Robert L. Allen, Chronicler and Champion of Black Sailors in Port Chicago Disaster & Mutiny, Dies at 82

Posted on by July 28, 2024

Robert L. Allen, who definitively told the story of 50 Black sailors who were convicted of conspiracy to commit mutiny for refusing to continue to load munitions onto cargo ships after explosions had blown apart two ships at a California port during World War II, died on July 10 at his home in Benicia, in Northern California. He was 82.

On July 17, 1944, two ships being loaded with munitions in Port Chicago, California exploded. Over 4,000 tons of bombs, shells, depth charges, and fuel erupted in two shock waves that were felt by seismographs at the University of California, Berkeley. The second, larger shock wave was equivalent to a 3.4 magnitude earthquake. The calamity killed 320 people of which 220 were black seamen.

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Update : Hawai‘i Issues New Bids to Remove Historic Windjammer Falls of Clyde From Honolulu Harbor

Posted on by July 27, 2024

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to permanently remove the historic ship Falls of Clyde from Honolulu Harbor, where it has languished since 2008. Bids must be submitted by September 25, 2024.

The 145-year-old vessel is currently berthed at Pier 7 where it once served as a museum ship as part of the Hawai‘i Maritime Center.  The vessel is privately owned but was impounded in 2016 and remains in the custody of the department.

In November 2023, the Hawaii Historic Places Review Board voted 4-1 in favor of removing the Falls of Clyde from the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places and recommending removal from the National Register. The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) Harbors Division initiated the application for the ship’s removal with a case that the qualities that made it eligible for listing are no longer present based on an evaluation of the ship’s physical condition.

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Australia Finds Shipwreck of MV Noongah, 55 Years After Tragic Loss

Posted on by July 25, 2024

The wreckage of the MV Noongah, dubbed “one of the nation’s worst post-war maritime disasters” has been discovered off the coast of Australia’s New South Wales 55 years after it sank in heavy weather with the loss of 21 of its crew. There were only 5 survivors. Of the 21 who died, only one body was recovered.

The 71m (233ft) freighter was carrying a cargo of steel off Smoky Cape, New South Wales when it sank on August 25, 1969, sparking one of the biggest maritime searches in Australian history.

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Video of Humpback Capsizing Fishing Boat Off the New Hampshire Coast

Posted on by July 24, 2024

A humpback whale that appeared to be lunge feeding breached the water and landed on a recreational boat near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, capsizing the vessel and tossing two occupants into the water, the United States Coast Guard said.

The New York Times reports that the Northern New England sector of the Coast Guard received a mayday call for a 23-foot boat that had capsized when a whale shot up from underneath the boat and flopped onto it, about half a mile east of Odiorne Point State Park.

The dramatic flip was caught on video by Colin Yager, 16, who was out fishing on another boat nearby, according to WHDH in Boston. He sped over to rescue the two boaters in the water, neither of whom were injured. The whale also appeared to be uninjured, the Coast Guard said.

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Brazilian Sharks Test Positive For Cocaine

Posted on by July 23, 2024

Graphic: D Ross Robertson

Have you heard of cocaine bear? Well, meet cocaine sharks. Sharks living off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, according to new research, the first time that the drug has been detected in free-ranging sharks.

Scientists tested 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks in the waters off the city of Rio de Janeiro and found cocaine present in both the liver and muscle tissue of all 13 specimens, according to a paper by researchers at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil sent to CNN on Tuesday.

The species was chosen due to its small size and the fact that it lives in a small area of coastal waters, where it is exposed to significant contaminant discharges for its entire life cycle, according to the study.

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Scott & Shackleton’s Antarctic Ship Discovery Now Has a “Digital Twin”

Posted on by July 22, 2024

RRS Discovery is a barque-rigged auxiliary steamship built for Antarctic research. She was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in the United Kingdom. Her first mission was the British National Antarctic Expedition, carrying Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first, and highly successful, journey to the Antarctic, known as the Discovery Expedition.

The aptly named Discovery is now a museum ship in Dundee, Scotland, the port where she was built in 1901. After a storied and arduous career spanning 123 years, it is remarkable that the ship has survived.

Now, the historic ship has a brand new “digital twin.” Using state-of-the-art technology, a team led by researchers at the University of Southampton has created a highly accurate 3D representation of RRS Discovery. The new “digital twin” provides new insights into how the ship was built and used while also informing ongoing restoration work on the original vessel.

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Mission Underway to Map Titanic and Wreck Site Using Cutting Edge Tech

Posted on by July 19, 2024

Photo: NOAA/Institute for Exploration/University of Rhode Island

Just over a year after the ill-fated Titan expedition to the Titanic killed five people, another expedition down to one of the most famous shipwrecks in the world is underway. Using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), a team of imaging experts, scientists, and historians plans to get updated images of the Titanic that will be used to make a 3D model of the ship. RMS Titanic Inc. – the only firm with salvage rights to the wreck – will carry out the mission.

