Schooner Bluenose II Launched in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Posted on by October 1, 2012

The schooner Bluenose II has been launched in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.  The local news outlets referred to the event as the “relaunching” of the schooner though as the hull was completely replaced and only some portion of the Douglas fir deck was re-used, it is effectively a newly built vessel.  The Bluenose II is a replica of the original Bluenose, a Grand Banks fishing schooner famous for its graceful lines and speed under sail.   See our previous post, The Schooner Bluenose II and the Ax that Never Wears Out

Rebuilt Bluenose II ready to sail after two-year restoration effort

Some are calling her Bluenose 2½. 

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Hemp and Pitch to the Rescue on HMS Victory

Posted on by September 30, 2012

An interesting article on the day after Nelson’s birthday – after using synthetic mastic, a modern caulking material commonly used in yachts,  for the last fifteen year without success, the folks restoring Nelson’s HMS Victory have returned to using hemp oakum and pitch, the caulking technique use when the ship was new.  Apparently the modern caulking materials could not adequately cope with expansion and contraction of the planking and the large spaces between the planks, allowing rainwater to seep through, causing rot in ship’s structure.  In this case, the tried, true and traditional method seems to be the best.  Visitors to HMS Victory will be able to see the ship being caulked just as it was before the Battle of Trafalgar in1805.

Nelson’s HMS Victory gets £50m facelift using a technique used by sailors 300 years ago after modern methods fail

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The Bounty Bound for Galveston?

Posted on by September 29, 2012

The replica of the HMS Bounty built for the 1962 movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando make the port of Galveston, its winter home.  The deal apparently has not been finalized but the Galveston Daily News reports that negotiations are on-going. Thanks to Stacy for passing along the news.

‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ ship could dock at isle

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Herman Melville Died One Hundred Twenty One Years Ago Today

Posted on by September 29, 2012

Herman Melville’s grave

Herman Melville died September 28, 1891.  He was indeed a great American writer, some would argue the great American writer. He was also the greatest failed writer of his day. When he died all of his books had been out of print for more than 30 years. When he died, many commented that they thought that he had been dead for years. The book that would ruin his career was Moby Dick, which we know call his greatest masterpiece.

Melville is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx in New York City.  The grave is distinctive because it features a blank scroll.  It is said that Melville designed the memorial, some say out of bitterness for the way his life’s work as a writer had come to naught.  Whether there is any truth to the story may be unknowable. Nevertheless, every writer understands both the opportunity and the terror of the blank page.

Melville’s grave has become a shrine of sorts for writers.  Many leave pens behind in homage. Some leave all or parts of manuscripts weighted down by rocks or pebbles. The cemetery park rangers say that when the rains come, the sheets of paper soften then melt away until they seem to blend into the stone.

It just so happens that tonight I am in London at the Historical Novel Society Conference, which begins in about an hour  with a cocktail party.  I will be sure to raise a class to Herman Melville and to all writers who daily must face the blank page.

Lloyd’s List Awards “Seafarer of the Year” to the Crew of the Costa Concordia

Posted on by September 28, 2012

The press release says that the Lloyd’s List Global Awards are “a celebration of the best that shipping industry has to offer and the finalists are the innovators and the visionaries. They are the boldest and the brightest. They are shipping’s success stories.”   Unfortunately, one award granted on Wednesday night in London detracted and distracted from the awards in the various categories which were indeed awarded to “shipping’s success stories.”   In what appears to be an understandable attempt to retroactively find heroism in tragedy, the Lloyd’s List 2012 Award for “Seafarer of the Year” was awarded to the crew of the Costa Concordia.  

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Nelson’s Cribbage Board – Jamming a Desk Drawer

Posted on by September 27, 2012

Imagine an antique Victorian desk purchased for £30, that has a stuck drawer.  A determined auctioneer, working on the drawer with a screw driver for around 20 minutes, managed to un-stick it only to find that the object blocking the drawer was a small bone cribbage board with a label on the back that read:  ‘The cribbage board used by Victory Nelson & Admiral Quilliam.‘   The cribbage board had been hidden in the drawer for more than 70 years.  The cribbage board will be auctioned and is expected to attract bids of several thousand pounds.   Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing along the article.

