The Rendevous of the Last Two Ocean-going Royal Mail Ships

Posted on by February 7, 2011

RMS Queen Mary II & RMS St Helena

Last month we posted about a rendezvous of the “Three Queens,”  the RMS Queen Mary II, the MS Queen Elizabeth and the MS Queen Victoria in New York harbor.   Of the three ships only the Queen Mary II has the distinction of the designation RMS for Royal Mail Ship.   Indeed, there are only two remaining ocean-going ships in the world with the designation RMS,  the RMS Queen Mary II and the RMS St Helena, which carries the mail, as well as passengers, goods and supplies to the island of St Helena and other British outposts in the South Atlantic.  John Edwards on his Oceanliners.org  blog has a great photo of the last two ocean-going Royal Mail Ships off Tristan de Cunah.

Meeting of the Only Two “RMS” Ships
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Update : Collision in Mumbai – Indian Navy and the Mumbai Port Trust at Fault ?

Posted on by February 6, 2011

The sinking of the frigate INS Vindhyagiri, following a collision with the container ship MV Nordlake, last Sunday near Mumbai harbor,  is the worst-ever peacetime loss for the Indian Navy.   That the accident occurred as the warship was returning from a “day at sea” for families of sailors and officers, makes it all the more embarrassing.  The collision was caught on video from aboard the frigate.

The collision that set a warship on fire

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A Spice Problem in the Navy?

Posted on by February 6, 2011

“Spice” is apparently the generic name for so-called “synthetic marijuana” or “fake pot.”  In most states,  it is still perfectly legal, though that may be changing.  “Spice” is, however, not OK with the US Navy.  At the end of last month, the Navy expelled seven midshipmen from the Naval Academy for using “spice.”   On Friday, the Navy also discharged 16 sailors assigned to the Norfolk, Virginia-based USS Bataan for using or dealing “spice.”

Naval Academy expels midshipmen for smoking ‘spice’
Navy kicks out 16 sailors for dealing or using ‘spice’
Sailors face stiff penalties for using legal substances that have been outlawed by the Navy

Thanks to Phil Leon and Alaric Bond for passing the articles along.

Sail this summer on the Picton Castle

Posted on by February 5, 2011

Barque Picton Castle

The barque Picton Castle, known for its around the world voyages, is offering cruises this summer sailing around Newfoundland. It sounds fantastic.

Sail Around Newfoundland

Starkly stunning coastline. Incredible whales, seabirds and maybe even icebergs. Hospitable folks in big towns and small outport villages. And the feeling of having earned it all, working your way there as part of the crew.
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Once Upon a Blonde Island?

Posted on by February 5, 2011

Somehow this sounds like a really bad idea.  I just hope everyone brings sun screen.  Back in October, the BBC ran an article about a Lithuanian company’s plans for a Maldive island resort  run entirely by blondes.  The proposed development was reported on again this  week in the Associated Press, the Huffington Post and other sources.  The company Olialia, pronounced “ooh-la-la”, “ is run and staffed by blonde women, and already operates in 75 different business sectors, making products from computer software and food products to pop music.”

Lithuanian blonde island plan raises eyebrows
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Trimaran Banque Populaire V hits a UFO (an Unidentified Floating Object)

Posted on by February 4, 2011

Photo: Yacht Pals

The press release, translated from the French by Google, reads, “Maxi Banque Populaire V hit a UFO*. ”   The footnote clarifies that the trimaran hit an “unidentified floating object.”   (Late last month we posted about the trimaran Banque Populaire V setting off from Brest in an attempt to win the Jules Verne Trophy.)  Nevertheless, the entire account has an otherworldly aspect.
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Spirit of South Carolina Tall Ship program

Posted on by February 2, 2011

A wonderful video highlighting the educational programs on the schooner Spirit of South Carolina.

Spirit of South Carolina Tall Ship program

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Thanks to Troy LeBoeuf for pointing it out.

Santy Anno sung by The Hard Tackers

Posted on by February 3, 2011

Santy Anno sung by The Hard Tackers over a film made by Joe Cook of  The Hard Tackers when he sailed aboard the Pride Of Baltimore II as a crew member.

Santy Anno

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Thanks to John Locke for passing along the video.

Passengers on Antarctic cruise ship, Polar Star, to be evacuated after grounding

Posted on by February 3, 2011

On Monday, the Polar Star struck a rock while at anchor near Detaille Island, a small island off the Northern end of Arrowsmith Peninsula in Antarctica.     The grounding damaged the outer hull of the double hulled ship.  The ship sailed for the Arctowski Station, a Polish research facility on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, where divers made a thorough inspection of the damage.   The cruise operator decided to evacuate the 80 passengers aboard the ship to Ushuaia on other expedition cruise ships sailing in the region. The Polar Star then will undergo temporary repairs before crossing the Drake’s Passage back to Ushuaia, with only crew on board.

