Help Keep Hawaiian Chieftain Afloat

Posted on by April 9, 2015
Hawaiian Chieftain

Hawaiian Chieftain

Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority of Washington State, owns and operates two tall ships, Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. In the past five years they have introduced over 42,000 school children to tall ship sailing and program up and down the entire West Coast and have a stated goal or reaching ten times that number in the years to come as well as continuing to train new tall ship sailors. They are now attempting to raise funds through crowd-sourcing to support a major upgrading of the Hawaiian Chieftain. 

Built of steel in Hawaii in 1988, Hawaiian Chieftain was originally designed for cargo trade among the Hawaiian Islands. Naval architect Raymond H. Richards’ design was influenced by the early colonial passenger and coastal packets that traded among Atlantic coastal cities and towns. Grays Harbor Historical Seaport purchased Hawaiian Chieftain in 2005.  The ship often sails in company with Lady Washington, engaging in their extremely popular “battle cruises” where they fire black power ships’ guns in mock naval combat.

Their goal is to raise $50,000. Click here to donate and/or to learn more.

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Derelicts Adrift — Angel & Fannie E Wolston

Posted on by June 18, 2015

fanniewolcottdriftOne of the more interesting questions about Louis Jordan’s ordeal is “why didn’t he drift farther north on the Gulf Stream?” Jordan was dismasted in his Alberg 35 sailboat, named Angel, somewhere off the North Carolina coast in January and drifted for 66 days until he was spotted by a German container ship roughly 200 miles east of the North Carolina shore. Jordan was somewhat north of where he entered the Atlantic but the primary direction that his boat drifted, dismasted and with a damaged rudder, was easterly. How is this possible?

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Russian Submarine Orel Fire on 26th Anniversary of the Komsomolets Fire

Posted on by April 7, 2015

orelfireA fire broke out today on the 23 year old Russian Oscar class K-266 Orel nuclear submarine in a drydock in the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk on the White Sea. Reportedly, a welding torch set insulation on fire. The shipyard has stated that the submarine’s reactor was shut down and the ship’s nuclear fuel had been removed prior to the accident. A spokesman for the shipyard said that there were no casualties and that firefighters had contained the blaze.

Coincidentally, the fire today occurred on the 26th anniversary of the a fire on the Mike-class Soviet nuclear submarine K-278 Komsomolets. which claimed the lives of all 42 crew aboard on April 7, 1989. Continue reading →

The Truly Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry

Posted on by April 7, 2015

ohpririggingThese days just about anything with a mast or two is called a “tall ship.”  Some are and many are not.  One ship that definitely qualifies is Rhode Island’s Oliver Hazard Perry.   A dedicated team of riggers has just about finished raising the masts, crossing the yards, bending the sails and running the halyards, bunts, clews, braces and all the other lines necessary to control the sails. Congratulations to all who worked so hard through such a long and brutal winter to rig this fine new ship.

The three masted Oliver Hazard Perry is the largest civilian sailing school vessel in the US, as well as the the first ocean-going full-rigged ship to be built in the US in over 100 years. Her rigging requires 7 miles of rope and 160 belaying pins. She will set 14,000 sq ft of canvas over 20 sails. Click here to learn more about the ship and its education programs.

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Louis Jordan — Drifting Sailor Update : Media Misreports Story, Now Reports that Skeptics Doubt Sailor

Posted on by April 6, 2015

jordanmontageThis would be funny, if it weren’t sad.  Last week the German container ship, Houston Express, picked up Louis Jordan, who had been drifting off Cape Hatteras for a reported 66 days in his dis-masted Alberg 35 sailboat, Angel.  The media managed to completely garble the story, to the extent that anyone who took the reporting at face value might not believe what they were reading. Some have suggested that Jordan lied about the whole affair.  Last Friday we attempted the untangle the various accounts.  See our post: Louis Jordan, Sixty Six Days Adrift — What Really Happened?

Here is where it gets at least slightly funny. This morning the Washington Post published an article with the headline: Why skeptics think a South Carolina sailor lied about being lost at sea for 66 days. The short answer about why anyone might think such a thing could be that they read nonsense in the Washington Post. (To be fair, many, many other news sources didn’t do any better.)

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Frigate l’Hermione — Sea Trials 2014

Posted on by April 5, 2015

In 1780, the French frigate, l’Hermione carried the Marquis de Lafayette to America with the news of French support for the American revolution. In the next month or so, the newly completed replica frigate l’Hermione will recreate that historic voyage. Here is a video of l’Hermione on sea trials last fall.