This is RMS Titanic, Inc.’s first expedition to the wreck site since 2010. The expedition will utilize cutting-edge technology to focus on imaging and high-resolution photography of the site to preserve the Titanic’s legacy for future generations and scientific study. ROVs will survey the wreck site and debris field. The images captured will reveal important new insights into the condition of the site, areas, and artifacts at risk, and contribute to ongoing conservation efforts and educational initiatives already underway.

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Houthis Release Video of Sea Drones Striking Tanker Chios Lion in the Red Sea

Posted on by July 17, 2024

Yemeni Houthi rebels have released a video of an attack they claim to have been carried out by a sea drone on an oil tanker in the Red Sea. The footage shows a small vessel approaching, then colliding with the ship’s port side, resulting in a large explosion. 

BBC has confirmed that the tanker seen in the video is the Chios Lion. The attack occurred on July 15, 100 nautical miles northwest of Yemen’s port of Hodeidah. The attack is reported to have inflicted minor damage to the Chios Lion. The tanker’s crew was not injured in the attack.

Satellite images revealed that an oil slick between 40-200 km may have resulted from the attack.

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Remains of Two Sailors Found in Inflatable Washes Ashore on Sable Island, Nova Scotia

Posted on by July 15, 2024

Last week, a 10-foot inflatable boat with two bodies on board was discovered washed ashore on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. The remains are believed to be of Brett Clibbery, 70, and Sarah Packwood, 60, from British Columbia, who were reported missing on June 18.  Nova Scotia’s medical examiner service continues to work to positively identify the bodies,  police said, but next of kin have been notified.

The CBC reports that the inflatable boat found on Sable Island, about 290 kilometers southeast of Halifax, is believed to have been from a GibSea 42 ft sailboat named Theros.

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Pod of One Thousand Pilot Whales Surround Solo Rower in the Atlantic

Posted on by July 13, 2024

Yesterday, we posted about the tragic stranding on a beach in the Orkneys that resulted in the deaths of 77 long-finned pilot whales.  Here is a much more cheerful story involving a pod of pilot whales and a solo transatlantic rower.

Tom Waddington set off on an attempt to break the world record for rowing solo across the Atlantic, while also raising money for the mental health charity Mind. Last Sunday, some 100 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, he had an unexpected visit by what he estimates was a pod of at least a thousand long-finned pilot whales that playfully swam around his boat for several hours.

“This is so cool,” Waddington said as he took a video of the whales’ antics that he posted on Instagram. With a laugh, he added, “I love it, but I’m scared they’re gonna hit my rudder.”

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Pod of 77 Pilot Whales Die After Stranding on Orkney Beach

Posted on by July 12, 2024

On 11 July 2024 at about 10:45am, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) received a report of a mass stranding of long-finned pilot whales on the isle of Sanday in Orkney, Scotland.  They found 77 animals high up the beach, having evidently been stranded for several hours already.  65 of the whales were already dead and the 12 remaining whales were in a poor state.

“Sadly the remaining 12 pilot whales have been euthanized due to their condition deteriorating from the many hours they have spent stranded on the beach,” the BDMLR said in a statement late Thursday.

“Pilot whales are a really social species. They really rely on their family bonds. So, it might have been that just one of them got into difficulty and the rest of the pod just stranded with it because they stick together,” BDMLR rescue and community coordinator Molly Brown told the Reuters news agency. “In moments of need, they never leave each other’s side.”

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Update: Shackleton’s Ship Endurance Given Extra Protection

Posted on by July 11, 2024

In March of 2022, we posted about the discovery of the remarkably intact remains of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, which was crushed by pack ice and sank off Antarctica in 1915. Using undersea drones, the shipwreck was located 10,000 feet below the ice-covered surface of the Weddell Sea. 

Recently, the BBC reported that the protection perimeter drawn around Endurance is being widened from a radius of 500m to 1,500m. The measure is part of a newly published conservation management plan (CMP).

The perimeter update is a recognition that debris from Endurance – including crew belongings – may be strewn across a larger area of ocean floor than previously thought.

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Russian Replica Frigate Shtandart Banned From Brest Maritime Festival

Posted on by July 10, 2024

A few days before one of the world’s largest maritime gatherings, the crew of the Russian sailing ship Shtandart learned that it would not be able to participate in the Brest festivities due to the extension of European sanctions due to the war in Ukraine.

Le Parisien reports that the Shtandart, a replica of Tsar Peter the Great’s frigate, will not be able to participate in the Brest Maritime Festival, due to a decree from the Finistère prefecture. The ship, whose Russian flag has been controversial for months, had to change it in the spring to that of the Cook Islands, at the request of the French authorities.

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Iranian Destroyer Sahand Capsizes at Dock in Bandar Abbas

Posted on by July 9, 2024

The Iranian Moudge-class destroyer Sahand capsized and sank in shallow water while undergoing dockside repairs in its home port of Bandar Abbas. The 1,300-tonne ship, commissioned in 2018, is one of the newest Iranian-built warships, fitted with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, as well as anti-aircraft batteries and sophisticated radar and radar-evading capabilities.

“As Sahand was being repaired at the wharf, it lost its balance due to water ingress. Fortunately… the vessel is being returned to balance quickly,” IRNA news service reported, citing a navy statement.

