Vintage Yacht Dorade Wins Transpac Again, 77 Years After First Transpac Victory!

Posted on by July 23, 2013

vsbr2012-day5-3421Modern sailing racing yachts tend to have plumb bows and broad flat sterns. The Transpacific Yacht Race, a 2,225 nautical miles race from Los Angelos to Honolulu, Hawaii, has been dominated for several decades by these lightweight, high speed, sailing “sleds.” Remarkably, almost unbelievably, this year’s Transpac was won not by a modern speedster, but by Dorade, a yacht designed by Olin Stephens II in 1929 and delivered in 1930. This is actually the second time that the Dorade has won the Transpac. It last won in 1939, seventy seven years ago.

Compared to modern boats, Dorade appears to be a beautiful anachronism. With a yawl rig, graceful overhangs, a narrow beam, and built of wood, she seems an artifact of a more graceful time. Nevertheless, she beat her closest competitor, Roy Disney’s Pyewacket, to Hawaii by just over two and a half hours.

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Odyssey Retrieves Additional 61 Tons of Silver from SS Gairsoppa, Three Miles Deep

Posted on by July 23, 2013

Almost exactly a year ago, we posted that Odyssey Marine Exploration had recovered approximately 48 tons of silver  from the wreck of the SS Gairsoppa, a 412-foot British cargo ship which was torpedoed in February of 1941 by a German U-boat.   The wreck lies almost three miles below the surface and is one of the most valuable and  deepest ship wrecks ever salvaged.  Odyssey has recently announced that they have now recovered an additional 61 tons of silver bullion from the shipwreck.

Odyssey Recovers 1.8 Million Ounces of Silver From Shipwreck Three Miles Deep

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The Charles W. Morgan and the Synchrolift

Posted on by July 22, 2013
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Charles W. Morgan on the Synchrolift Photo: Mystic Seaport Museum

The Synchrolift is a wonderful invention. It is a shiplift and transfer system which according to Rolls Royce, the Synchrolift firm’s owner, is “used to increase efficiency and reduce drying-docking times at many of the world’s leading shipyards.”  Mystic Seaport Museum has a Synchrolift of its very own, the Hays and Ros Clark Shiplift, which was used yesterday to launch the whale ship, Charles W. Morgan, after its five year restoration.

For all its other virtues, a Synchrolift does not make for an exciting launch. After the Morgan was christened by Sarah Bullard, Saturday, it took another twenty minutes for the shiplift to slowly lower the ship into the Mystic River.  Then again, slow and careful is probably not a bad idea when handling a 172 year old ship.

For those who missed the launching, the music, ceremony speeches and slow lowering of the mighty ship is available on-line :  CHARLES W. MORGAN Launch

Fighting Whaling in Court and in Port as Iceland Resumes Fin Whale Hunting

Posted on by July 22, 2013

After a two year suspension, Iceland has resumed hunting endangered fin whales.  Photographs taken by undercover Greenpeace activists show a harpooned fin whale being cut up for meat, likely to be exported to Japan.  Meanwhile, environmentalists are fighting whaling in the courts and the world’s ports.

Greenpeace Whaling Action, Hamburg

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Somali Pirates on Facebook? UN Complains of Pirates on Social Media

Posted on by July 21, 2013

Are Somali pirates and their affiliates using Facebook to organize and support ship hijackings?  Experts at the United Nations say that this is the case and complain that Facebook has been ignoring their requests for information on Facebook accounts belonging to individuals involved in hijackings and hostage-taking.

UN report slams Facebook for ignoring requests for information about suspect Somali pirates using the site

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1841 Whaleship Charles W. Morgan Launching July 21st – Watch it Live on Webcam!

Posted on by July 20, 2013

Charles-W.-Morgan4After a five year restoration, the 1841 built whaleship Charles W. Morgan is returning to the water at the Mystic Seaport Museum, tomorrow at 2 PM. The museum has set up a live web cam for those of us who can’t make it to Mystic, Connecticut to see the launch in person.  Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ric Burns will deliver the keynote address at the public ceremony, at which point the ship will be lowered into the Mystic River. Once launched, museum shipwrights will complete the restoration with the vessel in the water in preparation for her ceremonial 38th Voyage to historic ports of New England in 2014.

