USNS Bejanmin Isherwood and the USNS Henry Eckford – From the Shipyard to the Scrapyard Without a Day of Service

Posted on by July 18, 2011

Twenty five years ago, the US Navy contracted to build two fleet oilers, the USNS Bejanmin Isherwood and the USNS Henry Eckford.   The Navy spent at least $300 million dollars on their construction. Due to shipyard defaults and various legal wranglings, the ships were never completed and never went into service. Now both ships are on their way to the scrap yards, having never spent a single day in operation.

These are not high-tech warships. They are simple oil tankers, specifically Henry J. Kaiser Class Fleet Replenishment Oilers, of which 16 had already been built.   Militarily contracting is notoriously wasteful, but this may set a new low.

Two never-finished Navy ships head to scrap heap
Continue reading →

Gato Class Submarine USS Cod Opens Fire Again

Posted on by July 17, 2011

In July 1945, the Dutch submarine O-19 ran hard aground on Ladd Reef in the South China Sea deep in enemy waters.  The Gato class submarine USS Cod was sent to rescue the Dutch sub. After  two days of attempting to free the stricken sub, the Dutch crew of 56 was taken aboard the USS Cod and the the O-19 was destroyed with torpedoes and fire from the Cod‘s deck guns to prevent it from falling into Japanese hands.

Yesterday in Cleveland, Ohio, the USS Cod‘s deck guns were fired again to commemorate the anniversary of the only international submarine-to-submarine rescue in history.

Cleveland: USS Cod opens fire on Lake Erie
Continue reading →

Celebrity Silhouette: Traveling Backwards Down the River Ems

Posted on by July 15, 2011

This is an interesting and perhaps an unintentionally amusing clip of the Celebrity Silhouette leaving the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The shipyard has just enough room to build the ship but not to turn her around, so she was towed down the River Ems backwards.

What struck me as unintentionally amusing were the repeated statements of how amazing, exciting and incredible  moving the ship down the river was by the Celebrity executives. About the fourth or fifth time I heard their gushing enthusiasm, I found myself thinking, well, it wasn’t that impressive.

Mystery wreck found in Swedish Baltic

Posted on by July 15, 2011

Photo: Ocean Recycling

Recently a very interesting shipwreck was discovered in the waters between the islands of Gotland and Öland off the east coast of Sweden.  The article seems to claim that it is the “world’s intact oldest wreck” though most apparently think that the ship dates from between the 12th and the 14th centuries. Some however,  enthusiastically hope that the wreck is the legendary ship that carried the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag home after his sacking of Visby on Gotland, in 1361 AD.  Unfortunately, it apparently looks much more like a medieval cog.

World’s oldest’ wreck found in Swedish Baltic

Thanks to Phil Leon for passing the article along.

Project Shiphunt: Discovering the M.F. Merrick

Posted on by July 15, 2011

Sony and Intel have partnered to sponsor “Project Shiphunt.”  The project sponsored a group of Michigan high school students to discover an historic sunken ship in The Great Lakes using Sony VAIO laptops. So far they have assisted in the discovery of two sunken ships, the schooner M.F. Merrick and the steel freighter Etruria.  The video below describes finding the Merrick.

Project Shiphunt Young Explorers Discover Two Lake Huron Shipwrecks

Project Shiphunt: Discovering the M.F. Merrick

Thanks to Irwin Bryan for pointing out the story and Jack Tar magazine  for pointing out the video.

Pride of Baltimore II, U.S. Brig Niagara, and Lynx at the 2011 Duluth Music and Maritime Festival July 15 -18

Posted on by July 14, 2011

The  Pride of Baltimore II, the Brig Niagara, and the privateer Lynx will on hand for the 2011 Duluth Music and Maritime Festival  starting on Friday July 15 and running through Monday, July 18.  Music, food, and tall ships – it sounds like a great weekend.  The festival will also coincide with the Sixth Annual Bayfront Reggae and World Music festival, the largest festival of it’s kind in Minnesota, to be held the same weekend at Bayfront Festival Park, July 16 – 17.

Duluth Music and Maritime Festival

City of Water Day Festival 2011 in New York Harbor – July 16th

Posted on by July 14, 2011

Anyone who needs to be reminded that New York City is indeed a city of water should find their way down to the harbor’s edge on Saturday. The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is hosting the 2011 the City of Water Day Festival in New York Harbor this Saturday, July 16th.  Activities include boat tours, sailing, kayaking, biking, arts, crafts, games, delicious food, and live music at locations along the harbor from the Bronx to Staten Island. These include Governors Island, NY, Liberty State Park, NJ as well as at Bronx River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Harlem River Park, Hudson River Park, Staten Island South Beach, and Yonkers Pier 40.

