Honoring the Coast Guard Heroes of Hurricane Harvey

Posted on by December 27, 2019

When Category 4 Hurricane Harvey devastated coastal Texas and Louisiana in August 2017, the US Coast Guard was there to assist in the rescue. Harvey was the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States and is tied as the most destructive. The hurricane’s floods inundated hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced more than 30,000 people and prompted more than 17,000 rescues.

Last week in Mobile the Coast Guard awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and one Air Medial to four of the heroes of rescues in Hurricane Harvey.  The Distinguished Flying Crosses were presented to Cmdr. Scott Sanborn, Lt. John Briggs, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Gantt. Petty Officer 1st Class James Yockey was awarded the Air Medal.

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Ghost Net Kills Hundreds of Sharks Off Cayman Islands

Posted on by December 26, 2019

Ghost nets — Photo: The Ocean Cleanup

Yahoo recently reported that a group of divers happened upon a gruesome sight in the Cayman Islands — hundreds of decomposing sharks and other sea creatures tangled up in a floating “ghost net.”

Dominick Martin-Mayes, a 27-year-old fisherman and diving instructor, told the Independent that he was with a group of friends when they found the “solid net of dead, decomposing fish and sharks.”

Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been left or lost in the ocean by fishermen and that continue to entangle, trap and kill fish and other sea life long after they have been abandoned or lost. 

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Hoisting the Christmas Tree to the Masthead on the Joseph Conrad at Mystic Seaport

Posted on by December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate the holiday.

Here is a short video of the rigging crew of Matt Otto, Nick Canzellarini and Alex Peacock at Mystic Seaport Museum installing one of the many mast-top Christmas trees atop the foremast of the Joseph Conrad.

Oh Christmas Tree

Wreckage of 16th Century Ship Samson Uncovered in Stockholm City Center

Posted on by December 24, 2019

Archaeologists Daniel Matsenius and Philip Tonemar recovering the probable remnants of Samson, a ship built in the 16th century (Arkeologikonsult / Facebook)

Like so many coastal cities, Stockholm has grown larger and its harbor smaller over time as landfill and buildings have replaced waterways and docks. The Local reports that over the past year, work has been going on in the Kungsträdgården area in Stockholm’s city center, to strengthen the foundations of a building belonging to the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. In an excavation under a courtyard, sections of a ship’s hull were discovered. Analysis of the wreckage and the dating of the planking leads archaeologists to believe that the ship was the Samson, commissioned by Charles IX of Sweden in the late 1500s.

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The Sailing Ship Amongst the Battle Cruisers, Battle of the Falklands 1914

Posted on by December 23, 2019

We recently posted about the 105th anniversary of the Battle of the Falklands and the discovery of the wreckage of the German armored cruiser, SMS Scharnhorst, which was sunk in the battle. In researching these posts there was one bit of historical trivia which seems worth sharing — the appearance of a sailing ship, which sailed directly between the combatants at the beginning of the battle.

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Royal Navy and US Navy Aircraft Carriers — Integration or Outright Lease?

Posted on by December 22, 2019

USNI News recently quoted Adm. Tony Radakin, the First Sea Lord and U.K. Chief of Naval Staff suggesting that the U.K. Royal Navy intends the HMS Queen Elizabeth its largest, most advanced warship ever built, to be considered interchangeable with U.S. Navy carriers.

“As she has demonstrated already, we can successfully field a combined U.S., U.K. carrier strike group,” Radakin said. “I look forward to this developing further, moving to the point where we are not only talking about interoperability, but we are looking for interchangeability.”

Queen Elizabeth can deploy with up to 36 F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters. The ship is wrapping up a series of exercises off the Atlantic Coast, in coordination with the U.S. military, he said.

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2020 Daysails on 1877 Barque Elissa

Posted on by December 21, 2019

The Galveston Historical Foundation has announced its yearly daysails on the 1877 Barque Elissa. The day sails will be on April 3rd, 4th, and 5th. From the announcement:

Join us for a one of a kind outdoor adventure aboard the 1877 Iron Barque ELISSA! 2020 sees the Official Tall Ship of Texas return to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for her annual daysail series. As one of the oldest, and longest continuously sailed vessels in the world, the annual daysails keep her where she works best, with her sails down, sailing in the Gulf waters.

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Cruise Ship Bumper Cars — Carnival Glory Hits the Carnival Legend, Just Misses Oasis of the Seas

Posted on by December 20, 2019

This morning while maneuvering to come into the dock at Cozumel, Mexico, the cruise ship Carnival Glory, collided with the docked cruise ship, Carnival Legend, and narrowly averted hitting the Royal Caribbean Lines Oasis of the Seas, which was also at the dock. Video, taken by passengers on the Oasis of the Seas, shows that as the Carnival Glory is passing the Carnival Legend, the Glory‘s stern sideswipes the Legend‘s bow. Six people were reported to have sustained minor injuries in the collision which damaged at least two decks on the stern of the Glory. 

