We recently posted about the tanker Mary A. Whalen‘s 80th birthday. The historic lighthouse tender Lilac is also celebrating her 85th birthday. 2018 Season Opening — 85th Birthday with Cake The ex-USCG Cutter Lilac, originally built for the U.S. Lighthouse Service, was launched on May … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing on an intriguing news item. A cannon said to be from HMS Bounty, the ship made famous by a mutiny in 1789, is being put up for sale at an upcoming auction. According to … Continue reading
A recent statement by Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL), who happens to be a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee, is disturbing at best. He suggested that sea levels are not rising because of climate change but because … Continue reading
The historic tanker Mary A. Whalen is turning 80 on May 21st. As part of a month-long celebration, Portside NewYork and the Mary A. Whalen is hosting an Art Inspiration Day and Birthday Tanker Tours. The events take place tomorrow, Sunday, May 20th, from … Continue reading
As the song goes, “What do you do with a drunken sailor?” The answer for the police in Newport, RI early last Tuesday morning, when a group of sailors associated with the Volvo Ocean Race got rowdy, was to arrest … Continue reading
A human foot in a hiking boot recently washed ashore on the banks of the Salish Sea in British Columbia. It is the 14th “disarticulated” foot that has washed ashore in a shoe or boot on the Salish Sea in Canada since … Continue reading
After almost a decade, the Queen Elizabeth 2 has finally opened as a luxury hotel in Dubai. There was a “soft opening” in the middle of April and the hotel will have its formal opening around October of this year. So far seven of … Continue reading
We were saddened to learn that John Harland has died. He passed away peacefully on May 11th, a few days after his ninety-fifth birthday. After a career in medicine, Dr. Harland became known as a researcher and author on maritime history. … Continue reading
This Thursday, the Working Harbor Committee is hosting a Hidden Harbor Tour of Port Newark. The tour is one is one of the best ways to see the mighty port hard at work. The tour features guest speakers Mitch Waxman of … Continue reading
A repost from three years ago that seems appropriate for today. Sailors choose their tattoos for various reasons. Among the most popular sailor tattoos are anchors, hearts and swallows. Not infrequently, “Mom” also made an appearance as a reminder of … Continue reading
If you are fond of songs of ships and the sea, you may already know Gordon Bok’s music. If not, you should definitely make his acquaintance. Bok is a particular favorite of mine — a sailor, songwriter, singer and a master … Continue reading
If you are around Annapolis tomorrow, May 12th, the 200-foot Class A Tall Ship, SSV Oliver Hazard Perry will be at the Naval Academy in Annapolis and will be open for public tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dewey Seawall (Gate 1 … Continue reading
After posting about a terrible year for North Atlantic right whales, in which no new calves were spotted following breeding season, it is refreshing to see some good news about whales. Scientists have observed what is being described as a “baby-boom” among … Continue reading
Last October we posted about the Providence, a replica of a Revolutionary War sloop, which in the summer of 2019, will be moving to its new home port, Old Town Alexandria, VA. Old Town Alexandria is certainly no stranger to 18th-century ships. … Continue reading
The Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) are not the only small new Navy ships with serious operating deficiencies. Recently, the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General released a report on the shortcomings of a new class of fast, shallow draft, transport ship, … Continue reading
Researchers have dated stone tools and bones from a butchered rhinoceros and other ancient fauna found in the Philippines’ northern island of Luzon, that date back over 700,000 years, or several hundred thousand years before modern man evolved. So far no human bones have … Continue reading
The good news is that the waters of the Chesapeake are getting progressively cleaner and the crab population has experienced a significant rebound. The bad news is that anti-immigrant politics have plunged the Chesapeake crabbing industry into chaos. First, more … Continue reading
Last month, researchers from the University of Washington released a study performed over four winters which recorded 184 bowhead whales singing beneath the ice in Greenland. What they found was remarkable. Kate Stafford and other UW oceanographers discovered that the … Continue reading
The saga of the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) continues. The ships were intended to be small, versatile and relatively inexpensive. So far they have succeeded only in being small. The Navy intends to have around 30 of these ships … Continue reading
A very interesting case was argued recently before the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Superior Court over a $75 fine issued to a boater for not having enough life jackets aboard his boat. The issue before the court, however, was not life jackets, … Continue reading