On the Water, For the Water

Updates of Recent Posts : Cyprus, the Volga, Baja, Algeciras & Galveston

Posted on by July 13, 2011

A few updates of recent posts:

Posted July 11th: Death on the Volga – Cruise Vessel Bulgaria Sinks, More than 100 Dead – From CNN: “Four people face criminal charges in connection with the sinking of a Russian ship Sunday in which scores of people died, federal investigators said Tuesday.”  Criminal cases opened over sinking of Russian ship

Posted July 11th: Blast at Cypriot Naval Base a “Catastrophe of Biblical Proportions” – From Time: “The Cypriot government had repeatedly ignored warnings that the explosives storage at the base was not safe. … Authorities have ruled out sabotage as a cause of the blast. Stupidity, however, remains under active investigation.”  Cyprus: Warnings About Iranian Gunpowder Ignored
Continue reading →

7th Annual Maine Windjammer Parade & Anniversary Party July 15

Posted on by July 13, 2011

In 1936, Frank Swift founded Maine Windjammer Cruises and began chartering or buying old cargo schooners and offering passenger cruises along the Maine Coast.  This Friday, the Maine Windjammer Association will hold the 7th Annual Maine Windjammer Parade & Anniversary Party in honor of Swift’s founding of the Maine Windjammer industry seventy five years ago.

Festivities Mark Windjammer Fleet’s 75th Anniversary, July 15
Continue reading →

Alaric Bond’s Cut and Run – A Review

Posted on by July 17, 2011

Alaric Bond’s wonderful new book, Cut and Run, the fourth in his Fighting Sail series, steps away from the Royal Navy and takes us onto the decks of a merchantman – a ship of the Honorable East India Company. The ships of the “John Company,” as the HEIC was colloquially known, were the connective tissue of the empire, carrying trade goods and merchants outbound and bringing back the riches of the India and China to England. In a time of war, these ships were also a virtual treasure trove for enemy privateers.

In Cut and Run, Royal Navy Lieutenant Tom King finds himself on the beach, on half pay. The frigate, HMS Pandora, on which he served so valiantly in the Battle of Camperdown (see our review of True Colours) is being refit and her captain has gone ashore to consider a run for parliament. Lacking money and connections, Lt. King decides to take a position as an officer of the Pevensey Castle, a ship of the Honorable East India Company.  He is joined by Robert Manning, a surgeon’s mate from the Pandora, and his new wife Kate, who has arranged a position as purser’s assistant on the Indiaman.

Continue reading →

Mystic Seaport Wants to See Your Tattoo

Posted on by July 12, 2011

Mystic Seaport is hosting a Tattoos & Tallships Weekend on Saturday, July 16th and Sunday, July 17th.   If you have a tattoo and a story to tell about it, be sure to stop by the “Tattoo Tales” booth, where you can show your tattoos and share your stories about them.  Mystic Seaport staff will record each story on video and select the best to share on YouTube, Flickr, and Facebook.

Mystic Seaport wants to see your tattoo
Continue reading →

Death on the Volga – Cruise Vessel Bulgaria Sinks, More than 100 Dead

Posted on by July 11, 2011

On Sunday, the cruise vessel Bulgaria reportedly sank in approximately 3 minutes on the Volga River near Kazan, Russia.  Of the 197 passengers reported to be aboard, more than 100, including many children, are believed to have died.

Death on Volga: Sinking Bulgaria cried for help as ships passed by

[iframe: width=”480″ height=”390″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/3Vd54ERjCjw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen]

See also: 100 Dead, Many Children, in Boat Sinking in Russia

Blast at Cypriot Naval Base a “Catastrophe of Biblical Proportions” – at Least 17 Dead

Posted on by July 11, 2011

Damage to power plant Photo: AP

This morning, an explosion at a munitions dump at the Evangelos Florakis naval base on the southern coast of Cyprus has killed at least 17 and injured over 40.  The explosion knocked out the island’s largest power station at Vassilik and did significant damage to the neighboring community.   Cypriot President Dimitris Christopfias, described the explosion as “a catastrophe of biblical proportions.”   The cause of the explosion is yet to be determined but is believed to have been triggered by brush fires which ignited  more than two thousand tons of black powder confiscated in 2009 from a Cypriot-flagged vessel M/V Monchegorsk bound for Iran.

 Blast at Cypriot naval base kills ‘at least’ 17

 

One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago – William Tillman and the Privateer Jefferson Davis

Posted on by September 28, 2017

William Tillman retakes the schooner Waring

William Tillman was the first black hero of the American Civil War. He was not a soldier but rather a 27-year-old  cook/steward on the schooner S.J. Waring.  One hundred and fifty years ago last Thursday, the schooner was captured by the Confederate privateer Jefferson Davis while about 150 miles from Sandy Hook, New York.  Captain Smith, the master of the S.J. Waring was taken aboard the Jefferson Davis, and a five man prize crew was put aboard the schooner, with orders to sail her to a Southern port where the ship and her cargo would be sold.

William Tillman was a free black man, but was told that as a captive of the Confederacy, he would be sold back into slavery. Though at least one other member of the  schooner’s original  crew was held below in chains, as cook steward, Tillman was left to go about his regular duties.  The prize crew made a fatal mistake in underestimating the cook steward.  On July 16th, William Tillman decided to take back the ship.
Continue reading →

“Hands Free” Landing on Aircraft Carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower

Posted on by July 9, 2011

A modified F/A-18D Hornet fighter plane recently landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower controlled by linked computers on the ship and on the plane. A pilot and a flight engineer were on the plane but did not touch the controls during the landing.

‘Hands-free’ landing on Eisenhower is step toward unmanned naval flight
Continue reading →