Large Model of H.M.S. Leviathan to be Sold in Aid of Rotherham Sea Cadet Corps in Maritime Sale

A monumental model of H.M.S. Leviathan will be offered by Charles Miller Ltd on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 in his sale of Maritime Models, Instruments & Art in London (25, Blythe Road, W14).

A dockyard model, this 1st class armored cruiser was built by John Brown & Co. Ltd of Clydebank for the Royal Navy in 1901 and is 1/48th of the original size. Measuring over four metres in length, the ship is estimated at £40,000-60,000. The ship is being sold by the Rotherham Sea Cadets, who have had it for the last 50 years. The money will be used to support the day to day running of the cadets.

Charles Miller Ltd’s sale will comprise almost 250 lots ranging from artifacts relating to the Georgian Navy to Fine Ship Models as well as Scientific and Navigational Instruments and Marine Works of Art.

The Tall Ship Soren Larsen is returning to the Pacific in 2010

2010 Summer Voyaging

In May the ship will depart from New Zealand for the South Seas with a voyage route chosen to encompass some of our favourite island destinations, including the whale breeding grounds of Tonga, the southern and western isles of Fiji, our beloved Vanuatu, including the northern Torres isles which we’re visiting for the first time, and volcanic Tanna (as seen on the Brit TV’s brilliant ‘Meet the Natives’). The Pacifique chic of New Cal is followed by our unfulfilled passage to Australia via Lord Howe, a long awaited return to Sydney harbour and a trans Tasman passage home to NZ.
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Norwegians to raise submarine

The Norwegian Government has announced that the wreck of the WW2 German submarine U-864, which contains 65 tons of mercury, is to be raised, and that the contaminated seabed be covered with clean sand.  The submarine, which lies off the Norwegian west coast near Fedje, north of Bergen, has long been considered an environmental hazard by  environmental groups and local people.
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Kalmar Nyckel crew readies for spring sailing

You can’t cobble up in a book all of what Captain Lauren Morgens and the 20-plus crew members who will be traveling abroad the Kalmar Nyckel for several months have learned from being on the ship.
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Chinese Freighter Slams Into Great Barrier Reef

The Shen Neng 1 crashed into the reef at full speed a few hours after leaving the port of Gladstone, the Australian authorities said. The ship, which was nine miles outside its authorized shipping lane, was hauling 72,000 tons of coal and had 1,000 tons of bunker fuel aboard.

Australian officials warned that the vessel was in danger of breaking apart, and there were reports on Sunday night of traces of oil leaking from the vessel. An Australian aircraft reportedly dropped chemical dispersants on the oil.

Barista Uno at the Marine Café Blog shares his perspective on ” downside and upside, the agony and joy, of maritime blogging.”

Confessions of a maritime blogger

The Marine Café Blog was launched in late August of 2009, succeeding the old Marine Café news website. This makes bllogging a fairly new game for us, although we were into international maritime journalism long before some of the manning fellas in Manila became rich and started driving around town in Mitsubishi Pajeros and Ford Expeditions. Seven months is a short time but enough for us to see the downside and upside, the agony and joy, of maritime blogging.
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On April 14th Turk Film Services will be holding an online auction of up to 200 boats and floating craft ranging from the Cygnet, an iron steam launch built in 1873 to a “swan boat” which features a detachable fiberglass swan built onto a double ended Swedish sailing dinghy.  The auction features a  highly eclectic mix of water craft including boats used in the television and movie productions of Hornblower, Harry Potter, Swallows and Amazons, 633 Squadron and Three Men in a Boat.

Classic Boats on Auction
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Professional surfer and Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) ambassador Jodie Nelson became the first woman to paddle 39.8 grueling miles from the island of Catalina to Dana Point in an effort to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and prevention.  She has an unexpected escort for two hours of the nine hour paddle.  A 30 foot minke whale swan beside her 14 foot board, often rolling and blowing bubbles and around and under it.

California surfer receives whale of an escort during marathon paddle
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