Where is Fat Leonard? Long-running Navy Purchasing Scandal Gets Stranger

Posted on by August 18, 2018

Where is Fat Leonard?  Fat Leonard, as Leonard Glenn Francis is known, was supposed to testify in Norfolk next week about his crooked dealings with dozens of Navy officers.  Except that apparently, he won’t. Fat Leonard was arrested in 2013 in the worst corruption scandal in Navy history.  He entered into a plea deal in 2015 and has been awaiting sentencing while in the custody of U.S. Marshals Service.

Except that he is no longer in their custody.  No one is saying where he is, although, it is rumored that last March, the 53-year-old 350-pound defense contractor’s health was failing and that he was released from federal detention to seek urgent medical care at a San Diego hospital.

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Ex-USCG Lighthouse Tender Lilac Turns 85 with Free Birthday Cake!

Posted on by May 22, 2018

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 26, 1933. To celebrate her 85th birthday, birthday cake will be available for all visitors when the ship opens for her 2018 season next Saturday, May 26th on Hudson River Park’s Pier 25 in Manhattan.

In addition to cake, there will be tours of the ship, the opportunity to view the current exhibition, and to see the progress made over the winter in restoring communication systems and getting things looking shipshape.  Admission is free (although donations are always appreciated.)

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How Did a Cannon from HMS Bounty End Up in Scotland ?

Posted on by May 22, 2018

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 the provenance, the cannon was gifted to Captain Stewart of the Orealla in 1898. The letter is signed by JR McCoy, president of Pitcairn Island and great-grandson of one of the original mutineers. The cannon was reportedly found in Scotland.

How did this come to pass? Following the mutiny, the leader Fletcher Christian sailed off with a crew of nine mutineers, six Polynesian men, twelve women and a baby. They arrived at Pitcairn, a tiny volcanic island in the South Pacific, which had been conveniently miss-plotted on Admiralty charts. Shortly thereafter, they burned the Bounty in what is now known as Bounty Bay. The ship’s four 4 pound cannons sank with the ship when she was set ablaze.

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Sea Level, Ships, Rocks and Stupidity

Posted on by May 20, 2018

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 rocks are falling into the sea.

Science Magazine quoted Representative Brooks in a hearing saying that “the California coastline and the White Cliffs of Dover tumble into the sea every year, and that contributes to sea-level rise.” He also said that silt washing into the ocean from the world’s major rivers, including the Mississippi, the Amazon and the Nile, is contributing to sea-level rise. “Every time you have that soil or rock or whatever it is that is deposited into the seas, that forces the sea levels to rise, because now you have less space in those oceans, because the bottom is moving up.” 

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Mary A. Whalen’s 80th Birthday — Art Inspiration Day & Birthday Tanker Tours

Posted on by May 19, 2018

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 8 AM to 6 PM on the tanker at the south end of Pier 11, Atlantic Basin, near the corner of Pioneer & Conover Streets, Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York.

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Volvo Racers Partying in Newport, Police Involved

Posted on by May 18, 2018

Clarke Cooke House, Newport, RI

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 seven of them. 

Police arrived at the Clarke Cooke House, an inn, bar, and restaurant on Bannister’s wharf on the Newport waterfront, after a fire alarm went off just after 1 AM on Tuesday morning. According to police, several people refused orders to get out of the building and move away from fire trucks so firefighters could go inside to reset the alarm. NewportRI.com reports what happened next: 

According to police, several people refused orders to get out of the building and move away from fire trucks so firefighters could go inside to reset the alarm. Continue reading →

The 14th (or 19th) Foot — the Floating Feet of the Salish Sea Continues

Posted on by May 17, 2018

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 2007. If you include the shores of Washington State, the number of floating feet rises to 19. 

What is going on? Are the feet from victims of organized crime or a drug cartel? Is there a mass murderer with a foot-fetish? Probably not. Apparently, it is not unusual for a decomposing human body in seawater to come apart at the joints over time. A foot in a running shoe might have the right match of weight and volume to allow it to float. A modern shoe could become like a tiny lifejacket for a separate foot. 

A lack of evidence of foul play supports the theory that the feet naturally “disarticulated,” which is to say separated naturally. In 2017, the Guardian reported: 

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Queen Elizabeth 2 Opens as Floating Hotel in Dubai, At Last, Really

Posted on by May 16, 2018

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 the ship’s 13 decks are open for business with 224 cabins available. When fully completed, the ship will have an estimated 600-800 rooms. It has been a long and difficult journey for the grand old ocean liner and cruise ship. 

The Queen Elizabeth 2, commonly known as the QE2, was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. In 2008, Cunard Lines sold the QE 2 to Dubai World for roughly $100 million. Unfortunately, the sale coincided with a world economic downtown, Dubai World faced a credit crunch and the plans to refurbish the ship as a luxury hotel were put on hold and repeatedly revised. The initial plans were dropped and a more modest hotel plan was announced. There were reports of the ship moving variously to Asia and to London. At one point, there were reports of the ship being sold for scrap, which were subsequently denied.  By around 2015, the consensus was that the QE2 was a dead ship, rotting away at the dock in Dubai. 

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John H. Harland Dies at 95, Author of Seamanship in the Age of Sail

Posted on by May 16, 2018

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. His book, Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources, illustrated by Mark Myers, is an encyclopedic and indispensable resource for anyone interested in the development and the details of sailing rigs in the age of sail. Beyond enjoying and relying on his work, I exchanged a few emails with Dr. Harland over the years and always found him to be incredibly knowledgeable, witty, and generous. He will be missed.

The Naval Marine Archive — Canadian Collection has posted an obituary for John Harford Harland, which reads in part: 

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Updated: WHC Hidden Harbor Tour of Port Newark, Thursday May 17th

Posted on by May 16, 2018

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 The Newtown Pentacle; Bill Miller, renowned waterfront historian and author; ND Gordon Cooper, Chair of THE WHC and HHH Maritime Consulting.

More information from their press release:  For an exciting adventure, go behind the scenes of the bustling Port of NY & NJ on our Hidden Harbor Tour of Port Newark!

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Sailors’ Tattoos on Mother’s Day

Posted on by May 12, 2019

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 loved ones and home.  On Mother’s Day it seems appropriate to look at sailors’ tattoos which reminded them of “Mom.”

Remy Melina, in the Live Science blog, writes about the popularity of “I Love Mom” tattoos:  The “I Love Mom” tattoo first became popular during World War II. As they traveled around the world, U.S. Navy sailors got tattoos to document their achievements and memories. Tattoo parlors began to pop up near military bases and patriotic tattoos came into vogue, according to John Gray’s book “I Love Mom: An Irreverent History of the Tattoo.”

Aside from wanting to express their patriotism, the homesick sailors started to request “mom” or “mother” tattoos as a sentimental reminder of home.

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Gordon Bok — Sailor, Singer, Songwriter and Wood Carver

Posted on by May 12, 2018

Gordon Bok – Photo by Chris Koldewy

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 wood carver from Down East Maine. He was recently interviewed by Rick Landers in Guitar International.  Landers writes: 

The roots of the many songs by master songwriter, Gordon Bok, stir a cauldron of mystery, wonder, fear and joy that are never far away when one sails the sea along the coast of his native Maine. Gordon has the deep rough-hewn gravitas of a man who not only thrives by the sea, but in many ways is of the sea.

His tunes cast a net that gathers us up in his songs and his tales of life where laborious skills are honored, when some are notable for their beauty and others held dear, as they may be relied upon when life and death slip beyond the philosophical and dip into the harsh realities of the sea. Click here to read the full interview.

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Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry in Annapolis and Philadelphia

Posted on by May 11, 2018

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 entrance).  On Monday, May 14, it will depart with 26 Midshipman Candidates and four instructors from the Naval Academy Prep School (NAPS) in Newport, R.I. While sailing on a 12-day voyage, the students will learn about shipboard life, the mechanics of sailing and teamwork. Once in Philadelphia, they will participate in a spectacular Parade of Sail (Thursday, May 24) for Tall Ships participating in Sail Philadelphia’s Tall Ships Festival, before disembarking on Friday (May 25).

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Scientists Report Humpback Baby-Boom Off Antartica

Posted on by May 10, 2018

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 humpback whales in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica. The researchers are not entirely sure why, but female humpbacks, in recent years, have had high pregnancy rates and are giving birth to more calves.