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First AC 75 to Capsize — “a Little Whoopsie” on Emirates Team NZ Te Aihe

Posted on by December 19, 2019

The new America’s Cup AC75 monohulls flying across the water on foils look like other-worldly beasts to a traditionalist’s eye. How does one sail those things? Very carefully, apparently.

The other day, Emirates Team New Zealand was testing their boat, Te Aihe, in Aukland’s Waitemata Harbour when they had what was described as a “little whoopsie.” While performing a foiling gybe – described as a particularly tricky maneuver – they became unbalanced, their bow reared up and their foils lost contact with the water. Te Aihe lost speed and slowly rolled on to its side. No one was injured and no damage was done to the boat, which was righted with the help of a support boat.

This is likely not to be the last AC75 capsize. Recently, Grant Simmer, eleven-time America’s Cup veteran and CEO of the INEOS Team UK, warned of possible disaster with the new high-tech boats. In an interview on the team website he noted, “You can easily capsize these boats, a big focus will be the safety of the crew – followed by trying to protect our physical assets.”

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Kicked Out For Being Gay, US Navy Names New Ship USNS Harvey Milk

Posted on by December 18, 2019

Then Ensign Harvey Milk

At NASSCO in San Diego, they have begun cutting steel for a new Navy oiler, T-AO-206, to be named the USNS Harvey Milk. When completed it will be the second of the John Lewis class of underway replenishment oilers, operated by the Military Sealift Command to support ships of the United States Navy. 

Raised in a Navy family, Harvey Milk joined the US Navy in 1951 during the Korean War. He served aboard the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake (ASR-13) as a diving officer. He was later transferred to San Diego to serve as a diving instructor. Then in 1955, he was forced to resign from the Navy for being a homosexual. He held the rank of lieutenant, junior grade.

Milk would go on to become the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, where he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.  On November 27, 1978, Supervisor Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were shot and killed in San Francisco City Hall by an ex-supervisor. When Milk was shot he was wearing his U.S. Navy diver’s belt buckle.

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Invasion of the Penis Fish

Posted on by December 17, 2019

If our post yesterday about the North Pacific Blob sounded like something from 1950s sci-fi, then our post today – Invasion of the Penis Fish – must sound like 1960s porn. In fact, thousands of worms looking considerably like penises washed up recently on Drakes’s Beach, in California about 50 miles north of San Francisco. The worms go by various names, including fat innkeeper worm and spoonworm, but appear to be best known as penis fish. Neither penises nor fish, they are Urechis caupo — plump, unsegmented, cylindrical pink worms growing to a length of up 20 inches, with 8 inches being about average.

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The Blob Shuts Down the Alaskan Cod Season

Posted on by December 16, 2019

In the 1958 sci-fi/horror film, the Blob is a gooey mass from outer space which eventually grows the size of a small building while devouring everyone it encounters. The Blob cannot stand cold and is finally stopped by being airlifted to the Arctic. (The movie is notable primarily as Steve McQueen’s debut in a leading role.)

There is now a very real monster in the northern Pacific also referred to as the Blob. It is a mass of unusually ocean hot water that is having a disastrous impact on sea life. Codfish have been particularly hard hit. Because of historically low numbers of Pacific cod, the federal cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska is closing for the 2020 season. This is the first time this fishery has been closed due to low fish stock.

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Déjà Vu — Concerns over the Cost of Competing for the America’s Cup

Posted on by December 15, 2019

International yacht racing is incredibly expensive. That is unquestionably true of the America’s Cup races.  Recently, the Financial Times spoke to British sailing champion Ben Ainslie about his concerns that the race is too expensive to remain viable. The cost of the new boats creates a barrier to entry for new competition.

In March 2021, Sir Ben hopes to bring the trophy back to the UK for the first time in 170 years, backed by £110m from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the founder of the Ineos chemicals group who topped The Sunday Times’ UK rich list in 2018.

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The Bowhead Whale, the Longest Living Mammal

Posted on by December 14, 2019

Australian researchers using a genetic ‘clock’ to predict animals’ lifespans have determined that bowhead whales may live for an average of 268 years. They came to this conclusion from studying 42 genes and a chemical process they undergo called methylation that can be used to predict life expectancy. The new research suggests that there may be bowheads swimming in icy northern waters today that were alive when Nelson fought the Battle of Trafalgar.

Bowhead whales have long been considered the longest living mammals. While no bowheads have been found as old as that predicted by the researchers, one bowhead was found to be 211 years old based on levels of aspartic acid in the whale’s eye. In a number of cases, stone and steel harpoons dating from the 18th century have been dug from the carcasses of bowhead whales. In 2007, a bowhead was found with a fragment of a patented exploding lance that was manufactured in the 1880s.  

