Boiler Trouble on the Mystic Seaport Steamer Sabino

The steamer Sabino, built in 1908, has been a popular attraction at the Mystic Seaport Museum since 1974, offering boat rides on the Mystic River to an estimated 33,000 passengers yearly. The steamboat; which the museum bills as the oldest … Continue reading

Clearwater in “Deep Trouble” Financially, Cancels Summer Music Festival

Only days after hearing good news about funding for the Pride of Baltimore II, there is very grim news about the organization which operates the Hudson River sloop Clearwater. The Clearwater organization announced that it is facing deep financial problems … Continue reading

Maryland in $1.5 Million Partnership with Pride of Baltimore II

Tremendous news for a great ship. On Monday, Maryland’s Governor Hogan announced a $1.5 million private-public partnership with the replica Baltimore clipper, Pride of Baltimore II.  Under a new agreement, the state will commit the funds to Pride of Baltimore … Continue reading

At 64, Rich Wilson Prepares to “Go Around Again” in the 2016-17 Vendee Globe

In 2009, Rich Wilson at 58 was the oldest sailor in the Vendee Globe non-stop single-handed round-the-world yacht race.  He finished ninth of the thirty boats which began the race. Wilson was the only American in the eleven finished. The Vendee … Continue reading

What is a Riverine Command Boat?

Yesterday, two US Navy Riverine Command Boats (RCBs) with a combined crew of ten sailors were apprehended by Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats. One or both of the RCBs had suffered a mechanical failure and had drifted into Iranian waters. The Iranians released … Continue reading

Atlantic Star –Newest & Largest Open-Top ConRo for ACL

Atlantic Container Lines’ (ACL) Atlantic Star, the newest and world’s largest Container/Roll-on Roll-off ship, has arrived on the North American East Coast, calling at Halifax and on Saturday, in New York. Notwithstanding its name, the ships of Atlantic Container Lines … Continue reading

Is the Explosive-Laden SS Richard Montgomery a Target for Terrorists?

Anti-terror police in the UK are suddenly concerned that the SS Richard Montgomery, a Liberty ship which sank over seventy years ago loaded with high explosives in the Thames estuary, might be a potential target for terrorists.  Reportedly, the government … Continue reading

The Return of the Schooner Amistad

The schooner Amistad, the official flagship of the State of Connecticut, has seen difficult times in recent years. Built fifteen years ago at Mystic Seaport, until recently, the ship had been in receivership since 2014, after Amistad America, the non-profit which ran the … Continue reading

San Jose, “Holy Grail of Shipwrecks” — the Legal Battles are Just Beginning

Battles at sea usually last a few hours. Battles in court can last far, far longer.  In the Battle of Santa Maria on October 5, 1804, when a British squadron attacked a Spanish treasure fleet, the ship Nuestra Señora de … Continue reading