The Panama Canal, the Savannah River and the Confederate Ironclad CSS Georgia

In 1865, the CSS Georgia, a Confederate ironclad battery was burned and sunk in the Savannah River to avoid capture and to obstruct passage on the river.  (The ship was scuttled not far from where the British sank the frigate HMS Rose in 1779 to block the French fleet from sailing up the river to attack the British occupiers.)  The Confederates who wished to block the river succeeded beyond their wildest imaginings. Now a $653 million plan to dredge the river to allow for larger ships to call, following the widening of the Panama Canal, is being complicated by the wreck of the CSS Georgia. The Army Corps of Engineers plans to spend $14 million to raise and preserve what is left of the sunken Confederate ironclad. How much is left to preserve is another question.

Civil War shipwreck creates hurdle for government’s $653M plan
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Solar-Powered MS Turanor PlanetSolar Completes Circumnavigation in 584 Days

The 98-foot-long solar powered catamaran MS Turanor PlanetSolar returned to Monoco yesterday, completing a 37,286 mile circumnavigation of the globe in 584 days. It is the first circumnavigation under solar power.   Along the way, the Turanor PlanetSolar made stops on six continents to promote solar energy.

While the Turanor PlanetSolar was promoting solar power, another “green energy” vessel, the trimaran  Banque Populaire V, set a new world’s speed record in January, circumnavigating the globe in 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes, 53 seconds.

70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea

Seventy yeas ago, the Japanese and navies of the United States and Australia fought the Battle of the Coral Sea in the waters southwest of the Solomon Islands and eastward from New Guinea in a series of naval battles from May 4-8, 1942.   It was the first of six major carrier battles in the Pacific in World War II and was also the first in which neither side’s ships sighted or fired directly upon the other.  A tactical victory for the Japanese, in the sense that they lost fewer ships, it was a strategic victory for the Allies who succeeded in stopping the Japanese advance for the first time since Pearl Harbor.  The Battle of the Coral Sea also denied the Japanese critical ships and planes that would contribute to its major loss in the Battle of Midway only a month later.

Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942

The Sea Shadow & Hughes Mining Barge – “Invisible Ship” and Spy Barge Sold at Auction

Sea Shadow

Update: The final auction price for the Sea Shadow and the HMB1 was an impressive $3.2 million.

The Sea Shadow is an experimental 164′ long catamaran “stealth ship” built by Lockheed in the mid 1980s for the United States Navy.  For most of her life, the Sea Shadow has been housed in the 364′ long Hughes Mining Barge (HMB1.)  Now, both the Sea Shadow and the Hughes Mining Barge are being sold for scrap. The Sea Shadow cost close to $200 million to build. There is no public record of the cost of the HMB1 as it was paid for by the CIA on a secret mission to raise a Russian nuclear submarine.  At just under three hours left in the auction, the current highest bid for both vessels together is slightly over $400,000.
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Tall Ship Pelican For Sale

One of the most beautiful and most interesting tall ship sailing today, at least to my eye, is the three-masted barquentine Pelican.  The Pelican is 148ft long overall, square rigged on the main mast but fore and aft rigged on the fore mast and mizzen, a modern hybrid between a traditional square rig and the mixed square and fore and aft rig of the Barbary coast Xebecs.

The Pelican is also now actively for sale with an asking price of £2,450,000.

Weymouth’s Tall Ship is yours for £2.45m
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Video of Duckboat Being Run Down by Barge Released

On July 7, 2010, a barge struck the disabled “Duck boat” DUKW 34 at anchor in the Delaware River off Philadelphia.  Of the 35 passengers aboard, two died.  Last November, the tug’s mate was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for his role in the collision.  Today, lawyers representing the two victim’s families in a civil wrongful death lawsuit, released a previously unseen video of the collision.  Thanks to Tony Seideman for passing it along.

Video captures shocking moment 240-foot barge struck small tour boat in Philadelphia

Video of fatal US tour boat collision released

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Beware the Supermoon! Wonder What They Will Blame on it This Time?

This Saturday, we will witness a perigee full moon, often called by the press, a “supermoon.”   The full moon at its perigee, or closest approach to earth, will appear 16% bigger and will exert 42% more tidal force than a more typical full moon.  Usually these “perigean tides” are only an inch or so higher or lower than normal.  Local tidal conditions can amplify the effect, which is still usually no more than a 6″ change in high or low tide.

