SS Port Nicholson, the “Blue Baron” and the 70 Tons of Platinum – Déjà Vu ?

Posted on by February 6, 2012

Top image from 2009 provided by SSR, Bottom image Port Nicholson - www.shippingtimes.co.uk

We recently posted about a press release by Sub Sea Research (SSR) claiming to have located the wreck of a British cargo ship sunk in June 1942 by the German submarine U87. Sub Sea Research claims that the ship was carrying 70 tons of platinum when she sank off the coast of Cape Cod.  SSR says that the ship’s name is the Port Nicholson.

In 2009, Sub Sea Research (SSR) also claimed to have located the wreck of a British cargo ship sunk in June 1942 by the German submarine U87. SSR claimed that the ship was carrying 70 tons of platinum when she sank 40 miles off the coast of Guyana.  The two sets of claims sound remarkably similar, except for the geography of the wrecks.

SSR did not identify the ship from 2009 but used the code-name “Blue Baron.”  SSR also claimed that the also carried ten tons of gold bullion, one and a half tons of industrial diamonds and 16 million carats of gem quality diamonds, in addition to the platinum.
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Keel Walking on the Hugo Boss

Posted on by February 5, 2012

The photos look Photoshopped. A man wearing a dark suit stands on the exposed articulated keel of the Open 60 racing sail boat, Hugo Boss, as she sails along heeled over on her starboard gunnel.  The photo and several similar showed up in ads for Hugo Boss men’s wear. But they have to be fake right?   The owner of the boat and the model for the shoot, Alex Thomspon says, no.  He repeated his “keel walking” but this time on video to show the world exactly how it is done.

The note on the You Tube video reads: 8 tonnes of carbon fibre yacht, a 255 horsepower jet ski, 45 combined years of sailing experience, and one crazy guy in a suit.  Alex Thomson attempts what he calls ‘The Keel Walk’, a stunt that has become infamous throughout the world thanks to the iconic image of Alex ‘riding’ the keel of his 60ft yacht ‘HUGO BOSS’.  Click here for a photo galley of Thomson “Keel Walking.”

Alex Thomson attempts the Keel Walk

[iframe: width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/B2PQfJ2SAg4″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen]

Thanks to Phil Leon for passing along the photo gallery.

Container Ship MOL Summer Rescued 116 of 246 Survivors of Capsized Ferry

Posted on by February 5, 2012

MOL Summer Photo: Olaf Schmidt

The officers and crew of the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines container ship, MOL Summer, deserve a special commendation for their rescue of 116 people following the capsizing and sinking of the passenger ferry MV Rabaul Queen off the coast of Papua New Guinea early Thursday. Eight merchant vessels assisted in the rescue operations.  Of the 246 survivors pulled from the sea, the crew of the MOL Summer rescued almost half.   Quite an accomplishment in high winds and seas for a crew of only 27.  The 38,332-dwt MOL Summer measures 246.8 m and has a maximum container capacity of 3,586 TEU.

Containership Rescues 116 Shipwreck Survivors

Costa Concordia: Captain Schettino and the “Mystery Woman”

Posted on by February 4, 2012

Domnica Cemortan, the "Mystery Woman"

If there is a moral of this story, I suppose it must be, “don’t leave your lingerie in the captain’s cabin.”  Not long after the Costa Concordia ran aground and sank off the island of Giglio on January 13th, there were reports of the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, being seen with a “mystery woman.” Described as young and blonde, the reports were variously that the captain was seen drinking with her, having dinner with her and that she was also on the bridge with the captain around the time that the ship ran aground.

The woman’s name is Domnica Cemortan. She is 25 and is from Moldavia. She is a ballet dancer and has worked aboard the Costa Concordia as an “international hostess” whose duties may have included serving as a translator for Russian guests. When the ship sank, however, she was neither working as a member of the crew nor was she listed on the passenger manifest.
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British Passenger Seen Falling Overboard from Cruise Ship Allure of the Seas

Posted on by February 4, 2012

RCCL Allure of the Seas

On Friday morning, a British passenger was seen falling overboard  fell from the balcony of his cruise ship cabin on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship,  the Allure of the Seas, while cruising off the coast of Mexico, near the island of Cozumel.  The Allure of the Seas with a capacity of 5,400 passengers is currently the largest cruise ship in the world.  The passenger, a 30 year old man, is still missing, despite ongoing searches by the Mexican Navy and Coast Guard.  This has been the third recorded case of passengers or crew  lost overboard on cruise ships this year and the second incident on a  Royal Caribbean ship. In 2011, 23 people were reported to have been lost overboard on cruise ships and ferries. Since 2000, 176 are reported to have been lost. Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing on the news.

