Happy Juneteenth — When Emancipation Arrived by Steamship

Happy Juneteenth! Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is also the newest Federal holiday. The legislation was signed into law by President Biden in 2020. The holiday commemorates when emancipation … Continue reading

The Composite Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Moves to Final Home in Port Adelaide

Sometimes the final miles can take the longest to travel. A full decade after being carried by heavy-lift ship over 10,000 nautical miles from Scotland to her namesake port city, City of Adelaide, the oldest surviving composite clipper ship in … Continue reading

Search For Mystery Artist Behind HMS Raleigh Training Base Mural

A striking painting of the Falklands War has prompted a search to find the artist behind it. Recently, Jon Rickman-Dawson, facilities manager for HMS Raleigh, a training establishment for new recruits to the Royal Navy, discovered an unusual mural hidden … Continue reading

In Show of Force, Russian Warships Arrive In Havana, Cuba

On Wednesday four Russian naval vessels; a nuclear-powered submarine, a frigate, an oil tanker, and a rescue tug; arrived in Cuba for military drills. The vessels’ visit has been seen as a show of force amid Moscow’s tensions with the … Continue reading

One Hundred Eighty Nine Dead or Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Yemen

At least 49 people from the Horn of Africa have died and 140 are missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). Among the dead were six children and … Continue reading

Throttle Stuck at Full Ahead on Container Ship MSC Michigan VII in Charleston Harbor, Bridge Shutdown

On Wednesday morning at 11:46 a.m. the container ship MSC Michigan VII departed the North Charleston Container Terminal in Charleston, South Carolina, with its engine set to “dead slow ahead” as it moved down the Cooper River toward the Arthur … Continue reading

On the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Remembering Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Higgins Boat

I am aware of only one man who was praised by both Eisenhower and Hitler. A repost on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. General Dwight David Eisenhower said “Andrew Higgins … is the man who won the war for us. … Continue reading

The Problem of Sailors Stranded on Abandoned Ships Has Only Gotten Worse

Back in 2021, we posted about Mohammed Aisha, the First Officer of the MV Aman, who had been stranded on the ship for almost four years, stuck off the Egyptian coast after the ship’s owners in Bahrain faced financial difficulties. … Continue reading

No, Offshore Wind Farms Are Not Harming Whales, But Risks Remain

A recent article in the journal Oceanus, hosted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), raises the question, “Are offshore wind farms harming whales?” The short answer is “no.” They write: A collection of seemingly grass-roots organizations claim that offshore … Continue reading

Colombia Begins Exploring Galleon San José, ‘Holy Grail’ of Shipwrecks

BBC reports that after decades of legal wrangling, the Colombian government has started exploring the wreck of the 18th-century Spanish galleon San José, dubbed the “holy grail of shipwrecks.” The South American nation has also declared a protected archaeological area around … Continue reading

Wreckage of USS Harder, Famous World War II Submarine, Lost for 80 Years, Found in the South China Sea

The  USS Harder, said to be the US Navy submarine that sank the most Japanese warships during World War Two, has been found in the South China Sea, some 80 years after it was sunk.  The Harder, a Gato class … Continue reading

Schooner De Gallant Sinking Update: Coast Guard Suspends Search for Two Missing Mariners

We recently posted about the sinking of the cargo schooner De Gallant early Tuesday morning, 22 nautical miles north of the Bahamas island of Great Inagua, with eight sailors on board. Six of the crew were rescued from life rafts … Continue reading

Viking Longship Draken Harald Hårfagre Returning Home to Norway

After more than seven years in US waters, the longship Draken Harald Hårfagre, known as the world’s largest Viking ship currently sailing, is returning home to Norway. The 115-foot-long ship left its temporary home at Mystic Seaport Museum on Sunday, … Continue reading

Cargo Schooner De Gallant Sinks off the Bahamas, Two Crew Reported Missing

The cargo schooner De Gallant capsized and sank early Tuesday morning 22 nautical miles north of the Bahamas island of Great Inagua with eight sailors on board. So far, six people have been rescued from a life raft with two … Continue reading

Container Ship Dali May be Refloated This Week After Controlled Demolition Removes Bridge Wreckage

The trapped container ship Dali will “hopefully” be refloated this week after authorities set off charges at a key portion of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Monday evening, an official said. The charges helped demolish a portion of … Continue reading

Olympic Torch Arrives in Marseille on Three Masted Barque Belem

Tens of thousands of people welcomed the Olympic torch Wednesday in the southern French city of Marseille, marking another milestone in the lead-up to the Summer Games in Paris. The flame arrived after a 12-day trip from Greece onboard the … Continue reading

Update: Bosporus Strait Reopened After Bulker Alexis Refloated

Update: One of the world’s busiest shipping channels was closed to traffic in both directions after Alexis, an 81,623 dwt bulk carrier, ran aground on May 8, in the Bosporus Strait, connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Four tugs, … Continue reading

Catching Up — Fireboat John J. Harvey Briefly Stolen by Homeless Man On Hudson River

I have been away for the better part of a month on a transatlantic sail from Barbados to Malta on a five-masted square rigger. (Click here for a short video of the ship under sail.) I had limited internet access … Continue reading