Click here to go to the live webcam – WATCH THE LAUNCH LIVE

Five Guilty in Costa Concordia Sinking; Captain Schettino’s Trial Continues

Posted on by July 20, 2013

An Italian court has convicted five people of manslaughter related to the sinking of the cruise ship Costa Concordia in January 2012, which killed 32 passengers and crew.  Each of the five agreed to plea bargains and none may serving jail time.  Captain Schettino is being tried separately. His trial is ongoing.

Five guilty in Costa Concordia trial

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SeaWorld – Blackfish, Blackstone & the Fight Over a Documentary

Posted on by July 19, 2013
Tilikum Photo: Suzanne Allee/Magnolia Pictures

Tilikum Photo: Suzanne Allee/Magnolia Pictures

In February of 2010, the orca, Tilikum, attacked and drowned senior trainer, Dawn Brancheau, at SeaWorld Orlando.  This was the third human death that Tilikum has been involved in, in captivity.  Ironically, even though orcas are best know as “killer whales,” there has never been a recorded killing of a human by an orca in the wild.  Sadly, the same cannot be said of orcas in captivity.

Blackfish, a new documentary, which opens today, “tells the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity. Along the way, director-producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite compiles shocking footage and emotional interviews to explore the creature’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity, the lives and losses of the trainers and the pressures brought to bear by the multi-billion dollar sea-park industry.”

Blackfish Official Trailer

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The Mystery of North Korea’s Chong Chon Gang – Smuggling What, to Where, and Why?

Posted on by July 17, 2013

CHONG_CHONGANGThe story is dramatic. The North Korean 14,000 dwt bulk carrier Chong Chon Gang was stopped by the Panama Canal Authority. A container, believed to carry undeclared military weapons was found hidden in a cargo of bagged sugar. The Korean crew of the ship allegedly violently resisted the Panamanian searchers. The captain of the Korean ship was reported to have attempted suicide when the ship was boarded.

Initially, this story sounds reasonably predictable. North Korea has been caught repeatedly smuggling arms and narcotics in recent years. The case of the Chong Chon Gang, however, quickly get strange. The ship, when arrested, had not come from North Korea, but from Cuba, and the military equipment found aboard was odd. As reported by the New York Times, “Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying the cargo stashed in the vessel, the Chong Chon Gang, consisted of “240 metric tons of obsolete defensive weapons” bound for North Korea, where it was to be repaired and then sent back to Cuba.” They described the equipment as ““two anti-aircraft missile complexes Volga and Pechora, nine missiles in parts and spares, two Mig-21 Bis and 15 motors for this type of airplane, all of it manufactured in the mid-twentieth century”.

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Sixth Annual City of Water Day in New York Harbor – Saturday July 20th

Posted on by July 16, 2013

This weekend, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance City of Water Day will be sponsoring celebrations and activities all around the harbor.  Festivities will be held at Governor’s Island, New York and in Liberty State Park on the New Jersey side as well at 25 other locations throughout the harbor.

City of Water Day 2013 – Join the Fun!

Check out some of what is going on:
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Hoboken’s Loss is Brooklyn’s Gain as Historic Ferry Yankee Crosses New York Harbor to Red Hook

Posted on by July 15, 2013
Well-wishers bid farewell to the Yankee Ferry as it's tugged from Pier 12 toward Red Hook, Brookyln Photo: Hoboken Patch

Well-wishers bid farewell to the Yankee Ferry as it’s tugged from Pier 12 toward Red Hook, Brookyln Photo: Hoboken Patch

About two years, ago we posted about two historic vessels in New York harbor, the ferry Yankee and the tanker Mary Whalen.  In the space of two days, two different real estate and design publications featured articles about the grand old vessels, prompting us to ask “Are Historic Ships Getting Trendy in the Big Apple?”

