The Return of Commercial Sail? Dyna-Rig Design in the News

Posted on by July 2, 2012

Arthur Sewall, a shipbuilder, shipowner and industrialist from Bath Maine, is quoted near the turn of the 20th century, saying, “As long as the wind blows and water flows there will be sailing ships built and business to keep them busy.”   Is the great age of commercial sail now just part of history, or are we merely passing through a short-lived era of fossil fuels, which will be brought to a close by scarcity and concerns about pollution and climate change?

This question was brought to mind by a series of articles last month (see also here and here) about the sailing ship design being developed by B9 Shipping.  In many respects the information in the articles is not new. We posted about the B9 Project in October of 2010.   Nevertheless, new publicity for the modern sailing ship design is all for the good.
Continue reading →

Seafarers Awareness Week – In Distress at Sea, Seafarers to the Rescue

Posted on by June 30, 2012

For those in trouble at sea, technology has dramatically increased the chances of survival. Satellite phones, GPS transducers, EPIRBs and the like have made it possible to call for help across the vastness of the world’s oceans.  Some things haven’t changed however.  When help arrives, chances are, it will be a merchant seafarer who comes to the rescue.

This Wednesday, when a distress call went out from a boat overloaded with asylum seekers bound for Australia’s Christmas Island, the first vessel on the scene was the Bison Express, a cattle carrier.  Within a few hours, two other merchant vessels also arrived.  Four of the refugees died, but 134 were saved by the crews of the merchant ships.
Continue reading →

Not Your Daddy’s Americas Cup: Day One Newport – Helmets, Fancy Graphics and Color Commentators

Posted on by June 29, 2012

We posted yesterday about Sailing for Couch Potatoes, or how to watch the America’s Cup Races without leaving your couch.  NBC, for example,  is broadcasting the America’s Cup World Series Finale on Sunday.

The New York Times this morning featured an article describing briefly how the Cup Races are receiving the “television treatment”  including the electronic placement of racing information, including starting lines and way points, live on the televised image of the race itself.  This is similar to how the line of scrimmage and  first-down line magically appear on the televised field during football games. Indeed, Stan Honey, who developed the technology for football, has been hired by the America’s Cup organization.

America’s Cup Updates As It Trawls for Viewers


Continue reading →

Knock, Knock – the Media and the Mystery of the Missing Stowaways on the Ville D’Aquarius

Posted on by June 29, 2012

Ville D’Aquarius

The story began around 3AM Wednesday morning, when a US Coast Guard boarding team, conducting a random sweep on the container ship Ville D’Aquarius, near Sandy Hook, just outside New York harbor, heard a knocking sound which appeared to be coming from somewhere in the ship’s containerized cargo.  The Ville D’Aquarius is a 1996 built CMA-CGM container ship with a 2,807 TEU capacity.  When she was boarded she was reported to have had aboard 2,039 containers.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Fannie Wilks reported that the officers tapped in a container area of the ship. “They heard tapping back and it continued for six hours, but it became weaker and weaker, the sound, until it went away,” Wilks said. The tapping began to fade, she said, as the boat came into the Port of Newark. “That’s when the tapping finally went away, and they didn’t hear anything back,” she said.  Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe said, “They heard sounds that were consistent with people being inside a container.”
Continue reading →

Seafarers Awareness Week – Seafarers UK Sea Cadets

Posted on by June 28, 2012

Another in the series from Seafarers UK in observation of Seafarers Awareness Week.  If world trade is going to continue to grow, we will more well trained seafarers.  Seafarers UK is a major supporter of Sea Cadets.

Seafarers UK Sea Cadets

[iframe: width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/WTngmsQZ59A?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen]

Sailing for Couch Potatoes – America’s Cup World Series Finale on NBC

Posted on by June 28, 2012

Back in the old days, the America’s Cup was sailed in 12 Meter yachts in the often misty light air of Rhode Island Sound.  It was a competition more suited to still photography than video.  How times have changed.  Now elimination matches are being sailed in AC 45s in the East Passage, directly off Newport, Rhode Island.  Click here for the program.  And if you cannot make it to Newport for the races that start today, you can watch the action from the comfort of your couch.  NBC will be broadcasting the finale of the series  at 14.30 EDT on Sunday, July 1st.   In California, Comcast Sports will also boradcast live racing each day, as well as a full replay at 2100 PDT.  Globally, the coverage is available on more than 35 networks including Mediaset in Italy, Canal+ in France, SkySports in the UK, Supersport in South Africa, Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, OSN across the Middle-East, Fox Sports in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand.  Live webcasts will also available on the internet. Would someone please pass the potato chips?

AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES FINALE COMES TO NBC

America’s Cup World Series 2011-2012: Television and Internet Schedule

Are Foils the Future of Fast Sailing? Oracle’s AC45 Goes Flying & l’Hydroptère DCNS Readies for Pacific Challenge

Posted on by June 28, 2012

When I was coming of age, many thought that the future of speed on the water would be in motor-powered hydrofoils.  While there are still a few hydrofoil ferries in operation, the idea really never caught on.  Now, however, hydrofoils have appeared from a different quarter, powered not by engines, but by the wind.

