Update: Hvaldimir, Beluga “Spy” Whale Returns to Waters Near Oslo

Posted on by May 25, 2023

In 2019, we posted about fishermen off the coast of Norway who encountered a beluga whale wearing a harness that read “Equipment of St. Petersburg. Researchers think the beluga may be a Russian spy in training.

There was speculation that the harness-wearing beluga was part of Russian spycraft gone wrong. The harness was believed to be designed for some sort of camera or possibly a weapon. 

Subsequently, the whale “defected” to Norway, apparently preferring to stay in Norwegian waters than return to Russia. For some time, the whale interacted with boaters around Hammerfest Harbor in Norway, before swimming off to feed along the Norwegian coast.

The Norwegian press has nicknamed the whale Hvaldimir, a pun on the Norwegian hval (whale) and Vladimir Putin.

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The Story of the Bark Kathleen, Sunk by a Whale, Carved on a Sperm Whale Jawbone

Posted on by May 23, 2023

It took Mr. Tonkin 30 years, on and off, to finish carving the sperm whale jaw bone.(Supplied: Albany’s Historic Whaling Station)

We are all familiar with Melville’s novel, Moby Dick, inspired, at least in part, by the ramming and sinking of the whaleship Essex by a rogue sperm whale in the Pacific in 1820.  Less well-known is the sinking by a whale of the bark Kathleen.

ABC News Australia reports that for 30 years, Gary Tonkin, 74, a scrimshander from Albany, on the south coast of Western Australia, has worked carving a sperm whale’s jawbone and teeth to tell the tale of the Kathleen. His intricate engravings recount the story of the ill-fated whaling ship sunk by a sperm whale in the Atlantic in 1902.

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On National Maritime Day, Remembering the SS Savannah

Posted on by May 22, 2023

An updated repost on National Maritime Day. In 1933, the US Congress created National Maritime Day to recognize the maritime industry in the United States. The date chosen to celebrate the new holiday was May 22, in honor of the day that the auxiliary packet ship Savannah sailed from its namesake city in 1819. The Savannah is credited as the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.  

Bragging rights notwithstanding, if one is to be honest about the history, Savannah was neither a proper steamship nor did she actually cross the Atlantic primarily under steam.

She was built as a sailing packet ship for Captain Moses Rogers, and while she did have a 90 HP steam engine installed, which drove twin paddle wheels, she didn’t carry enough fuel to make the passage under steam power. On her first and only voyage under steam in 1819, the Savannah used her engine eastbound across the Atlantic for 80 hours in a voyage of 29 days and 11 hours. On the westbound voyage, which lasted 40 days, she did not use her engines at all. 

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HMS Prince of Wales Crippled by Misaligned Propeller Shaft

Posted on by May 21, 2023

We now have the answer why the  Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, broke down off the Isle of Wight, in late August 2022.  The external shaft coupling on the starboard propeller shaft failed, resulting in serious damage to the shaft and the propeller, and lesser damage to the rudder. 

But why did the shaft coupling fail?  As we noted in a previous post, the failure of a propeller shaft coupling is extremely rare. The First Sea Lord described the failure as “unprecedented.” Indeed, few marine engineers can remember an instance of this happening.

It turns out that the underlying problem was not the coupling but a misaligned propeller shaft. Continue reading →

Bark Europa Falls Over in Cape Town Drydock

Posted on by May 20, 2023

The 112-year-old steel-hulled bark Europa slipped on her side while attempting to be placed back into the water from a drydock at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday morning. One crew member was injured, but is reported to be in stable condition and receiving appropriate medical care.

The extent of the damage to the ship is being assessed, and currently, no determination has been made as to the exact timeline for resuming sailing operations. The accident comes less than a month before the vessel was scheduled to embark on a 53-day sail training voyage to the Portuguese island city of Horta in the Azores, on June 13th.

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More Attacks on Sailboats — Did the Gladis Orca Trio Strike Again?

Posted on by May 19, 2023

Orca attacks on sailboats off the Strait of Gibraltar and the Iberian Peninsula continue.

Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell from Cambridge told The Sunday Times that on May 2, on the second day of training for their week-long sailing course off the coast of Morocco, they were attacked by a pod of orcas that bumped the hull and damaged the rudder and steering system of the 46-foot Bavaria yacht. Fortunately, no one was injured and the boat returned to port safely.

The Maritime Executive reports about a similar attack in early March. The crew of the sailboat Larios made a distress call and reported that their vessel was disabled off Cape Spartel, Morocco. They had come into contact with three orcas and had lost their rudder. Salvamar Maritimo dispatched the rescue boat Salvamar Arcturus from the port of Tarifa to give them assistance, and the Arcturus towed them all the way to Barbate for repairs.

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Project NEPTUNE 100 — Researcher Spending 100 Days Underwater at the Jules Undersea Lodge

Posted on by May 18, 2023

The Jules Undersea Lodge is the only underwater hotel in the United States. Located 30 feet (9 m) deep at the bottom of the Emerald Lagoo in Key Largo, Florida, guests have to scuba dive to get to their rooms. The hotel’s name comes from the novelist Jules Verne, author of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Scuba certification is required for entrance as the front door is located 21 feet (6.4 m) under water.

Jules’ Undersea Lodge was formerly the La Chalupa Research Laboratory, an undersea marine lab operated off Puerto Rico in the 1970s.

While most guests at the hotel spend a night or two, on March 1, 2023, Dr. Joe Dituri, Ph.D. checked in with the intention of staying 100 days as part of Project NEPTUNE 100, an undersea mission to support marine research and conservation. After more than 75 days in the two-bedroom lodge, Dituri, a hyperbaric medicine researcher and diving explorer, who goes by the moniker “Dr. Deep Sea,” has already broken the record of 73 days for the longest time living underwater without depressurization. If all goes according to plan, Dituri will continue his underwater residency until June 9th.

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Titanic — Digitally Reconstructed 3D View of Wreck Seen For First Time

Posted on by May 17, 2023

The BBC is reporting that the first full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic, has been completed using deep-sea mapping, providing a unique 3D view of the entire ship.

“There are still questions, basic questions, that need to be answered about the ship,” Parks Stephenson, a Titanic analyst, told BBC News.
 
He said the model was “one of the first major steps to driving the Titanic story towards evidence-based research – and not speculation.”

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Repost: Sailors’ Tattoos on Mother’s Day

Posted on by May 14, 2023

An updated repost appropriate for Mother’s Day.

Sailors choose their tattoos for various reasons. Among the most popular sailor tattoos are anchors, hearts, and swallows.  Not infrequently, “Mom” also made an appearance as a reminder of loved ones and home.  On Mother’s Day, it seems worthwhile to look at sailors’ tattoos that reminded them of “Mom.”

Remy Melina, in the Live Science blog, writes about the popularity of “I Love Mom” tattoos:  The “I Love Mom” tattoo first became popular during World War II. As they traveled around the world, U.S. Navy sailors got tattoos to document their achievements and memories. Tattoo parlors began to pop up near military bases and patriotic tattoos came into vogue, according to John Gray’s book “I Love Mom: An Irreverent History of the Tattoo.” Continue reading →

De Tukker, Ecoclipper’s First Ship Sets Sail in Emission-Free Short-Sea Liner Service

Posted on by May 12, 2023

Ecoclipper has announced that with the maiden voyage of the recently refitted De Tukke, their emission-free short-sea Western European liner service has begun.

From their press release: De Tukker, the first ship operated by the sail cargo company Ecoclipper, has set sail. Leaving Amsterdam carrying chocolate, 5 crew members, and 5 trainees, De Tukker is headed for Porto where she is expected to arrive around May 13th and take on a cargo of wine and olive oil. This is the first voyage on a sailing schedule which will see the ship sail on a regular route across North and West Europe.

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Will Historic Schooner Victory Chimes Become a Floating Restaurant?

Posted on by May 11, 2023

The three-masted, gaff-rigged Chesapeake ram schooner Victory Chimes was recently sold at auction to Miles and Alex Pincus, who currently own two restaurants aboard historic schooners in New York harbor, as well as several shore-based establishments. 

While it had been hoped by many that a buyer could be found to continue operating the Victory Chimes in passenger service, it appears likely that the schooner will be converted into a bar and restaurant.

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Navy Takes Down Private Webcams in San Diego That Livestreamed “Warship Chicken”

Posted on by May 10, 2023

In late November of last year, the guided-missile destroyer, USS Momsen, and the dock-landing ship, USS Harpers Ferry, were moving in opposite directions in San Diego Bay when they came close to colliding. The two ships came within 35 yards of each other but were able to avert disaster through some last-minute maneuvering.

The near collision was captured on San Diego Web Cam and spread across social media. The incident became known as “Warship Chicken.”

Now, the Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has ordered the cameras that recorded the near collision to be taken down. 

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HMS Diamond Serves as Royal Guardship For King Charles III’s Coronation

Posted on by May 6, 2023

HMS Diamond, a Type 45 Royal Navy air-defense destroyer, docked on the River Thames in Greenwich, served as the Royal Guardship during the coronation of King Charles III earlier today. While the purpose of the guard ship is to help protect the king during his coronation, the Diamond is also hosting a series of VIP cocktail parties and performances by the Royal Marines band.

Naval chiefs say the destroyer will be ready for action “at the flick of a switch”. Equipped with the cutting-edge Sea Viper missile system, which includes the Sampson radar and the Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, the ship can effectively identify, track, and neutralize a wide range of aerial threats, including enemy aircraft, drones, and missiles.

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The Man from Dildo and the Dildo Iceberg

Posted on by May 5, 2023

Recently, Ken Pretty, a photographer from the village of Dildo, in Newfoundland, Canada, caught some remarkable drone footage of a 30′ high dildo-shaped iceberg off the coast of Harbour Grace in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. The photographs and video of the phallic-shaped berg, referred to as “dickie berg,” by the locals, quickly went viral after Pretty posted them to social media.