We may have been overly optimistic.  As it turns out both historic ships have had their share of real estate issues.  The ferry Yankee was recently evicted from a berth in Hoboken and the tanker Mary A. Whalen has been looking for a suitable home for some time now. Fortunately for both ships, and for ship lovers in New York and environs, it looks just possible that both vessels may find a home on the other side of the harbor from Hoboken in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Hoboken’s Loss is Brooklyn’s Gain – the Ferry Yankee Crosses the Harbor

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Sidonie’s Message in a Bottle Returns Home

Posted on by July 14, 2013
bottle12n-7-web

Photo:XIMENA DE LA CAMARA

More than a decade ago, Sidonie Fery, a ten year old girl living in Manhattan, threw a message in a bottle into Long Island Sound. The message was a line from her favorite move – “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” which read ” “Be excellent to yourself, Dude!”  It also included the girl’s family phone number. In April 2010, Sidonie died tragically in a fall in Switzerland.  In December of last year, the bottle was found by a group cleaning up debris left by Hurricane Sandy. The bottle was recently returned to Sidonie’s mother, Mimi Fery.

This Saturday, a plaque was placed on a rock near the bridge at Patchogue Long Island Beach Club, where the bottle was discovered. 

Plaque marks where Sandy message in a bottle found 

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Darwin, Australia’s Beer Can Regatta

Posted on by July 13, 2013

Last week, the Lion’s Club of Darwin, Australia held their 40th Annual Beer Can Regatta. The regatta raises funds for local charities through a fun event which is described as “uniquely Territorian in character and spirit.”  Apparently nothing says Darwin, Australia like bear and boats. Sounds like a great place to me.  As reported by the BBC: Now in its 40th year, the regatta has grown to include more than 65 beer can boats. Some are made from more than 1,500 empty cans, some range 12m in length and some come from countries as far as Canada and Belgium.  For those who do not know how to build a beer can boat, the Darwin Lion’s Beer Regatta Association has its own “Canstructors Guide to Canstructing a Can Boat.”  Some race competitors are on permanent display at The Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.   Some of the competitors from last year:

Beer Can Regatta

Sharknado Frenzy Engulfs Social Media – What is it About Bad Shark Horror Movies?

Posted on by July 12, 2013

sharknadoposterYou probably didn’t see “Sharknado,”  a made-for-cable movie on the SyFy channel last night.  I didn’t either and we should probably consider ourselves fortunate to have missed it. Or maybe not.  It has been hard to ignore, however, as a “Sharknado” frenzy erupted on social media, particularly Twitter.   According to Alexander Abad-Santos writing in Atlantic Wire, the number of mentions the movie received on Twitter rivaled those of the presidential debates last year.  According to Amar Toor, writing in the Verge blog, “At its peak, the film was generating more than 5,000 tweets per minute,….undoubtedly impressive for a low-budget cable movie about airborne killer sharks.”  It was also huge on Google Trends, rocketing to the #2 spot.  The movie itself apparently only attracted between 1 and 2 million viewers.  Nevertheless, it made quite a splash on the internet.

‘Sharknado’ Was the Only Thing Worth Talking About Last Night

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Engineer from Dutch Wylde Swan Lost in Attempt to Assist Sinking Wyvern

Posted on by July 12, 2013
The “Wyvern” just before it sank, taken by the Swedish helicopter rescue crew. PHOTO: Sjöfartverket

The “Wyvern” just before it sank, taken by the Swedish helicopter rescue crew. PHOTO: Sjöfartverket

In a tragic twist, the engineer from the Dutch topsail schooner Wylde Swan is presumed to have drowned while attempting to assist the sinking Norwegian ketch Wyvern.

When the Wyvern began taking on water while sailing in the Baltic in the Tall Ships Races 2013 from Aarhus to Helsinki, she requested assistance from other vessels in the fleet.   The Dutch topsail schooner Wylde Swan dispatched three crew members including the vessel’s engineer,  Koen van Gogh,  with a bilge pump to Wyvern in hopes of slowing the flooding on the historical ketch.  The ten person crew aboard the Wyvern were successfully rescued but only two of the three crew from the Wylde Swan returned. The engineer,   Koen van Gogh, is presumed to have drowned when the Wyvern sank on Thursday morning.

