Tall Ship Sailing on EBay – the Other Perfect Holiday Gift?

A bit over a week ago we suggested an aircraft carrier as a holiday gift for the person who has everything.   OK, we admit that was not the most useful gift suggestion.  We now wish to suggest something far more practical and which also … Continue reading

Memorial and Dedication of New Visitors Center at Pearl Harbor

The attack on the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, on Oʻahu, Hawaii by Japan on December 7th 1941 still resonates with Americans as evidenced by the literally hundreds of  Pearl  Harbor  memorials  scheduled around the country  in remembrance of what President Franklin Delano Roosevelt referred to … Continue reading

Meet Sailor and Author John Rousmaniere at Mystic Seaport

For anyone in the area, sailor and author John Rousmaniere will be a guest at Mystic Seaport Museum on Thursday, December 9th for a wine and cheese reception beginning at at 5:30 p.m, followed by a presentation of  sea stories beginning around 6:00 p.m.  The program … Continue reading

Update: Disabled bulker MV Golden Seas under tow to Dutch Harbor

MV Golden Seas, a 74,475 DWT  bulk carrier, which suffered a turbocharger failure on its main engines and was in danger of drifting onto the Aleutian Islands, has been taken under tow by the tug/supply boat Tor Viking II.   The bulk carrier is … Continue reading

Not Swords into Plowshores but Marine Mines into Furniture

Mati Karmin, an Estonian sculptor, is not turning swords into plowshares, but he is turning marine mines into some rather remarkable furniture and household appliances.  Karmin’s mine furniture is steampunk with a post-apocalyptic twist.   On the northern coast of Estonia, especially on Naissaar … Continue reading

MV Golden Seas Struggles To Avoid the Aleutian Islands

The 74, 475 DWT  MV Golden Seas carrying a cargo of rapeseed oil suffered a turbocharger failure on its main engine late Thursday night,  reducing main engine power sufficiently so that the ship could not make headway against the 29 foot seas and … Continue reading

The Star Spangled Banner and the Search for HMS Terror

History is full of strange connections.   This week an almost 200-year-old copy of “The Star Spangled Banner” is to be sold at auction house at Christie’s auction house in Manhattan.   The sheet music is currently valued at between … Continue reading

Correction: Ecolution, Innovative Sailing Yacht Owned by Dr. Wubbo Ockels, Sinks

CORRECTION: The early news reports translated roughly from Dutch to English reported that the sailing vessel Ecolution was “sunk by demolitions.”  We interpreted that to mean explosives.  It appears however that no structural damage was done to the hull itself and that the vessel has been … Continue reading

The Pegasus Preservation Project Celebrates it 10th Birthday with the Rusty Rivet Awards

The tug Pegasus was built in 1907.  Her last major refit was in 1953 when her steam engine was removed and a diesel engine installed.   Tonight the Pegasus Preservation Project is celebrating the 10th year of restoration of the Tug … Continue reading

Maersk Ready to Order Malaccamax Containerships – 18,000 TEU ?

Maersk may be on the verge of ordering up to 20 of the largest container ships ever built,  18,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units).  The largest container ships now in service are capable of carrying roughly 15,000 containers.   Analysts have identified 18,000 TEU ships as the largest container … Continue reading