Last week, a photograph hit the net of the Oracle America’s Cup AC45 “flying” on foils in San Francisco Bay.  “L” shaped daggerboard foils and a “T” foil on the rubber were added to the racing catamaran and “voila,” she could fly.  Exactly how the foils are controlled is still unclear but the photos released by Oracle Team USA definately show the boat flying on the “L” shaped foils, or ‘flying like “L“‘ as the caption on their Facebook page describes it.
Continue reading →

Update: PT-728, World War II Patrol Torpedo Boat, Bound for New Home in Port Clinton, Ohio

Posted on by June 27, 2012

PT-728

Last April, we posted that PT-728, a World War II Patrol Torpedo boat, was listed as for sale in the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog.   The vintage PT boat has now been purchased by the newly opened Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton Ohio.  She recently passed through Cleveland on her way to her new berth.   PT-728 will be one of two PT boats at the new museum.  The new museum has also acquired PT-724, which has been converted to a private yacht. The museum intends to restore the boat to its World War II configuration.  Thanks to Phil Leon for passing along the news.

Continue reading →

Seafarers Awareness Week – Seafarers UK Fisherman’s Widow

Posted on by June 27, 2012

Seafarers UK has put together a series of videos describing their mission and why it matters. Here a widow of a fisherman describes the roll of Seafarers UK in her family’s recovery following their loss.

Seafarers UK Fisherman’s Widow

[iframe: width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/NvjK-dULjV0?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen]

Second Refugee Boat Bound for Christmas Island Capsizes, Merchant Ships Rescue 136

Posted on by June 27, 2012

Photo taken by the MV Bison after arriving at the asylum-seeker boat before it capsized, June 27, 2012.

A  boat loaded with asylum seekers has capsized in Indonesian waters about 107 nautical miles north of Australia’s Christmas Island. The boat is reported to have had 150 passengers and crew aboard.  CNN is reporting that 136 have been rescued by two merchants ships.   This is the second boat overloaded with asylum seekers to have capsized and sunk within a week in the waters north of Christmas Island.
Continue reading →

21st Annual Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport, June 29-July 1

Posted on by June 26, 2012

For anyone who loves wooden boats, Mystic Seaport is the place to be this weekend.  Starting Friday and running through the weekend, the 21st Annual WoodenBoat Show will feature a fleet of beautiful wooden boats of all shapes and sizes as well as a wide range of activities, including Family BoatBuilding, where families get together to build boats from kits during the show.  There will also be wooden boat and ship building demonstrations, films, and an “I Built It Myself” showcase and contest.  The event is hosted by Mystic Seaport and produced and presented by Wooden Boat magazine.  Click here to download the boatshow directory.   And if you aren’t a lover of wooden boats, a visit to Mystic this weekend just might change that.

OpSail Boston 2012 – June 30th to July 5th : Celebrating the USS Constitution and the War of 1812 Bicentennial

Posted on by June 27, 2012

Beginning this Saturday, Boston Harbor will once again be filled with tall masts and square sails.  OpSail Boston 2012 is celebrating the USS Constitution and the bicentennial of the War of 1812.  The USS Constitution, nicknamed “Old Ironsides” after British round shot bounced off her oak planks, is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat.  Named by President George Washington, she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships during the War of 1812.
Continue reading →

Update: 100 Year Old Battleship Texas Shutdown Indefinitely by Leaks

Posted on by June 26, 2012

We posted recently about the attempts to repair hull leaks in the BattleshipTexas, the oldest remaining dreadnought battleship and only one of six surviving ships to have served in both World War I and World War II.  The ship has been on exhibit at the San Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site since 1948. Last Thursday, the ship was pumped out and a patch installed over a 2 in inch hole in the ship. The ship was floating on her lines with no leaks until Saturday night when new leaks, from another area of the ship’s hull, again began flooding the old dreadnought.  The museum ship, which had reopened Saturday, has now been shut down to visitors indefinitely.

USS Texas springs more leaks; 1,500 gallons per minute leaking
Continue reading →

Seafarers Awareness Week – June 25 to July 1

Posted on by June 25, 2012

In concert with  IMO’s “Day of the Seafarer,”  the good folks at Seafarers UK are sponsoring Seafarers Awareness Week, starting today and running through the July 1.  Seafarers UK is a leading charity for seafarers in need and gives grants of £2.5 million annually to more than 70 charities that help seafarers, their families and dependants, across the Merchant Navy, Fishing Fleets, Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

Seafarer’s UK has put together series of short videos in observance of the week, which we will be reposting.  In the   video below, piracy survivor, Chirag Bahri tells his story.

Seafarers UK Piracy Survivor

[iframe: width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/WO8ioWftL5w?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen]