Did Saint Brendan the Navigator Sail the Atlantic?

Posted on by March 17, 2015

brendan_origOn this St. Patrick’s Day, it seems worthwhile to recall the story of another Irish saint, Brendan the Navigator, who is said to have sailed off on a seven year voyage across the Atlantic, from Ireland to the “Isle of the Blessed” and back.  The tale is recorded in the Latin text, “Navigatio sancti Brendani abbatis“,  “The Voyage of Saint Brendan, the Abbot.”  The text is thought to date to AD 800 and to describe events of AD 512–530.

According to the legend, Brendan set sail in a currach, a boat made of animal skins stretched over a wooden frame, with a crew of around 18.  On the voyage, Brendan is said to have seen towering crystal pillars afloat on the sea, a huge sea monster, an island with giant sheep and a land where giants hurled fireballs reeking of sulfur at their boat. They finally arrived at the “Promised Land of the Saints” where they stayed for 40 days and then sailed for home.

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Shinano — WWII’s Largest Aircraft Carrier and the USS Archerfish

Posted on by March 16, 2015
Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano

Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano

We recently posted about the discovery of the wreck of the Japanese battleship Musashi, in the Sibuyan Sea off the Phillipines. The Musashi was the second of the Yamato class of battleships, which were considered by many to be the largest battleships every constructed.  There was a third Yamato class ship under-construction in Japan toward the end of the World War II.  It was the Shinano, which was converted into a “super-carrier,” the largest aircraft carrier ever built at the time.  Not only was Shinano the largest of her type, but she also had the shortest career of any major warship of World War II.  From commissioning to sinking, she survived only ten days.

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Sailing A Sinking Sea, a Film about the Moken People

Posted on by March 15, 2015

A trailer of Sailing A Sinking Sea, a feature length film by Olivia Wyatt which recently premiered at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.  It explores the lives of the Moken people, a small group of seafarers have kept their nomadic culture alive, along the coast of Myanmar and Thailand.

Sailing A Sinking Sea – Trailer from olivia wyatt on Vimeo.

More about the film from Olivia Wyatt: Continue reading →

Cousteau’s Calypso in Peril

Posted on by March 16, 2015
Photo: Olivier Bernard

Photo: Olivier Bernard

After a long legal battle, a French court has ordered Francine Cousteau, the second wife of the late Jacques Cousteau, to settle outstanding yard bills of €273,000 and remove the RV Calypso from a Brittany shipyard or the shipyard will be allowed to sell the 43 meter wooden research vessel.  Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a former French naval officer, writer, conservationist, scuba diver, documentarian and explorer who became famous for his expeditions on RV Calypso.  The ship was featured in his books and the award winning documentary “Silent World”  as well the American TV series “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” which ran from 1968 to 1975.  Kim Willsher, writing in the Guardian describes the Calypso as the “the ship that launched a thousand childhood dreams.”

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Sick Seven Year Old Girl Rescued from Saint Helena

Posted on by March 13, 2015

mv-traveller-960-copyright-bigliftWhen Alaric Bond wrote of the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic in his novel, The Torrid Zone, set during  the Napoleanic wars, it was one of the most remote islands in the world. A recent rescue of a sick seven year old girl suggests that not too much has fundamentally changed. The nearest mainland, Angola is 1950 kilometers across open ocean. Saint Helena has no functioning airport. One is under construction but is not expected to operational until 2016.

When the call went out about a seriously ill girl, the heavy-lift ship MV Traveler responded, but was initially told that the ship was unsuitable. Two days later, when no other options became available, the ship was called again, and so the MV Traveler steamed back 180 miles to pick up the sick child. The ship carried the girl 700 miles to Ascension Island, the site of the closest airport, where she was airlifted by military plane to a hospital in London.  Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing along the news.

Ship diverts 180 miles to pick up sick girl – after first offer of help was turned down

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Woman Dies and Two Are Injured After Boat Hit by Gray Whale

Posted on by March 12, 2015
Gray whale breaching

Gray whale breaching

A Canadian woman was killed and two others were injured when a gray whale collided with their excursion boat off the resort city of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. One report said that the whale breached and landed on the boat filled with 24 people.

Gray whales have a complex history of interacting with people.  When they were hunted by whalers in the 19th century, they earned the nickname “devil fish” for aggressively attacking the whale boats and killing or maiming up to 20% of the whalers who came after them. Despite their aggressive behavior, gray whales along the coast of Mexico and California were hunted to near extinction.