Cribbage board Nelson used before he pegged out at Trafalgar is found in jammed drawer of Victorian desk bought for £30

Historical Novel Society Conference 2012 and Hell Around the Horn Available in Print

Posted on by September 26, 2012

The Internet is an odd place. There are writers who I feel that I know well and consider to be friends, and yet that I have never met in person.  This evening, I will be leaving to attend the Historical Novel Society Conference in London and am looking forward to meeting many of the writers with whom who I have been conversing on-line, in some cases for years, but have never met in the flesh.  I will also be participating in the “Ship’s Ahoy” Workshop with Linda Collison, JD Davies, Helen Hollick, and Margaret Muir.  Should be great fun.

Thanks to those who have emailed asking when my novel, Hell Around the Horn, will  be available in a print edition. It is now available on Amazon US and Amazon UK and should be available on Barnes & Noble and other other on-line retailers within the next few weeks.

Chinese Aircraft Carrier, Liaoning, Strategic or Simply Status?

Posted on by September 26, 2012

Now that China has finally commissioned  Liaoning, its first aircraft carrier, the discussion has focused on whether the ship is a meaningful addition to the Chinese Navy or merely a symbol of status and prestige. Some have pointed out that the Chinese are not believed to currently have enough carrier-capable fighter aircraft to make the ship operational. On the other hand, China does have a carrier based plane under development, so the question may be simply be how long it will take to produce the planes. Regardless, it may be that simply having an aircraft carrier provides sufficient prestige at a time when Western powers are cutting back their aircraft carrier fleets.

The New York Times reports that military experts say that “China does not have planes capable of landing on the carrier and so far training for such landings has been carried out on land.”

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Update: China’s First Aircraft Carrier, Liaoning, Enters into Service

Posted on by September 25, 2012

After ten sea trials and over 25 years of construction and refitting, China has put its first aircraft carrier into service.  Long rumored to be named Shi Lang, the carrier has instead been named Liaoning, after the province where it was rebuilt and refitted.  The ship started out as the Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag, whose keel was laid in 1985, but was never completed. Construction stopped in 1992. With the break-up of the Soviet Union, ownership was transferred to the Ukraine. The ship was laid up without engines, most machinery, electronics and a rudder. It was put for auction in 1998, when it was purchased by a Chong Lot Travel Agency for $20 million, with the stated intention that the ship would become a casino in Macau. The Varyag arrived at Dalian Shipyard in northeastern China on March 3, 2002.  The Chinese military finally confirmed in June 2011 that the ship was being refitted to serve as the nation’s first aircraft carrier.  See our previous post – From Varyag to Shi Lang – the Long Strange Voyage of China’s New Twenty Year Old Aircraft Carrier

China’s first aircraft carrier enters service

Navy Submarine Commander Michael P. Ward II Relieved of Duty After Faking Death to End Affair

Posted on by September 24, 2012

USS Pittsburgh (SSN-720)

The American singer/songwriter, Paul Simon, had a hit in 1975 titled “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.”  Sending an email to your mistress telling her that you are dead is definitely not on the list.  Commander Michael P. Ward II was recently relieved of command of the  Los Angeles-class submarine, USS Pittsburgh, after he attempted to end an affair with his mistress by faking his own death.   The submarine commander, who is married with children, attempted to end the affair by sending an e-mail from an apparently fake co-worker named “Bob”  telling the woman that Commander Ward had died unexpectedly.  When the woman showed up at Ward’s previous residence in Virginia to express her condolences, she was told that Ward was indeed alive and that he had just moved to Connecticut to take command of the USS Pittsburgh. Ward was found guilty of dereliction of duty, unbecoming conduct and adultery, and received the punitive letter of reprimand.

Navy Cmdr. Michael P. Ward II Relieved Of Duties After Faking Death To End Affair With Mistress

The Song of the Royal Clipper – the World’s Largest Square-Rigged Sailing Ship

Posted on by September 23, 2012

Royal Clipper

We have posted about new ventures to return commercial sail to the seas, including the brigantine Tres Hombres and the ketch Irene. We have posted about new designs for large ships from rigid sails to the Dyna-rig, as well as smaller ship undertakings B9 and the Greenheart project.  We have also posted about traditional sailing vessels still in service around the world, from the Bugis phinisi to Arab sailing dhows. Nevertheless, we were reminded recently by an article in the Washington Post, that we have largely ignored the largest commercial sailing vessel now in service on the world’s oceans and only the second five masted ship-rigged windjammer – the Royal Clipper.  The ship was designed by Zygmunt Choreń and built by Star Clippers Ltd. of Sweden using an existing hull.  The ship was inspired by the only other five masted ship-rigged windjammer  – the  Preußen, built for F. Laeisz in 1902.

