Gold & the Wreck of the Russian Cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi — Real or Hype?

Posted on by August 21, 2018

Salvors have announced the discovery of the wreck of the Russian armored cruiser, Dmitrii Donskoi, which was scuttled in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War following the Battle of Tsushima. The wreck was found in 1,400 feet of water about one mile off the South Korean island of Ulleungdo. The salvors also claimed that the ship may contain 200 tons of gold, which would be worth around $133.4 billion (£102bn) in today’s prices.  Allegedly, the Dmitrii Donskoi, which was designed as a commerce raider, was carrying the entire supply of gold for the Russian Second Pacific Squadron.

There appears to be little doubt that the Seoul-based maritime salvage company Shinil Group has found the wreck of the Dmitrii Donskoi, based on photos and video. A diver in one of the submersibles picked out the name in Cyrillic characters on its stern. But, is there really a vast cache of gold aboard? That is the really interesting question. What evidence is there that the Imperial Russian Navy saw fit to put 200 tonnes of gold aboard a lightly armored commerce raider? 

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Hawaiian Tour Boat “Hot Spot” Hit by Lava Bomb, Injuring 23

Posted on by July 18, 2018

On Monday, the name “Hot Spot“ proved dangerously prophetic for a tour boat operating in waters off the coast of Kapoho on the Big Island of Hawaii.  The tour boat was carrying about 49 passengers at around 6 AM, observing the flow of lava into the sea from the Kilauea volcano, when the boat was struck by a lava explosion.

A basketball-sized “lava bomb” hit the roof of the tour boat, injuring at least 23 passengers. One woman who suffered a broken femur was later airlifted to the Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu for emergency treatment. The boat named “Hot Spot” returned to Wailoa Harbor in Hilo with the injured passengers. Four passengers, including the woman who was later airlifted to Oahu, were taken by ambulance to the Hilo Medical Center.

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Race to Save Albania’s Shipwrecks for Preservation and Profit

Posted on by July 17, 2018

Can Albania both protect and profit from the veritable treasure trove of shipwrecks, ancient and modern, which lie off its coast?  Along a 220 stretch of the Ionian coast, there are dozens of wrecks dating from the 6th century B.C. through World War II. The Albania National Coastline Agency thinks that there is the potential to make underwater archeology part of the tourism industry. The immediate concern, however, is whether they have the resources to chart and protect the largely undocumented wrecks before they are stripped by looters. Some looting has already begun. Amphorae from the wrecks are not infrequently seen decorating restaurants along the Albanian coastline.

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Massive Iceberg Threatens Greenland Village

Posted on by July 15, 2018

A 300 foot high, 11-million-ton iceberg is threatening the tiny Greenland village of Innaarsuit. The massive iceberg has grounded just off the coast. The concern is that if the iceberg should calve, the plunging ice could create a tsunami-like wave that could inundate the village of 170. Those living closest to shore have been evacuated to higher ground. The village’s power station and fuel tanks, however, are also located close to the shore.

The Guardian quotes William Colgan, a Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland researcher — “Iceberg production in Greenland has been increasing in the past 100 years as climate change has become stronger,” he said, while the rising number of icebergs were in turn “increasing the tsunami hazards”.

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Graving Dock Flooding Damages USNS Miguel Keith at General Dynamics NASSCO

Posted on by July 14, 2018

Oops. Last Wednesday, the graving dock at the General Dynamics NASSCO yard in San Diego, CA flooded after the dock gate at least partially collapsed. The ship under construction in the graving dock, the USNS Miguel Keith, floated off the docking blocks while also flooding the ship through cuts in its hull. No one was injured and there is no estimate of damage to the ship which was expected to be delivered in August of 2019.

A graving dock is a type of drydock built as a narrow basin closed by gates or by a caisson, into which a vessel may be floated and the water pumped out, leaving the vessel supported on blocks.  The graving dock at the NASSCO yard is the 1,000-foot long and 174-foot wide.

The USNS Miguel Keith is the third Expeditionary Sea Base built for the US Navy. The two Navy Expeditionary Sea Bases now in service are the USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB 3) and the Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4). 

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HMS Victory’s Fore Topsail From Trafalgar to be Unfurled at Portsmouth

Posted on by July 12, 2018

On July 21, the fore topsail set on HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar of 1805 will go on display in all its perforated glory. The sail has 90 shot holes and will be displayed for a limited time over the summer at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The sail’s area is 3,618 feet, equivalent to the size of two tennis courts.

Matthew Sheldon, Director of Heritage at the NMRN, said: ‘HMS Victory, Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar are key to our history. The sail is an amazing object, scarred by battle and, like HMS Victory herself, a proud survivor of an iconic battle. ‘But it is also a vast handmade object from Georgian times that required great skill and knowledge to create. Seeing it is a real treat.’

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Orcas of the Salish Sea are Dying

Posted on by July 12, 2018

The resident orcas of the Salish Sea are dying. They now number only 75, a 30-year-low. They are being starved as their primary prey, the Chinook, or king salmon, are dying off. They are also being poisoned by pollutants in their waters and hurt by noise pollution from ships and boats. For the last three years, not one calf has been born to the three orca pods in the Salish Sea  They have been listed as endangered in both the U.S. and Canada since 2005, but little has been done to reverse their steady decline.

There are three distinct groups of orcas, also known as killer whales, on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Two groups of orcas referred to as residents, eat almost exclusively fish and return to the same areas immediately along the coast year after year. They are divided into Northern and Southern groups.

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Viking Ship Draken Harald Hårfagre — East Coast Tour 2018 Underway

Posted on by July 11, 2018

The Draken Harald Hårfagre, the largest Viking longship built in modern times, has begun its summer tour of the East Coast of the United States.  After departing from Mystic Seaport on July 9th, it is now bound for Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Only the first three ports of call have been announced as follows:

  • Boothbay Harbor, ME — July 13-15
  • Plymouth, MA — July 17-20
  • Rockland, ME — July 22-25

An additional eleven port calls will be announced. Draken Harald Hårfagre will be returning to Mystic Seaport in October. 

Politician Campaigning by Yacht Rescued by Coast Guard

Posted on by July 10, 2018

At one point in her long and storied career, the 1885 built, 131-foot schooner yacht Coronet was owned by a rather dodgy religious group which called itself “The Kingdom.” The group was led by Frank Sandford who circumnavigated the globe on the yacht in 1905. What was odd about the voyage was that no one ever went ashore. Instead, Sanford claimed to “subdue the world for Christ” through prayer and by sounding brass instruments as they passed by the various continents. He was not notably successful and on a subsequent voyage, several of his crew died of scurvy. The Coronet, however, has survived and is now being restored by the IYRS School of Technology and Trades in Newport, Rhode Island.  

A recent event not too far from Newport reminded me of the story of the Coronet and the sounding of brass offshore.  Joe Trillo, an ex-Republican state legislator is running for governor as an independent in Rhode Island this year. His campaign style is almost as unusual as Frank Sandford’s on the Coronet. He is campaigning by yacht and had rather a rocky weekend. 

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Heritage Wins Honors in Maine’s 42nd Annual Great Schooner Race

Posted on by July 9, 2018

Photo: Maine Windjammer Association

On July 6th, 11 schooners raced from Gilkey Harbor in Islesboro, Maine on Penobscot Bay to the finish line at the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse in the 42nd Annual Great Schooner Race, sponsored by the Maine Windjammer Association.  The race honors, as reported by Village Soup–Knox, went to:
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Trump Cancels Protection of Whales and Sea Turtles Proposed by Fishing Industry

Posted on by July 8, 2018

The Trump administration announced that it would cancel a rule designed to protect whales and turtles, which was first implemented in 2016, at the request of the fishing industry. The rule helped limit the number of endangered whales and turtles ensnared in fishing nets and had been recommended by the 14-member Pacific Fishery Management Council, which manages fisheries in California, Oregon, and Washington, in 2015. The rule applies only to the 20 gill-net fishing vessels still operating on the West Coast. The measure protected endangered fin, humpback, and sperm whales; short-finned pilot whales and common bottlenose dolphins; as well as endangered leatherback sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, olive ridley sea turtles and green sea turtles. The Trump administration has declared that the protection is unnecessary. 

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Spanish Divers Find Wreck of World War II Submarine U-966

Posted on by July 7, 2018

In June, three Spanish divers located the wreck of the German World War II submarine U-966 near the coast of Galicia in north-west Spain. The BBC reports that the submarine’s wreckage is spread widely in a very rocky area where rough weather often makes diving impossible. The debris was photographed at a depth of 24-26m (79-85ft). One of the divers, naval historian Yago Abilleira, said they had found the wreckage near Estaca de Bares. They are not revealing the exact location, as it is a war grave.

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The Monkey Fist’s Nasty Cousin — the Slungshot

Posted on by July 7, 2018

I recently learned the slungshot, not to be confused with a slingshot. The slungshot is a monkey’s fist’s nasty cousin.

As most are probably aware, a monkey’s fist is a knot, shaped like a ball (or a fist), used to provide weight to the end of a heaving line. Typically one end of a moderately heavy line is tied into a monkey’s fist while the other end is finished in an eye splice. The monkey fist knot is often tied around a stone or a piece of lead or iron to give it additional weight. A light heaving line is tied to the eye splice and the monkey’s fist is thrown from a ship or boat to a line handler on the dock as the ship or boat is approaching. The heaving line is then attached to a heavier hawser. 

A monkey’s fist is a practical, as well as an attractive bit of marlinspike seamanship. These days, they often appear as decorative knots on keychains and jewelry.

But then what is a slungshot?  Continue reading →

SS Great Britain Returns to Bristol, 48 Years Ago Today

Posted on by July 5, 2018

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Forty-eight years ago today, 100,000 people who lined the banks of the River Avon in Bristol as the SS Great Britain returned to her birthplace. In the intervening years, the rusting hulk has been meticulously restored to her former glory and now rests in the drydock where she was built. As a museum ship, she is visited by between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors annually.  For Throw-Back-Thursday, here is an updated post from 2016 about the grand old ship, followed by a video about her return to Bristol in 1970.

In the spring of 2016, I visited the museum ship SS Great Britain, in Bristol, UK.  When she was launched in 1843, the iron-hulled luxury passenger steamship SS Great Britain was described as “the greatest experiment since the Creation.”

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