Who Needs a Wall? East Coast Port Cocaine Container Busts Setting Records

Posted on by June 27, 2019

Anyone who thinks that a Southern border wall will stop cocaine trafficking into this country has not been paying at attention to the news. Cocaine seizures from container ships have been setting records in ports along the East Coast for the last several months. Most recently, a shipping container full of beach chairs discharged in Baltimore was found to contain 333 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $10 million, a record seizure for the port.

The Baltimore bust was dwarfed by the 15.5 tonnes of cocaine, worth roughly $1 billion, seized last week by Federal authorities aboard the MSC Gayane in the Port of Philadelphia. This seizure was also a record for the port and was one of the largest drug seizures in US history.

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Carnival’s New Mardi Gras Will Be Powered by LNG

Posted on by June 26, 2019

Carnival Corporation is the world’s largest cruise line, operating over 100 ships across nine brands. Back in 1972, however, it owned only one ship, the TSS Mardi Gras, of 27,000 GRT and carrying roughly 1,000 passengers.

Now, Carnival is building a new Mardi Gras of 180,000 GT and capable of carrying 5,200 passengers. When delivered it will be the largest cruise ship in the Carnival fleet. The new Mardi Gras will be distinctive for more than just its size. In addition to being the only cruise ship with an onboard roller coaster, it will also be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). 

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New York Sail GP, 50 Knots on the Hudson

Posted on by June 25, 2019

On Friday afternoon, I headed over to North Cove in Lower Manhattan to watch the New York races of Sail GP. Sail GP is a global racing circuit of cutting edge one-design 15-meter-long foiling catamarans. The boats themselves are repurposed and upgraded versions of America’s Cup racers from Bermuda on 2017. The six teams are drawn from around the world. On Friday, only five would make the race as the British team got caught by a gust, capsized and broke the top section of their wing mast. (I am sure there is a Brexit joke in there somewhere, but I will leave it alone.)

I planned on shooting video of the foiling cats, advertised to reach speeds of 50 knots, but found that by the time the races were supposed to start, around 5:15 PM, I would be shooting directly into the sun and would likely get great shots of blurry boats in the glare. I went across the river where the light was more favorable, but the Sail GP boats were farther away and often blocked from view by the frenetic Hudson River traffic. Long story short, I got some not-terrible video of the races but realize that the official video is so much better. Their helicopter/pursuit boat/action-cam footage with added computer graphics is really quite good. Here is a recap of what transpired on Frida and beneath the page break, a similar recap of the races on Saturday.

New York SailGP // Day One Catch Up
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Cargo Ship Kwai Collects 40 Tons of Ghost Nets from Pacific Garbage Patch

Posted on by June 24, 2019

Photo: Roy Hollowell

The sailing auxiliary cargo ship Kwai arrived in Hawaii recently.  The ship usually sails a regular route carrying cargo and passengers between Hawaii and the islands of Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Tabuaeran (Fanning) and Teraina, (Washington Island) as well as the Northern Cook Islands of Penrhyn, Rakahanga, Manihiki, Nassau, and Pukapuka.  The most recent voyage was different, however, and the cargo most unusual. On her arrival in Honolulu, the Kwai unloaded more than 40 tons of “ghost nets” collected from the Pacific Garbage Patch. Ghost nets are abandoned fishing gear which continues to drift catching and killing thousands of marine animals.

A study last year published in Nature suggests that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is growing “exponentially” and now spans roughly 617,763 square miles (1.6 million square km), or about three times the size of France.  Remarkably, roughly half of the floating debris in the garbage patch is abandoned fishing nets and related cordage.

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Alaskan Sails 8′ Walker Bay Dinghy Across the Bering Sea

Posted on by June 27, 2019

I have been looking for a rigid dinghy for my sailboat. I have an inflatable but I like to row and inflatable dinghies just don’t row well, or sometimes at all. One of the dinghies that has caught my eye is the Walker Bay 8 or possibly the 10. It is plastic and relatively inexpensive, looks like a dinghy and apparently both rows and sails reasonably well.  There is also a kit to add inflatable tubes, effectively turning the Walker Bay into a RIB (rigid inflatable boat.) 

Recently I stumbled across the story of John Martin III, an Alaskan who wanted to be reunited with his wife and son. Lacking money and a passport, he decided to sail across the Bering Sea from Alaska to China to reestablish contact with his family. He chose a Walker Bay 8 dinghy with the RIB tube kit and set off down the Yukon River and sailed out into the Bering Sea. The Anchorage Daily News reported that he sailed in July in the 8′ long boat equipped with little more than a bucket of salmon bellies, a jug of grape juice and water, pilot bread and a compass.

The good and almost amazing news is that he didn’t die. Continue reading →

Rebuilding the Tall Ship Providence

Posted on by June 22, 2019

Here is a wonderful short video by Ryan Smith featuring some really breathtaking drone footage of the rebuilding and rerigging of the Tall Ship Providence. The 1976 built replica of the Continental Navy sloop of the same name, was blown off her jack stands while on shore in Newport, Rhode Island during a blizzard in 2015.  This summer, her restoration was completed and she was rerigged in Wiscasset, Maine. Providence is now on her way to her new home in Alexandria, VA.

