Monthly Archives: June 2010

Quest for the South Magnetic Pole

We recently posted about the centennial of Robert Falcon Scott‘s departure on his ill-fated expedition to reach the South Pole.   Now the Australian National Maritime Museum will host a new exhibit, the Quest for the South Magnetic Pole.    The quest to … Continue reading

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“A Whale” – World’s Largest Oil Skimmer Waiting on EPA and Coast Guard Approval

Update:  According to her AIS (Automatic Identification System) the A Whale is now off Louisiana.  Thanks to Buck for pointing it out. Click here to see per position on the chart. A Taiwanese-owned, Liberian-flagged tanker,  the A Whale, has been modified … Continue reading

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Belated Happy 100th Birthday Wishes to Bill King, World War II Sub Commander and Adventurer

We are five  days late but nevertheless would like to wish Commander William Donald Aelian “Bill” King a most happy 100th birthday.  He is only living submarine commander from World War II.  He initially served on the battleship, HMS Resolution, and later becoming … Continue reading

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BP Deepwater Horizon – Whales and Dolphins Sick and Dying in the Spill

Sobering aerial video of the scope of the ongoing spill.   At around 6:30 there is footage of pods of dead and dying dolphins and  a sperm whale caught in the oil.   Difficult video to watch but important, nevertheless. BP Slick Covers … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday to the Lydia Eva – 80 Year Old Steam Herring Drifter

Famous steam drifter celebrates 80th birthday in Yarmouth The world’s last surviving steam drifter, the Lydia Eva, will be celebrating her 80th birthday in Great Yarmouth on Sunday.   As well as celebrating her birthday, the weekend will also mark … Continue reading

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Portside New York – Big BlueBQ July 3rd

Portside New York is a maritime hub and cultural space whose centerpiece is the historic coastal tanker Mary Whalen.   Portside is based this summer on pier 11 in the Atlantic Basin, Red Hook, Brooklyn. On Saturday, July 3rd, Portside is hosting  the Big … Continue reading

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Asian Carp Invading the Great Lakes

Two species of Asian carp, the bighead and the silver, were imported in the US in the 1970s by catfish farmers to eat algae in ponds. In flood in the 1990s, Asian trout escaped in the Mississippi River basin have … Continue reading

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Lost Wooden Steamer L.R. Doty Located After 112 Years

In October of 1898, the wooden steamship L.R. Doty disappeared in Lake Michigan in a storm with seventy mile an hour winds and thirty foot waves. Her crew of 17 and two ship’s cats were lost.   A group of … Continue reading

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Chauncy Maples, Africa’s Oldest Ship, Returning as Clinic Ship on Lake Malawi

In 1898, the Chauncy Maples was built at the shipyard of Alley & McLellan in Glasgow.   She was then disassembled into 3,481 parts and shipped out for reassembly at Monkey Bay as a missionary/hospital steamer on Lake Malawi.  Now, one hundred and … Continue reading

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Mystic Seaport Wooden Boat Show, June 25 – 27

A wonderful boat show in a enchanting setting, the Mystic Seaport Wooden Boat Show starts this Friday. I am seriously annoyed that it looks like I will be be missing it again this year.    The show is hosted in partnership with Wooden Boat … Continue reading

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The Channel Islands at War

For those in the UK, the Yesterday Channel is beginning a new documentary series, The Channel Islands at War,  next week  on Monday 28th, Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th of June. The Channel Islands at War

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Lake Erie Shipwreck to Remain in the Deep ?

An interested court case between a private salvor and the State of New York appears to have been settled in favor of the state.   The salvor, Northeast Research, claimed the 19th century schooner, which it claims is the Caledonia. … Continue reading

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‘Jaws’ Shark Hunted Down

It says something about our society that a missing prop from a classic movie, specifically Bruce, the mechanical shark from Jaws, has its own Facebook page. I’m not exactly sure what it says, but it has to say something.   For those who might … Continue reading

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USS Forrestal arrives in Phila. to await fate

USS Forrestal arrives in Phila. to await fate The aircraft carrier Forrestal arrived in Philadelphia Friday morning to await its fate. The ship, decommissioned in 1993 in Philadelphia after 38 years in service, had been moored next to the Saratoga … Continue reading

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Mermaid Parade 2010 – Coney Island

Happy Solstice to All.  One way that at least some New Yorkers mark the beginning of the summer is to observe or participate in the Mermaid Parade, an event celebrating  the sea and the season, in the Coney Island section … Continue reading

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