USNS Comet “The Mother of All Ro-Ros” Available for Donation

Posted on by April 28, 2014

Comet_T-AK-269Would the world’s first purpose-built oceangoing roll-on/roll-off ship make a good museum? The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is offering the USNS Comet  to a qualified public and non-profit organization for use as a memorial, a museum and/or in “other non-commercial enterprises.”

Built at Sun Shipyard, she was delivered in January 1958. The ship has a single stern ramp, which allows wheeled vehicles to drive aboard the ship. Once aboard, internal ramps and watertight doors allowed the vehicles to be stowed in the ship’s holds and tween decks. The ship could also be loaded by conventional cargo gear through deck hatches.  The Comet is the lone ship of her class.  As the first deep sea ro-ro, she is indeed the “Mother of all Ro-Ros.”

The USNS Comet is now in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in Benicia, California.  Any organizations interested in the ship have until July 7, 2014 to submit donation applications to MARAD.  For more information, click here.

Spring Revival at the South Street Seaport Museum on the Street of Ships

Posted on by May 15, 2015
Streer of Ships -- Wavertree, Peking in background Photo: R. Spilman

Streer of Ships — Wavertree, Peking in background Photo: R. Spilman

This Saturday, the South Street Seaport Museum celebrated its Spring Revival with the grand re-opening of Pier 16 and the Street of Ships. The ceremony began with the ringing of the bell on the historic lightship Ambrose built in 1907. The bell that once guided fog-bound ships safely into New York harbor, will, perhaps, also mark the return of the South Street Seaport Museum.

Captain Jonathan Boulware, interim president of the museum, along with the Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer; and District 1 – Council Member, Margaret Chin; and several others, spoke of the importance of the South Street Seaport to New York City and the nation; that the seaport was the “front door to America.”  Boulware  thanked all the museum supporters and the dedicated army of volunteers that have kept the museum running during recent difficult times.  Boulware also announced that the museum will begin a $5.2 million dollar restoration of the square rigged ship Wavertree. 

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The Future of Ship Fuel — Oil, LNG, Water or Wind?

Posted on by April 27, 2014

We have noted before the paradox of ocean shipping — it is simultaneously the most energy efficient means of transportation with the lowest carbon footprint while at the same time, it is a major polluter.  (See our post from back in 2010 — Ocean Transportation – Beautifully Green or Murderously Dirty?)  The problem is fuel. Most ships burn residual fuel which is the lowest cost but very dirty. Dirty fuel makes for dirty ships. Residual fuel, also know as Bunker C, 6 oil and HFO,  is, however, slowly becoming a thing of the past.  Phased restrictions on sulfur levels by IMO, the EPA and various other national regulatory agencies around the world are effectively forcing ship owners to use cleaner and more expensive fuels.

What is the fuel of the future? Is is merely lighter and more expensive oil distillates or something quite different? Continue reading →

Mystery of the Bio-Duck — Antarctic Minke Whale Quackers

Posted on by April 25, 2014

MinkeFor roughly fifty years, scientists have listened to an unidentified sound in the Southern Ocean, which has been described as a sort of mechanical quacking noise.  It has been come to be known as the bio-duck. The bio-duck quack was first detected by sonar operators on Oberon class submarines in the 1960s.  There had been speculation that the sound was from other submarines, from fish or Now new research has revealed that the bio-duck quack is made by the Antarctic minke whale.

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The Sewol Tragedy: Death Toll Rising, Possible Overloading

Posted on by April 24, 2014

Ferry_Sewol_1The death toll in the sinking of the Korean passenger ro-ro ferry Sewol  has risen to 171 with 130 still missing.  The ferry capsized and sank in the Yellow Sea last Wednesday, April 16th, on a voyage from Incheon to the island of Jeju.  Of the 476 passengers and crew aboard, 325 were high school students on a four day field trip.

There have been recent reports that the ferry was overloaded. Overloading has contributed to similar ferry disasters. When the Korean ferry Seohae sank in 1993, with the loss of 292, it had been carrying 362 people — 141 passengers and crew in excess of its rated capacity of 221. At least in terms of passengers, this was not the case on the Sewol’s last voyage. There were 476 passengers and crew aboard, well below its rated capacity of more than 900 passengers and 36 crew.

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Is That Nessie on Apple Maps? Sorry, But No.

Posted on by April 23, 2014

applenessieLast week, stories started appearing on the Internet about a satellite image on Apple maps, of what was described as something large swimming just below the surface in Loch Ness.  Had satellite photography captured an image of the Loch Ness monster?  Were rumors of Nessie’s death premature after all? (See our post from February — Nessie Has Gone Missing!)

The image appears to be about 50 feet long. Gary Campbell, president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, is quoted as saying, “It looks like a boat wake, but the boat is missing. You can see some boats moored at the shore, but there isn’t one here. We’ve shown it to boat experts and they don’t know what it is.

