Happy Juneteenth — When Emancipation Arrived by Steamship

Posted on by June 18, 2022

USS Cornubia, ex Lady Davis

Happy Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth National Independence Day is also the newest Federal holiday. The legislation, passed by both the House and Senate, was signed into law by President Biden a year ago. The holiday commemorates when emancipation arrived in Galveston, Texas by steamship, 157 years ago today. Here is an updated repost. 

Although the surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia signaled the end of the nation’s Civil War on April 9, 1865, emancipation did not arrive in Texas until two ex-Confederate steamships sailed into Galveston Harbor two months later. 

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Santo Cristo de Burgos — Legendary “Beeswax” Shipwreck Found On Oregon Coast

Posted on by June 18, 2022

In 2010, we posted about the mystery of the “beeswax ship,” the wreck of a Spanish galleon that left shards of Chinese pottery and blocks of beeswax in the sand of an Oregon beach. Now, National Geographic reports that timbers from the ship believed to be the 17th-century galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos have been discovered in sea caves on the Oregon coast this week. The ship, sailing from the Philippines to Mexico in 1693 was lost when it veered off course and vanished. Its cargo included costly Chinese silk, porcelain, and blocks of beeswax for making candles.

The extraordinarily rare hull remains were removed from sea caves near Manzanita earlier this week in a risky emergency recovery mission involving archaeologists, law enforcement personnel, and search-and-rescue teams from multiple state and local agencies.

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China Launches “Mother Ship” — First Semi-Autonomous Drone Carrier

Posted on by June 16, 2022

China has launched a semi-autonomous unmanned research vessel designed to serve as a “mother ship” for more than 50 unmanned aircraft, surface vessels, and submersible drones.

The 290-foot Zhu Hai Yun is intended to deploy unmanned devices en masse for a 3D, networked observation system, above and below the surface – an “Intelligent and Agile Ocean Stereoscopic Observation System” covering an area about 50 nm in diameter.

Beijing has officially described it as a maritime research tool, but some experts have said the ship has the potential to be used as a military vessel. 

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Arctic “Whisky War” Ends as Canada and Denmark Divide Hans Island

Posted on by June 14, 2022

Canada and Denmark have ended the good-natured “whisky war” over Hans Island, a tiny, barren and uninhabited island in the Nares Strait roughly equidistant between Greenland and Canada’s Ellesmere Island. The dispute originated in 1971 when Canada and Denmark discovered that both countries had laid claim to the slightly over one square kilometer island. 

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. It leaves Copenhagen to manage certain policy areas, including foreign and security policy.

As noted by the New York Times, the dispute between Canada and Demark over the decades has been fought in often whimsical ways.

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Schooner Eleonora E Sunk by Out of Control Search and Rescue Vessel

Posted on by March 2, 2023

Sad news. On Friday, the 49.5-meter schooner Eleonora E was struck by a 60′ long search and rescue vessel in Port Tárraco, Tarragona, Spain and subsequently sank. The search and rescue vessel Punta Mayor was maneuvering in the harbor and became stuck in reverse. The vessel struck Eleonora E at midships on the starboard side, crushing the schooner against a seawall. 

Built in 2000, at the Van der Graaf shipyard in Holland, Eleonora E is a replica of the Herreshoff-designed Westward, one of the most famous racing schooners in the world which raced against yachts such as Britannia and Lulworth in the early 1900s.

Drone photos taken following the collision show the schooner rolled over on her starboard side, completely submerged, with just the tip of the masts above water. Salvage operations are reported to be ongoing.

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Farewell “Battle Cat” : Carrier Kitty Hawk Arrives at Scrap Yard

Posted on by June 10, 2022

The carrier USS Kitty Hawk has arrived at a scrapping yard in Brownsville, Texas after an epic 16,000-mile journey from Washington state. The carrier, too large to fit through the Panama Canal at over 280 feet wide, was towed around South America, via the Strait of Magellan before it docked in Texas.

Kitty Hawk, nicknamed “Battle Cat”, was the last conventionally-powered aircraft carrier to serve in the US Navy.  A veteran of the Vietnam and Afghan wars, Kitty Hawk also served as America’s only forward-deployed carrier in Japan.

The carrier was decommissioned in 2009, after returning from forward-basing in Japan, and has remained in storage at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington. Naval Sea Systems Command sold Kitty Hawk and her sister ship, USS John F. Kennedy, to International Shipbreaking Ltd. in October 2021 for just one penny each.

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Antarctica: Southern Ocean floor mapped in greatest ever detail

Posted on by June 10, 2022

The BBC is reporting that scientists have made the most precise map yet of the mountains, canyons and plains that make up the floor of Antarctica’s encircling Southern Ocean. Covering 48 million sq km (18.5 million sq miles), this chart for the first time details a new deepest point – a depression lying 7,432m (24,383ft) down called the Factorian Deep.

