A Winter Taxi Across the Hudson River, or a Rickenbacker Doesn’t Float

Posted on by January 28, 2018

Recently, we posted about the times when New York harbor froze solid. While that is a very unusual occurrence in New York City, a bit farther up the Hudson River, the river freezing over is a yearly event. In the summertime, before the river was spanned by bridges, numerous ferries plied the waters allowing people and wheeled vehicles to cross the river. In the wintertime, things were more challenging when the ice kept the ferries tied to the docks. 

As long as the ice on the frozen river was thick and smooth enough people could walk across or even take horse-drawn sleighs. Things got a bit tricky when the ice was melting or just freezing, or when currents would break the ice into huge moving sheets and islands. 

Here is a story told by Richard Heppner in Hudson Valley One of Lloyd Plass and his ill-fated cross-Hudson Rickenbacker taxi service: 

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A Sideways Launch — Shipbuilding in Faversham, Kent

Posted on by January 27, 2018

A documentary about a shipyard in Faversham, Kent where over 1200 vessels were built and launched between 1916 and 1969. The narrowness of Faversham Creek was no barrier to the launching of such large ship. Vessels were simply launched sideways.

The film was directed and produced by Michael Maloney for Countrywide Productions. See cwideprods.co.uk for more information.

A Sideways Launch from Michael Maloney on Vimeo.

Guest Post by Robin Denny: The Five-Masted Full-Rigged Ship Preussen

Posted on by January 26, 2018

Preussen under full sail

We recently posted about the five-masted full-rigged cruise ship Royal Clipper, a modern sailing ship designed as an homage to the great five-masted windjammer Preussen. We are very pleased to have a guest post about the mighty windjammer by Robin Denny: 

With the Peking now back in her home port of Hamburg, perhaps it is opportune to mention another of the Flying P sailing ships, the great Preussen. A five-masted full-rigged ship, 482′ LOA, with square sails on all masts, she was one of the fastest sailing ships, matching the Clippers with speeds up to 20 knots.

Built in Geestemünde, Germany, she was launched in May, 1902 with her hull, masts, spars and rigging, both cable and rods, all being of steel. She proved to be a well found and weatherly, sailing, among other destinations, to Chile, Japan and New York, where most of New York turned out to welcome her.

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Clotilda & Cudjo Lewis — the Last Slave Ship & the Last Survivor

Posted on by January 25, 2018

On Tuesday, a reporter in Alabama announced that he believed that he had found the burned wreckage of the schooner Clotilda, the last vessel to carry slaves to the United States. The wreckage was exposed following a winter “bomb cyclone” weather front, which caused extremely low tides in the area, exposing the wreckage. There is no firm confirmation that the wreckage is that of the schooner Clotilda, but the location, dimensions, and condition of the wreck strongly suggest that the wreckage is the slave ship. Clotilda was a two-masted schooner, 86 feet long, 23 feet of beam, and had a copper-sheathed hull. The wreck was found on the Mobile River just off Twelvemile Island by Ben Raines of AL.com. 

The international slave trade had been illegal in the United States since 1807, but that didn’t stopped the slavers.  Local lore suggests that the voyage of the Clotilda began as a wager between Timothy Meaher, a wealthy Alabama ship and shipyard owner, and friends from New England, that he could smuggle slaves from Africa into the United States without being caught.

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Behold the Vampire Squid from Hell

Posted on by June 2, 2018

“Vampire Squid from Hell” sounds like a low budget horror movie from the 1950s.  It isn’t. It is a small cephalopod which lives in the deep oceans.

There are two important things that one should know about the species with the scientific nameVampyroteuthis infernalis, which means, literally, the “vampire squid from hell.”  The creature is not a vampire. Nor is it a squid. Despite the confused taxonomy, the vampire squid is a strange and wonderful creature in its own right.

The vampire squid is neither squid nor octopus but a more primitive form of cephalopod, virtually a living fossil,  dating back to a time before the squid and octopus split into separate orders.  The vampire squid is only about a foot long and lives in deep water in temperate oceans.  It is no bloodsucker. It eats “marine snow,” organic detritus drifting down from the upper layers of the water column.  Apparently, the creature’s jet-black to pale reddish body was the basis for the vampiric name. 

