After the flooding caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, a proposal was developed to build storm surge barriers to protect New York City and nearby municipalities. Given the rising sea levels and increasingly violent storms associated with climate change, many … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Where did the rule of loading women and children first into the lifeboats in an emergency come from? It is actually more of a guideline than a rule as it is not explicitly called out in admiralty law. It all … Continue reading
Here is another old favorite, a companion repost to yesterday’s repost of “The Unsinkable Hugh Williams – Truth Behind the Legend?” We recently posted in response to a video, “The Strangest Coincidence Ever Recorded?.” It recounted how three men named Hugh … Continue reading
I am traveling this week, so it seems like a good time to repost an old blog favorite, the remarkable story of the unsinkable Hugh Williams. There is a video bouncing around the web these days called “The Strangest Coincidence … Continue reading
On the resort beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula masses of stinking sargassum seaweed have been washing ashore for several years. From Miami Beach to Barbados sargassum is spreading across the Caribbean and Florida. The seaweed is killing fish, turtles and other sea life as well as befouling beaches … Continue reading
A repost on Throw-Back Thursday from all the way back to 2008. Tattoos have become very popular of late. Tattoo Facts & Statistics notes that “thirty-six percent of those ages 18 to 25, and 40 percent of those ages 26 … Continue reading
It sounds like a low budget horror/sci-fi flick — “Nasty Mutant Green Crabs Invade Maine.” Sadly, it is no movie pitch. LiveScience reports that an aggressive breed of green crab is indeed invading Maine’s waters. Green crabs have been in North … Continue reading
Ocean racing seems to have been taken over by boats made entirely of carbon fiber, costing slightly more than their weight in gold, as well being as festooned with foils, articulating keels and every high-tech whiz-bang device that millions of dollars … Continue reading
Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a swimming robotic fish with a soft silicone skin, which they have dubbed SoFi, for “soft fish.” SoFi is controlled by a modified video game controllers sending ultrasonic signals to … Continue reading
The New York State Canal Corporation’s website still refers to the tug Urger as the “flagship” of the Erie Canal. The Urger served more than 60 years hauling machinery, dredges, and scows on the Erie and Champlain Canals until she was retired from service … Continue reading
The State of New Jersey has opened the bidding on a 1,100 megawatt offshore wind project, the largest of any state in the nation. The project is the first step in meeting New Jersey’s goal to deploy 3,500 megawatts of … Continue reading
From the BBC: Fighter jets, specifically F-35 Lightning stealth jets, have landed on the UK’s new £3.1bn aircraft carrier for the first time. Portsmouth-based HMS Queen Elizabeth was commissioned into the British fleet last year. The crew are currently undergoing sea … Continue reading
Three years ago this week, the ro/ro container ship El Faro sank with all hands in Hurricane Joaquin northeast of Crooked Island in the Bahamas. The 28 American crew and 5 Polish repair technicians died. Recently the National Transportation Safety Board … Continue reading
A Chinese destroyer came perilously close to the US destroyer Decatur as it sailed 12 nautical miles off Gaven and Johnson reefs in the Spratly Islands. The Chinese destroyer is reported to have approached within 45 yards of the Decatur, which … Continue reading
After the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed nearly a quarter of a million people, the United States, Germany, and Malaysia donated an advanced tsunami warning system to Indonesia. When the city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia was … Continue reading
Recent reports in the media have announced that the 2-meter long robot sailboat, SB Met, has become the first unmanned vessel to cross the Atlantic after completing a 1,800-mile (3,000 km) journey from Newfoundland in Canada to Ireland. The Daily Mail reports … Continue reading
Archaeologists have found a 400-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Portugal, near Cascais, close to the capital Lisbon. The shipwreck was found in early September while dredging the mouth of the Tagus river. Spices, ceramics, and cannons engraved with Portugal’s … Continue reading
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami which struck the city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. At least 384 have been reported to be killed and 29 are missing. 540 are being treated in local hospitals. The wall of … Continue reading
If you are kayaking and happen to get slapped in the face by a flying octopus hurled by a seal, don’t take it personally. Its probably not about you. Kyle Mulinder was kayaking near Kaikoura, New Zealand on Saturday when … Continue reading
John Putnam, who preferred to be called Jack, died earlier this month at the age of 82. Jack was the historian at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York and so much more. Jack joined the museum in 1982 … Continue reading