Blue 52 — Which May or May Not Be the Loneliest Whale

Posted on by January 31, 2017

Somewhere in the vast North Pacific Ocean, there is a singular whale singing a unique song, which was first recorded in 1989. For close to thirty years, researchers monitoring anti-submarine hydrophone arrays have heard a whale call which is much higher than the calls of other large whales. While most blue whale calls are around 10–25 hertz and fin whales tend to be around 20-hertz, this whale has been calling at 52-hertz. If most blue and fin whales are singing bass, this whale is an alto, at least by whale standards. 52-hertz is just higher than the lowest note on a tuba.

Scientists do not know even what type of whale it is. The whale’s movements have been similar to a blue whale but the timing of its calls are similar to fin whales.  Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute speculate that it could be malformed, or a hybrid of a blue whale and another species. 

The whale has been nicknamed the 52-hertz whale as well as Blue-52. Continue reading →

Sinking of the Cutter Alexander Hamilton — the USCG First Loss in WWII

Posted on by January 29, 2017

Seventy five years ago today, the USCG Cutter Alexander Hamilton was the first United States Coast Guard ship to be be lost in World War II. The cutter was named after the first Secretary of the Treasury, often referred to as the “Father of the US Coast Guard.”

On January 29, 1942, the 327′ long Treasury-class United States Coast Guard Cutter Alexander Hamilton was patrolling the Icelandic coast near Reykjavík when she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-132. The torpedo struck on the starboard side between the fireroom and the engine room. Twenty sailors died in the initial explosion and six more subsequently died from burns.  The ship’s wartime compliment was 221 officers and crew.

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Mike Peyton, the Picasso of Sailing, Dies at 96

Posted on by January 28, 2017

You may not necessarily know his name, but if you have been reading yachting magazines over the years, his cartoons probably brought a smile to your face. British cartoonist Mike Peyton, who died on January 25th at the age of 96, was described variously as “the world’s greatest yachting cartoonist” and as the “Picasso of sailing.” A lifelong sailor himself, for over sixty years his cartoons captured the joys, sorrows, absurdity and outright silliness of sailing.

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Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Still Not Quite Home

Posted on by April 6, 2017

In February 2014,  the City of Adelaide, the world’s oldest surviving composite clipper ship, returned to her namesake city. Now almost three years later, she still have not quite found a home. The ship is sitting on a deck barge as a “temporary” accommodation at Port Adelaide’s Dock 1, with no permanent dock space yet in sight. The State Government’s commitment to provide a permanent location for the largely privately funded project remains unfulfilled. 

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Taiwan Operating World’s Oldest Submarines While Planning for New

Posted on by January 26, 2017

Taiwan is now operating the two oldest submarines in service in the world, the 72 year old SS-791 Hai Shih, ex-USS Cutlass, and the 71 year old SS-792 Hai Pao, ex USS Tusk. The Taiwanese government has announced that the Hai Shih is scheduled to be refit to allow the ship to continue sailing until 2026, at which point the submarine will be a remarkable 80 years old.

The two Guppy-class submarines were transferred from the US Navy to the Taiwanese in 1973 with sealed torpedo tubes. It is reported that the tubes were restored in 1976 and that modern torpedoes were purchased through Italy and other sources. The submarines have been used for training purposes and it is unclear whether or not they could be deployed in combat.

Taiwan is also planning to build a series of new submarines. Continue reading →

Winter Storm Breaks Up SS Palo Alto — the Strange Career of the “Cement Boat,”

Posted on by January 25, 2017

Over the weekend, winter storm Kori sent record high waves smashing into the California coast. The National Weather Service said a new wave record was set as the Monterey Bay buoy recorded 34-foot waves. At Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, California, the storm waves tore the stern off the SS Palo Alto, a concrete ship built as a tanker in 1919, at the end of World War I.  A storm last winter had rolled the ship to starboard and had cracked the hull. This weekend’s storm may have delivered the coup de grâce.

The SS Palo Alto had a strange but interesting career. Although she was built as a tanker, by the time she was delivered, World War I had ended, so the ship was laid up for a decade, until it was purchased as an “amusement” ship.  The Palo Alto was towed to Aptos, California on Monterrey bay. In 1930, the ship was sunk in a few feet in the water off the beach and a pier was built to the ship. Operated by the Seacliff Amusement Corporation, she was refitted a dance floor, a swimming pool and a café. 

