Collision between New York City Fireboats Firefighter II and 343

Posted on by June 19, 2011

New York City's Fireboat 343

In  a lawsuit  a whistleblower is charging that New York City’s new $27 million Fireboat 343, named after the number of New York firefighters killed on 9/11, was damaged in a storm last winter when sideswiped by another fireboat, the Firefighter II, which apparently had lost control in the rough currents.  The lawsuit filed by Frederick Domini – a city firefighter and licensed marine engineer – alleges that the Firefighter II had been taken out against the advice of the vessel’s pilot.

FDNY’s $27M fireboat, the 343, damaged in collision with sister ship: whisteblower’s lawsuit
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Polynesian Voyaging Canoes Arrive in Hilo

Posted on by June 18, 2011

Seven vaka, Polynesian voyaging canoes, arrived in Hilo, Hawaii on Thursday.  The project is called “Te Mana o Te Moana” meaning “The Spirit of the Sea.”     Starting in New Zealand, the seven vaka have sailed north across the Pacific,  by way of the Marquesas and Tahiti.  The vaka are drawn from various islands including Faafaite from Tahiti, Te Matau a Maui from Aotearoa, Marumaru Atua from the Cook Islands, Uto Ni Yalo from Fiji and Gaualofa from Samoa.  After their stop in Hawaii, they plan to sail east to the West coast of the United States before ultimately returning across the Pacific.

Fleet of seven canoes arrive in Hawaii

FAAFAITE

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Thanks to Linda Collison for passing the article along.

Busy Weekend in New York Harbor – Mermaids, Sloops & Song

Posted on by June 17, 2011

This will be  busy weekend around the Hudson River and New York harbor.     At Croton Point Park,  on the east bank of the Hudson River, just north of New York City, the Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival – a Music and Environmental Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 18th and 19th. The festival will be a virtual riverside Woodstock, featuring, by my count, over fifty different artists and bands, including Pete Seeger, Martin Sexton, the Indigo Girls, Arlo Guthrie, Josh Ritter, Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, David Bromberg,  Peter Yarrow,  John Sebastian,  Janis Ian, Lucy Kaplansky, John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson, The Klezmatics, Tom Chapin and many many more.  In addition to music there will be losts of activities, exhibits and sales on the Hudson River sloop, Clearwater.
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Van Liew Sweeps the Velux 5 Ocean Single-Handed Around the World Race

Posted on by June 16, 2011

Photo: Ainhoa Sanchez

Our slightly belated congratulations to Brad Van Liew, the American sailor who won the Velux 5 Oceans single-handed around the world race in his Le Pingouin ECO 60.  Van Liew dominated the Velux 5 Oceans race, winning all five legs.   Van Liew is the first American to finish three single-handled around the word races.  He is also the first person worldwide to sweep all legs of the Velux 5 Oceans race for two complete events.

Van Liew claims American first
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Jubilee Sailing Trust – Tall Ship Sailing Adventures for All

Posted on by July 1, 2019

A very nicely done video showing the inspiring work being done the Jubilee Sailing Trust.  The Jubilee Sailing Trust  is a registered charity that owns and operates the tallships Lord Nelson and Tenacious, the only two tall ships in the world designed and built to enable people of all physical abilities to sail side-by-side as equals.

Jubilee Sailing Trust – Tall Ship Sailing Adventures for All

1871 Schooner Showdown – Historic Schooners Lewis R. French and the Stephen Taber to Race June 17th

Posted on by June 16, 2011

Schooners Stephen Taber and Lewis R. French race on Penobscot Bay. photo: Benjamin Mendlowitz

Both the schooners  Lewis R. French and the Stephen Taber were built in 1871.  To celebrate  their 140th birthdays, these grand old ladies will be racing from Camden to Rockland this Friday June 17 in an “1871 Schooner Showdown.”

A race of two historic schooners set for June 17

Visitors can watch up close from the deck of the schooner Olad, which will serve as race committee boat.
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Elizabeth Fry Swims NY Harbor -Sets Three Swimming Records in One Day

Posted on by June 15, 2011

Liz Fry is the sort of person who makes the rest of us feel inadequate. She is from Westport, Connecticut, is 52 and reportedly suffers from asthma.   Nevertheless, yesterday she swam the thirty five miles from Battery Park in Manhattan to Sandy Hook, N.J and back.  The water was 65 degrees.   It appears the she broke the record for the swim on both legs of the trip and also became the first person to swim it both ways in one day.  Wow.  Our heartiest congratulations.   As noted in the Daily New of Open Water Swimming:  Liz Fry – the dynamo from Connecticut – is now one of the women in the pantheon of New York City greats.

Westport Woman Sets Another Swim Record

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Cargo Sail Returns to New York – Cocoa Arrives at Red Hook

Posted on by June 15, 2011

The last time that a commercial cargo was unloaded from a sailing vessels at the New York docks was 1939.  That is, at least, until yesterday, when the 70′ schooner Black Seal arrived in Red Hook, Brooklyn and began unloading a cargo of 20 tons of cocoa beans for Brooklyn’s Mast Brothers Chocolate.   See Will Van Dorp’s tugster blog for great photos of unloading the bagged cocoa.  See also A Captain’s Lament: Cocoa Cargo on Rough Seas.

Cocoa Arrives, By Sail
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Container Ship Deneb Capsizes at Dock in Algeciras

Posted on by June 14, 2011

Another capsize in the news. Last Saturday, the container feeder ship Deneb capsized at the Maersk terminal in Algeciras, Spain.   Cargo handling had been shut down  due to stability concerns. A few hours later the ship rapidly listed to 50 degrees.    Two crew members, including the captain were slightly injured.  A Svitzer salvage vessel is now unloading the capsized container ship.

