Battleship USS Texas Refloating in Drydock

A drone video of the 110-year-old battleship USS Texas being refloated following repairs and refurbishment on the drydock at the Gulf Copper Shipyard in Galveston.  The Texas is the oldest remaining dreadnought battleship and only one of six surviving ships to … Continue reading

Happy Juneteenth — When Emancipation Arrived by Steamship

Happy Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth National Independence Day is also the newest Federal holiday. The legislation, passed by both the House and Senate, was signed into law by … Continue reading

Battleship Texas Scheduled to Be Towed to Yard for Repairs on August 31, Weather Permitting

The 110-year-old Battleship Texas is the oldest remaining dreadnought battleship and only one of six surviving ships to have served in both World War I and World War II. Over the last decade or so, the historic ship has been … Continue reading

Happy Juneteenth — When Emancipation Arrived by Steamship

Happy Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth National Independence Day is also the newest Federal holiday. The legislation, passed by both the House and Senate, was signed into law by … Continue reading

Wasn’t That a Mighty Storm — Remembering the Deadly 1900 Galveston Hurricane

One hundred and twenty years ago yesterday, on September 8, 1900, the city of Galveston Texas was struck by what today would be classified as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 145 mph and a storm surge of 14 … Continue reading

Happy Juneteenth! When Emancipation Arrived by Steamship, 155 Years Ago Today

Today is Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, when 155 years ago, emancipation arrived in Galveston, Texas by steamship. Here is an updated repost from a few years ago. Although the … Continue reading

The Tall Ship Elissa is Back! Hull Repairs Completed, Returning to Texas Seaport Museum

The three masted iron barque Elissa, built in 1877, will be returning to her pier this Saturday at the Texas Seaport Museum in Galveston after completing a $3 million repair and replacement of hull plating.  Congratulations to Jamie White and all the staff, … Continue reading

Figureheads – Galveston’s Tall Ship Elissa, the Living Figurehead and the Yellow Rose

Yesterday we posted about Nannie Dee, the erotic yet frightening witch figurehead on the composite clipper Cutty Sark.   The figurehead on Galveston’s tall ship, the 1887 barque Eliisa, is quite different. When the ship was restored in the early 1980s, she was … Continue reading

Coast Guard – Link Between Texas and New Jersey Hoax Distress Calls?

Last week we posted about a distress call to the Coast Guard reporting a yacht explosion off the New Jersey shore, which was an apparent hoax.  The search and rescue operation which resulted is estimated to have cost over $300,000.  Now the Coast … Continue reading

Update: MS Carnival Triumph Allowed to Sail from Galveston, TX in Costa Concordia Lawsuit

Update:  The MS Carnival Triumph was allowed to sail as scheduled following last minute negotiations. The 2,758-passenger cruise ship MS Carnival Triumph was supposed to sail today for a five-day cruise to Yucatan and Cozumel. Instead, a Texas judge has ordered the ship … Continue reading

The Tall Ship Elissa : Stray Current Electrolytic Corrosion

The barque Elissa  is one of the true ship restoration success stories.  The ship was rescued from near oblivion and restored at considerable cost by a dedicated group of volunteers.  She has been well maintained in  Galveston and has been taken on yearly sails, … Continue reading

Updates of Recent Posts : Cyprus, the Volga, Baja, Algeciras & Galveston

A few updates of recent posts: Posted July 11th: Death on the Volga – Cruise Vessel Bulgaria Sinks, More than 100 Dead – From CNN: “Four people face criminal charges in connection with the sinking of a Russian ship Sunday in which … Continue reading

1877 Barque Elissa Victim of Electrolytic Corrosion – Needs $3 Million Restoration

The barque Elissa, built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Official Tall ship of the State of Texas and the star attraction at the Texas Seaport Museum in Galveston, is suffering from electrolytic corrosion, which if not repaired, may keep … Continue reading