Bristol Harbor Festival 2010 Begins Today

Posted on by July 29, 2010

Kathleen and May

The Bristol Harbour Festival begins today and runs through the weekend. It is expected to attract over 200,000 people and is one of the biggest free events in the UK.    In addition to Brunel’s SS Great Britain, on permanent display in Bristol, the harbor will be visited by the three-masted schooner Kathleen and May, as well as the  Matthew, a replica of explorer John Cabot’s ship from 1497. Also visiting for the festival is the Vilma an ex Danish fishing boat from 1934, rerigged like an old Irish trading schooner.

Skimmer “A Whale” Sails for Dalian, China Spill

Posted on by July 29, 2010

Lloyds List is reporting that the Skimmer “A Whale” which failed to collect significant amounts of oil in the Gulf of mexico from the BP spill is now en-route to the major spill in Dalian, China.  The more concentrated oil on the water at Dailin may be better suited to the converted OBO’s skimming capabilities.  Thanks to Michael Pryce on the Marine History List for the reference.

Fourteen Year Old Laura Dekker has Dutch Court OK to Sail around the World

Posted on by July 29, 2010

The teen-round-the-world-sailing-escapades may be starting all over again.

Laura Dekker has Dutch court permission to sail around the world

A Dutch court cleared the way Tuesday for 14-year-old Laura Dekker to embark on a risky attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, an adventure that could begin in the next two weeks.
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What Hit the MV M. Star? An Explosion, A Grenade, or a Freak Wave?

Posted on by July 29, 2010

Depending on which of the various news reports you read, the MOL 314,016 dwt tanker M. Star suffered either an explosion, was hit by a grenade or was struck by a freak wave caused by an earthquake while transiting the Straits of Hormuz.  An intriguing and developing story.

Giant Supertanker Suffers Mystery Explosion
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HMS Investigator, Abandoned in 1853, Found in Arctic

Posted on by August 19, 2011

Earlier this month we posted about a new expedition by Parks Canada to search for Franklin’s ships, the Terrorand the Erebus.  Parks Canada also intended to search for theHMS Investigator, a ship which was caught in the ice and sank when sent to search for Franklin.   Today Parks Canada announced that they have found the HMS Investigator, apparently after a very brief sonar scan.

Abandoned 1854 ship found in Arctic
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Hiawatha – Last Operational Walking-Beam Sidewheeler in the World for Sale on EBay

Posted on by July 28, 2010

The Hiawatha, reportedly the last operational walking beam steam sidewheeler in the world, is being offered for sale on E-Bay. Built in 1983 of steel, the Hiawatha is 38 feet long with a 15.5 feet beam.  Its paddle wheels are 7 feet in diameter and the ship has a top speed of 7 knots and cruising speed of 5 knots.  She is currently in Bay City, Michigan.

Historic Bay City steamboat Hiawatha up for sale on eBay

Thanks to Alaric Bond for pointing out the auction.

Tall Ships Duluth 2010 July 28 – August 3

Posted on by July 28, 2010

Barque Europa

Tall Ships Duluth 2010 has an impressive line up of ships scheduled for their tall ships festival.  The ships are expected to start arriving in Duluth today.  The Brig Niagara, the Barque Europa, HMS Bounty, the Pride of Baltimore II, the Roald Amundsen, the schooner Zeeto, the S/V Denis Sullivan, and the schooner Roseway will sail in a “Grand Parade of Ships” on Thursday afternoon with the tall ships festival getting into full swing Friday through Sunday.

Tall Ships Duluth 2010 July 28 – August 3

Dismantling the Ground Zero Ship

Posted on by July 27, 2010

A follow-up to our previous post – 18th Century Ship Found Buried at New York’s World Trade Center Site.  Workers are now beginning to dismantle what is left of the ship, plank by plank, for preservation.    Last week,  Atlantic Wire  posted an interesting discussion on the various theories of the ship’s origin.  See : Theories on Ancient Wooden Ship Found at Ground Zero

Workers in NYC begin to dismantle ground zero ship
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Sailing Ship Photos from Life Magazine on Google

Posted on by July 27, 2010

Be warned.  If you are interested in sailing ships, do not click on the link below  if you have anything important to do  for the next fifteen or twenty minutes or possibly much longer.  Here is a absolutely fantastic archive of roughly two hundred photos and drawings originally published in Life Magazine of sailing ships and sailors, primarily from the last days of commercial sail.    The only thing that is a disappointing is that most photos are not titled and no information is given on which ship is being photographed or even the date the photo was taken.  Nevertheless,  there are some wonderful shots well worthy of contemplation if not outright study.    The Life Picture Collection Photo Archive is owned by Time Inc. and all the images are available as prints.

Sailing Ship Archive from Life Magazine on Google

Thanks to Wojtek (Voytec) Wacowski on the Tall Ship & Traditional Sail Professionals Linked-In Group for pointing out the photographs.

Plastiki arrives in Sydney after Pacific Crossing

Posted on by July 26, 2010

We have previously posted about the experimental sailboat Plastiki, built using  12,500 recycled soda bottles.  The craft sailed last March from San Francisco and has now arrived in Sydney, Australia after a voyage of 9,000 miles (15,000 km.)