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Master Storyteller of the Sea, Douglas Reeman, a.k.a Alexander Kent, 1924 — 2017

Posted on by January 24, 2017

We understand that writer Douglas Reeman has died at this home in Cobham, Surrey, at the age of 92. Reeman, perhaps best know for the novels written under the pen-name Alexander Kent, wrote close to 60 books and has left an indelible mark on the literature of the sea. 

Douglas Edward Reeman was born at Thames Ditton, on October 15, 1924. He joined the Royal Navy in 1940, at the age of 16, and served during World War II and the Korean War, rising to the rank of lieutenant. In addition to being an author, Reeman has also taught the art of navigation for yachting and served as a technical advisor for films. Reeman is survived by his wife of thirty one years, Kimberley Jordan. 

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Scottish MP Supports Rescue of the Falls of Clyde

Posted on by January 23, 2017

A UK member of parliament from Glasgow, Scotland has joined in the effort to save the endangered historic sailing ship Falls of Clyde. MP Alison Thewliss has written to David Ige, Governor of Hawaii, in support of returning the ship to the Scotland. The four masted steel ship is currently in Honolulu, at risk of being scrapped of scuttled.

The real question is now whether the supporters in Scotland will succeed in marshaling the resources to save the ship.

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HMS Vengeance Trident Missile Failure and Possible Coverup

Posted on by January 22, 2017

Last June, the Royal Navy submarine HMS Vengeance test fired a dummy Trident II D5 nuclear ballistic missile while cruising in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida.  The missile was supposed to fly 5,600 miles (9,012 km) to a target at sea off the west coast of Africa.  Instead, the missile veered towards the US.

There are no reports that the missile hit the US mainland. On the other hand, there are very few reports about the incident at all.  The failed test was allegedly covered up in the weeks before the British Parliament approved a £40billion Trident renewal program.

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Jumping Mako Shark in Gulf off Indian Rocks Beach

Posted on by January 21, 2017

This video brings back memories of fishing in an open boat in the Gulf off John’s Pass, FL when I was in high school, back in another century. I remember when a friend landed a fairly small 3-4′ shark and how the boat suddenly seemed to get very small as we tried to keep our arms and legs, fingers and toes, away from the snapping jaws and teeth of the very unhappy shark.

Here is a video of three fishermen in an open boat off Indian Rocks Beach, who had been fishing for grouper when they saw what they describe as a roughly 15′ long mako shark, which took their hook and put on quite  show. Fortunately, the shark got away without landing in the boat. They did, however, catch some great video.

Florida fishermen capture incredible video of large shark jumping out of water

Global Sea Ice at Record Lows as Temperatures Set New Record for Third Year

Posted on by January 20, 2017

The latest observations from the US National Snow & Ice Data Center in Boulder, say that the extent of global sea is now as low as it has been since satellite monitoring began in the 1970s.  It is also likely that it is as low as is has been in several thousand years. Likewise, global temperatures set a new record in 2016, after also setting records in 2015, and 2014. This is the first time in recorded history that three temperature records have been set in three consecutive years.

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Armel Le Cléac’h Wins the 8th Vendée Globe Singlehanded Round the World Race

Posted on by January 19, 2017

French sailor, Armel Le Cléac’h, 39, won the 8th Vendée Globe singlehanded round the world race today at 15:37:46 UTC after 74 days 3 hours 35 minutes and 46 seconds at sea on his 60ft racing yacht Banque Populaire VIII.  He set a new record for the race, beating the previous record of 78 days 2 hours 16 minutes set by French sailor Francois Gabart in the 2012-13 edition by 3 days, 22 hours and 41 minutes.  This is Le Cléac’h’s third Vendee Globe Race, coming in second in both the 2008-09 and 2012-13 sailings of the race.  This time around, Le Cléac’h sailed 24,499.52 nm at an average speed of 13.77 knots in the race which began in Les Sables d’Olonne, France on November 6 and ended for Le Cléac’h today in the same harbor.

