Conflict in the Kerch Strait — Russia Blocks Strait and Seizes Ukrainian Navy Vessels

On Sunday, two Ukrainian naval gunboats and a tug departed from the Black Sea port of Odessa, bound to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov. As they approached the Kerch Strait, connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, they were intercepted by Russian … Continue reading

Tommy Thompson & the Missing SS Central America Gold Coins – the Saga Continues

This is a bizarre story which we have been following for, literally, years. It looked for an instant like it might be resolved and then things fells apart once again. Tommy Thompson — engineer, treasure hunter, alleged swindler, and the current … Continue reading

Andrew Fitzgerald, Last SS Pendleton Rescuer, Dies at 87

Andrew Fitzgerald, the last of the four-man crew of the Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG-36500, which rescued the crew of the SS Pendleton, has died at the age of 87. On February 18, 1952, the 36′ motor lifeboat set out from Station Chatham, Massachusetts, … Continue reading

On Thanksgiving, Mayflower II Arriving in New York 1957

Happy Thanksgiving! Today has been celebrated as a day of Thanksgiving in the United States on the third Thursday of November since 1863. The holiday is notionally based on a harvest feast in 1621 between Native Americans and Puritans who had arrived on the … Continue reading

Sailing the Star of India

As we posted yesterday, over last weekend, the Maritime Museum of San Diego celebrated the 155th birthday of the Star of India by taking her for a sail. Here is nicely done, roughly ten-minute, video by Barrett Canfield of Sunday’s sail on the grand old ship.  The museum’s other … Continue reading

Happy Birthday Star of India — 155 Years Old and Still Sailing!

This weekend, the Maritime Museum of San Diego is celebrating the 155th birthday of the Star of India by taking her for a sail. The museums other ships Californian, San Salvador, and America are sailing along with with the Star of India.  It has been five years … Continue reading

Update: KNM Helge Ingstad Sinks Beneath the Fjord

Overnight, the Norwegian frigate Helge Ingstad slipped beneath the waters of Hjeltefjord near Bergen, Norway. Last Thursday, the frigate was intentionally grounded to prevent it from sinking after it collided with the tanker Sola TS. Despite efforts to stabilize the … Continue reading

The Sinking Dry Dock and the Smoking Aircraft Carrier with a Bad Heart

This is an odd story, set in the icy Siberian waters near Murmansk, Russia.  Apparently, Russia’s largest floating drydock sank from underneath Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, doing some damage to the carrier above the waterline as the dock … Continue reading

Norwegian Frigate Helge Ingstad — “We Have Everything Under Control”

How is it possible that the Norwegian frigate Helge Ingstad collided with the Aframax tanker Sola TS in a fjord near a major oil terminal? The frigate is much smaller, significantly faster and far more maneuverable than the 113,00 DWT … Continue reading

Tanker Collides with Norwegian Frigate — Frigate Loses

The Norwegian navy frigate, KNM Helge Ingstad, was returning from NATO exercises when it was in a collision with a Maltese flag, Aframax tanker, Sola TS, in the Hjeltefjord near Bergen, Norway. The tanker was not seriously damaged while the frigate suffered major flooding and … Continue reading

Maxi-Tri Banque Populaire IX Capsizes Again, Second Capsize This Year

French sailor Armel Le Cléac’h capsized in the Atlantic, 340 miles northeast of the Azores, while sailing the maxi-tri Banque Populaire IX in the Route du Rhum — Destination Guadeloupe single-handed race. The boat appears to have capsized after the structural failure of … Continue reading

A Less Than Excellent Docking by the Cruise/Ferry Excellent in Barcelona

When the cruise/ferry Excellent docked in Barcelona, her arrival was less than, shall we say, excellent. Yesterday, at around 8AM, local time, the 663′ long ship was caught in high winds. While waiting for additional tugs, the ship was blown … Continue reading