Boat made from plastic bottles completes Pacific voyage
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First Lady Michelle Obama Christens National Security Cutter Stratton

Posted on by August 17, 2010

National Security cutter Stratton on Friday in Pascagoula, Miss

Last Friday, Michelle Obama was the first First Lady ever to christen a US Coast Guard Cutter, the National Security Cutter Stratton.   The cutter is named after the first woman to serve as a commissioned officer in the U. S. Coast Guard, Dorthy C. Stratton.     Prior to joining the Coast Guard in World War II,  Dr. Stratton was also the first full-time dean of women at Purdue University.  Stratton died in 2006 at the age of 107.

In 1942, she was commissioned a senior lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Later in 1942, she was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard where she became the creator and first director of the Women’s Reserve of the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II. Upon being named director, she was promoted to lieutenant commander and was promoted to commander in January 1944 and to captain one month later.  She was awarded the Legion of Merit medal for her contributions to women in the military upon retirement in 1946.

First Lady Christens Coast Guard Cutter Dorothy C. Stratton
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Royal Navy’s Summer Extravaganza Returns to Portsmouth in 2010

Posted on by July 25, 2010

Navy’s Summer Extravaganza Returns to Portsmouth in 2010
Navy Days at Portsmouth Naval Base, Friday 30th July – Sunday 1st August, will feature serving warships of the Royal Navy, ships of foreign navies, thrilling naval displays, historical re-enactments and the world-class attractions of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, including HMS Victory.

The frigate HMS Cumberland which last year was on an anti-piracy patrol in the Indian Ocean, has joined the list of top participating vessels at Portsmouth Navy Days.  Thanks to Alaric Bond for pointing it out.

Shipbuilding: China Overtakes Korea; Avondale to Shutdown

Posted on by July 25, 2010

For the first time since 2003, Korean shipyards have lost their position as the  world’s number one shipbuilder to China.

China overtakes Korea in shipbuilding deliveries

According to Clarkson Research Services Ltd., a London-based market research firm, Korean shipbuilding companies came in second after Chinese ones in terms of new orders, order backlogs and delivery, the three indices that determine industry competitiveness in the sector.
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Video of Breaching Whale Crushing Sailboat off South Africa.

Posted on by July 23, 2010

There has been considerable discussion whether the photo of a Southern Right whale breaching and landing on a sailboat off South Africa is real or Photoshopped.  (See the comments on our previous post.)    A video has now emerged which shows the whale approaching breaching and landing on the sailboat.    We are going to cast our vote that the event was not Photoshopped.

In a related vein, the folks at Yachtpals blog have a wonderful roundup of a variety of “whale tales” documented by photographic or video evidence.   Remarkably of the seven tales they highlight, five are true.

Check it out on the Yachtpals blog:  Whale Tales – Truth, Fiction, and Hoax

BP Kept Drilling Despite Leaks in Blowout Preventer Control Pod & Bypassed Alarms

Posted on by July 23, 2010

There is reported stonewalling by witnesses who have cancelled their scheduled testimonies at the ongoing investigation of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Nevertheless,  startling testimony was presented this Tuesday:

A BP official, Ronald Sepulvado, a well-site leader, testified that BP continued drilling for oil in the days before the disaster despite internal reports of a leak on a safety device on the rig.
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Spiders on a Ship – Infested Ship, MV Altavia, Turned Away from Guam

Posted on by July 23, 2010

This news story sounds like a bad sequel to the movie Snakes on Plane.

Ship turned away after spiders started ‘pouring’ from cargo hold

A South Korean cargo ship had to be turned away last week after an infestation of spiders was discovered in the cargo hold.
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North Carolina’s Oldest Shipwreck Moved to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

Posted on by July 23, 2010

As a follow-up to a post from early June,  the remains of what is believed to be the wreck of a merchant ship from the mid-1600s are being moved to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum for preservation.  The wreck was uncovered by winter gales on Corolla beach on North Carolina’s Outer Banks and is believed  to be the oldest shipwreck ever found on the North Carolina coast.  The museum is about 90 miles from where the wreck was found.

What may be N.C.’s oldest shipwreck to be moved

Archeologists from the museum discuss the importance of the wreck:

Importance of Corolla Shipwreck Discovery

City of Water Day 2010 – Celebrating the New York City Waterfront

Posted on by July 22, 2010

New York City is metropolis of eight million organized into five boroughs, four of which are islands or are on islands.   This Saturday, the 3rd Annual City of Water Day Festival will be hosted by the Metropolitan Waterfront  Alliance to help remind the island and shore dwellers of the potential of the New York  waterfront for entertainment, education, adventure and flat out fun.   The festivities will he held across the harbor on Governors Island, at Liberty State Park,  at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, on Staten Island and at the Atlantic Basin.  There will be free kayaking, boat tours, waterfront bike rides, fishing demonstrations, and a kid’s fair as well as lots of music and food.  Sounds like lots of fun.

Volunteer Dies during Safety Training on the Star of India

Posted on by July 22, 2010

Greg Gushaw 68, an experienced volunteer, docent and a member of the board of trustees of the Maritime Museum of San Diego fell to his death last Sunday from aloft on the Star of India. Ironically, he fell during a safety training exercise.   His death is reported to be the first on the Star of India since the 1800s.   The Star of India, built in 1863, is the world’s oldest ship that still actively sails.

Man Dies After Falling Overboard From Star Of India Ship
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