“Whatever this is, it is under the water and heading south, so unless there have been secret submarine trials going on in the loch, the size of the object would make it likely to be Nessie.”

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Earth Day on a Misnamed Planet– First Climate Change Refugees & Planning for Climate Change War

Posted on by April 22, 2014

wg2coverHappy Earth Day! Then again, I have always thought that we lived on a misnamed planet. The word “earth” is a synonym for dirt while 71% of the planet is covered by water.  Perhaps we should be saying Happy Ocean Day!

Whatever you choose to call the planet, it is changing.  In the Carteret
Islands of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific, the 1,500 residents are being forced from their homes by rising sea levels. Some believe the islands will be uninhabitable by 2015.  The island residents are being referred to as the “world’s first climate change refugees.”

Recently the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a series of landmark reports on the current state of consensus science on climate change. As reported by Eric Holthaus on Slate.com: “In a sentence, here’s what they found: On our current path, climate change could pose an irreversible, existential risk to civilization as we know it—but we can still fix it if we decide to work together.”

So bottom line, if we all cooperate in our common self interest, we may find ways to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.  On the other hand, climate change may be just another excuse to slaughter each other.

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Are Passenger Ro-Ros Inherently Unsafe? The Sewol Tragedy & Past Passenger/Ro-Ro Disasters

Posted on by April 24, 2020

140416_2p03_sewolAre passenger ro-ro ferries inherently unsafe?

No one knows why the passenger ro-ro ferry Sewol capsized last Wednesday off the south-west coast of Korea. There are indications that poor crew training and inadequate safety and evacuation procedures may have contributed to the deaths of more than 50 and the likely loss of more than 200 passengers and crew who remain missing.  Why the ship capsized, however, is still an unanswered question.  It is an important question because many similar ferries are operating around the world, carrying thousands of passengers and crew every day. Passenger ro-ro ferries are an extremely efficient means of moving passengers and cargo. Unfortunately, their safety record is disturbing. Continue reading →

An Easter Sailing Video — Are Those My Peeps ?

Posted on by April 20, 2014

peep_chick-with-r-1-authorized-for-publicationRecently the folks at Sailing Scuttlebutt commented that it looked as if the boats in the Stark Raving Mad 2014 Heineken Regatta were being sailed by “peeps,” the ubiquitous, if largely inedible, marshmallow candies, sold in the United States and Canada, that make their appearance in the Spring, particularly around Easter.  Watching the video, I do believe that they are right.  An unexpected downside to matching foul weather-gear.  A lovely video for an Easter Sunday, nevertheless.

Stark Raving Mad Final

Stark Raving Mad Final from Pigeon Vision on Vimeo.

South Street Seaport Spring Revival at Pier 16 on April 26th

Posted on by April 19, 2014
SSMSpringRevival

Click for a larger image

If you are in the New York area on Saturday, April 26th, be sure to stop by the South Street Seaport to celebrate a Spring revival with the grand reopening of Pier 16 and the Street of Ships.

Capt. Jonathan Boulware, Interim President of the South Street Seaport Museum writes:

Please join us on April 26th as we take one in a series of steps to revitalize and grow this important institution: the grand re-opening of Pier 16 and the Street of Ships. A very special bell-ringing ceremony and remarks will be at 2pm, but please join us at any time from 12-5 that day. Board PEKING, PIONEER, W. O. DECKER, and AMBROSE.

Visit the Bowne shops at Water Street. Join Seaport staff, members, and volunteers who for decades have worked to preserve and fortify this special piece of old New York-the Street of Ships: Where New York Begins-and help to celebrate and kick off a season of celebration and preservation of not just maritime New York, but of New York itself. 

See you on the 26th!

COME CELEBRATE SPRING REVIVAL AT PIER 16 ON APRIL 26TH!

Saving the Gloucester Gillnetter Phyllis A.

Posted on by April 18, 2014

The gillnetter Phyllis A., built in 1925, is the oldest fishing vessel in Gloucester, Massachusetts, which calls itself, America’s oldest seaport.  The Phyllis A. Marine Association, Inc.is raising money to promote the history of gillnetting in Gloucester, Massachusetts, through the display and preservation of the historic fishing vessel.  All donations are tax-deductible.

Save Our Historic Boat!

Dead Fin Whale Arrives in New York Harbor on Bow of Container Ship

Posted on by April 16, 2014

dead-whale-njWhale sightings in and around New York harbor are getting less and less unusual. Unfortunately, the most recent sighting was of a dead fin whale caught on the bow of a container ship near Port Elizabeth. A necropsy is being performed to determine if the 60 ton whale was dead or alive when struck by the ship. Fin whales are the second largest whale in the world after the blue whale and are endangered. According to recent studies, up to 30% of all whales found dead have shown evidence of being struck by a ship.