Maritime security analyst H.I. Sutton wrote on Sunday that the Sahand may have had a higher center of gravity due to recent upgrades, which could have affected its stability. The warship was fitted with a new radar, surface-to-air missiles, and more anti-ship missiles.

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Coast Guard Honors Charleston Harbor Pilot Christopher Thornton For Safely Steering Runaway Container Ship

Posted on by July 8, 2024

Rear Adm. Douglas Scholfeld, commander of the Coast Guard 7th District, presents Christopher Thornton of the Charleston Branch Pilots with Meritorious Public Service Award for his actions in safely steering a ship to safety June 5, 2024. Coast Guard photo.

Early last month, we posted about the departure on the morning of June 5th, of the container ship MSC Michigan VII from the North Charleston Container Terminal in Charleston, South Carolina. Its engine was set to “dead slow ahead” as it moved down the Cooper River. Instead of proceeding at a harbor speed of 6 -8 knots, however, the engine increased power to near full-ahead without warning, propelling the ship between 14 and 17  knots, and would not respond to commands.

For nearly 90 minutes, harbor pilot Christopher Thornton steered the runaway 70,000-ton containership on a slalom course 20 miles along the Cooper River, making five major turns and shooting under the landmark Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge – all at nearly twice the normal speed of ships through the harbor. 

His ship handling maneuvers on June 5 “were nothing short of miraculous and directly saved lives, property, and the marine environment,” according to a Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award presented June 26 to Thornton at the Charleston Branch Pilots Association station.

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SS Great Britain Returns to Bristol, 54 Years Ago Today

Posted on by July 5, 2024
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 Fifty-four years ago today, 100,000 people lined the banks of the River Avon in Bristol as the SS Great Britain returned to her birthplace. In the intervening years, the rusting hulk was meticulously restored to her former glory and now rests in the drydock where she was built. As a museum ship, she is visited by between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors annually.  Here is an updated repost about the grand old ship, followed by a video about her return to Bristol in 1970.

In the spring of 2016, I visited the museum ship SS Great Britain, in Bristol, UK.  When she was launched in 1843, the iron-hulled luxury passenger steamship SS Great Britain was described as “the greatest experiment since the Creation.”

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Happy 4th of July – A Toast to Madeira, the Wine of the Declaration of Independence and the Liberty Riots

Posted on by July 1, 2024

An updated repost fitting for the day.

Happy 4th of July!  Those of us in the United States celebrate the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776. Immediately after declaring independence from Great Britain, the representatives in the Continental Congress drank a toast with glasses of Madeira wine.

Why Madiera?  It was virtually the only wine available in the American colonies at the time. Wine carried by sailing ship was often spoiled in transit by the constant jostling of the ship and the wide variations of heat and cold. Wine from the island of Madeira, however, was fortified with a small amount of sugar cane brandy to help it survive the ocean voyage. Not only did the fortified wine survive the voyage but it was found that the heat and motion of the ship actually improved the quality of the wine.

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Dolphins Can Recognize Each Others’ Whistles — And Their Urine, New Study Finds

Posted on by July 2, 2024

A fascinating story from CBC Radio — based on a new study in the academic journal Science Advances, dolphins can recognize the sound of a whistle or the taste of urine — yes, taste — to spot their friends.

What started as a study of how dolphins use their signature whistles has uncovered another way the cetaceans communicate: their urine. 

“It’s like your dog sniffing a fire hydrant,” study co-author Jason Bruck told As It Happens guest host Robyn Bresnahan. 

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IMO Arctic Heavy Fuel Ban Goes into Effect, With Major Loopholes Until 2029

Posted on by July 1, 2024

As of July 1, a ban on heavy fuel oil (HFO) for ships has come into effect in Arctic waters.  The UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) ban on HFO, however, includes significant loopholes that will allow the vast majority of ships operating in the Arctic to use the fuel until 2029.

HFO, also known as bunker fuel and residual fuel, is the dirtiest and most climate-damaging fuel on the market. It is a tar-like and thick, but relatively cheap oil that has been widely used in shipping.

The specific concerns about the use of HFO in Arctic include the risk of oil spills in which the sludge-like fuel would be effectively impossible to clean up in icy Arctic waters. Such spills could have a devastating impact on the Arctic’s sensitive environment and species, including walrus, polar bears, and beluga whales.

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The Future of Naval Drones — Sleek Ukrainian Magura V5 or Massive US Manta Ray?

Posted on by June 28, 2024

The Ukrainian Magura V5 naval drones have proven to be fast, deadly, and cheap.  As we posted last August, Ukrainian naval drones are redefining warfare in the Black Sea; quite an accomplishment for a beleaguered nation that almost wholly lacks a navy.

Recently, Northrop Grumman revealed an underwater drone named the Manta Ray. The drone, built for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The drone has been under development since 2020. The Manta Ray represents a new class of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), that were developed to perform long-duration, long-range military missions with as little human oversight as possible. The craft is also capable of harvesting energy from the ocean.

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