With the end of whaling in the United States in 1936, the gray whale population has slowly recovered, from only several hundred whales to over 20,000 today. The population is still only one fourth to one third the the estimated pre-whaling size. Once whaling ended, the gray whales stopped their aggressive behavior and over time, whale watching in the lagoons of the Baja peninsula and the sea of Cortez grew increasingly popular.

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A Vision to Save the South Street Seaport

Posted on by March 11, 2015

SouthStreetSeaportBannerThe Howard Hughes Corporation, a real-estate firm based in Dallas, TX, is proposing a $1.5 billion redevelopment of the historic South Street Seaport in New York City. Their plan includes destroying several historic buildings and erecting a controversial 494-foot residential tower just outside the landmarked South Street Seaport Historic District, yet still within the borders of state and federal historic registry areas.  Many local organizations and politicians, including Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilwoman Margaret Chin, think that the development plan is totally out of character with the historic district.

Yesterday, the grass-roots community organization, Save Our Seaport, unveiled an alternative proposal to the Hughes project, which they argue would result in the devastation of New York City’s only lasting tribute to its seafaring heritage. From their press release:

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Team Vestas Wind on Cargados Carajos Shoals — Chartplotter Assisted Grounding

Posted on by March 10, 2015
Photo © NCG Operations Room – MRCC Mauritius

Photo © NCG Operations Room – MRCC Mauritius

How did a crew of highly skilled professionals, sailing the $6 million Team Vestas Wind in the current Volvo Ocean Race, succeed in hitting the Cargados Carajos shoals, in the Indian Ocean off Mauritius at 16 knots on the night of November 29, 2014?  An independent accident report was released at the end of January which looked into the causes of the grounding.

Despite having state of the art electronic chartplotting systems and software, the navigator plotted a course that crossed what he thought was a seamount with a depth of 40 meters. Instead, they sailed straight into a reef.  Remarkably, no one was seriously hurt and the crew successfully evacuated the Volvo Ocean 65.

How did the navigator make such a mistake? Continue reading →

The $300K Grinder & Latest Team Oracle USA Lawsuit

Posted on by March 9, 2015
Joe Spooner. Photo: NZ Herald

Joe Spooner. Photo: NZ Herald

Last Friday, the US District Court in San Francisco issued a warrant to seize Oracle Team USA’s prototype America’s Cup foiling multihull sail boat, in response to a lien filed by New Zealand sailor Joe Spooner, whose contract was terminated in January. Spooner is a New Zealander who was a grinder with Oracle Team USA during its America’s Cup victories in 2010 and 2013. He was hired for the upcoming America’s Cup series at a salary of $25,000 per month.  The dispute is, in part, over the terms of his work visa which Spooner’s lawyer claimed required him to be working under a fixed-term contract, while Oracle argued that Spooner had an at-will contract.  They also claimed that Spooner was fired after asking for a raise to $38,000 per month to cover the expense of relocating to Bermuda.

Without having an opinion of the outcome of the lawsuit, it serves as a reminder of the cost of professional yachting these days. In the last America’s Cup, costs to mount a challenge averaged around $100 million with Oracle spending between $250 – $500 million to defend the cup.  And from the current lawsuit, we learn that the going rate for a sailor to grind the winches is at least $300,000 per year.

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The Downside of Tasting Shipwreck Beer and Wine

Posted on by March 9, 2015
Photo: REUTERS/Randall Hill

Photo: REUTERS/Randall Hill

Back in 2010, archaeologists found 30 bottles of champagne thought to pre-date the French Revolution in a shipwreck on the Baltic seabed.  Remarkably, when a bottle of champagne was opened it was found to be drinkable.  At the time, some commented that a shipwreck was the “perfect wine cellar.”   Well, not always. Recently, beer from the Baltic shipwreck was opened and tasted.  Also a bottle from a Civil War shipwreck was tasted at a food-festival in Charleston, SC.  Neither was worth drinking.

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The Supreme Court, Grouper and SOX

Posted on by March 7, 2015
Does SOX apply to grouper?

Does SOX apply to grouper?

In 2007, Captain John L. Yates of the fishing vessel, Miss Katie, was caught with 72 undersized red grouper. After being ordered to bring the fish ashore by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officer, Captain Yates dumped the fish back into the Gulf of Mexico. He was convicted of violating the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, also know as SOX, which was intended to stop accounting fraud.  At the end of last month, the US Supreme Court was called to rule on whether SOX also applied to fish.  In a  narrow vote, they decided that it does not.