Tall Ship Providence is rebuilt!

The Bizarre Smuggling Scheme on MSC Gayane

Posted on by June 20, 2019

On Monday, 15.5 tonnes of cocaine worth roughly $1 billion was seized by Federal authorities aboard the MSC Gayane in the Port of Philadelphia. The drugs were found in seven shipping containers. It was one of the largest drug seizures in US history. How the drugs came to be aboard the 9,962 TEU container ship is a bizarre and almost unbelievable story, involving the ship’s crew loading drugs at sea from more than two dozen small boats, operated by smugglers wearing ski masks. 

Officials are not sure that they have found all the cocaine aboard the ship. Officials told CBS News there could be 30 tons more on board.

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Happy Juneteenth! When Emancipation Arrived by Steamship, 154 Years Ago Today

Posted on by June 20, 2019
Model of SS Cornubia of 1865

Model SS Cornubia

Today is Juneteeth, a commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the state of Texas, in particular, and in the Confederate states in general, one hundred and fifty-four years ago today. Although the surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia signaled the end of the nation’s largest war on April 9, 1865, emancipation did not arrive in Texas until two ex-Confederate steamships sailed into Galveston Harbor two months later. Here is an updated repost from four years ago.

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15.5 Metric Tonnes of Cocaine Seized on Container Ship MSC Gayane in Philly

Posted on by June 19, 2019

MSC Gayane – Photo: HHM / Dietmar Hasenpusch

In one of the largest drug seizures in United States history, Federal authorities seized 15,500 kilos of cocaine hidden in seven shipping containers on the container ship MSC Gayane in the port of Philadelphia. The street value of the drugs is estimated to be worth $1 billion. The MSC Gayane’s previous port calls included ports in Colombia, Chile, Panama, and the Bahamas. Authorities believe that the drug-laden containers were put aboard in the Bahamas. Members of the ship’s crew have been arrested and federally charged as the investigation continues, authorities said.  MSC Gayane is a 9,962 TEU Liberian flag containership built in 2018.

The current bust far surpasses the previous record for seized drugs set last March, when nearly 1,000 pounds of cocaine worth around $15 million was seized on the 9,400 TEU container ship, MSC Desiree, on its way from Colombia to Europe.

Note: We have received comments over the quantities of drugs seized. The currents reports are that the total was 15,500 kilograms. The initial reports were 15,000 kilos. The two figures translate into 15.5 and 15.0 metric tonnes, respectively, or around 17 and 16.5 short tons. Previously we mixed short tons and kilos which was confusing. We have updated the post to use only metric units.

First New Polar Icebreaker Under Contract, Delivery by 2024

Posted on by June 17, 2019

The good news is that after years of not-so-benign neglect the US Coast Guard is finally getting an appropriation to build three new heavy polar icebreakers, followed by the construction of three new medium polar icebreakers. The Coast Guard currently has one heavy icebreaker, USCGC Polar Star, which is 43 years old and has suffered repeated breakdowns. It has been kept operating primarily by scavenging from a sister ship, Polar Sea which has not been in service since 2010. The Coast Guard also has one medium icebreaker, the ten-year-old USCGC Healy.

The less than good news is that while the $745.9 million construction contract for the first heavy icebreaker, dubbed a Polar Security Cutter, has been awarded to VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, MS, the ship will not be delivered until 2024. The Polar Star and the Healy will have to hang on for another five years. The two follow-on heavy icebreakers are also not guaranteed as they are priced as contract options.

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Sailing the Around the World on Kamana — Five Years in Five Minutes

Posted on by June 14, 2019

Here is an incredibly beautiful video shot by Enrico Tettamanti and his wife Giulia Azzalli who spent over five years exploring the globe aboard their Solaris 72 Kamana.  Truly amazing footage. Well worth just over 5 minutes of your time.

“Our videos are our simple way to show the beauty of our planet – one that is strongly connected to the human impact we have on it,” says Enrico.


Kamana 2011-2016

Video of the Collision of Schooner No 5. Elbe & Container Ship Astrosprinter

Posted on by June 15, 2019

Disturbing video shot from the deck of the pilot schooner No. 5 Elbe immediately before her collision with the container ship Astrosprinter. It appears that the helmsman made the wrong maneuver at exactly the wrong time.

Kurz vor der Kollision mit “No. 5 Elbe” am 08.06.2019

Commentary from NDR.De: Continue reading →

Hyundai/NorsePower Eco-Tanker Design — VLCC Powered by LNG, the Wind, and Cargo Vapor

Posted on by June 14, 2019

Hyundai Heavy Industries, in a collaboration with Lloyd’s Register and Norsepower, has developed the design of an “Eco-Tanker,” a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with a unique propulsion system combining wind power with natural gas. The design also includes a volatile organic compound (VOC) recovery system which mixes the VOC with the natural gas as fuel. VOC is naturally-occurring vapor from the cargo tank during operation. Wind-assist propulsion is provided by four Norsepower modern Flettner rotors.