Despite setting 56,000 square feet of sail, the crew required is relatively small. The square sails furl within the yards and are set and furled hydraulically. The staysails and jibs are raised using electric winches which are still hand-tailed by the crew or passenger volunteers.

The song of the Royal Clipper

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Lieutenant Commander Fred Sherwood DSC & Bar RCNVR – Canadian WWII Submarine Commander

Posted on by September 22, 2012

HMS Spiteful

In our post about the passing of Bill King, we originally referred to him as the last surviving World War II submarine commander. Apparently, that is not the case.  We learned from Pat Barnhouse on the MarHist list that “Lieutenant Commander Fred Sherwood DSC & Bar RCNVR is still alive here in Ottawa.”  We believe that Lcdr Sherwood is 97.

From Living History:  Lieut. Commander Fred H. Sherwood DSC & Bar RCNVR – his first submarine command was “P556”, a very old ex-US Navy submarine he nicknamed ‘The Reluctant Dragon’ because frequently, she didn’t want to dive!

From The Perisher Club: Lcdr Sherwood was the first Canadian Officer to command a British Submarine during WWII, HMS Spiteful. Under his command, Spiteful totalled the three longest patrols for an S-Boat at the time, sinking multiple Japanese ships. By April 1945, Spiteful had bombarded installations on the Andaman Islands and Christmas Island.

Bill King – Oldest Submarine Commander & Solo Circumnavigator Dies at 102

Posted on by September 22, 2012

Bill King, one of the last surviving World War II submarine commanders and a single-handed circumnavigator, died yesterday at his home at Oranmore Castle in County Galway, Ireland.  His family issued a statement which reads, “Commander Bill DSO, DSC submariner and yachtsman set off on a new voyage on September 21st, 2012 aged 102 years.  He was surrounded by the loving care of his daughter Leonie and son Tarka…”

Oldest War submarine commander dies at 102

From our previous post, Belated Happy 100th Birthday Wishes to Bill King, World War II Sub Commander and Adventurer of June 2010:

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The Earth’s Attic is on Fire & the Basement is Freezing Up

Posted on by September 21, 2012

Scientists have said that global climate change will bring us severe and unusual weather.   That would be a hard point to argue. Here are two recent, apparently somewhat contradictory or perhaps merely odd, news stories about the sea and the global climate.   The ice on the Arctic Sea has melted to record low levels while it has reached record highs in the Antarctic.

As Dr. Jeff Masters puts it – “Earth’s attic is on fire.”

The extraordinary decline in Arctic sea ice during 2012 is finally over. Sea ice extent bottomed out on September 16, announced scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) on Wednesday. The sea ice extent fell to 3.41 million square kilometers, breaking the previous all-time low set in 2007 by 18%–despite the fact that this year’s weather was cloudier and cooler than in 2007. Nearly half (49%) of the icecap was gone during this year’s minimum, compared to the average minimum for the years 1979 – 2000.
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Cambria, the Cutty Sark of Thames River Barges

Posted on by September 21, 2012

The first word one associates with speed under sail is probably not barge.  Nevertheless, Thames River barges are no slackers when the wind is blowing.  Recently, the folks at Cambria Trust posted a photo of a GPS screen on restored Thames River barge Cambria that reads 14.2 knots.  Apparently the Cambria later reached 15.9 knots. As this was the speed over the bottom we do not know whether she had any help from the current.  Nevertheless, that is a very impressive performance.  Cambria is the last British registered vessel to carry commercial cargo under sail alone. She did so until 1970.  She has since been totally rebuilt and is now back sailing.  (See our previous post on the relaunching of the Cambria in March of 2011.)

Cambria is truly the Cutty Sark of Thames River barges and Thames River barges are probably the clipper ships of coastal working craft. Why?  Like the Cutty Sark, Cambria had a long and productive working life.  Both have been recently rebuilt and both are, or in the case of the Cutty Sark, were, very fast under sail.

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Windwagon Astrakan in the Black Rock Desert

Posted on by September 20, 2012

The story goes that around 1856, a man from Missouri named Thomas built a “windwagon,” a “prairie clipper”  to sail the Western plains. Unfortunately, despite sailing around 100 miles down the Santa Fe trail, his “Prairie Clipper Company” was not a commercial success.  Now a team of Swedish tall ship sailors, riggers, carpenters, filmakers and engineers have built designed and built the windwagon Astrakan, to “sail.. in the wake of Wind Wagon Tomas.”  Recently they posted a video of the Astrakan sailing in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.  Thanks to Tom Russell on the Linked-in Traditional Sail Professionals group for pointing it out.