Evacuation planned for passengers on damaged cruise ship
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Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay Rescues Man on an Ice Flow on His Birthday

Posted on by February 2, 2011

Jim Turton, from Colchester, Ontario, turned 45 years old today.  Because of the efforts of the officers and crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay, a 140 foot Bay class icebreaker, he just may have a shot at celebrating his next birthday, (provided he stays off snowmobiles on thin ice in the upcoming year.)   Turton was one of four snowmobilers who fell through the ice near Colchester.  His three companions made it to shore, but Turton crawled onto an floating ice flow drifting out into Lake Erie.

Coast Guard Cutter rescues man adrift on Lake Erie ice floe on his birthday
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Before IMAX, there was Windjammer in “Cinemiracle”

Posted on by February 2, 2011

In 1958, the New York Times published a review of  Louis de Rochemont’s new movie “Windjammer.”  It began:

“Every last moviegoer with a drop of salt water in his blood will want to swing aboard “Windjammer,” which opened at the Roxy last night. For this giant, panoramic color picture of a 17,000-mile ocean cruise in a Norwegian training sailing vessel, shown in the new Cinemiracle process, which is akin to Cinerama, is so full of the thrills and beauties of ocean sailing that it takes the breath away.”

A worn and faded copy of the movie was located in 1997 and over the last decade a team of film professionals from Sweden and the United States has been at work restoring the movie.    A new DVD and theatrical version is hoped to be completed some time in 2011.

“Windjammer” – On it’s way to a home screen near you, and maybe the cinema too

FINALLY! The Windjammer Restoration Preview & Restored Trailer

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In the Belly of the Beast – A look inside the SS United States

Posted on by February 2, 2011

Photos: John Griffin/ABC News

Now that the SS United States Conservancy has acquired the S.S. United States, the next question is – what they are going to do with her?   Her interior was gutted in 1994 to remove considerable quantities of asbestos.   Thanks to Alaric Bond for pointing out the photographs.

Tour the Belly of a Naval Wonder

The Big U purchased by Conservancy

Posted on by February 1, 2011

Today, the SS United States Conservancy purchased the S.S. United States from Norwegian Cruise Line.  As we posted last July, the sale was made possible by a reported $5.8 million pledge by Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest.   The sale was delayed  when the Environmental Protection Agency raised questions about toxic PCBs on the ship.

Conservancy purchases SS United States through grant from Lenfest Foundation
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Suez Canal Operating Normally, Port Closures Causing Concerns

Posted on by February 1, 2011

There are an estimated two million protesters in the streets on Cairo today; most rail, trucking and buses are shut down across Egypt, yet  the Suez Canal, which can represent up 8 percent of global seaborne trade, remains open and in operation.  Military escorts for protection through the pirate-prone Gulf of Aden are unavailable and crew repatriation and purchase of provisions have not been possible for some ships.   Troops have been deployed to protect the SuMed pipeline transporting crude alongside the Suez Canal.

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Collision in Mumbai – INS Vindhyagiri & MV Nordlake

Posted on by February 6, 2011

MV Nordlake

Mumbai can be tough on container ships. Last August the bulk carrier Khalijia 3 steered into the containership MSC Chitra , sinking her, causing a significant spill and closing the port for five days.    Yesterday, the  Indian warship, INS Vindhyagiri and Cyprus-flagged container vessel, MV Nordlake, collided head-on in Mumbai Harbor.  No casualties or oil spill was reported but this time the warship got the worst of it.  It is reported to have capsized after catching fire.  An investigation of the collision has been launched by the Directorate General of Shipping.   The Jewaharlal Nehru Port Trust blamed the collision on naval personnel.

Navy warship INS Vindhyagiri capsizes

Experts race the clock to preserve N.C. Corolla shipwreck

Posted on by January 30, 2011

Last July, we posted about North Carolina’s oldest shipwreck which was moved to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum for preservation.    Now the curators at the museum are trying to learn,as quickly as possible, how to preserve the crumbling wreck.

Experts race the clock to preserve N.C. shipwreck
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Hundreds of ships stuck as Rhine still blocked by Waldhof shipwreck

Posted on by January 30, 2011

Cranes attempting to salvage chemical tank barge Waldhof

An update to a post from last week:   A backlog of close to 400 ships is still bottled up on the Rhine River following the capsizing of the 110M chemical tank barge, Waldhof, on January 13th  near the Lorelei Rock.  The  Waldhof is carrying 2,400 tonnes of sulfuric acid.

Hundreds of ships stuck as Rhine still blocked by shipwreck
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Choice of Broadsides – Kindle Text Game, a Review

Posted on by January 29, 2011

Before video games and personal computers, there were gamebooks.  They were novels where at critical scenes you as the reader were given a series a choices.   “A troll comes out of the cave carrying a large club. You will (a) run away, (b) say hello or (c) barter for gold. ” Depending on which choice you made you would be told to go to page 34 or whatever where your choice would be played out until you reached another branch and another set of choices.

“Choice of Broadsides” is a game book in e-book format available on the Kindle.
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