not happy at the prospect … Continue reading

Real-time Research on Passenger Drills on RCCL’s Jewel of the Seas

As cruise ships grow ever larger safety professionals have questioned whether passengers will be able to get to the life boats in time in case of an  emergency. (See Captain D. Peter Boucher’s BIGGER IS BETTER – NOT on his Nautical Log blog for … Continue reading

Prison ship records from 19th Century published

Ancestry.co.uk. has published, on-line records, held by National Archives of 19th Century prison ships providing  a glimpse into the lives of the estimated 200,000 inmates. Prison ship records from 19th Century published The records outline the disease-ridden conditions on the “prison hulks”, created … Continue reading