Live Science noted however that the iceberg lacked staying power: Pretty photographed the 30-foot (9.1 meter) phallic structure on Thursday, April 27. It collapsed the next day. 

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Sea Change & MF Hydra — First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Ferries

Posted on by May 4, 2023

MF Hydra

Two new ferries, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, have or will soon enter service. In Norway, the MF Hydra, the first liquid hydrogen fuel cell powered ferry entered regular service at the end of March. MF Hydra sails on the triangular route between Hjelmeland-Skipavik-Nesvik in Norway.

The 82.4-meter-long (270′) MF Hydra can carry up to 300 passengers and 80 vehicles. It has a speed of 9 knots powered by its two 200 kW fuel cells, two 440 kW generators, and two Shottel thrusters. The ferry is equipped with an 80 cbm tank for hydrogen storage and is expected to reduce its annual carbon emissions by up to 95%.

In California, the 70-foot (21-meter), 75-passenger hydrogen fuel cell powered ferry Sea Change is expected to begin carrying passengers along San Francisco’s waterfront this summer.  The aluminum catamaran, designed by Incat Crowther, has a top speed of 15 knots and will be powered by compressed hydrogen feeding three independent 120 kW fuel cells. The Sea Change will have enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for up to two days of normal operation.

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MV Glenachulish, the Last Manually-Operated Turntable Ferry

Posted on by May 3, 2023

I am sorry to say that we missed seeing this intriguing ferry, MV Glenachulish, when we visited Skye last September. (We went “over the sea to Skye” on the more conventional ferry from Mallaig to Armadale.) I had never heard of a turntable ferry before Dick Kooyman was kind enough to pass this short video from the BBC of the world’s last manually-operated turntable ferry. 

Its unique design allows it to navigate the challenging tidal conditions of the Kylerhea Narrows between the Scottish mainland and the Isle of Skye.  The 550-meter (600-yard) crossing takes five minutes and is the shortest sea crossing to Skye. The ferry runs seven days a week between Easter and October.

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Investigation : Channel Distress Calls Ignored 19 Times Before 2021 Disaster

Posted on by May 1, 2023

A recent investigation reveals that at least 440 people in distress appear to have been abandoned in the weeks before the worst Channel disaster in 30 years.

On November 23, 2021, at around 10PM an inflatable boat with over 30 people aboard, mostly Kurds from Iraq or Iran, tried to cross the Channel from France to the UK. Around midnight the boat began to deflate and sink in the middle of the Channel. The Guardian reports that when the passengers repeatedly made calls to French and UK emergency services, the French told them they were in British waters while the British told them they were in French waters. 

Of those on board the overcrowded boat, 31 are believed to have drowned. Twenty-seven bodies were recovered. Four are still missing. Only two people survived the incident, the worst maritime disaster in the Channel for 30 years. Among the dead were 21 men, seven women, including one who was pregnant, and three adolescents.

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Harry Belafonte and the Port Chicago Disaster & Mutiny

Posted on by April 30, 2023

Harry Belafonte, the multi-talented  American singer, actor, and activist, died last week at the age of 96. Born in Harlem to Jamaican immigrants, he shattered racial boundaries in the 1950s. During his career, Belafonte popularized calypso music with audiences around the world. He also won an Emmy, three Grammys, an Oscar, and a Tony, earning the distinction of being an EGOT winner. His 1956 album Calypso was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. In addition to his accomplishments as a performer, Belafonte was a lifelong activist for civil rights and a supporter of humanitarian causes.

Belafonte also served in the Navy during World War II, dropping out of high school to enlist in 1944. During WWII, the military remained segregated and African Americans were not generally allowed in combat roles. He was assigned to work loading munitions ships in Port Chicago, California, and narrowly missed one of the deadliest stateside explosions of the war.

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Kirsten Neuschäfer Wins 2022 Golden Globe — First Woman to Win a Solo Round the World Race

Posted on by April 28, 2023

Congratulations to Kirsten Neuschäfer, winner of the 2022 Golden Globe Race. After 235 days at sea, the 39-year-old South African sailor crossed the finish line off Les Sables d’Olonne in France at 9pm CEST on Thursday, becoming the first woman to win a solo, round-the-world yacht race.

The race is based on the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race which saw Sir Robin Knox-Johnston become the first person to circumnavigate the globe, sailing solo on his boat Suhaili without stopping.

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Navy Nominates Rear Adm. Yvette Davids to be First Woman to Lead Naval Academy

Posted on by April 27, 2023

The Navy has nominated Rear Adm. Yvette Davids to become the first female superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Unfortunately, her confirmation is being delayed, as are the promotions of over 180 fellow senior military officers, by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R, Alabama), who is blocking promotions as part of his protest against the Pentagon’s new abortion policy. 

Military.com notes that Davids, who became a naval officer in 1989, has commanded the frigate USS Curts, the cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and she was the commander of Carrier Strike Group 11. Her assignment to Curts made her the first Hispanic American woman to command a Navy warship. She was also one of the first Hispanic American women to command a carrier strike group.

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