The International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO) has taken five years to compile and updates the first attempt at a comprehensive map, which was published in 2013.

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Wreck of HMS Gloucester, Lost in 1682, Identified Off Norfolk, UK Coast

Posted on by June 10, 2022

The wreck of HMS Gloucester, a 50-gun, third-rate, Royal Navy warship, which sank in 1682 while carrying the future king James Stuart, has been identified off the coast of Norfolk. According to Prof Claire Jowitt, a specialist in maritime history at the University of East Anglia, the discovery of the wreckage could be the “single most significant historic maritime discovery since the raising of the Mary Rose in 1982”.

The Gloucester‘s whereabouts remained a mystery until it was discovered 15 years ago half-buried in the seabed 28 miles (45km) out to sea, having sunk while navigating treacherous sandbanks.

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Norfolk Harborfest® America’s Largest, Longest-Running, Free Maritime Festival

Posted on by June 9, 2022

If you are near Norfolk, VA this Friday through Sunday, you may wish to stop by the downtown waterfront to enjoy the myriad of activities associated with the Norfolk Harborfest®.

Described as America’s largest, longest-running, free maritime festival, the iconic Norfolk Harborfest® enters its 46th year in 2022. For three memorable days along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront June 10-12, Harborfest celebrates all of the elements that make Norfolk & Hampton Roads a historic maritime & Naval community. On both land and sea, thrilling activities and live music take center stage at Harborfest, including the annual Parade of Sail featuring international tall ships, one of the largest fireworks shows on the East Coast, a mesmerizing drone show, interactive family games and activities, Navy exhibits and demonstrations, artisan foods and beverages, national and regional live entertainment, and much more. Mark your calendars for Friday-Sunday, June 10-12, 2022 for one of Hampton Roads’ biggest summertime events!
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Fire on the Dinner/Cruise Ship Spirit of Norfolk, 108 Safely Evacuated Including 89 Kindergarteners

Posted on by June 8, 2022

A fire broke out on the dinner cruise ship Spirit of Norfolk on the Elizabeth River in Virginia on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of 108, including 89 elementary school students celebrating their kindergarten graduation. Fortunately, all passengers were accounted for and there were no reported injuries. All passengers were evacuated to the excursion boat Victory Rover which ferried them to shore.

Two crew members remained on the Spirit of Norfolk to assist the firefighters and shortly afterward the vessel was towed to Pier 4 at the naval base.

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Video on UN World Oceans Day — “Oceans Give, Oceans Take”: Their Role in Climate Change

Posted on by June 8, 2022

On the United Nations World Oceans Day, here is a very well-done, short video on the role of the oceans in climate change. 

As greenhouse gases warm the Earth, our oceans play a significant role in absorbing heat that helps regulate rising temperatures. But as writer and narrator Robert Krulwich explains, there is a huge price to pay for heating the oceans. He explains why in this first of a series of “CBS Sunday Morning” video essays, based on the work of Aatish Bhatia. Animation directed and designed by Nate Milton. Music by Buck St. Thomas.

“Oceans Give, Oceans Take”: Their role in climate change

Captain Bill Pinkney To Be Honored as “Hero of the Game” by White Sox

Posted on by June 7, 2022

In July of last year, we posted about Captain Bill Pinkney‘s induction into the National Sailing Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award as an “Enthusiastic Trend Setter.” Captain Pinkney was the first African American to solo-circumnavigate the world via Cape Horn. Born on September 15, 1935, in Chicago, he attended public schools in Chicago and joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school in 1954.

Now, on the 30th anniversary of returning to the U.S. from his historic 22-month solo sail around the world, Captain Pinkney will be honored as “Hero of the Game” at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Thursday, June 9.

The White Sox honor a member of the military at each home game. At a designated half-inning break, Captain Bill will be honored on the field and featured live on the centerfield videoboard as the public address announcer salutes both his service to our country and his solo voyage.

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Pinnace Virginia, Maine’s First Ship, Launched in Kennebec River

Posted on by June 6, 2022

Images: Bob McKane

Twenty-seven years ago, a plan was conceived to reconstruct Maine’s first ship, Virginia, built by in 1607 by settlers of the Popham Colony at the mouth of the Kennebec River. The original 51′ pinnace was the first English ocean-going ship built in the Americas. After considerable research, the keel of the reconstruction was laid in 2011.

On Saturday, June 4th, after over a decade of fabrication by more than 200 volunteers, the new incarnation of Virginia was christened and gently lowered into the waters of the Kennebec River by twin cranes, as hundreds joined in a day-long celebration along the shore in Bath, Maine.