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More Woes for Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia’s Only Carrier, On Fire

Posted on by December 13, 2019

Admiral Kuznetsov

Perhaps we have been too hard on the USS Gerald R. Ford. Sure her weapons elevators don’t work and for tactical purposes the most expensive warship ever built may be little more than a $13 billion berthing barge. Nevertheless, at least she is not Russia’s only aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which yesterday suffered a major fire.

At least one person died in the fire which broke out Thursday morning on Russia’s only aircraft carrier during repair work in Russia’s Arctic Sea port of Murmansk, according to Russian state news agencies. A further 12 people were injured and two are missing, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

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Restoring HMS Surprise, Ex HMS Rose, at the Maritime Museum of San Diego

Posted on by December 12, 2019

Many years ago, I had the good fortune to sail with a volunteer crew of Patrick O’Brian aficionados from New York to Bermuda on the replica frigate HMS Rose. Despite being rather short on wind, it was a memorable voyage. The ship went on to play the HMS Surprise in the 2003 movie, Master and Commander: Far Side of the World. She also appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Following the movies, the ship was donated to the Maritime Museum of San Diego, where she kept the name — HMS Surprise.

In 2020, Rose/Surprise will be a half-century old and in need of a refit. The museum’s goal will be to replank the entire starboard side of the ship’s hull and to restore her weather decks. Here is a short video about the restoration project.

Barque Picton Castle’s Epic Voyage to the South Pacific 2020 – 2021

Posted on by December 11, 2019

Click for a larger image

In May of 2020, the barque Picton Castle will embark on another epic voyage, this time to the South Pacific. Trainees may sign aboard for the year-long voyage or for any of the four legs of the trip.

The Picton Castle is a 179′ long, steel-hulled three-masted barque-rigged sail training ship, best known for completing seven circumnavigations of the globe, in addition to other shorter voyages. The ship carries a professional crew of 12 and up to 40 sail trainees.

More about their upcoming South Pacific voyage from their website:

Picton Castle is bound for the South Pacific and you can sail as trainee crew on this incredible voyage to the South Seas islands. Visit ports like Panama, Pitcairn Island, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Easter Island, Las Perlas, Cartagena, and the Yucatan while learning seamanship skills hands-on and to sail a square-rigged ship. You become crew, no sailing experience necessary as you will get plenty on the voyage!

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Update: White Island Eruption — Six Dead, Eight Missing, Around 30 Injured

Posted on by December 10, 2019

The most up to date information we have now is that there were 47 people on New Zealand’s White Island when the volcano billed as “one of the world’s most active volcano” erupted. There are now six confirmed dead, five who died on the island and one person who died on the way to the hospital. Early reports suggested that over 20 people were missing. Fortunately, that number has fallen to eight. The bad news is that all of the missing are presumed to be dead, bringing the current death toll to a likely 14. 

Of the survivors, 31 suffered burns, many of which were serious. CNN reports that almost all patients who were injured in the deadly New Zealand volcanic eruption have suffered extensive burns to their bodies and lungs, as questions mount over the circumstances surrounding the tragedy that has left at least six people dead.

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Deadly Volcanic Eruption on New Zealand’s White Island — 5 Dead and More Than 20 Missing

Posted on by December 9, 2019

Passengers on RCL’s Ovation of the Seas who signed up for the excursion to White Island were promised “an unforgettable guided tour of New Zealand’s most active volcano. In fact, White Island is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. … Gas masks/breathing apparatus helps you get up close to roaring steam vents, bubbling pits of mud, hot volcanic streams and the amazing lake of steaming acid.”

Tragically, White Island lived up to its designation as a highly active volcano when it erupted today, at 2.11pm local time, 48km off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, in the North Island. Fewer than 50 people were on the island at the time.  30-38 were believed to be on an excursion from the cruise ship. Five are known to be dead. 23 people were immediately evacuated after the eruption. All those rescued had burn injuries.

More than 20 are still unaccounted and feared dead. Rescue helicopters and other aircraft carried out aerial reconnaissance flights over the island and reported no signs of life. A statement from local police says, “Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island.”

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The Mystery of The Battle of the Falklands, 12/8/1914

Posted on by December 23, 2019

HMS Invincible

Last week, marine archeologists announced finding the wreckage of the German battlecruiser SMS Scharnhorst, off the Falkland Islands. The Scharnhorst, along with most of the German East Asia Squadron, was sunk by the Royal Navy 105 years ago on this day, December 8, 1914, in the Battle of the Falklands.  How and why the Battle of the Falklands came to be fought remains something of a mystery.

Toward the end of 1914, the Imperial German Navy’s East Asia Squadron, under the command of Vice-Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee, was fighting its way home. On November 1, the German squadron has easily defeated two obsolete British cruisers killing 1,600 British seamen, off the coast of central Chile near the city of Coronel. Spee then refueled his ships and rounded Cape Horn. Before setting a course for Europe, however, Spee decided to attack the British supply base at Stanley in the Falkland Islands.  He believed the base was undefended. He was wrong. It would prove to be a fatal mistake. 

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