Container ship Deneb capsized at Mersk terminal

America’s Cup Warm-up Capsize

Posted on by June 14, 2011

A few weeks ago, New Zealand sailing legend Russell Coutts predicted an exciting America’s Cup series, sailed in high-tech catamarans.   The racing may be more exciting than Coutts originally intended. Yesterday the AC45 catamaran  being sailed by Coutts pitchpoled (capsized end over  end) in a practice sail.  Fortunately, there were no reported serious injuries.

Coutts capsizes America’s Cup catamaran in practice

Coutts, the CEO of defending champion Oracle Racing, was racing skipper Jimmy Spithill as part of a media day to publicize the U.S. debut of the new boats. His boat was bearing away during the prestart manoeuvr when the bows buried in a wave and the cat lifted into the air and went over before coming to rest on its side.

Capsize

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Gentleman Captain by J.D. Davies – A Review

Posted on by December 19, 2013

Lord Macaulay wrote “There were gentlemen and there were seamen in the navy of Charles the Second. But the seamen were not gentlemen; and the gentlemen were not seaman.”

Twenty one year old Matthew Quinton, captain of the Happy Restoration, is from an old and respected family and is brother to an earl. He is very much a gentlemen. As his ship breaks apart on the rocks of Kinsale harbor, he is also painfully aware that he is no seaman. If he survives the loss of his first command, he is determined to learn the ways of the sea. So begins J.D. Davies’ excellent novel, Gentleman Captain.
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The Fyddeye Guide to America’s Maritime History – Book Trailer

Posted on by June 12, 2011

Joe Follansbee has put together a really fun book trailer for his excellent guide book  to historic ships, sites and museums.    We reviewed the guide last March and liked it a lot. Read our review here.

The Fyddeye Guide to America’s Maritime History

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Update: Wubbo Ockles Ecolution Sailing Again

Posted on by June 10, 2011

Last December, we posted about the sinking of Dutch scientist, Dr. Wubbo Ockles’  high tech yacht Ecolution in Groningen.  The yacht was believed to have been sunk by vandals.  No arrests have been.  This week, the repaired Ecolution successfully  completed sea trials.  The Ecolution is designed with advanced power power systems to  generate  energy from water, wind and the sun.

Test voyage success for space-age yacht

MV AMET Majesty – a Cruise Ship, a Training Ship or Both?

Posted on by June 17, 2011

Earlier this week, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan officiated at a gathering on board the MV AMET Majesty, India’s first cruise liner.   The ship is also a training ship.  The acronym AMET  stands for “Academy of Maritime Education and Training.”  AMET University is operating the ship as both a cruise ship for 1,150 passengers and a training ship for 90 nautical cadets and 120 engineering cadets.   How this hybrid operation will function remains to be seen, but one has to admire the evident enthusiasm. The cruise marketing site promises “a total royal treat on a seven star category cruise liner.”    I have never seen a crusie ship rating higher than five stars, so seven stars sounds very impressive.

Vasan flags off first Indian cruise ship

Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing the article along.

On the Trail of the Pirate Blackbeard and the Queen Anne’s Revenge

Posted on by November 14, 2017

The wreck of the pirate Blackbeard‘s Queen Anne’s Revenge, which sank in 1718, was believed to be discovered in 1996.   After 15 years of excavation, the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina Maritime Museum announced today that they had confirmed that the ship wreck is absolutely Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

It’s official: Ship found off N.C. coast was Blackbeard’s
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Victor Mooney will make 4th Attempt at a Trans-Atlantic Row

Posted on by June 11, 2011

Last February we posted about Victor Mooney’s third attempt to row alone across the Atlantic.   While Mooney, 45 of Forest Hills, New York, has attempted the voyage three times, he has not come close to succeeding thus far.  His first attempt in 2006 lasted only three hours before the boat he was rowing sprang a leak and sank.  His second attempt, in 2007, lasted fifteen days before his  desalinator  broke and he needed to be rescued.   His third attempt ended when after one day at sea his boat cracked and sank. He drifted in a life raft for 14 days before being picked up by a passing ship.  Now Mooney is planning a fourth attempt in December of 2011.

I am reminded of the fallacy of the old saying about the importance of getting right back up on a horse after you have fallen off.  Sometimes when you fall off a horse, it is good to ask yourself if you ever had any business being on the horse in the first place.

Weekend Maritime Festival Wrap-up

Posted on by June 10, 2011

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, there is no shortage of maritime festivals.   In addition to Delaware ‘Bay Day,’ which we posted about earlier today, the following cities and ports are having festivals this weekend:

The Mackinaw Maritime Festival in Mackinaw City, Michigan

10th Annual Cape Cod Maritime Festival at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis MA

Lake Champlain Maritime Festival on the Lake Champlain Waterfront, Burlington, Vermont

1st Annual Taste of Juneau Food and Music Festival (not strictly maritime, but pretty close)

Riverdale RiverFest at the College of Mount St. Vincent in Riverdale, NY

 

 

And Then There were None – HMCS Corner Brook Accident Leaves Canada without Operational Subs

Posted on by June 12, 2011

Canada’s hunter killer submarine, HMCS Corner Brook, limped back to base last weekend after running aground during a  training exercise in the waters of Nootka Sound off the central east coast of Vancouver Island.  The accident leaves Canada without an operational submarine.  Canada’s other three are also out of service.  Oops.

Accident leaves Canada without operational submarines
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