Following the Enron and Worldcom corporate accounting scandals, in 2002 the US Senate passed the “Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act” and “Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act” as it was known in the House of Representatives. The bill was more commonly called Sarbanes–Oxley, or SOX.  The purpose of the bill was to increase corporate accountability. One provision of the bill imposes a maximum 20 year prison sentence for the destruction of “any record, document or tangible object” in order to obstruct an investigation.

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Of What Do Whales Dream When Asleep in the Sea?

Posted on by March 6, 2015

sleepingspermwhaleHow do whales sleep? And do they dream? Many years ago on a kayaking trip on Blackfish Sound off Vancouver Island, our group of paddlers came across a pod of “sleeping” orcas. The pod was swimming very slowly, each orca swimming close to the next, diving and surfacing in the same sequence. Near the center of the pod was a baby orca, supported on either side by two females.  This type of resting behavior is also common with dolphins. Apparently, the dolphin or orca will shut down half of its brain, and keep eye open, to stay at least partially aware of predators, or other threats. After about two hours, the whale will switch sides, shutting down the other half of its brain and opening the other eye.

In the last few years, scientists have observed whales in a deeper form of sleep, where it appears that both sides of their brains have been shut down, similar to humans while sleeping. Sperm and humpback whales have been observed sleeping, hanging vertically in the sea, for ten to twenty minutes. Scientists have also observed Rapid Eye Movement (REM) which in humans is characteristic of dreaming.  Do whales dream? And if so of what?

Sperm Whales Sleeping – Discovery Ch. Magic of the Blue

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Musashi, Last Japanese WW II Battleship Found

Posted on by March 5, 2015
Musashi under attack 1944

Musashi under attack 1944

After eight years of searching, a team lead by Microsoft founder and billionaire, Paul Allen, has discovered the wreck of the Japanese battleship Musashi, over 70 years after she was sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The wreck was located in the Sibuyan Sea off the Phillipines at a depth of around 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) using a remotely operated vehicle deployed from the yacht Octopus.

The battleship Musashi and her sistership Yamato were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed. They were the last great battleships, arguably obsolete when they entered service in 1941 and 1942. Musashi was sunk by an estimated 19 torpedo and 17 bomb hits from American carrier aircraft on 24 October 1944, during the Battle of Leyete Gulf, which was the largest the naval battle of World War II, and by some standards the largest sea battle in history. Eighteen American aircraft were lost in the attack on the battleship. An estimated 1,000 Japanese sailors died when the ship capsized. Despite her 18″ guns and antiaircraft batteries, the battleship was helpless against the waves of attacking aircraft.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s team finds sunken WWII battleship

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Recent Reviews, Old Salt Press Authors, Part 2 — McBook Press’ Quarterdeck, Spring 2015

Posted on by March 4, 2015

quarterdeckAs we mentioned in Part 1 of this post, two excellent nautical newsletters came out within the past few days — Astrodene’s Historic Naval Fiction Log Book and McBook Press’ Quarterdeck. Both feature news and reviews of nautical fiction and non-fiction and each also feature reviews of new books by several Old Salt Press writers. A few excerpts from McBook Press’ Quarterdeck:

From George Jepson’s review of Eleanor’s Odyssey by Joan Druett:

Each leg of her journey opens new vistas of history in crisp, vivid prose that put me in mind of Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin novels. Joan Druett is an authoritative voice in maritime history told by those who lived it. This book is recommended for anyone who seeks adventure at sea.

From Ted Grauer’s review of Britannia’s Shark by Antoine Vanner:

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Recent Reviews, Old Salt Press Authors, Part 1 — Astrodene’s Historic Naval Fiction Log Book March 2015

Posted on by March 4, 2015

hnflog Two excellent nautical newsletters came out within the past few days — Astrodene’s Historic Naval Fiction Log Book and McBook Press’ Quarterdeck. Both feature news and reviews of nautical fiction and non-fiction and each also feature reviews of new books by Old Salt Press writers. Starting with Historic Naval Fiction Log Book, here are a few excerpts:

From David Hayes’ review of The Elephant Voyage by Joan Druett:

This book was interesting, not just for the story outlined above, but for it’s insights into both life in New Zealand at this time and also the establishment by them of huts and stores on the various remote islands for the use of castaways and what can be regarded as an early move towards modern search and rescue.