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Fifty Years Ago Today — North Korea Seizes USS Pueblo

Posted on by January 23, 2018

Fifty years ago today, on January 23, 1968, North Korea seized the U.S. Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo while operating in international waters. One sailor was killed and 82 were taken prisoner. The Pueblo was commanded by Lloyd “Pete” Bucher. He and his crew were charged with spying on North Korea. Commander Bucher and his crew were released the following December after enduring 11 months of brutal captivity at the hands of the North Koreans. Pueblo is still listed as a commissioned U.S. Navy vessel — the only one held by a foreign nation. The ship is a now a tourist attraction in Pyongyang, North Korea.

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Lifesaving Drone Drops Inflatable Rescue Pod to Two Swimmers in Australia

Posted on by January 22, 2018

Amazon is currently testing using drones to deliver packages. Recently in Australia, lifeguards used a drone to deliver something far more vital than a package from an online retailer.  They successfully used a Little Ripper drone to drop a flotation rescue pod to two teenaged swimmers in danger of drowning in heavy surf on Lennox Head on the state’s Far North Coast.  From the  Surf Life Saving NSW press release: 

At about 11:30, two men were swimming in powerful surf conditions approximately a kilometre north of the patrolled area when a member of the public noticed that they were having difficulty in the 3 metre swell.

Lifeguard Supervisor Jai Sheridan, the 2017 NSW Lifeguard of the Year, was piloting the UAV at the time, immediately responded and was able to locate the swimmers within minutes of the initial alert.

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Collision in Volvo Ocean Race Kills Chinese Fisherman, Nine Others Rescued

Posted on by January 21, 2018

Around 30 NM from Hong Kong, the Volvo Ocean racer Vestas 11th Hour collided with a Chinese fishing vessel on Friday night around 1:20 a.m. local time, which resulted in the death of a Chinese fisherman. The Vestas 11th Hour Racing team issued a Mayday distress call, alerting the Hong Kong Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (HKMRCC). A nearby commercial vessel rescued nine of the crew from the fishing boat, while a tenth was taken to the hospital by helicopter after he was rescued from the water by the Vestas 11th Hour Racing crew. The medevaced crewman later died. None of the Vestas 11th Hour race team was injured in the collision.

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Longest Underwater Cave Identified in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

Posted on by January 19, 2018

Several years ago, my wife and I went snorkeling in the Dos Ojos cenote in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula near Tulum.  A cenote is a deep, water-filled sinkhole in limestone, often connected to freshwater underwater caverns and tunnels. The limestone filtered water was crystal clear and we were able to swim between multiple cave chambers. Divers with scuba gear swam 60′ below us and provided the only means of judging the depth of the water. It was an amazing afternoon.

Dos Ojos, meaning “two eyes” because of its two sinkholes to the same connected underwater chambers, was thought to be connected to submerged caves extending 93 kilometers or 57.8 miles. Recently, however, researchers have discovered that the Dos Ojos cave system is, in fact, connected to a nearby cave system, Sac Actun, meaning White Cave. The combined cave network stretches for 216 miles, a world’s record. 

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What Did Pirates Read? Blackbeard, Captain Cooke, and Woodes Rogers

Posted on by January 18, 2018

A lump of paper wadding found in a cannon from the pirate Blackbeard‘s ship Queen Anne’s Revenge has been identified as containing scraps of paper from a book by Captain Edward Cooke written in 1712.  Researchers were able to identify the tiny paper scraps as coming from A Voyage to the South Sea, and Round the World, Perform’d in the Years 1708, 1709, 1710 and 1711. They were able to identify specific words on the paper scraps which corresponded to the text of the book. 

The discovery raises several questions. Who was Captain Edward Cooke and why was Blackbeard reading his book? Or, on the other hand, why did the pirate think the pages were suitable as wadding for one the guns on his ship? Was this out of necessity or a dislike for the book? If Blackbeard did indeed read the book, was it for pleasure as a diversion, or was it a practical desire to learn more about a potential foe? Was the book already on the ship when Blackbeard captured it in 1717? Did the book remain unread by the pirates with its pages used only for wadding for the guns? 

A Voyage to the South Sea, and Round the World is an account of a voyage around the world in two ships, under the command of Woodes Rogers. It also includes a firsthand account of castaway Alexander Selkirk, whose tale inspired Daniel Defoe to write Robinson Crusoe. What does this have to do with Blackbeard? Perhaps nothing, but Woodes Rogers was the great vanquisher of pirates who arrived in New Providence as Governor, a year after Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, departed.  Continue reading →

The History Behind “Evening Gray Morning Red” — Shiplore NYC January 22nd, Melville Library

Posted on by January 17, 2018

If you are in the area next Monday night, January 22nd at 7:30 PM, be sure to stop by the South Street Seaport Museum’s Melville Gallery at 213 Water Street, in lower Manhattan.  I will be presenting “From John Hancock’s Sloop Liberty to the Burning of HMS Gaspee” — the fascinating but often forgotten history that inspired my latest novel, Evening Gray Morning Red and had a major impact on the course of the American Revolution. The event is being hosted by the Shiplore and Model Club, the oldest nautical interest group in New York City.  The event is free. Stop by and say hello. It should be a fun evening.      

Ex-Commanders Facing Criminal Charges for Fitzgerald and McCain Collisions

Posted on by January 17, 2018

The Navy has announced that five officers involved in two deadly ship collisions are facing a variety of criminal charges including negligent homicide. The officers facing charges include Cmdr. Bryce Benson, former captain of the USS Fitzgerald, and Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez, former captain of the USS John S. McCain.  USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship on June 17, off the southern coast of Japan, killing seven sailors. USS John S. McCain was in a collision with a tanker on August 21, near Singapore, killing 10.  Three other officers aboard the Fitzgerald, two lieutenants, and one lieutenant junior grade also will face charges. 

The fallout from the two collisions is not limited to the ships’ personnel. As reported by the Washington Post:  In August, the Navy removed Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, who oversaw its 7th Fleet. Aucoin’s replacement, Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, then removed Rear Adm. Charles Williams and Capt. Jeffrey Bennett, who oversaw aspects of the ships’ deployments. 

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How Damaging is a Condensate Spill? With Sanchi Sinking, We May Find Out

Posted on by January 16, 2018

Tanker Sanchi on fire, shortly before sinking

On January 6th, the Iranian tanker Sanchi carrying 130,000 tonnes of condensate collided with the Chinese bulk carrier CF Crystal. The condensate on the Sanchi caught fire, resulting in the death of all 32 of the tanker’s crew. The tanker burned for 9 days before sinking after a series of explosions. Initial concerns were that the oil slick might reach the Japanese coast. An official from the Japanese environmental ministry told Reuters that the oil slick is being carried north by an ocean current and is unlikely to hit the coast of Japan.

Rick Steiner, a marine conservation specialist formerly with the University of Alaska, told the Associated Press that 60,000 to 90,000 tons was likely to have spilled into the sea, calling it “enormous” and “as large as the official estimate of the Exxon Valdez disaster” off the coast of Alaska in 1989. He also suggested that the Chinese government was likely to be understating the magnitude of the spill.

How serious is a major condensate spill? It is difficult to say. Continue reading →

Fire on Florida Casino Shuttle Boat Kills at Least 1 and Injures 15 in Gulf of Mexico

Posted on by January 15, 2018

A fire broke out on the casino shuttle boat, Island Lady, around 4PM on Sunday, in the Gulf near Port Richey, Fl. The 34 passengers and 14 crew aboard were forced into the 59-degree water. At least one passenger, a 42-year-old woman, died. 15 passengers were transported to a local hospital with for chest pains, smoke inhalation and other injuries initially reported as not life-threatening. The Island Lady was shuttling passengers to the Tropical Breeze Casino when the fire broke out. The cause of the fire is, as of yet, undetermined.

Other than in casinos on Indian reservations, gambling is not generally legal in the State of Florida. To meet the demand, the casino “cruise to nowhere” industry operates excursion boats and ships which cruise offshore in international waters where passengers can legally gamble. Shuttle boats carry gamblers back and forth from shore to the casino ships.   

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Kilkea, Luxury Yacht Converted from Platform Supply Vessel — No, Not a Container Ship

Posted on by January 14, 2018

The article begins, “Your average container ship could never be described as luxurious, but the Kilkea is not your average container ship.” Indeed. And it never was. Several other media sources also describe the yacht as a “converted container ship.” It is not. Apparently, container ships are now sufficiently ubiquitous that anything that floats seems to qualify. 

In fact, the luxury yacht Kilkea will be a converted Platform Supply Vessel (PSV), not a container ship. Unlike most luxury yachts the Kilkea is designed to operate as an”expedition yacht” capable of going virtually anywhere on the globe. While not an icebreaker, the yacht is reportedly ice-classed. It features a helicopter hangar and pad and is capable of operating for 30 days without resupply. 

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“Hero” Humpback Whales to the Rescue

Posted on by January 13, 2018

Recently, biologist Nan Hauser was snorkeling in the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, when she was approached by a humpback whale. The whale nudged her forward with its closed mouth, tucked her under its pectoral fin, and even maneuvered her out of the water with its back. Hauser was initially frightened and confused by the humpback’s behavior. Only when she got out of the water did she see a large tiger shark on the far side of the whale. Hauser concluded that the whale was attempting to protect her from the shark.

While her conclusion might initially sound far-fetched, for at least the last sixty years, scientists have observed, without quite understanding what they were seeing, a series of strange and stunning events — humpback whales appearing to launch coordinated rescue missions to prevent seals and other whales from being attacked by orcas. Hauser’s experience may be just another form of this not well-understood humpback behavior.

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Royal Clipper — the Not Always Obvious Technology Behind a Modern Clipper Ship

Posted on by January 12, 2018

Here is a look at a modern sailing ship, Star Clipper’s Royal Clipper, a high-tech square-rigger whose technology is not always obvious.  Click here for a photo tour of the Royal Clipper recently featured in USA Today.

We recently posted about the high-tech three-masted square-rigger, Black Pearl, which features a next-generation Dynarig with automated sail trimming and furling. Flexible solar panels are also incorporated into the sails to help meet the electrical needs of the vessel. 

Compared to the Black Pearl, the five-masted fully-rigged sailing cruise ship Royal Clipper looks almost entirely traditional. This is no accident. The Royal Clipper is modeled after the famous Flying P Liner, the five-masted ship Preußen of 1902. 

According to the Guinness World Records, the 439′ Royal Clipper is the largest square-rigged ship in service, with 5,202 square meters of sail area (or almost twice that of the Black Pearl.)

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Restoring the Schooner Rhoda Mary

Posted on by January 11, 2018

A crowdfunding campaign is underway to rescue what is left of the Cornish schooner Rhoda Mary, lying in the banks of the Medway river, Kent, UK. The goal is to rescue the remains of the schooner and transport it back to its birthplace in Truro, where it will be restored.

The Rhoda Mary is a West Country topsail schooner built at Point in Devoran in 1868. She was renowned for her speed and beauty. After an over fifty-year career carrying cargo, she was decommissioned in 1925 and became a houseboat on the River Medway in Kent. In the mid-60s, the hull burned to the waterline while the underwater hull settled into the river bank. Paradoxically, the loss of the upper decks and sides may have helped protect the shape of the lower hull.

The plan is to salvage the remains of the schooner and move them by barge to Turo for restoration. In addition to saving the Rhoda Mary, the goal is to provide vocational training in the maritime trades to young people in Cornwall and across the UK through the reconstruction and operation of the legendary Cornish 19th-century schooner.

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Everett A. Pearson — Founding Father of Fiberglass

Posted on by January 10, 2018

A day before Christmas, Everett A. Pearson died at the age of 84. The co-founder of Pearson Yachts and Tillotson-Pearson Inc., Everett Pearson was a pioneer in the production of fiberglass boats and played a significant role in bringing affordable production boats to the middle class.

In 1955, Everett and his cousin Clinton Pearson began building fiberglass dinghies in their garage in Seekonk, MA. Fiberglass as a boat-building material was considered to be a new and unproven technology. They were approached to build an auxiliary sailboat which would sell for less than $10,000. Designed by Carl Alberg, the boat became the Triton 28. The boat was launched at the New York Boat Show of 1959 and was an immediate success.

Within a year Pearson Yachts had over 100 employees and expanded their line of yachts, many designed by Alberg. In 1961,  Grumman Industries purchased a majority interest in Pearson Yachts.  In 1969, Everett Pearson, who had left the firm following the Grumman acquisition, founded Tillotson-Pearson Inc. (TPI) with Neil Tillotson. Over the years TPI built many sail and powerboat brands including Freedom, J-Boats, Rampage and Alerion Express. TPI also building wind blades, all-composite bus bodies, SwimEx pools, marine pilings, and many Disney amusement rides and airport people movers. 

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