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Monthly Archives: September 2009
Update: Beluga Shipping Underway in the North East Passage
We have been following the progress of Beluga Shipping in their attempt to make a commercial transit of the “Northern Sea Route” which is also referred to as the “North East Passage.” See our “Beluga Group attempts the Northern Sea Route” … Continue reading
Posted in Lore of the Sea
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Henry Hudson on Manhattan Island – 400 Years Ago Today
Today there are 1.6 million or so residents on the island of Manhattan. How things have changed. Four hundred years ago on September 12th, 1609, when Henry Hudson first stepped onto the island, there were roughly 600 Lenape Indians living … Continue reading
Posted in History, Lore of the Sea, Ships
Tagged Half Moon, Henry Hudson, Lenape Indians, manhattan, New York City
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Dick Dowling Days
Last February, we posted about Dick Dowling and the battle of Sabine Pass. This weekend , September 12th and 13th, during “Dick Dowling Days” there will be re-enactments of the Civil War battle on the Sabine Pass State Historic Battleground … Continue reading
Posted in Current, History, Lore of the Sea
Tagged battle of Sabine Pass, Civil War, Dick Dowling, Dick Dowling Days, Sabine Pass, texas
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Breaking News from the Department of Really Lousy Timing
CNN reported that the US Coast Guard had fired shots at a passenger vessel on the Potomac River a short distance from where 9/11 memorial events were taking place at the Pentagon. Later reports say that the incident was in … Continue reading
Maritime Evacuation on 9/11 – An American Dunkirk
Eight years ago today, on a beautiful Tuesday morning in September, hundreds of thousands of commuters were trapped in lower Manhattan. Manhattan is an island and all bridges, tunnels and subways had been shut down following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Shortly after … Continue reading
Posted in Current, History, Lore of the Sea, Ships
Tagged 9/11, American Dunkirk, Maritime Evacuation
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Australia’s National Shipwrecks Database
We recently posted about how Cathryn R. Newton, dean emerita from Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has developed a searchable database that details 2,038 shipwrecks dating from 1526. Thanks to Dick Kooyman for pointing out Australia’s National Shipwrecks database, … Continue reading
Retracing Darwin’s Journey – 150 Years Later
Charles Darwin’s great-great- granddaughter, Sarah Darwin, is sailing on the Stad Amsterdam with a group of historians and naturalists, as well as a film crew for Dutch VPRO Television and Hollywood actor John Malkovich. They will be retracing the voyage of … Continue reading
Posted in Current, History, Lore of the Sea, Ships
Tagged HMS Beagle, Sarah Darwin, Stad Amsterdam
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Fire on the Morro Castle – Part 2: “Hero” and Murderer
In the aftermath of the fire in 1934 on the passenger liner Morro Castle, in which 135 passengers and crew died, there was considerable blame to be shared. The ship’s safety equipment was poorly maintained, the crew poorly trained and the … Continue reading
Posted in History, Lore of the Sea, Ships
Tagged George White Rogers, Morro Castle, Vincent Doyle
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Fire on the Morro Castle – Part 1: Memorial on 75th Anniversary
Seventy five years ago today, the passenger liner Morro Castle was steaming off the Jersey shore, bound for New York from Havana, when she caught fire. Of the 549 passengers and crew aboard, 135 died either in the fire or by drowning. An … Continue reading
Posted in Current, History, Lore of the Sea, Ships
Tagged Asbury Park, Asbury Park Historical Society, Morro Castle
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17th Annual North River Tugboat Challenge
If Gloucester has a schooner race, then New York really should have a tugboat race. And it does. Here is a short video I shot of the 17th Annual North River Tugboat Challenge last Sunday.
1945 U.S. ARMY Battle Tug For Sale
Thanks to Dave Shirlaw on MARHST-L for pointing out a fascinating vessel for sale on E-Bay. The vessel is a steel tug, ST 893, built by JK Welding of Brooklyn, NY in 1945. The tug is said to have served in … Continue reading
