Today is the first anniversary of Superstorm Sandy hitting the Northeast. It is also the anniversary of the sinking the Bounty off Cape Hatteras on the coast of North Carolina. Recently, survivors of the Bounty returned to the site of the sinking, on the schooner Liberty Clipper. They cast overboard a weighted bottle containing messages from fellow survivors, past Bounty crew and loved ones in the memory of Captain Robin Walbridge and Claudene Christian, who died when the ship sank. Messages in a bottle seem an appropriate a memorial for those lost at sea.
I am not sure how or if Superstorm Sandy should be memorialized. There have been, and will be, memorials for the more than 160 who died in the storm and for the entire communities washed away or destroyed. That is fitting. Memorials are for discrete events. So much about Superstorm Sandy, however, is ongoing. It has not ended. There are still thousands in New York and New Jersey who were forced from their homes and still have not been able to return. There are still hundreds of damaged businesses and stores struggling to reopen. Many will stay shuttered for good.
Last week, two rare oarfish washed up (or in the case of the first was dragged up) on the shores of Southern California. Yesterday, Japan was stuck by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. A coincidence? It seems that there is Japanese folklore that says that sighting of oarfish portends a coming earthquake. Oarfish are the longest bony fish in the ocean and can grow up to around 17 meters or 56 feet long. The two that washed up in California were only 18′ and 14′ long, which is still very impressive. Oarfish, which tend to stay in deep water, are rarely seen on the surface. When they do make an appearance they are understandably often referred to as “sea serpents,” given their long snake-like bodies. It is easy to understand how they might be useful in folklore as a predictor of ill-tidings. If sea serpents start appearing, something bad must be coming. In Japan, the oarfish is traditionally known as the “Messenger from the Sea God’s Palace.” (If the Sea God is sending you a message, it is better sent by a sea serpent rather than a sea bass.)
The first US Navy “
At about the same time that the Forrestal was sent to scrap, Bath Iron Works in Maine floated 
A second rare 
October 21st is a busy day in nautical history. In addition to being the anniversary of the 
Congratulations to all the racers in this year’s 
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The composite clipper ship, 