In response to our post, Tall Ships Hit By Slumping Economy, Will from the Tugster blog and Captain Peter from Nautical Log commented about the potential synergies of tall ships carrying cargo in addition to passengers. Well great minds, and all that. An example of what both these gentlemen were referring to took place last weekend in Ballyvaughan, Ireland in County Claire, at the Festival of the Valleys, which “celebrate[s] the very best of traditional Irish and Mediterranean culture and cuisine. This unique event … merge[s] the unique environment of the Burren with glorious splendour of the Mediterranean.” Fittingly enough, the wine for the festival was delivered by the Ketch Bessie Ellen, one of the last remaining examples of a West Country Trading Ketch, from the festival director’s own vineyard in the Languedoc-Rousillon area of southern France.
Not surprising news given the economy but disturbing nevertheless.
Hurricane season officially begins today, though Tropical Storm Agatha blew in from the Pacific a day or two early and
A trivia question – what was the
Keith Jessop, the salvage diver who recovered the gold from the HMS Edinburgh, died on May 22, 2010, aged 77.
What make this story interesting are not the facts but the reaction to them. A sixty year tradition of Naval Academy plebes climbing a greased obelisk at the end of their first year is coming to an end. So far of the emails received by the Navy times on the story, over thirty oppose the ending the obelisk climb while one supports the ban.
A new look at the last battleship battle of World War II and perhaps of all time. A review by Steven Toby, republished with permission from the 
We haven’t posted about the Deepwater Horizon blow-out and spill. The folks over at the 
Five alleged pirates went on trial this week in the Netherlands in what is believed to be the first piracy trial in the European Union. The Netherlands has called for an international tribunal for the prosecution of sea pirates, but thus far no EU action has been forthcoming. In the US a pirate captured in the attack on the Maersk Alabama has pleased guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
After suffering what was described as
New York’s Fleet Week 2010 is underway. “