Arms & Drug Trafficking – Container Ships and Rust Buckets

Posted on by February 4, 2012

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has recently released a study of arms and drug trafficking by ship. The headline is “Most ships involved in arms and drugs trafficking are based in world’s richest countries.”  The larger part of the picture, however, is not ships, but containers. Containerization has revolutionized trade, including drug and arms trafficking.  From the SIPRI press release:
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Update: MV Rabaul Queen – 246 Rescued, More than 110 Missing

Posted on by February 4, 2012

Photo: AP /Post Courier

As of Thursday evening, 246 survivors had been pulled from the sea, following the sinking of the passenger ferry MV Rabaul Queen off the coast of Papua New Guinea early Thursday.  Only one survivor was reported to be found on Friday.  According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, survivors were rescued by merchant ships battling 16-foot (5-meter) swells and 45 mph (75 kph) winds at the disaster scene. It is feared that many of the missing may have been trapped inside the ferry when it capsized. The ferry has now sunk in water over 3,000 feet deep.

More than 110 missing from Papua New Guinea ferry

Mine-Detecting Dolphins and USS Ponce, Commando “Mothership” in Persian Gulf?

Posted on by February 3, 2012

USS Ponce

As Iranian saber-rattling raises tensions around the Straits of Hormuz, the US Navy has cancelled plans to decommission the 40 year old USS Ponce (LPD-15), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock ship.  Instead the ship is reported to be being refitted to operate as a “mothership” from which commando teams can operate.
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Passenger Ferry, MV Rabaul Queen, Sinks Off Papua New Guinea

Posted on by February 2, 2012

MV Rabaul Queen at the port of Kimbe

Between 5 and 6 AM Thursday morning, the passenger ferry, MV Rabaul Queen, capsized about 10 miles off Finschhafen on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea.  The ferry had a capacity for 300 people, but as many as 350 people are believed to have been aboard. More than 200 have now been pulled from the sea by rescuers. At least one hundred remaining unaccounted for. The ferry was sailing between the ports of Kimbe and Lae when it sent a distress call.  The cause of the sinking has not been determined but there were reports of strong northwesterly winds and sea swells of up to 5 meters.    The MV Rabaul Queen is reported to have been a 1983-built, 259 gross ton, Papua New Guinea-flagged passenger/ro-ro ferry operated by PNG’s Star Ships.  Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing on the news.

More Than 200 Rescued After Ferry Sinks Off Papua New Guinea

Atlantic Odyssey Rowers Rescued After Boat, Sara G, Capsizes

Posted on by February 1, 2012

These are busy days in ocean rowing. As the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is finishing up and the Bouvet Guyane Solo Atlantic Rowing Race 2012 is getting started, an attempt at breaking an ocean rowing record as failed, ending with the rescue of six rowers from a life raft raft after their boat, the Sara G, capsized and sank. The six men, five from Britain and one from Ireland, were rowing from Morocco to Barbados in the “Atlantic Odyssey challenge,” an attempt to row across the Atlantic in thirty days or less.  After 27 days and still 520 miles from their destination, their boat was capsized by large waves. The a Panamanian container ship, the Nord Taipei, was diverted to pick up the rowers after their EPIRB signal was picked up by Falmouth Coastguard.   Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing along the news.

Atlantic Odyssey rowers rescued after capsizing

145 Australian Water Skiers Try for World Record

Posted on by February 1, 2012

I am not entirely sure why anyone would decide to go water skiing with 150 of your closest friends. Then again, why not? Last Friday, one hundred and forty five water-skiers in Australia’s Tasmania skied for a nautical mile inside Macquarie Harbour at Strahan in an attempt to break the world record for the number of skiers pulled behind one boat.  One hundred and fifty four skiers began the attempt, but nine fell. The same group previously set the record in the same location with one hundred and fourteen skiers.

Australian water skiers try for record

Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing along the news.

Costa Concordia Update: Search for Missing in Flooded Ship Ends, Salvage Could Take a Year, Cost Could Reach a Billion

Posted on by January 31, 2012

The search for the missing in the submerged portions of the Costa Concordia has ended due to concerns for the safety of the rescue workers.  The estimated toll from the sinking stands at 33 dead or missing.  The bodies of 17 passengers and crew have been recovered since the ship grounded and capsized on January 13th.  An additional 16 people are still missing and presumed dead.  Salvage crews continue to be delayed by bad weather in their efforts to pump the 2,300 tonnes of marine diesel oil and gas oil from the ship.
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SS Port Nicholson – Sunk Off Cape Cod in 1942, a $3 Billion Shipwreck?

