PS Ryde – Mine-sweeper ship that defied the Germans on D-Day set to be scrapped

Not every historic vessel can be saved and not every historic vessel should be saved.  The difficult question is deciding which are worthy of saving  before they fall prey to the ravages of time or, in this case,  the bureaucracy.  A story from today’s Daily … Continue reading

Royal Mail Ship St Helena – Delivery Service for a Remote Island

Delivery service for the remote island of St Helena The tiny British colony of St Helena in the South Atlantic – the world’s most remote inhabited island – is being hit by Whitehall’s spending cuts.   An airport considered by many … Continue reading

Oil Spill in Texas Contained

An Aframax tanker, the Eagle Otome,  collided with an oil barge in the Sabine Neches Waterway at Port Arthur, Texas on Saturday.  Initial reports suggested 12, 000 barrels of crude oil were unaccounted for, though local officials are now estimating that approximately 1,000 barrels … Continue reading

Crowley Establishing Flow of Relief Cargo Into Haiti

Crowley Establishing Flow of Relief Cargo Into Haiti Crowley Maritime Corporation, working under contract with the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), is unloading Haiti relief cargo in Rio Haina, Dominican Republic, today. Fifty six of the 68 20-foot containers of water … Continue reading

Schooner Amistad Sails for Haiti

While the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan arrived in Haiti yesterday and the hospital ship USNS Comfort arrived the day before,  naval ships are not the only vessels sailing to aid the earthquake victims.  The schooner Amistad is on her way bearing both supplies and a … Continue reading

Porta-au-Prince Harbor to Reopen in Days – Crane Ships, Barge Carrier and OPDS Deployed

The US military hopes to have the port of Port-au-Prince open for shipments of emergency relief supplies in two or three days. Damaged Haiti port to open in 2-3 days: U.S. commander In related news, the Maritime Administration has ordered … Continue reading

Sail on HMB Endeavour

Endeavour Voyage 2010 The Australian National Maritime Museum has an exciting season of sailing coming up on the replica of the HMB Endeavour. This April, they are offering day sails in Sydney Harbor, to introduce visitors to 18th century sailing; overnight sails where … Continue reading

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard marks 88 years of HMS Victory

HMS Victory in recent snowy weather Portsmouth Historic Dockyard marks 88 years of HMS Victory From broadside battles off the Mediterranean coast to Vice Admiral Lord Nelson’s triumph in the Battle of Trafalgar and campaigns in the Baltic, the guardians … Continue reading

Salvage ship USS Grasp & Hospital ship Comfort on the way to Port-au-Prince

The US Navy is sending the rescue and salvage ship, USS Grasp, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti with divers and underwater construction personnel to assess the damage to piers and other port facilities. The USNS Comfort, a hospital ship with a capacity … Continue reading

Rich Men’s Toys – Battleships, Helipads & Submarines

The mega-yachts of the Russian billionaires grow ever larger,  more elaborate, and, of course, ever more expensive. Roman Abramovich’s new yacht Eclipse will be the world’s largest yacht, at 557 feet (170 meters), eclipsing, so to speak, the 525-foot luxury yacht owned by … Continue reading