Historic vessel sinks off Sweden

Wylde Swan engineer tragically lost at sea

Salty Dog 502, X-47B Drone, First to Land on Aircraft Carrier

Posted on by July 11, 2013

A US Navy’s X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System drone, nicknamed Salty Dog 502, successfully landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush at sea.  The Navy press release reads, in part: “Today’s demonstration was the first time a tailless, unmanned autonomous aircraft landed on a modern aircraft carrier…”   The Washington Post commented on the ability of the drone to operate independently of remote pilot control:  While the X-47B still followed a flight path scripted by personnel on the ground, it executed the landing entirely on its own, calculating by itself how fast to approach the ship and precisely when to put its wheels down.   Thanks to Alaric Bond and Irwin Bryan for passing along the news.

X-47B Completes First Carrier-based Arrested Landing

Update: Fore Section of MOL Comfort Also Sinks After Fire and Attempted Tow

Posted on by July 11, 2013
molcomfortfire

Photo: Vesselfinder.com

Following an out of control fire, the forward section of the container ship MOL Comfort  finally sank yesterday. The ship had broken in half twenty four days ago on June 17th in the Arabian Sea, bound from Singapore to Jeddah, loaded with 4,500 containers. Initially both sections of the ship remained afloat, until on June 27, the stern section sank while under tow.

An attempt was made to salvage the forward section as well, but a fire broke out in the cargo over the weekend while under tow. Following attempts to get the fire under control, the forward portion of the ship sank in the Indian Ocean near 19’56″N 65’25″E at 19:00 on July 10 UTC in approximately 3,000 meters of water.  Approximately 1,600 metric tons of fuel oil and other oils were estimated to be in the tanks of the fore section of the ship when it sank.  Thanks to Anton for the heads up.

MOL COMFORT UPDATE: Fore part Sank after Fire onboard

Gaff Ketch Wyvern Sinks in Tall Ship Race from Aarhus to Helsinki

Posted on by July 11, 2013

News006v3The gaff ketch Wyvern sank this morning while sailing in the Baltic as a Class B vessel in the Tall Ships Races 2013 from Aarhus to Helsinki.  According to Sail Training International:  She began taking on water earlier today at the centre of the southern tip of Öland and Hoburgen, Gotland’s southern tip. The crew of ten were all air-lifted and are safe ashore at Kalmar airport.

Wyvern was a 60′ yacht built by Colin Archer in 1897. After a long and varied career, the yacht was restored and  given to the Stavanger Maritime Museum in Norway in 1984.  She sailed in many national and international regattas and and has won both her own class and overall in regatta legs in The Tall Ships’ Races. She participated in the Cutty Sark Tall Ships’ Race six times.

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Groups from Mare Island and Port Royal Still Trying to Save USS Olympia

Posted on by July 10, 2013

Two groups on opposite coasts of the United States are frantically working to save the 1895 built, SS Olympia, Admiral Dewey’s flagship in the Battle of Manila Bay and the last, just barely, surviving war ship from the Spanish-American War. The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation in Vallejo, California and the South Carolina Olympia Committee in Port Royal, South Carolina are the two remaining groups from a set of five cities and six organizations that had applied two years ago to take ownership of the Olympia.  The two groups are now working together to save the historic ship, but time is running out and funds are short.

In February of 2010, the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia announced that it could not afford to keep the historic SS Olympia.  The ship has not been drydocked since 1945 and is, not surprisingly, in terrible shape.  There was even talk of sinking her as an artificial reef, but that possibility was precluded by the estimated $10 million cost to dredge the berth around the old ship in order to move her from the dock in the Delaware River.  Fortunately the scandal plagued museum lacked the money to even sink the ship.

Group trying to land USS Olympia running low on time

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