We recently posted about Kate Walker, the lighthouse keeper of the Robbins Reef Light in New York harbor for close to 35 years. Kate took over as keeper when her husband died of pneumonia in 1886. Oddly enough, in the … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
Why do the matriarchs of orca pods often live such long lives? The average lifespan for male killer whales is about 30 years, but they can live up to at least 60 years. Females typically live about 50 years, but … Continue reading
The Voice of America reports that the Indian navy freed the hijacked MV Ruen cargo ship in Somalia’s Puntland region Saturday after a 24-hour standoff and shootout, and it has detained 35 pirates, according to Puntland Ports Minister Ahmed Yasin Salah. … Continue reading
Last week, the National Park Service announced that its archeologists have identified the remains of HMS Tyger, an 18th-century British warship, within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park, off the south coast of Florida. Built in 1647, the fourth-rate, … Continue reading
Adm. Lisa Franchetti was sworn in as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy, on Nov. 2, 2023. Her confirmation made Franchetti not only the first woman to become the CNO and … Continue reading
In August, we posted about the Pyxis Ocean, an 80,000 DWT bulk carrier, fitted with two WindWings®, a pioneering rigid wing technology, that had set sail on its maiden voyage from China to Brazil. Now, six months later, Cargill announced the … Continue reading
Ukraine is a nation without a navy and yet has succeeded in wreaking havoc on the Russian Black Sea Fleet using high-tech sea drones and anti-ship missiles. The Ukrainians have continued to sink Russian warships, as recently as last week, … Continue reading
Congratulations to Cole Brauer, who finished second in the Global Solo Challenge, becoming the first American woman to race solo nonstop around the world, traveling roughly 28,000 miles, in her 40′ sailboat First Light. Brauer, at 29 years old, was … Continue reading
A Houthi missile attack killed three seafarers on M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned, bulk carrier while transiting the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The deaths are the first merchant mariner fatalities reported since the Iran-aligned … Continue reading
A red traditional Faroese knit sweater was recently found in a stash of 19th-century letters at the British National Archives in their Prize Papers collection. The sweater, or jumper in British parlance, handknitted in vibrantly colored fine wool, was intended … Continue reading
Orcas attacking and killing sharks, even great white sharks, off the coast of South Africa is nothing new. A year ago, a pair of orcas killed 17 sharks in one day in South Africa’s Pearly Bay. More recently, scientists were … Continue reading
On Sunday, February 18th, anti-ship ballistic missiles, launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen, struck the MV Rubymar, a 32,211 DWT, Belize-flagged, UK-owned, and Lebanese-operated bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The attack caused sufficient … Continue reading
Two liveaboard cruisers, Ralph Hendry, 66, and Kathy Brandel, 71, are missing and feared dead after their 48′ catamaran Simplicity was apparently stolen during a prison escape from Grenada by three men on February 19th. On February 21, their boat was … Continue reading
For centuries, sailors heard the sounds made by whales reverberating through the hulls of wooden ships. Arctic whalers dubbed beluga whales the “canaries of the seas” for their clicks, chirps, and whistles. Nevertheless, it was long thought that whale noises … Continue reading
The Hornblower Group; a diversified ferry, cruise, marine hospitality, and services organization; has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing is expected to help cut the company’s debt load by $720 million. The company enters bankruptcy with assets of up … Continue reading
On Sunday evening, anti-ship ballistic missiles, launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen, struck the MV Rubymar, a 32,211 DWT, Belize-flagged, UK-owned, and Lebanese-operated bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The attack caused sufficient damage … Continue reading
Here is a story well worth retelling; an updated repost in honor of Black History Month; the remarkable story of Robert Smalls. On May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls, a 23-year-old slave, who served as the pilot of the Confederate armed transport, CSS Planter, … Continue reading
Newsweek reports that Ukraine’s latest strike on Russia’s naval forces in the Black Sea was inspired by World War II submarine tactics, according to one Ukrainian military expert, as the Kremlin counts the cost of yet surprise maritime attack. Ivan … Continue reading
In August 2022, we posted that British divers had located the wreck of the USS Jacob Jones in over 100 meters of water, 40 miles off the Isles of Scilly. The ship, a Tucker Class destroyer, was sunk during World … Continue reading
In 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan set off on a quest to circumnavigate the globe. Having completed most of their journey, Earhart’s plane disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. In the intervening 87 years, … Continue reading