The US military hopes to have the port of Port-au-Prince open for shipments of emergency relief supplies in two or three days. Damaged Haiti port to open in 2-3 days: U.S. commander In related news, the Maritime Administration has ordered … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
UPDATE: Maran Tankers Management Inc. said the crew – 9 Greeks, 16 Filipinos, 2 Ukrainians, and a Romanian – was safe and well. In strange turn, pirates send out an SOS Unconfirmed reports suggest that infighting between rival pirate gangs … Continue reading
Owners of a Greek-flagged oil tanker dropped a record ransom payment of $5.5 million to $7 million on the deck of the ship today, prompting Somali pirates to release the Maran Centaurus. Ransoms to Somali pirates have reached a historic … Continue reading
Endeavour Voyage 2010 The Australian National Maritime Museum has an exciting season of sailing coming up on the replica of the HMB Endeavour. This April, they are offering day sails in Sydney Harbor, to introduce visitors to 18th century sailing; overnight sails where … Continue reading
Cruiser CO relieved for ‘cruelty’ The commanding officer of the Yokosuka, Japan-based cruiser USS Cowpens was relieved of duty Wednesday after being punished for “cruelty and maltreatment” during her time in charge, the Navy announced. In an unusual move, she … Continue reading
While there have been locks on the Saint Lawrence River since at least 1862, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the current series of locks, canals and channels that permit ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great … Continue reading
HMS Victory in recent snowy weather Portsmouth Historic Dockyard marks 88 years of HMS Victory From broadside battles off the Mediterranean coast to Vice Admiral Lord Nelson’s triumph in the Battle of Trafalgar and campaigns in the Baltic, the guardians … Continue reading
The US Navy is sending the rescue and salvage ship, USS Grasp, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti with divers and underwater construction personnel to assess the damage to piers and other port facilities. The USNS Comfort, a hospital ship with a capacity … Continue reading
The mega-yachts of the Russian billionaires grow ever larger, more elaborate, and, of course, ever more expensive. Roman Abramovich’s new yacht Eclipse will be the world’s largest yacht, at 557 feet (170 meters), eclipsing, so to speak, the 525-foot luxury yacht owned by … Continue reading
I just read that Lars Hansen died the day before yesterday in a nursing home in Florida. He was 86. For three decades he had been the master rigger of the historic vessels of the South Street Seaport until he suffered … Continue reading
Last May, we posted about the Tall Ship Soren Larsen’s new season of voyages – Tall ship Soren Larsen – Pearls of the Pacific, Voyages across the South Seas 2009. Unfortunately, the ship was hit by a rogue wave on the 1st … Continue reading
In July we posted about the exhibition of Yinka Shonibare’s Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. There was an interesting symmetry in the display of Nelson’s ship, Victory, in a bottle, on a plinth, in … Continue reading
Let women work on subs, Navy secretary says Women should be allowed to serve aboard submarines, and the Navy is “moving out aggressively” to make it happen, according to the service’s top civilian. “I believe women should have every opportunity … Continue reading
Thanks to Dick and Ben Kooyman for passing along this intriguing account of a new search for the legendary “Mahogany ship” which, if found, may rewrite Australian history. The Mahogany ship is said to be buried beneath the sand in the … Continue reading
The Wall Street Journal today has an article about the SS United States Conservancy, a group of individuals who fervently wish to save the SS United States. I have the somewhat heretical view that the “Big U,” as she is called, is … Continue reading
After sailing into a bulk carrier earlier this month on her first day at sea after apparently dozing off, sixteen year old Jessica Watson has set sail once again on her attempt to circumnavigate the globe singlehanded. While she has received … Continue reading
Saint-Tropez Races Bid Summer Adieu According to legend, a bet in 1981 between two yachtsmen at a fashionable Saint-Tropez restaurant led to a race between Pride, an American-owned Swan 44 sailboat and Ikra, a French-owned International 12-meter rival. On Sunday, … Continue reading
Samoa police say 63 dead in tsunami, toll may rise Samoan police commissioner Lilo Maiava told The Associated Press that police have confirmed 63 deaths, and officials are still searching the devastated areas, so the number of deaths might rise … Continue reading
Daniel Pauly has an article in this month’s New Republic “Aquacalypse Now – The End of Fish“. It addresses the very real and threatening problem of overfishing. His is a great title for an article but his use of the metaphor of corporate fishing … Continue reading
The Royal Navy in joint operations with the US Coast Guard off South America has seized a £240 million cocaine shipment – the biggest haul in Royal Navy history. HMS Iron Duke’s crew sank the 138ft drug boat with bursts of cannon fire … Continue reading