A red traditional Faroese knit sweater was recently found in a stash of 19th-century letters at the British National Archives in their Prize Papers collection. The sweater, or jumper in British parlance, handknitted in vibrantly colored fine wool, was intended … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
Orcas attacking and killing sharks, even great white sharks, off the coast of South Africa is nothing new. A year ago, a pair of orcas killed 17 sharks in one day in South Africa’s Pearly Bay. More recently, scientists were … Continue reading
On Sunday, February 18th, anti-ship ballistic missiles, launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen, struck the MV Rubymar, a 32,211 DWT, Belize-flagged, UK-owned, and Lebanese-operated bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The attack caused sufficient … Continue reading
Two liveaboard cruisers, Ralph Hendry, 66, and Kathy Brandel, 71, are missing and feared dead after their 48′ catamaran Simplicity was apparently stolen during a prison escape from Grenada by three men on February 19th. On February 21, their boat was … Continue reading
For centuries, sailors heard the sounds made by whales reverberating through the hulls of wooden ships. Arctic whalers dubbed beluga whales the “canaries of the seas” for their clicks, chirps, and whistles. Nevertheless, it was long thought that whale noises … Continue reading
The Hornblower Group; a diversified ferry, cruise, marine hospitality, and services organization; has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing is expected to help cut the company’s debt load by $720 million. The company enters bankruptcy with assets of up … Continue reading
On Sunday evening, anti-ship ballistic missiles, launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen, struck the MV Rubymar, a 32,211 DWT, Belize-flagged, UK-owned, and Lebanese-operated bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The attack caused sufficient damage … Continue reading
Here is a story well worth retelling; an updated repost in honor of Black History Month; the remarkable story of Robert Smalls. On May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls, a 23-year-old slave, who served as the pilot of the Confederate armed transport, CSS Planter, … Continue reading
Newsweek reports that Ukraine’s latest strike on Russia’s naval forces in the Black Sea was inspired by World War II submarine tactics, according to one Ukrainian military expert, as the Kremlin counts the cost of yet surprise maritime attack. Ivan … Continue reading
In August 2022, we posted that British divers had located the wreck of the USS Jacob Jones in over 100 meters of water, 40 miles off the Isles of Scilly. The ship, a Tucker Class destroyer, was sunk during World … Continue reading
In 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan set off on a quest to circumnavigate the globe. Having completed most of their journey, Earhart’s plane disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. In the intervening 87 years, … Continue reading
The good news is that a pod of orcas trapped by drift ice in waters off Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido appears to have successfully escaped. Earlier this week, drone footage showed the pod of around a dozen orcas trapped … Continue reading
This week, a team arrived at Rothera Research Station, on Adelaide Island to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula, ready to start testing the new Windracers ULTRA autonomous drone in Antarctica. If successful, the new drone platform could represent a … Continue reading
The Defense Blog reports that a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian missile corvette Ivanovets appears to have caused a massive explosion in Kyiv’s largest strike against Russia’s navy since December. The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) has released footage … Continue reading
The current shipping crisis in the Red Sea, precipitated by Houthi drone and missile attacks, has stopped the final disposal of the decrepit FSO Safer, a floating oil storage and offloading vessel, moored in the Red Sea north of the … Continue reading
Gordon Blackmore was out hunting seabirds early in the morning on Cape Ray beach on the southwestern tip of Newfoundland, Canada when he saw the capsized wreck of a large wooden ship that had washed ashore in shallow water. Neil … Continue reading
Carlos Gauna is a filmmaker and professional photographer based in Southern California who has shot an impressive portfolio of drone videos of sharks for his YouTube channel TheMalibuArtist. On July 9, 2023, Carlos captured some truly remarkable video and photos … Continue reading
On Saturday, the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, set sail from Miami on its maiden voyage. The nearly 1,200-foot-long and 250,800 gross-ton behemoth can accommodate close to 8,000 passengers across 20 decks. The ship is … Continue reading
Congratulations to Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Director Peter Christopher, on being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to Maritime History. Peter Christopher convened the first meeting of Adelaide volunteers to save the City of … Continue reading
Reports suggest that Iran is close to commissioning a drone carrier Shahid Bagheri, based on a converted container ship, previously named Sarvin. The converted ship features a 170 m runway, capable of accommodating the take-off and landing of a large … Continue reading