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Monthly Archives: May 2011
Over 500 Libyan Refugees Rescued off Italy near Lampedusa Island
In April we posted about the sinking of an overloaded fishing boat carrying Libyan refugees where over 200 drowned. Today it was reported that another overloaded refugee boat in the roughly the same area sank with over 500 peopel aboard. Fortunately, the Italian … Continue reading
Posted in Current, Lore of the Sea
Tagged Italian Coast Guard, Italy, Lampedusa Island, Libyan refugees
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HMS Astute Towed Back to Port After Hydraulics Failure
HMS Astute, the Royal Navy’s most advanced nuclear submarine, was delivered 43 months behind schedule and £900 million over budget. Then during trials in October, it ran aground off the Isle of Skye. It was also in a collision … Continue reading
Posted in Current, Lore of the Sea, Ships
Tagged HMS Astute, hydraulics, nuclear submarine, Royal Navy
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Capture of U110 and the Enigma Machine, Seventy Years Ago Today
On May 9, 1941, seventy years ago today, the German submarines U110 and U201 were attacking a British convoy in the Atlantic south of Iceland. U110 was forced to surface after being depth changed and was abandoned by her crew who … Continue reading
Posted in Current, History, Lore of the Sea, Ships
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The Snakehead Fish in New York and the ‘Godzilla’ Lionfish in the Caribbean
Two recent articles about alien invasive species: The New York Times reports on efforts to stop the smuggling of the Chinese snakehead fish. The fish is considered to be a delicacy in New York’s Chinatown, but is a voracious predator that can wipe … Continue reading
Women Making Music with the Sea
This is not specifically a Mother’s Day post, but somehow, it feels right to post today. Women of the Banks Islands, a group of islands in northern Vanuatu, in the Pacific stand waist deep in the ocean and literally play the water … Continue reading
USS Michael Murphy Christened, Dedicated to Fallen SEAL
Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy would have been 35 years old today, had he not died in combat behind enemy lines in Afghanistan in 2005. Lt. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States military’s highest decoration, for … Continue reading
El Hierro – Energy from Wind and Water
El Hierro is the easternmost of Spain’s Canary Islands, 750 miles from the Spanish mainland. The island itself has no energy resources beyond wind and water. There is now a plan to make the island wholly energy independent by linking wind and hydro-power … Continue reading
Posted in Current, Lore of the Sea
Tagged El Hierro, hydro-power, Spain's Canary Islands, wind power
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America’s Cup Test Sessions: a Brave New World
I remember when America’s Cup racing was fairly tame – beautiful 12M yachts gliding in light air in the waters of Rhode Island Sound. Times have indeed changed. The new AC45 wing-sailed catamarans recently underwent two weeks of testing in Auckland, New Zealand. … Continue reading
Posted in Current, Lore of the Sea
Tagged AC45 wing-sailed catamarans, America's Cup, Auckland, New Zealand
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Tall ship Glenlee moves to new home on the Clyde at new Riverside Museum
The Glenlee, a three-masted baldheaded steel-hulled barque, launched on December 3, 1896, has moved to a new home on the River Clyde in Glasgow at the new Riverside Museum. Tall ship Glenlee moves to new home on the Clyde
Nuclear Leak Forces Russian Icebreaker Taimyr Back to Port
A nuclear leak on the Russian icebreaker Taimyr forced it to attempt to return to the port of Murmansk. Nuclear leak in Russian icebreaker RUSSIA launched an urgent rescue mission overnight after one of its atomic-powered icebreakers developed a nuclear leak … Continue reading
Posted in Current, Lore of the Sea, Ships
Tagged Arctic Ocean, Kara Sea, Murmansk, nuclear leak, Russian icebreaker, Taimyr
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Claude Choules – Last World War I Combat Veteran Dies at 110
In March we posted about the birthday of Claude Choules, the last combat veteran of World War I. He has now died in Perth, Australia at age 110. Last WWI combat veteran Claude Choules dies aged 110 The world’s last … Continue reading
Posted in Current, History, Lore of the Sea
Tagged Claude Choules, last combat veteran of World War I, Royal Navy
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Interview with Linda Collison, author of Surgeon’s Mate
Linda Collison’s new book Surgeon’s Mate, the second book in the her Patricia MacPherson nautical series, was recently been released. Astrodene’s Historic Naval Fiction interviewed Linda Collison about her new book, which we are reposting with permission. We reviewed Collison’s … Continue reading
Posted in Newbooks, Seastories
Tagged Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction, Linda Collison, Surgeon's Mate
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Remora ROV fishes out Air France Black Box
My first thought was if that is a remora there must be quite a shark out there someplace. Obviously a different type of remora. The Remora 6000 is a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) that can operate at depths up to 6,000 meters. … Continue reading
Posted in Current, Lore of the Sea
Tagged Air France Flight 447, black box, Remora 6000, ROV
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Navy Fires Three Commanding Officers in One Week
Last week the Navy relieved the commanding officers – Commander Jay Wylie of the guided missle destroyer, USS Momsen; Commander Etta Jones of the amphibious transport dock ship, USS Ponce; and Captain Donald Hornbeck in command of Destroyer Squadron 1. … Continue reading
