Celebrating Frederick Douglass on Valentine’s Day — “I Will Take to the Water”

Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of both the day and Black History Month, here is an updated repost about Frederick Douglass. But what does Valentine’s Day have to do with Frederick Douglass?  As a slave, Douglass never knew the date … Continue reading

Repost: Celebrating Frederick Douglass on Valentine’s Day — “I Will Take to the Water”

Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of both the day and Black History Month, here is an updated repost about Frederick Douglass. But what does Valentine’s Day have to do with Frederick Douglass?  As a slave, Douglass never knew the date … Continue reading

After Grounding, Maryland Bans On-Duty Marine Pilots From Using Cell Phones

The Maryland Board of Pilots has decided to enact a rule change that forbids on-duty pilots from using their phones after the Coast Guard determined that a distracted pilot’s cell phone use contributed to a container ship grounding.  In March … Continue reading

Coast Guard: Distracted Pilot on Cell Phone Prior to Grounding of Container Ship Ever Forward in Chesapeake

Last March, we posted about the grounding of the container ship Ever Forward near Baltimore in the Chesapeake Bay. The ship failed to make a turn in the Craighill channel and ran hard aground on a mud flat, where it … Continue reading

World’s Largest Oyster Restoration Project Completed on Piankatank River

We recently posted about the dire conditions of Texas and Gulf Coast oyster beds that have been devastated by floods, droughts, and hurricanes. In contrast, here is good news about oyster bed restoration in the Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Mercury … Continue reading

After Unloading 500 Containers & Additional Dredging Ever Forward is Finally Free

Stuck in Chesapeake Bay mud for more than five weeks, the container ship Ever Forward is finally free. Refloating the 1,100-foot long ship required discharging 500 containers and additional dredging but she was dragged by seven tugs from the mudbank … Continue reading

Update: Floating Cranes Begin to Unload Containers from Stranded Ever Forward

Container News is reporting that the unloading of containers from Ever Forward has begun. The plan is to unload 550 containers over the next few days to lighten the load of the ship before the next refloat attempt. Salvors are … Continue reading

Update: Containers to be Unloaded From Seriously Stuck Ever Forward in Chesapeake Bay

On March 13th, the container ship Ever Forward missed a turn in the Craighill Channel in the Chesapeake Bay, not long after leaving the Port of Baltimore, and ran up on a mudbank just outside the channel while traveling at … Continue reading

Container Ship Ever Forward Aground in Chesapeake Bay

Almost one year ago, the container ship Ever Given ran aground, blocking the Suez Canal for six days. Now, another ship operated by the same shipping company, Evergreen Marine Corporation, has run hard aground. The Ever Forward, a 1,095-foot, 12,000 … Continue reading

Repost: Celebrating Frederick Douglass on Valentine’s Day — “I Will Take to the Water”

Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of both the day and Black History Month, an updated repost about Frederick Douglass. But what does Valentine’s Day have to do with Frederick Douglass?  As a slave, Douglass never knew the date of his … Continue reading

Sea Level Rising in the Chesapeake Bay & Beyond — Fox Island & the US Naval Academy

Climate change deniers can choose to ignore the overwhelming scientific consensus of man-made climate change all they want. How long they will continue to deny the evidence before their own eyes? Two immediate examples — Fox Island and the US … Continue reading

World’s Largest Oyster Reef in the Chesapeake and a Planned Billion Oysters in NYC

Will oysters help to clean up Chesapeake Bay and New York Harbor or will climate change take them out? The question came to mind recently when I read about the world’s largest man-made oyster reef recently finished on Harris Creek … Continue reading

Congratulations to Matt Rutherford on his 309 Day Solo Circumnavigation of the Americas !

After a difficult last few days, Matt Rutherford sailed into Chesapeake Bay this morning at 10:42 AM, completing the first ever solo circumnavigation of the Americas, a voyage of 309 days and over 25,000 miles.  Matt’s plan is still to make his first landfall this Saturday the 21st … Continue reading

Endangered Species – Watermen of the Chesapeake

The Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA has a new exhibition: Endangered Species – Watermen of the Chesapeake,  featuring extraordinary B & W portraits of watermen who work the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.   For those of us not … Continue reading