Investigation : Channel Distress Calls Ignored 19 Times Before 2021 Disaster

A recent investigation reveals that at least 440 people in distress appear to have been abandoned in the weeks before the worst Channel disaster in 30 years. On November 23, 2021, at around 10PM an inflatable boat with over 30 … Continue reading

France Seizes Russian Ro/Ro Baltic Leader in English Channel Over Sanctions

France seized a Russian-flagged ro/ro cargo ship, Baltic Leader, on Saturday, in the English Channel, in accordance with recent sanctions put in place following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ship was bound for St. Petersburg, Russia, but was diverted … Continue reading

Grain de Sail to Deliver Medical Supplies to Dominican Republic by Sail

In what is described as the first carbon-free humanitarian logistics effort, Grain de Sail has announced that it is partnering with two non-profits to deliver unused medical supplies from New York to the Dominican Republic by sail. Grain de Sail … Continue reading

Vendee Globe: Incredibly Close Finish to a Non-Record-Breaking Race

The Vendee Globe 2020-2021 has been a remarkable race by many standards. It was incredibly close, more competitors are likely to complete the race than in previous years, and the race times didn’t set any new records. For most of … Continue reading

Vendee Globe Race 2020-2021 : Largest Fleet, More Female Skippers, and a Competing Couple

The 2020-2021 Vendee Globe Race set off last Sunday from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France. The 24,000 nautical miles race, sailed every four years, is billed as the world’s greatest singlehanded, non-stop, yacht race. Notwithstanding the impact of the global pandemic, this … Continue reading

Vendee Globe — A Two Boat Race for the Finish Line

After sailing over 24,000 nautical miles and just 300 nautical miles from the finish line of the Vendee Globe singlehanded round the world race, Armel Le Cleac’h sailing Banque Populaire VIII is holding a slim 30 nautical mile lead on … Continue reading

French “Russian” Mistral Amphibious Assault Ships Bound for Egypt

For the last five years we have followed the construction of two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships which were built in France under contract to Russia. If the wind named Mistral is said to “drive men and horses mad,” these ships … Continue reading

Russia & the French Mistral Amphibious Assault Ships

Back in 2010, we posted that some members of NATO were uncomfortable with a French contract to build two, with an option for two more, Mistral-class amphibious assault ships for Russia.  The first ship, the Vladivostok, was supposed to be delivered … Continue reading

Frigate Hermione is Under Sail!

After close to two decades of construction, the frigate Hermione  is finally under sail. In 1997, a group of historical and tall ship enthusiasts formed the Association Hermione-La Fayette and set about building a replica of the French frigate, Hermione, which carried Gilbert … Continue reading

Hermione, Freedom’s Frigate, is Afloat

We have posted  last March about the replica of the French light frigate l’ Hermione, which has been under construction since 1997 at the historic dockyard in Rochefort, France.  The original l’ Hermione carried the 23 year old the Marquis de Lafayette back to America in … Continue reading

The Two Frigates Hermione – Part 2 : l’ Hermione, 1780 – Freedom’s Frigate

If HMS Hermione, commissioned in 1783, became a symbol of Royal Navy cruelty and bloody mutiny, the French light frigate l’ Hermione, commissioned in 1779, would become a symbol of American independence.  On March 21, 1780, the 23 year old Gilbert du … Continue reading

Update: Scrapping the TK Bremen on Kerminihy Beach

We posted last December about the Maltese flagged 6,600 DWT dry cargo ship, TK Bremen, which was stranded in high winds on Kerminihy beach at Erdeven, in southern Brittany, near the port of Lorient, France.  Now a bit over a month … Continue reading

Cargo Ship TK Bremen Blown Ashore on Kerminihy Beach in Southern Brittany, Leaking Oil

The Maltese flagged 6,600 DWT dry cargo ship, TK Bremen, was stranded this morning in high winds on Kerminihy beach at Erdeven, in southern Brittany, near the port of Lorient, France. Some of the 220 tons of fuel on board … Continue reading