Posted on by February 1, 2012

The Portland, ME based, Sub Sea Research (SSR) recently sent out a press release announcing that they had located what they claim to be “the worlds richest shipwreck,”  the British freighter, SS Port Nicholson, carrying a secret cargo of 71 tons of platinum, sunk by the German submarine U-87 on June 16th, 1942 Northeast of Cape Cod, MS.  From the press release: SSR first discovered the Port Nicholson in 600-800 feet of water off Cape Cod in 2008. In 2009 SSR obtained legal recognition from the US Courts as the legal owner and salvager of the ship.  The company also posted a Youtube video documenting their discovery.
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From Nantucket to Spain, the Incredible Voyage of the Fishing Boat Queen Bee

Posted on by January 31, 2012

We have previously posted about “the original social network, “messages in bottles, as well as lobster pot tags from New England that broke loose during the “Perfect Storm” which drifted to a beach in Ireland. Now, we hear of a fishing boat named the Queen Bee, from which two men were thrown from off Nantucket, Massachusetts in 2008. The men swam a mile to shore and the Queen Bee apparently disappeared. Or not. Recently, the boat was found 3,500 miles away, off the coast of Spain. Thanks to Phil Leon for passing the story along.

Boat lost at sea surfaces four years later

Ocean Rowing Round-up, Part 2: Bouvet Guyane Solo Atlantic Rowing Race 2012

Posted on by January 30, 2012

Photo: Eric Rousseau

Twenty three boats set off this weekend in the the third Bouvet Guyane Solo Atlantic Rowing Race 2012 in a 2,600 mile race between between Senegal and Guyana.  All solo rowers are competing in identical 8 meter long boats.  One major challenge of the race will be crossing the equatorial counter currents. The route passes through the Intertropical Convergence Zone where sporadic and unpredictable winds can be violent. Also in the approach to Guyana,the rowers must cope with where powerful coastal currents.

Ocean Rowing Round-up, Part 1: Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge Setting Records

Posted on by January 30, 2012

The Row to Recovery team

The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, which bills itself as the “world’s toughest rowing race,” is winding down. Of the 17 boats which set out on December 4th, seven boats have crossed the finish line in Barbados, four are still rowing, and six boats have pulled out of the race.

The racers have set several new world’s records. Andrew Brown, the only solo rower in the race, came in second overall and set a new world record for the fastest solo row across the Atlantic, completing the voyage in 40 days, nine hours and 44 minutes. He also raised £88,080 for two children’s charities.
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Carnival’s Micki Arinson Faces the Heat, More or Less & American Express Costa Concordia Offer

Posted on by January 30, 2012

Arinson watching the Heat

Carnival’s CEO & Chairman, Micki Arinson has been criticized for maintaining a low profile following the sinking of the Costa Concordia where over 30 passengers and crew are dead or missing.  Last Friday, he made what was believed to be his first public appearance following the sinking.   The 62-year-old billionaire sat court-side in Miami to watch the Miami Heat play basketball. Arinson owns the team along with roughly half of the global cruise line industry. Arinson’s team won the game. The Heat beat the New York Knicks 99-89.

In related news, the American Express offer, which arrived in the mail to certain card holders in Florida, offered a seven night cruise through France, Italy, and Spain on the Costa Concordia, for only $749 and encouraged cardholders to ‘immerse yourself in a truly European experience.’  American Express spokeswoman Christine Elliot said: ‘The mailing was already underway when the accident occurred. We apologize for any inconvenience to those who received it.

Nelson’s Sword Discovered in Wreck of HMS Victoria

Posted on by January 30, 2012

Wreck of HMS Victoria

While on peace time maneuvers off Libya on June 22, 1893, Vice Admiral George Tryon, the commander of the British Mediterranean Fleet, gave a series of orders that resulted in HMS Camperdown ramming his ship, HMS Victoria, which sank with the loss of 358 lives, including that of the vice admiral.  Also believed to have been lost in the sinking was Admiral Tryon’s collection of Nelson’s personal effects, which he had purchased at auction, including Nelson’s sword.  The wreck of  HMS Victoria was discovered in 2004 in 150 metres of water.  Now, Diver Mark Ellyatt says that he discovered Nelson’s sword and other artifacts in Tryon’s cabin.

Nelson’s £1million sword is discovered at the bottom of the Med (but the shipwreck it’s on is called the Victoria, not the Victory)
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MV Delta Mariner in Wrong Channel in Bridge Collision, on a Long, Winding Voyage to the Gulf

Posted on by January 29, 2012

Photo: Sandy Joseph/ULA

The investigation is ongoing as to why the MV Delta Mariner  collided with the Eggner Ferry Bridge on the Tennessee River in Kentucky last Thursday night, taking out over 300′ of the span, but reportedly, the ship was in the wrong channel.  It apparently was in a recreational channel where the bridge had a lower clearance rather than the  shipping channel where the clearance would have been adequate. Sam Sacco, a spokesman for Foss Maritime, said the ship made the trip many times in the past 10 years and had an experienced captain and local river pilot on board.
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