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Two Tankers Attacked in Gulf of Oman, Near Strait of Hormuz

Posted on by June 13, 2019

Early this morning, two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, not far from the Strait of Hormuz, were struck and disabled by explosions. The 110,000-dwt Front Altair, built in 2016 was carrying naphtha and broke out in flames following the explosion. A second tanker, the 27,000-dwt Kokuka Courageous, carrying methanol, was also damaged above the waterline by an explosion and was on fire. The 44 crew on the two ships were evacuated and were picked up by a rescue team from the southern Iranian province of Horozgan. Only one minor injury was reported. The US Navy’s U.S.S. Bainbridge, a guided missile destroyer, was also reported to be rendering assistance.

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Update: Danube Tragedy — A Crowded River & Second Collision for Viking Officer

Posted on by June 12, 2019

Mermaid on the Danube Before the Collision

The New York Times is reporting that well before Hungary’s worst boating accident in at least six decades, Hungarian officials had been warned that traffic on the Danube had soared to dangerous levels around Budapest, but the government did not curb the number of vessels plying the river. 

On the night of May 29, in a driving rain, an international cruise ship, the Viking Sigyn struck and sank a smaller sightseeing boat, the Mermaid, killing 28 people. The cause is still under investigation, but the accident has raised concerns that at the municipal and national levels, where tourism has become a major source of revenue, political calculations and the drive for profit outweighed safety concerns.

In related news, the captain of the Viking Sigyn, identified only as C. Yuriy, 64, of Odessa, was previously involved in another Viking collision in the Netherlands in April. He is reported to have served as the first officer of the Viking Idun which collided with the tanker, Chemical Marketer, in the Netherlands’ Western Scheldt, near Antwerp, on April 1. Five people reported minor injuries as a result of the collision.

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Remembering the Schooner Wander Bird — Rounding Cape Horn 1936

Posted on by June 11, 2019

Yesterday we posted about the sinking of the restored pilot schooner Elbe No.5, ex-Wander Bird, following a collision with a container ship near Stade, Germany on the Elbe River. The schooner, launched in 1883, had just completed a $1.7 million renovation. Fortunately while several were injured, none of the 43 passengers and crew died in the collision. An investigation of the incident is ongoing.

The schooner has had a fascinating history. It served as a pilot schooner on the River Elbe for 41 years, carrying pilots to guide ships from the North Sea up the river to the mighty port of Hamburg. She then spent a few years with several owners as a private yacht, named Wandervogel. In 1929, the schooner was purchased by American journalist Warwick Tompkins, who translated the German name to Wander Bird. 

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Pilot Schooner No. 5 Elbe, ex-Wander Bird, Sinks After Collision on River Elbe

Posted on by June 10, 2019

On Saturday, the restored pilot schooner No. 5 Elbe sank following a collision with a containership on its namesake river at Stade, Germany. The 43 people aboard the 1883 built schooner were rescued almost immediately thanks to a quick response from five rescue boats which happened to be in the area on another distress call. Six adults and two children were injured, one seriously, in the collision.

An investigation will determine the cause of the collision between the pilot schooner and the Cyprus-flagged container ship, Astrosprinter. Current reports suggest that the schooner turned across the fairway, directly into the path of the container ship. The Guardian describes the course change as a “failed tack” by the gaff-rigged schooner. Other reports suggest that the container ship was outside the channel lane. 

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Update: Jeanne Socrates Moors Off New Zealand To Make Repairs

Posted on by June 10, 2019

On May 18th, we posted that singlehander Jeanne Socrates, 76, on her fourth circumnavigation, suffered a knockdown on S/V Nereida off the South Island of New Zealand. Despite the loss of solar panels and damage to the wind generator system, Socrates was unhurt, and sails, rig, most instruments, autopilot, and radio were undamaged.

Socrates is attempting to become the oldest person to sail solo around the world non-stop and unassisted. After the knockdown, most would have given up and put into port, but Jeanne has not abandoned her quest. She has put into Timaru Harbour, South Island, New Zealand to make necessary repairs to her Najad 380, Nerieda. As long as she does not go ashore or receive support or supplies, she can continue on her voyage “non-stop and unassisted.”

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Carnival Cops a Plea — $20 Million Fine for Continuing to Pollute

Posted on by June 10, 2019

In April, we posted, Judge Threatens to Block Carnival Cruise Ships from Docking in US Ports, in which U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz considered temporarily blocking the largest cruise corporation in the world from docking its ships at ports in the United States as punishment for a possible probation violation of a previous pollution settlement.

In 2016, Princess Cruise Lines, a Carnival subsidiary, agreed to pay a $40 million fine for illegally dumping and attempting the cover up the dumping of oil-contaminated waste into the sea. Part of the deal was an agreement that Carnival, Princess and associated cruise lines would, figuratively and literally, clean up their act. The cruise giant was put on five years’ probation.

In a settlement announced on Monday, Carnival agreed to pay an additional $20 million, after admitted to failing to live up to the terms of the probation. A whistleblower reported the dumping of grey water and plastics, falsifying records, and hiding violations from Federal inspectors.

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