After leading the fleet in the early days of the race, Alex Thomson, sailing on the IMCO 60 Hugo Boss, has withdrawn from the Vendee Globe single-handed around the world race. Thomson has diverted to Cape Town, South Africa after … Continue reading
Rick Spilman
Yesterday, we posted about a head to head race between trimarans Sodebo and Maxi Edmond de Rothschild/Gitana 17 attempting to win the Jules Verne Trophy. While the race for the trophy is against the clock, the two boats that sailed within hours … Continue reading
Early Wednesday, two 100′ long foiling maxi-trimarans, Sodebo and Maxi Edmond de Rothschild/Gitana 17 set out to race around the globe to attempt to win the Jules Verne Trophy. Sailing within hours of each other, Sodebo crossed the starting line, which … Continue reading
Happy Thanksgiving for those on this side of the pond and below the 49th parallel. (The Canadians celebrated the holiday in October.) Here is a repost of a story I think is well worth retelling. Thanksgiving is one of the … Continue reading
After being delayed by hurricanes, the pandemic, and a broken link in the cutting chain, the heavy-lift catamaran VB-10,000, nicknamed the “Golden Arches” is now making good progress on the first cut to slice the stricken car carrier, Golden Ray … Continue reading
Will Van Dorp, host of the Tugster blog, recently saw an odd craft on the Hudson River, heading up into the Morris Canal Big Basin toward Liberty Landing Marina. It appeared to be a catamaran with a rather blocky deckhouse … Continue reading
Communication technology these days is an absolute marvel. Alex Thomson, who led the fleet for most of the first two weeks of the Vendee Globe race, is now slowing down to make repairs to the damaged longitudinal structure in the … Continue reading
This seems appropriate for an overcast Sunday in late November – a lovely drone video from a few years ago of the restored steel-hulled three-masted bark Glenlee on the River Clyde. Built name in 1896, the Glenlee sailed for 23 … Continue reading
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates that 32 percent of all maritime cocaine smuggled between Latin America and the United States arrives in narco-submarines. Narco-subs come in many shapes and sizes. Most are not submarines at all, but rather … Continue reading
Arthur E. Imperatore Sr., an entrepreneur who built a successful New York City commuter ferry system, died Nov. 18 at the age of 95. Imperatore founded NY Waterway in 1986 in Weehawken, NJ with a single route across the Hudson … Continue reading
We have been remiss in not posting about “Coffee with the Captain,” the wonderful Facebook video blog hosted by the highly respected schooner skipper Captain Jan Miles of the Pride of Baltimore II. The series began last April and is … Continue reading
I am tempted to begin by saying that I watched the movie “Fisherman’s Friends,” so that you don’t have to. Perhaps a better introduction would be to paraphrase Abe Lincon. “If this is the sort of movie you, you may … Continue reading
Would you volunteer to go on a cruise ship again? Apparently, tens of thousands are eager to do so. One of the first trial cruises in the Caribbean did not go well. The Center for Disease Control (CDCC) lifted its … Continue reading
If you are fond of obscure and slightly absurd history, the Pig War of 1859 is the war for you. It involved a territorial dispute between the United States and Great Britain over the San Juan Islands of the Pacific … Continue reading
Spain’s new S-80 submarines, under construction, will be able to operate at depths of at least 350 meters. If one gets into trouble, however, the Spanish Navy’s only ship set up for rescue and recovery can only hold its position … Continue reading
Tristan Da Cuhna is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. The government of the island is now creating the fourth largest completely protected marine area in the world and the largest in the Atlantic. Fishing and … Continue reading
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
We recently posted about Constitution Grove, a 50,000-acre private forest maintained by the US Navy, in part to provide white oak trees used in maintaining the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. The forest is part of … Continue reading
In the US, today is Veteran’s Day, when we honor those who have served in the military. It coincides with Armistice Day, the anniversary of the signing of the armistice which ended World War I, on the 11th hour of the 11th day, … Continue reading
Two recent firsts in the US Navy. Congratulations to Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber who has been awarded the position of brigade commander next semester at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. Brigade commander is the highest leadership position within the … Continue reading