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Vendee Globe — A Two Boat Race for the Finish Line

Posted on by January 18, 2017

After sailing over 24,000 nautical miles and just 300 nautical miles from the finish line of the Vendee Globe singlehanded round the world race, Armel Le Cleac’h sailing Banque Populaire VIII is holding a slim 30 nautical mile lead on Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss.  With contrary winds, it is unclear whether Thomson will have the time to close the remaining distance with Le Cleac’h.  The two boats have been racing neck and neck together for the last 73 days. They are expected to cross the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne, France sometime tomorrow.

The rest of the fleet of 18 boats still in the race is spread out. Jérémie Beyou sailing Maitre Coq in third place is about 1,000 nautical miles to the finish line while the last boat competing in 18th place, Sébastien Destremau on TechnoFirst – faceOcean  is 9,630 nautical miles from the finish. 

Wilson & Roura — Oldest and Youngest Vendee Globe Racers Round Cape Horn

Posted on by January 20, 2017

Swiss sailor, Alan Roura, 23, is the youngest competitor in the Vendee Globe single-handed ’round the world race. American, Rich Wilson, 66, is the oldest. Both recently rounded Cape Horn, with Roura roughly 12 hours ahead of Wilson. The two sailors are 13th and 14th in the current 18 boat fleet. Twenty nine competitors began the race but 11 have now dropped out.

This is not the first time that Rich Wilson can claim the honor of being the oldest sailor in the Vendee Globe. As we posted a year ago, in 2009, Wilson was the oldest sailor in the Vendee Globe at 58. He finished ninth of the thirty boats which began the race. Wilson was the only American in the eleven boats which finished. This year, Wilson and Roura are also the only American and Swiss competing in the current race.

A Continue reading →

NY Harbor Ferries & the Other “Miracle on the Hudson”

Posted on by January 15, 2017

Eight years ago today, US Airways Flight 1549  made an emergency water landing in the Hudson River. If the plane’s pilots, Captain Chesley “Sulley” Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles had not glided the plane in at just the right angle and airspeed, it is likely that the plane would have broken apart and that all the 155 passengers and crew aboard could have died. The landing is often called the “Miracle on the Hudson.” There was, however, a second miracle on the Hudson that day. Remarkably, New York harbor commuter ferries began arriving at the flooding plane less than four minutes after the crash.  Had it not been for the ferries’ rapid rescue of the passengers from the icy waters, the “miracle” might have ended as tragedy.

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A Week Aboard Oliver Hazard Perry

Posted on by January 13, 2017

A video for a cold winter day. We recently posted about the exciting voyage plans for 2017 on the School Sailing Vessel (SSV) Oliver Hazard Perry. This year, the ship will be sailing to Florida, Bermuda, Cuba and the Arctic. Here is a video of a teen voyage in August of 2016.  

A Week Aboard Oliver Hazard Perry

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Antarctic’s Larsen Ice Shelf on the Verge of Collapse

Posted on by January 13, 2017

In December of 1893, Captain Carl Anton Larsen, the master of the Norwegian whaling ship Jason, sailed along a vast Antarctic ice shelf in the northwest part of the Weddell Sea on the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Now, just over 120 years later, the ice sheet that bears Larsen’s name is collapsing.

British scientists with Project Midas recently predicted that a widening crack in the ice shelf could cause a 2,000 square mile ice island the size of the State of Delaware to break off this winter.  Swansea University’s Adrian Luckman, who heads up Project MIDAS, told the BBC that “If it doesn’t go in the next few months, I’ll be amazed.”

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Hudson River Sloop Clearwater & the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant

Posted on by January 12, 2017

It was announced this week that the Indian Point nuclear power facility will close by 2021. The Indian River plant is about 25 miles north of New York City. It sits on, not one, but two geological fault lines. A core breach caused by an earthquake would be disastrous. Standard procedure is to evacuate everyone within a 50 mile radius of a core breach, which, in this case, is close to 20 million people. Even without an earthquake, the facility has been called a “disaster waiting to happen.” The fifty-four year old facility has been the site of fires, automation failures and radiation leaks. The oldest of the three reactors, which did not meet earthquake standards, was shut down in 1974, while the other two reactors are each over 40 years old.

What does all this have to do with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater? Continue reading →