Biggest Full Moon of the year due this weekend as ‘supermoon’ raises tides around the planet
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Update: Assam Ferry Tragedy – No Clear Death Toll Yet

In what may prove to be the worst ferry accident in India in recent years, it is still unclear how many passengers were lost when an overcrowded ferry capsized on Monday in the bad weather in the Brahmaputra River in India’s Assam state.  As many as 250 are reported to have have died or are missing, though estimates vary widely. The ferry did not carry life jackets or other safety gear. The ferry, which was reported to be a “double-decked” vessel, appears now to have been a large partially decked boat with a wooden canopy or roof over the passenger area.  Additional passengers apparently also sat on the roof of the vessel. Thanks to Tad Roberts for passing along the photo of a similar vessel.

Assam boat tragedy: Cops fear 250 dead, 100 still missing

Update: Newport-to-Ensenada Racing Tragedy – Did the Aegean Hit the Rocks?

Initial speculation included an explosion and then a collision with a larger vessel.  Now an online GPS tracking system, SPOT, shows the yacht running onto the rocks on a far end of North Coronado Island at 1:36 a.m. Saturday.  The Coronado Islands are about 15 miles south of San Diego Bay.  The Coast Guard could not confirm the GPS results and says that the investigation is still ongoing.

Yacht deaths: Boat may have hit rocks, not large ship

Groundbreaking for David Warther Carvings – A Master Ship Carver In Amish Ohio

Niagara

Between Sugarcreek and Walnut Creek, Ohio, in the heart of Amish country,Ohio, there was a ground-breaking today for a new museum which will showcase ship models carved by David Warther II, a fifth generation carver.  David Warther Carvings will showcase Warther’s “History of the Sailing Ship” which follows the development of ships from early Egyptian times to the end of the Age of Sail. Thus far Warther has carved 80 ship models, primarily in legal ivory, purchased from museums and private owners.

David Warther Carvings groundbreaking is Tuesday
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A Proposal on HMS Bounty

Dr. Roger Clark and fiance Christine Whalen on HMS Bounty Photo: Rhonda Parker

HMS Bounty recently called at St. Augustine, FL.  During a dockside party on the ship, Dr. Roger Clark Smith, a local historian, decided that there would be no better setting to propose marriage to the fair Christine Whalen, who graciously accepted. Our congratulations to the happy couple.  We only hope that a “no mutiny” clause is added to the vows.  Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing the news along.

Local maritime historian proposes at the helm of the HMS Bounty

Double-Decker Ferry Sinks in Brahmaputra River in North-East India – 200 Dead or Missing

A double-decker ferry carrying an estimated 350 people capsized, broke apart and sank in the Brahmaputra River in heavy weather.  The ferry was traveling between Dhubri to Fakirganjan in Assam state and was reported to be overloaded with passengers and cargo, and carried no lifeboats or life jackets. The Brahmaputra River is one of the largest in Asia.

India ferry sinking leaves at least 200 missing or dead

Last March, we posted about the death 114 people in a ferry sinking in neighboring Bangladesh

Titanic II ? Unsinkable? Australian Billionaire Clive Palmer Has Big Plans

Just like this, but not so sinkable

On the heels of the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic, Australian mining billionaire Clive Palmer has announced his plans to build a 21st-century replica of the Titanic and sail it from England to New York accompanied by the Chinese navy by the end of 2016.  And this time, the ship will be unsinkable.  Palmer is quoted as saying, “It is going to be designed so it won’t sink…  It will be designed as a modern ship with all the technology to ensure that doesn’t happen.”  Like the Costa Concordia, perhaps?   I am struck by how similar Palmer’s statement is to the White Star brochure describing the original Titanic and her sister ship the Olympic.  “… these two wonderful vessels are designed to be unsinkable.”  

Palmer’s ship, if built, will not be the first Titanic II.  See our previous post: The Name Should Have been a Hint – Titanic II Sinks on Maiden Voyage.

Australia billionaire to launch “unsinkable” Titanic
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3 Dead & 1 Missing in Suspected Collision Between Yacht Aegean and Larger Vessel

Sometime late Friday night or early Saturdaymorning, near the Coronado Islands, during the 125-mile Newport-to-Ensenada yacht race, something went terribly wrong on the 37′ yacht Aegean, leaving three sailors dead and one missing.  A statement issued this morning by the Newport Ocean Sailing Association, which hosts the race, said,  “An investigation was continuing, but it appeared the damage was not inflicted by an explosion but by a collision with a ship much larger than the 37-foot vessel.”

This is the second ocean racing tragedy in California in the last two weeks.  On April 14, five of eight sailors died when their yacht, Slow Speed Chase, was struck by large waves and ran aground on the Farallon Islands off San Francisco, CA while competing in the Full Crew Farallones Race.

3 crew members die as yacht apparently hits larger vessel 
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