Whale Found Dead on Bow of Ship Examined in New Jersey

South Korean Ferry Tragedy — Close to 300 Missing as Ferry Sewol Sinks

Posted on by April 16, 2014
Photo: AFP

Photo: AFP

What was intended as a four-day field trip to the Korean resort island of Jeju for high school students and their teachers ended in tragedy when the ferry sank off several miles north of Byeongpung Island, on the west coast of Korea. There are reports of 4 known dead and roughly 300 people still missing.

Continue reading →

Blood Moon Eclipse Lights the Sky

Posted on by April 15, 2014

We posted recently about a rare lunar eclipse tetrad, a sequence of four total lunar eclipses, each six months apart.  The first of these total lunar eclipses was last night around 2:30 AM EST. I confess. I didn’t stay up. Fortunately others did and here is a wonderful selection of photos of the eclipse from around the world. During a total eclipse, the moon takes on a red to orange appearance due to Rayleigh scattering (which is also why the sky appears to be blue.) Because of this red tint, a moon in eclipse is often referred to as a “blood moon.”

Dazzling ‘Blood Moon’ Eclipse Lights Up the Sky

From the “Hole-in-the-Wall” to the Bridge Café — Gallus Mag to Hurricane Sandy

Posted on by April 15, 2014
Photo: R. Spilman

Photo: R. Spilman

In March, we posted about “The Captain Rose House of 1773 & Kit Burns Rat Pit of 1870,” at 273 Water Street in Lower Manhattan. In addition to being the third oldest building in Manhattan, the building has a rich history as both the home of a prosperous ship captain and, one hundred years later, as Kit Burn’s notorious ‘Rat Pit.’

Just down the block at 279 Water Street is, or perhaps was, and with luck will soon be again, the oldest bar in New York, the Bridge Café.  First opened in 1794 as a bar and brothel, it was frequented by sailors looking for a drink and a good time, as well as by cutthroat East River pirates. It has been the site of countless fights, robberies and several murders. The building is also said to be haunted.

The Café has been shut down since November 2012 when Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge put the neighborhood under six feet of water. The current owners have been struggling to reopen the historic establishment since then.  As noted by the New York Times last October, reopening a 219-year-old building takes time. Adam Weprin, one of the owners, says “It’s gotten to the point when I tell people, ‘Two more months,’ they say, ‘That’s what you told me two months ago…’ ”

Update: We have just heard that the cafe may reopen in a matter of weeks. Great news!

In the 1850s, the establishment was called “The-Hole-in-the-Wall.” Continue reading →

Burial at Sea in a Bed-Sheet? Really?

Posted on by April 10, 2014
Sail maker Don Lucas at the South Australian Maritime Museum

Sail maker Don Lucas at the South Australian Maritime Museum

As part of a new exhibit, Rough Medicine: Life and Death in the Age of Sail, at the South Australia Maritime Museum, sail maker Don Lucas was asked to sew a shroud for a child, actually a child-sized manikin, fortunately, to represent the preparations for a burial at sea.  In a recent interview he talked about sewing the shroud:

“I did some research on how those shrouds were sewn at the time and I certainly couldn’t find anything,” Don said.  Don believed the task of shroud making would lie in the hands of the ship’s sail maker, being the person most skilled at sewing, but doubted the shrouds would be made of sail canvas.

“When vessels had no other means of propulsion other than sails, one certainly wouldn’t cut a sail into little bits.  From the research we have done, we believe it was most probably a bed sheet.”

A bed sheet? Really? With all due respect, I don’t think so. Continue reading →

Navy LCS Debacle Continues — Slow Motion Shipwreck

Posted on by April 10, 2014

The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Freedom, the first of her namesake class and one of two different LCS designs, was recently deployed to Singapore for ten months in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the ship described by the Navy as a “networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals.”  Unfortunately, USS Freedom broke down three times on its way to Singapore and then spent close to two months of the deployment tied up at the dock for repairs.   

Now, reports are leaking out that Navy officers in the Pacific are, in effect, suggesting that the ship should find a smaller ocean.  Bloomberg is reporting that U.S. Navy officers in the Pacific fleet say the service’s Littoral Combat Ship may lack the speed, range and electronic warfare capabilities needed to operate in Asian waters, according to a congressional audit.  

Continue reading →

Update: Captain Error and Poor Bridge Design Caused Seastreak Wall Street Ferry Collision

Posted on by April 10, 2014

On January 9, 2013, we posted about the Seastreak Wall Street catamaran ferry, which slammed into a loading barge at Pier 11 in New York City’s East River in Lower Manhattan at 12 knots, injuring 80 of the 331 passengers and crew.  The 140 feet long and 30 feet wide ferry was operating on scheduled service from Atlantic Highlands and Conners Highlands in New Jersey to Lower Manhattan.  The National Transportation Saftey Board (NTSB) recently released its findings on the accident, which found that the action was caused the captain losing control of the ferry as it approached the dock, complicated by poor bridge design and lax management over-site of ferry operations.

Continue reading →