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Remembering the Battle of Midway, 80 Years Ago This Week

Posted on by June 5, 2022

The Battle of Midway, fought from June 4 — 7, 1942, eighty years ago this week, was a major American victory in the Pacific theater in World War II. Military historian John Keegan called it “the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare”, while naval historian Craig Symonds called it “one of the most consequential naval engagements in world history, ranking alongside Salamis, Trafalgar, and Tsushima Strait, as both tactically decisive and strategically influential”.

Only six months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Midway was a turning point in the naval war in the Pacific. Key to the victory was the American breaking of the Japanese naval code. Thanks to the code breakers, what had been intended to be another Japanese surprise attack became a well-laid trap by the US Navy. Here is a 15-minute tactical overview of the battle. Well worth watching.

Battle of Midway Tactical Overview – World War II | History

Clonal Neptune Grass — the Oldest Living Thing on Earth

Posted on by June 3, 2022

Yesterday, we posted about Poseidon’s ribbon weed, Posidonia australis, a clonal seagrass. Researchers recently discovered large meadows of the self-cloning sea grass growing in Shark Bay, off the westernmost tip of Australia. DNA testing of the seagrass, covering over 180km, an area three times the size of Manhattan, established that the meadows were made up of a single plant, making the self-cloning seagrass the largest single plant in the world.

The post brought to mind a similar story about clonal sea grass from a decade ago involving a related species, Posidonia oceanica, known as Neptune grass, that is believed to be the oldest living thing on the planet.

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The World’s Largest Plant, Poseidon’s Ribbon Weed, Discovered Off Australia

Posted on by June 3, 2022

Australian researchers were performing a genetic survey of Poseidon’s ribbon weed (Posidonia australis), a species of seagrass growing widely in Shark Bay, off the westernmost tip of Australia. Researchers collected shoots from across the bay and examined 18,000 genetic markers to create a “fingerprint” from each sample. They had aimed to discover how many plants made up the meadow. When the DNA results came in, they made a remarkable discovery. 

The seagrass, covering over 180km, an area three times the size of Manhattan, is, in fact, a single plant, having grown from a single seed over at least 4,500 years.  The self-cloning plant is also the largest single plant in the world.

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Congratulations to Admiral Linda Fagan, First Woman Coast Guard Commandant

Posted on by June 1, 2022

Congratulations to Admiral Linda Fagan, who today assumed command as the 27th commandant of the US Coast Guard. Breaking a major glass ceiling, (or perhaps a glass overhead), she also becomes the first woman to lead the service, as well as the first female service chief in American history.

Sworn in by President Biden at a change-of-command ceremony at US Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, he commented that “There’s no one more qualified to lead the proud women and men of the Coast Guard…”

Fagan, 58, succeeds Adm. Karl L. Schultz, who is retiring.

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On Memorial Day : Last Mission of the USS Olympia — Carrying the Unknown Soldier Home

Posted on by May 30, 2022

On Memorial Day, an updated repost about the last mission of the USS Olympia in 1921, when she carried an American unknown soldier killed during World War I  from a cemetery in France back to Washington to be entombed at Arlington National Cemetery.  The Olympia was decommissioned the following year. 

USS Olympia is the oldest steel-hulled American warship afloat and Commodore George Dewey’s flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898.  The ship is now a museum ship at Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum.

Memorial Day: Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery

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Mark Sinclair Finishes 2018 Golden Globe Race

Posted on by May 29, 2022

On May 27, 2022, Australian solo sailor Mark Sinclair, 63, finished the 2018-2019 Golden Globe Race. He finished last and took four years to complete the race, but he finished, which is an accomplishment in its own right. 

Sinclair had made it halfway around the world before pulling out of the race in Australia in December 2018. He calculated that he had taken too long to reach the halfway point in the race and at his current average speed would arrive too late in the season at Cape Horn. Earlier in the race, Sinclair had run perilously low on freshwater.

He restarted the race on December 5, 2021 from his home port of Adelaide and took 174 days to sail from Australia to Les Sables d’Olonne in France, arriving on 27 May.

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What Did the Navy Pilots See? UFOs, UAPs, or Drones?

Posted on by May 27, 2022

The first Congressional hearing addressing UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) in more than fifty years, yielded very few answers. The main takeaway from the hearings was that, while most sightings could be identified, a number of events have defied all attempts at explanation.

Unlike the last Congressional public hearings into the issue in 1966, when the Air Force dismissed the sightings as “swamp gas,” the government now acknowledged that the more recent observations involved unknown objects that were observed on video, radar, and other sensors.

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