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.

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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.

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SSV Oliver Hazard Perry Bound for Bermuda, Florida, Cuba and the Arctic

Posted on by January 11, 2017

After a successful first season sailing New England waters, SSV Oliver Hazard Perry has an exciting 2017 ahead.  Toward the end of January, the sailing school ship will depart Newport, RI bound for Bermuda, then to Florida where the ship will be based through March. The ship will offer opportunities for explorers of all ages to participate in one of two round-trip voyages to Cuba (March 10-18 and March 18-26); a passage from Ft. Lauderdale to Bermuda (April 2-12); or a passage from Bermuda to Newport, R.I. (April 14-22). The voyages to Cuba are targeted towards high school and college students, with a limited number of berths available for adventurous adults as well. The Bermuda and Newport passages are hosted in partnership with Ocean Navigator magazine for any adults wanting to learn the skill of offshore celestial navigation and marine meteorology.

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Mystic Seaport Chantey Blast and Pub Sing

Posted on by January 10, 2017

Next Saturday, January 14th, the Mystic Seaport Museum, in Mystic, CT, is  hosting its annual Chantey Blast and Pub Sing from 1-5 PM at Frohsinn Hall, 54 Greenmanville Ave., directly across the street from the museum. Everyone is invited to join in as Mystic Seaport chantey staff and many of the finest chantey singers in the Northeast sing chanties, maritime ballads, and songs of the sea. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. This fundraising event is co-sponsored by the Pinewoods Folk Music Club and is organized as part of the Friends of the Festival program that seeks to generate support for the Museum’s 38th annual Sea Music Festival, which will be held at Mystic Seaport June 8-11, 2017. 

Manatee Monday, Part 2 — Snorkeling with Manatees at Crystal River

Posted on by January 9, 2017

Last Friday, Crystal River did not live up to its name. It was murky and the crystal clear waters that I remembered had a visibility of only about six feet. In some respects, however, it added an element of mystery, when, as I lay floating flat on the surface, a manatee would appear from beneath me and rise up until it was looking me straight in the eyes, inches away from my mask.  Here is a short video I edited of footage shot by our captain and guide, Phil Eledge of our snorkeling with manatees.  

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Manatee Monday, Part 1 — A Hopeful but Still Uncertain Recovery

Posted on by January 9, 2017

It wasn’t so long ago when the conversation regarding Florida manatees was not whether or not they would become extinct but rather how quickly their extinction would happen. Fortunately, efforts to save the manatee have paid off. In 1991, the Florida manatee population was down to 1,270. Current estimates by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now put the population at around 6,300, an increase of almost 500%. Regulations to limit boat speed in areas frequented by manatees have been largely successful as have efforts to preserve winter habitats.

Because of the rebound in the population, the Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed reclassifying the manatee from endangered to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Many environmentalists consider the change to be premature. Even with the status change, manatees would still receive the same protection from the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978.

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Seeking Captain/Educator for Schooner Amistad

Posted on by January 8, 2017


Photo: Sean D. Elliot/The Day

Almost exactly a year ago, we posted, The Return of the Schooner Amistad, about the efforts of the non-profit, Discovering Amistad, to return the schooner to operation.  Discovering Amistad has recently announced that it is searching for a Captain/Educator for the  replica of the historic schooner. Tony Arrow posted the following on Facebook:  

Discovering Amistad is a new nonprofit educational organization that will provide full-year programming on its tall ship, the Amistad, in classrooms and at historic sites of partner organizations. It will enable children and adults in Connecticut and the region to discover the story of the Amistad and its impact on Connecticut and the nation. Importantly, the organization will provide learning opportunities for children and adults to discover the relevance of the Amistad to today’s world.

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Mark Knopfler — So Far from the Clyde

Posted on by January 7, 2017

Not many lead singers from an 80’s rock and roll band could write a compelling song about ship scrapping, but then Mark Knopfler is not just any singer/songwriter. Knopfler was born in Glasgow, Scotland on the River Clyde, which was once a major shipbuilding center. In the early 1900s, a fifth of all ships in the world were built on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow.  There are not many Clyde-built ships left. Most ended up in scrap yards, so far from the Clyde. Mark Knopfler singing “So Far from the Clyde” in a video by Alec Beaton.

Mark Knopfler — So Far from the Clyde
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