Windwagon in Black Rock Desert

Susan Clark, First Female Portland Harbor Pilot, Dies at 48

Posted on by September 19, 2012

Photo: Portland Press Herald

Susan Clark, who died after a short battle with cancer at 48, was a remarkable woman. In high school, she was valedictorian and class president. At Maine Maritime Academy, she was first in her class. She was the first female captain for Exxon and captained tankers for several years before returning ashore to attend Seton Hall and the University of Maine School of Law.  She practiced law for a time before deciding to return to working on the water. In 2001, Susan Clark become the first female harbor pilot in Portland, Maine. She was also the first female member of the Portland Marine Society, founded in 1796 by ship captains. She is survived by her her husband, Glenn Daukas, and their two sons, Louis and Rigel.  Thanks to Christina Sun for passing along the sad news.

Susan Clark, Portland Harbor’s first female pilot, dies at 48

The Human Cost of Piracy or Thanks For Not Talking Like a Pirate

Posted on by September 19, 2012

Today is the official “Talk Like a Pirate Day.”   Time to celebrate murderous thugs and to imitate characters from Disney amusement park rides.  Oh goodie.  Or maybe not. Today is also an excellent time to consider the very real human cost of piracy and to remember the more than 1,200 merchant seafarers who were captured and held hostage off the Horn of Africa last year.

Four years ago today, one of the first posts on this blog was “Thank You for Not Talking Like A Pirate.“:   I have a rather good sense of humor and some might say a quick wit. (And some might say half-wit, but be that as it may.) Nevertheless, I am revolted by those who confuse piracy with cute colloquialisms, funny hats and the occasional parrot. Piracy is about murder and theft, not so unlike terrorism.

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Alaric Bond Reviews Hell Around the Horn

Posted on by September 18, 2012

It is highly gratifying to have my work reviewed favorably by an author that I admire.  Alaric Bond, author of the Fighting Sail Series, is indeed such an author. (See our review of his latest, The Patriot’s Fate, here.)  Bond recently reviewed Hell Around the Horn for Historical Naval Fiction.

Alaric Bond Review: Hell Around the Horn by Rick Spilman

Richard Spilman’s Hell Around the Horn is set at the turn of the twentieth century in one of the last windjammers to make the perilous passage about Cape Horn. It follows the progress of the Lady Rebecca as she takes on cargo and crew at Tiger Bay, before setting out for her eventual destination in far away Chile. The subsequent story is one of peril and hardship, brought about by the atrocious weather conditions and a fair degree of human mischief, and is told through the eyes of all on board, be they fresh or seasoned hands, young “brassbounders,” senior officers, or even the captain’s family. It is a gritty tale: no blue wave lapped sandy beaches here, just an excellent recreation of what is takes to round the Horn under sail, along with a better understanding of those who chose to do so. This is true historical fiction: a genuine “feel” for the time is portrayed, with interesting nuggets of information about the social conditions and descriptions of the contemporary sailing methods and gear.

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1877 Barque ELISSA Will Sail Again Soon

Posted on by September 17, 2012

ELISSA entering drydock, click for larger image

Thanks to Kurt Voss for this post on the repairs to the Tall Ship ELISSA.  Over thirty years ago Kurt became one of the original stateside volunteers for the 1877, 150-foot sailing vessel ELISSA. He has been a member of the ship’s sailing crew and has served as vice chairman of the ELISSA Committee and was the past director of the Texas Seaport Museum and 1877 Barque ELISSA.  He is also the author of the GALVESTON’S THE ELISSA: THE TALL SHIP OF TEXAS.

1877 Barque ELISSA to Sail Again Soon by Kurt Voss

When Jamie White took over as director of the Texas Seaport Museum and 1877 barque ELISSA, he thought most of his time would be spent on the “cocktails and khakis” circuit. Instead, less than three months after taking the helm, he discovered the ELISSA’s future as an active sailing vessel faced profound challenges. During her routine dry-docking early in 2011, White and his staff found that electrolytic corrosion caused by Hurricane Ike had attacked 16% of the ship’s hull plates, nearly all of which were part of her original 1877 iron fabric. Last week, after a year and a half of planning, using experts from around the globe, the ELISSA entered dry-dock to begin repairs that will allow her to sail again.

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