Humpback whales have seen a worldwide recovery after a moratorium on commercial whaling was imposed in the late 1980s. As we posted in 2016, of the fourteen distinct humpback populations in the world’s oceans, ten are no longer considered to be endangered. Humpback communities off northwest Africa and in the Arabian Sea are considered to be endangered. Populations near Mexico and in the Western North Pacific are listed as threatened.  Continue reading →

Guilty Plea in USS Fitzgerald Collision Court-Martial

Posted on by May 9, 2018

The US Navy courts-martial of the officers of the USS Fitzgerald have begun. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer collided with the Philippine-flagged container ship, ACX Crystal near Yokosuka, Japan on June 17, 2017, killing 9 US sailors. A Navy investigation concluded that the collision was caused by ineffective watchstanding and failure of the bridge crew to respond in a timely manner and change course to avoid the collision.

Yesterday, Lt. j.g. Sarah Coppock, the junior officer responsible for navigation at the time of the collision, pleaded guilty to the charge of dereliction of duty.  According to a Navy statement, she received a punitive letter and will forfeit half a month’s pay for three months as part of her sentence.

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Tall Ships in Alexandria, VA — At and Beneath the Waterfront

Posted on by May 8, 2018

Photo: Katherine Frey/The Washington Post

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. Indeed, it would be literally accurate to say that Old Town was, at least in part, built on ships. As ships wore out, they were filled with soil and used in expanding the waterfront in what was then a very busy commercial port. 

Recently, three 18th-century merchant ships were uncovered in a single block during the excavation for a townhouse and condominium project along the Potomac River. The area was originally a cove called Point Lumley. The three ships were scuttled and used as fill in around 1798. The newly filled land was used for the construction of warehouses, mills and other commercial buildings.

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Not Just the LCS — EPF, Expeditionary Fast Transport Ships Deficient, As Well

Posted on by May 8, 2018

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, the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), ordered by the Navy.  In addition to being over budget, the aluminum catamaran vessels are slower and have less range than designed. They also cannot transfer vessels at sea in waves much larger than a ripple. Also, the ships have cybersecurity flaws which could potentially allow hackers to disable or take control of the ship’s systems.  

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Ancient Mariners — Homo Erectus in the Philippines 700,000 Years Ago?

Posted on by May 6, 2018

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 been discovered, but  as reported in a recent report in the journal Nature, recent excavations in the Cagayan Valley of northern Luzon in the Philippines that have yielded 57 stone tools associated with an almost-complete disarticulated skeleton of Rhinoceros philippinensis, which shows clear signs of butchery, together with other fossil fauna remains attributed to stegodon, Philippine brown deer, freshwater turtle, and monitor lizard.

The discovery raises many questions. Who were these early hunters? When did they arrive in the Philippines? How did they cross the seas to reach the islands?  Because Homo sapiens, or modern man, did not arrive until around until around 300,000 years ago, the rhino hunters on Luzon were most likely Homo erectus, the first the first hominin believed to have ventured out of Africa.

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When Keels Fall Off — Cheeki Rafiki & Assigning Blame

Posted on by May 7, 2018

Cheeki Rafiki After Losing Keel

When the keel on the Cheeki Rafiki, a Beneteau 40.7 sailing yacht, broke off in a storm in the mid-Atlantic in May 2014, the yacht capsized and four UK sailors died. Why did the keel fall off and who was to blame for the deaths?

In response to the second part of the question, the British courts chose to blame Douglas Innes, managing director of the Stormforce Coaching, the firm which owned and was responsible for the maintenance of the yacht. Innes was charged with manslaughter and with failing to operate the yacht in a safe manner. In July of last year, he was found guilty of the lesser charge, failing to operate the yacht in a safe manner, contrary to the Merchant Shipping Act. At the end of last month, a jury acquitted Innes of the manslaughter charges.

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Politics Creates Chesapeake Crab Crisis

Posted on by May 4, 2018

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 on the good news. Last year, a study by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science reported that in 2016, Chesapeake Bay fisheries received an “A” for the health of the blue crab, anchovy and rockfish populations. Blue crabs scored 90 percent, improving drastically compared with two years ago, when the grade was 32 percent.

The really bad news is that despite the recovery of the crab fisheries, there is a dramatic shortage of workers to pick the meat sold in restaurants and supermarkets. The anti-immigrant policies of the current administration has resulted in 40% of the seasonal crab workers not receiving temporary visas to work in the Maryland crab processing plants.

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