Now that a South Korean investigation has concluded that a North Korean torpedo sank the South Korean Corvette Cheonan killing 46 sailors, the real question becomes, how to respond? Torpedo accusation raises Korean security stakes … Continue reading
Category Archives: Ships
The schooner Lynx, a replica of a War of 1812 privateer, is sailing on the US East coast these days on her way to the Great Lakes to celebrate the upcoming War of 1812 Bicentennial. J. Dennis Robinson will give an informal … Continue reading
Concrete ships were constructed in both World War I and World War II when steel was in short supply. They were not wildly successful, as they were limited in deadweight and had a tendency to crack. (No concrete ships were built after the end … Continue reading
Will, over at the Tugster blog, is no doubt the preeminent New York harbor ship-spotter. If one is so inclined, it is easy to spent far more time than one might have planned browsing his thousands of photographs – all well organized and accompanied by fascinating commentary. … Continue reading
It was a classic contest between David and Goliath. On May 27, 1941, the German battleship Bismark had just sunk the pride of the Royal Navy, the HMS Hood. As she was close to escaping into safe waters, she was attacked … Continue reading
The US Navy announced recently that by January 2012 19 women will be assigned to four ballistic missile submarines. The women officers will be facing challenges of logistics, operations and culture. Women submariners: Trailblazers by timing, sub sailors by choice … Continue reading
No, this is not a knot tying contest exactly. No bowlines, or Matthew Walker knots need be produced. This is a contest sponsored by NJWedding.com to win a chance to get married for free aboard New Jersey’s official Tall Ship, … Continue reading
The Russian Cruiser Aurora was launched 110 years ago this month. She is currently a museum ship in St. Petersburg, the city where she was built. The Cruiser “Aurora” The historical ship Aurora has been turned into a museum and is docked … Continue reading
People are often surprised to hear that Herman Melville’s masterpiece, Moby Dick, was inspired, at least in part, by the sinking of the whale ship Essex by a sperm whale. By all accounts the sinking of the Essex haunted Melville and unquestionably supplied him with … Continue reading
Thanks to David Hayes of Astrodene’s Historical Naval Fiction for passing along this clip of Navy Days in 1937. HMS Victory, marching bands, period costumes and open air calisthenics. Click on the image to view the video. NAVY WEEK AT PORTSMOUTH . … Continue reading
Two news stories, days apart demonstrate, at least to me, why the current efforts to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia are doomed to fail. We posted previously how the tanker MV Moscow University was recaptured from pirates by … Continue reading
A few days ago, we posted about Ric Burns’ new documentary, Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World, which will be broadcast tomorrow, May 10, at 9PM on most PBS channel in the United States. I had the opportunity to … Continue reading
37 Injured in Staten Island Ferry Crash Dozens of people were hurt when a Staten Island Ferry crashed into a dock at the St. George terminal on Staten Island about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the authorities said. The ferry was the … Continue reading
Ancient treasures set for auction in Indonesia An ancient treasure trove salvaged from a 1,000-year-old shipwreck found by Indonesian fishermen is set to go under the hammer in Jakarta Wednesday with a minimum price of 80 million dollars. Belgian treasure-hunter … Continue reading
Close cooperation between the ship’s personnel and the Russian military allowed Russian special forces to storm the captured tanker Moscow University without unduly jeopardizing the safety of the crew. Russian special forces capture oil tanker … Continue reading
An intriguing item from Jim Klein on the Marine History List. They are now filming the search for the cannons from the Beeswax wreck. From the Beeswax Wreck Project site: One of the most popular mysteries of the Oregon Coast … Continue reading
A tragedy at the 2010 Sea Cadet Festival. Sea cadet, 14, dies after falling from ship in Solent A 14-year-old sea cadet has died after falling overboard in the Solent. The boy, from Kent, was on the training ship TS … Continue reading
World’s smallest tall ships sail under Tower Bridge… without the bridge deck opening With the traditional rigging of a tall ship but only a fraction of the size, these two vessels are dwarfed by Tower Bridge. The world’s smallest tall … Continue reading
When the new New York City fireboat 343 arrived in New York harbor yesterday, one of the fleet greeting her was the fireboat John J. Harvey. (Will has some great photos and commentary the tugster blog.) I am struck by … Continue reading
I ‘ve got to say that I prefer Neil Young’s and David Crosby’s taste in yachts somewhat better, but Johnny Depp’s Vajoliroja does have a certain idiosyncratic style. Johnny Depp’s very own pirate ship in the Caribbean … Continue reading