Category Archives: Ships
Fifth Annual North River Historic Ship Festival at Pier 25 in Manhattan June 20 – 23
If you are in the New York area, check out the North River Historic Ship Festival that starts with a kickoff gala tomorrow night and runs through Sunday. The festivities include: A gala reception honoring A.J. Pietrantone, the former executive director … Continue reading
Why and How Did the MOL Comfort Break in Half? Structural Flaw or Improper Loading?
Why and how did the MOL Comfort break in half? The obvious answer is that no one knows, yet. We will learn more following an investigation, which is many months in the future. In the mean time, what are the … Continue reading
MOL Comfort – Bow & Stern Still Afloat After All
In our post yesterday we described the MOL Comfort as having “sunk.” That was in error. The ship did indeed break in two, but both halves are still afloat, at least according to recent photographs. MRCC MUMBAI: Sections of MOL … Continue reading
Container ship MOL Comfort Breaks in Two off Yemen, Crew Rescued
UPDATE: Contrary to initial reports that the ship sank, the two halves of the MOL Comfort have remained afloat. Tugs have been dispatched to the site. The container ship MOL Comfort sank today off Yemen after suffering catastrophic hull cracking near amidships. … Continue reading
Congratulations to Francis Joyon for Setting New Singlehanded Transatlantic Record
Congratulations to Francis Joyon, who set a new west to east singlehanded transaltantic sailing record. He sailed from New York’s Ambrose Light of and crossed the line linking Lizard Point, Cornwall to Ushant in a remarkable 5 days 2:56 minutes … Continue reading
Yellow Duckmarine Sinks in Liverpool’s Albert Dock, Second Time in Three Months
An amphibious tourist bus sank in Liverpool’s Albert Dock today. All 31 aboard the Yellow Duckmarine tour boat were rescued and no serious injuries were reported. Seventeen passengers were admitted to the hospital but have since been discharged. The youngest passenger … Continue reading
Father’s Day Sailing Trips
Father’s Day is celebrated in the United States on Sunday, June 16th. Here are a few selected Father’s Day sails which most salty dads are likely to enjoy: New York Harbor – Schooner Shearwater, Father’s Day weekend – “Fathers will be … Continue reading
Was the Carnival Triumph the Last Straw? Trust in Cruise Lines Plummets According to Poll
What a difference a blackout and overflowing toilets can make. In September of last year the headline in the L.A. Times was “Cruise industry rebounding from ship accident, woes in Europe.” The subtitle read, “Cruise reservations seem to be rising, … Continue reading
Scientists Studying Climate Change Rescued from Melting Ice
A group of 16 Russian scientists, monitoring climate change in the Arctic, encountered more than they had planned on. They had to be rescued when the ice beneath their station began to crack due to unusually warm weather. The Russian nuclear … Continue reading
Student Teams Compete to Design Safe Affordable Ferry Design
The news stories are depressingly familiar. A ferry, often in a developing nation, sinks along the coast or in a river and the lives of hundred are lost. In regions where ferries are the most necessary, they are often the … Continue reading
WWF – Shipping Accident Hotspots in South China Sea, Mediterranean and North Sea
Happy World Oceans Day! The World Wildlife Federation has released a study to coincide with World Oceans Day, documenting dangerous “hotspots” around the globe for accidents involving ships. Sadly many of these “hotspots” also coincide with some of the most ecologically … Continue reading
The Future of Commercial Sail – What the Past and Present Suggest about a Likely Future For Sailing Ships
For those near New York harbor next Monday, I will be giving a presentation on “The Future of Commercial Sail” at the monthly New York City Shiplore meeting on Monday, June 10th at 7:30 PM at 79 Walker Street, 5th … Continue reading
Fake Mermaids and Pathetic Pirate Ships – Dumbing Down Ocean Science and History
Recently, we celebrated the saving of the wonderful Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Now a story about “mermaids” that is a bit disturbing. There were two news stories that at first glance had little in common, other than a distant nautical … Continue reading
Justin Beckerman, New Jersey Teen, and His One Man Submarine
Here is a wonderful story of Justin Beckerman, an 18-year-old high school student in New Jersey, who is in the final testing phase of designing and manufacturing a fully-operational one-man submarine. Thanks to Irwin Bryan for passing the story along.
New Mary Rose Museum Opens to the Public in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
The carrack Mary Rose was King Henry VIII’s flagship. After thirty three years of service, it sank in the Solent on July 19, 1545. Out of 500 sailors, 35 survived. The wreck was located in 1971 and the ship was … Continue reading
RCCL Grandeur of the Seas, Newly Refurbished, Catches Fire in the Bahamas, No Serious Injuries
At around 2:50 AM Monday night a fire broke out on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Grandeur of the Seas, which had been bound for Coco Cay, Bahamas. The ship was rerouted to Freeport, Bahamas where the 2,224 passengers and 796 … Continue reading
From Steamship to Sewer Vent – The Mast of the Malta and the Queen of the South
Next to a 7-11 convenience store on 8th Avenue, about a half block from the beach, in the New Jersey shore community of Belmar, there is a tall sewer standpipe, a vertical vent designed to carry the noxious smells from … Continue reading
Musings on National Maritime Day – the Wisdom of Pogo
Today, in the United States, is National Maritime Day. There is a presidential proclamation and everything. The day, May 22nd, was chosen because that was the date that the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia in 1818 on the first … Continue reading
Fleet Week without the Fleet on the Historic Buoy Tender Lilac
For the last 30 years, New York has welcomed ships and crews from the US Navy and Coast Guard to the harbor around the Memorial Day weekend during a celebration of Fleet Week. Unfortunately, this year’s Fleet Week has been scuttled … Continue reading
Twice Forgotten: Story of the WWII Submarine R-12
An interesting Kickstarter fundraiser to complete the documentary “Twice Forgotten: Heroes of the R12 Submarine,” about the WWII submarine USS R-12, which sank off the coast of Key West, Florida on June 12, 1943 with the loss of 40 American sailors and 2 Brazilian officers. … Continue reading