2014 10 l’Hermione, Essais de navigation en mer

Four Hour Lunar Eclipse in One Minute

Posted on by April 4, 2015

In case you missed the lunar eclipse early this morning, visible from 2AM to 6:30AM Pacific time, here is the four hour eclipse in one minute,courtesy of the Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory. Thanks to Phil Leon for passing it along. By the way, if you grew up watching the American TV series, The Adventures of Superman, produced between 1952-1958, the “Metropolis Observatory” often featured in the program was the Griffith Observatory.

Total Lunar Eclipse April 4, 2015

Louis Jordan, Sixty Six Days Adrift — What Really Happened?

Posted on by April 3, 2015
Jordan on his sailboat Angel , from an undated photo.

Jordan on his sailboat Angel , from an undated photo.

Reading about sailing in the media is often like reading a mystery story. The question is not, however, “who done it?” but “what really happened?”  The reports of Louis Jordan who was found adrift in his disabled sailboat off Cape Hatteras after two months is a good example. Many of the press reports make no sense whatsoever. Here is my attempt to piece together what may have happened.

The story, as reported, sounds unbelievable. The Guardian reported: An American missing at sea for 66 days was rescued from his capsized boat 200 miles off the North Carolina coast, telling coastguards he survived on drinking rainwater and catching fish. Louis Jordan, 37, who was reported missing by his family in January, was spotted sitting on the overturned hull of his 35ft boat by the crew of a German tanker.”  The report on Slate was similar and featured the dramatic headline: “Sailor Lost at Sea for 66 Days With Just Rainwater and Raw Fish Is Saved by Passing Tanker.”  NBC Reports that Jordan was “found floating on the overturned hull of his vessel by a German cargo ship, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.”

When I say the account sounds unbelievable, I mean that literally.   Continue reading →

The Strange Saga of the Fake Pirate Ship, Liana’s Ransom — Rescue and Two Dismastings

Posted on by April 2, 2015

uscgrescueLROn Monday, the US Coast Guard rescued nine crew members from the schooner, Liana’s Ransom, off the coast of Maine, after the schooner suffered engine failure and her sails became fouled. There are now reports that the schooner also lost her main mast.  If so, this would be the second time that the schooner has been dismasted in just the last three months. On the previous Friday, the schooner left a shipyard where repairs had been made to damage from the first dismasting.

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Russian Trawler Dalniy Vostok Sinks Off Kamchatka — 56 Dead, 13 Missing

Posted on by April 2, 2015

rtrawlerDalniy Vostok, a Russian freezer trawler, has sunk in the Sea of Okhotsk off the Kamchatka peninsula. Of the 132 people aboard, 56 are reported to have died, while 13 remain missing. Sixty-three people were rescued.  The trawler sank quickly at around 06:30 local time (20:30 GMT Wednesday) after flooding was reported in the engine room.  The ship sank without sending a distress call.  Seventy-eight of those on board were Russian and 42 were from Myanmar. The remainder were from Vanuatu, Latvia and Ukraine. Thanks to Phil Leon for contributing to this post.

At least 56 killed as Russian trawler sinks in icy seas

Hugo Vihlen & the Voyage of the April Fool

Posted on by April 1, 2015
Hugo Vihlen sailing April Fool

Hugo Vihlen sailing April Fool

On April 1, often referred to as April Fool’s Day, it seems fitting to recount the voyage of Hugo Vihlen in his micro-yacht April Fool. In 1966, Hugo Vihlen sailed from Casablanca to Florida, aboard his 5’11” sailboat. In 84 days he sailed 4,100 miles and got within 6 miles of Miami, Florida before being stopped by contrary winds and current. He was finally picked up by the US Coast Guard.

The micro-yacht April Fool now resides at the International Small Craft Center at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA.  Their web page features excerpts from Vihlen’s book, “April Fool or, How I sailed from Casablanca to Florida in a Six-Foot Boat.”  My favorite is from June 9, 1968 after 71 days at sea:

“Catastrophe. I ran out of toilet paper today. Thank God for Reader’s Digest.”

This log entry may point out an unexpecting shortcoming of ebooks on longer voyages.

Update: WHC Movie Night — MV Liemba

Posted on by March 30, 2015

liemba2Last week we posted that the Working Harbor Committee is sponsoring the showing of a wonderful documentary on the MV Liemba, an ex-German warship, a minor movie star, and also, at one hundred years old, the world’s oldest passenger ferry in service. The documentary will be shown at 6PM tomorrow evening, Tuesday, March 31, at the Community Church of New York, 40 East 35th Street (btwn Madison & Park) New York, NY 10016.

After the documentary James Wong, Director of Ferries, NYC Economic Development Corp and I will will be discussing ferries. I am looking forward to hearing more about the new planned expansion of ferry service in New York harbor.  If you are in neighborhood and can make it, please stop by and say hello. Click here to learn more:

WHC Film Night – Tuesday 31 March 6:00 p.m.