Updated: Life Ring from Ro/Ro El Faro Located, Ship Still Missing, Search Continues

Update: From USCG Update 4 — Life jackets, life rings, containers and an oil sheen have been located by Coast Guard aircrews.  The objects have not been confirmed to be from the El Faro at this time. Yesterday, the US Coast Guard … Continue reading

Ro/Ro Cargo Ship El Faro Still Missing with 33 Crew in Hurricane Joaquin

The US Coast Guard has resumed the search for the U.S. flagged ro/ro cargo ship, El Faro, with a crew of 33, still missing after losing power and communications in the path of Hurricane Joaquin. The 735-foot ship was bound … Continue reading

French “Russian” Mistral Amphibious Assault Ships Bound for Egypt

For the last five years we have followed the construction of two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships which were built in France under contract to Russia. If the wind named Mistral is said to “drive men and horses mad,” these ships … Continue reading

Update: PortSide New York’s Norwegian Night of History & Bluegrass Now Free

We recently posted about PortSide NewYork’s Norwegian Water Stories & a Night of Bluegrass, an event being held tomorrow, Thursday, September 24, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM at Atelier Roquette, 63 Commerce Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY 11231.  The event … Continue reading

Peacemaker & Coronet — Of Cults & Yachts

For the past fifteen years, the three masted barquentine motorsailer Peacemaker has been owned by the Twelve Tribes, a religious community, often referred to as a cult. The 158′ Class A “tall ship” served as floating ambassador for the fundamentalist group, which … Continue reading

Engine Room Fire on Carnival Liberty Cuts Short Trip — Chronic Cruise Ship Problem Continues

Last Sunday, a fire broke out in the engine room of the 3,299 passenger Carnival Liberty after docking in Saint Thomas.  The passengers were disembarked and the fire was extinguished with the ship’s automated fire fighting system.  No injuries were reported. The damage was … Continue reading

Cutter Lilac Returns to Staten Island as Star of Commericial

In her long and varied career, the historic cutter Lilac has had many jobs. She served as a lighthouse and buoy tender — bringing supplies to lighthouse and maintaining aids to navigation. She also fought ship fires and rescued the keepers on … Continue reading

Schooners Columbia, American Eagle & Lettie G. Howard Race at Gloucester

This weekend, the 31st Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival was held, culminating in the Mayor’s Cup Schooner Race.  The Esperanto Cup, representing the large schooners, was won by the schooner Columbia, built in 2014, a steel replica of the W. Starling Burgess designed … Continue reading

French Bomber of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior Apologizes 30 Years Later

On July 10, 1985, agents of the French government planted mines and blew up Greenpeace‘s Rainbow Warrior  in the port of Auckland, New Zealand to prevent the ship to be used to protest a planned French nuclear test in Moruroa. Fernando Pereira, a photographer, drowned … Continue reading

A Question of Priorities — Icebreakers vs Aircraft Carriers

Paradoxically, the decreasing polar ice cap has increased the need for icebreakers. As the ice diminishes, traffic has increased above the Arctic Circle, making the need for icebreaking to assist in transit or respond to emergencies ever more important.  On his … Continue reading