From David Hayes’ review of The Guinea Boat  by Alaric Bond:

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HMS Victory : Amazing 3D Map of Nelson’s Battleship

Posted on by March 3, 2015

Laser scanning has been used to create a 3D map of HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship in his victory at Trafalgar. Using 850 separate scans, scientists have collected 90 billion measurements on the 230 foot long ship at her drydock in Portsmouth. The 3D model documents the ship’s condition and is being used in the ongoing restoration.

3D laser scan of HMS Victory Portsmouth

When Did the Wine Dark Sea Turn Blue?

Posted on by March 2, 2015

seablue1Over the last week, the internet has been overwhelmed by an argument over the color of a dress. Some people see the image as gold and white, while others see it as blue and black.  Despite looking at a single image, it is obvious that we all are capable of perceiving colors differently.  Blue in particular.

This is nothing new. Homer referred to the famously blue Aegean as the “wine dark sea.” When did the wine dark sea turn blue?

In the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer never uses the word “blue” once. William Gladstone, the British prime minister, was also a classical scholar, who wrote 1700-page study of Homer’s epic poetry. In one chapter, he describes Homer’s strange choice of colors. Sheep wool and ox skin are purple. Honey is green, while horses and lions are red. The sky is filled with copper or iron colored stars, but neither the sky, nor the sea, nor anything else in his poetry is ever “blue.”  Gladstone was so baffled by this confused yet incomplete rainbow that he theorized that the ancient Greeks must have been not capable of distinguishing color. Science does not support his theory, which, in its day, was met largely with derision.

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New York — A Tough Town for Historic Ships

Posted on by March 1, 2015
Photo: AFP / XAVIER LEOTY

l’Hermione
Photo: AFP / XAVIER LEOTY

A recent article in the TribecaTribOnline was titled, “Two Historic Sailing Ships Could Dock at Seaport This Summer.” The story is that Jonathan Boulware, the South Street Seaport Museum’s interim president, is working very hard to arrange dock space for the replica frigate l’Hermione and the US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle at the Seaport this summer.  l’Hermione is a reconstruction of the 1779 French ship that ferried General Marquis de Lafayette to the U.S. during the Revolutionary War and the USCGC Eagle is a sail training ship based at the Coast Guard Academy in New London.  It sounds like an excellent idea, notwithstanding a few logistical issues. In fact, it may be more daunting than it appears at first.

Richard Shrubb recently posed the question in BoatingTimesLI.com, “Are Historic Ships Welcome in New York Harbor?”  The answer to the question may not exactly be “no,” but it is still a considerable distance from “yes.”  Shrubb quotes Mary Habstritt, the founder of the Historic Ships Coalition, who notes that “for short term stays, it is very hard to track down who you need to get a berth in New York Harbor. There are a huge number of pier operators, and no central directory for visiting ships to contact.”

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Eugenie Clark, “The Shark Lady,” Dies at 92

Posted on by February 28, 2015

sharkladyclarkDr. Eugenie Clark; ichthyologist, marine biologist and oceanographer; who earned the nickname, “the Shark Lady,” has died at her home in Sarasota Florida, at the age of 92.  Her research on the behavior of sharks helped the public understand and appreciate the often maligned species. She was also a pioneer in the field of scuba-diving for research purposes.

As reported by the New York Times:  Long before “Jaws” scared the wits out of swimmers, Dr. Clark rode a 40-foot whale shark off Baja California, ran into killer great white sharks while scuba diving in Hawaii, studied “sleeping” sharks in undersea caves off the Yucatán, witnessed a shark’s birth and found a rare six-gill shark in a submersible dive off Bermuda.

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Ice Caves and Slurpee Waves

Posted on by February 27, 2015
Photo:Jonathan Nimerfroh

Photo:Jonathan Nimerfroh

There may only be 21 days left until Spring, yet Winter has not yet relinquished her grip.  On the island of Nantucket, photographer Jonathan Nimerfroh captured photos of slow moving waves of slush breaking on the beach. “I just noticed a really bizarre horizon,” said Mr. Nimerfroh, who is also a surfer. “The snow was up to my knees, getting to the water. I saw these crazy half-frozen waves. Usually on a summer day you can hear the waves crashing, but it was absolutely silent. It was like I had earplugs in my ears.” The motion of the waves has not allowed frozen ice crystals to form into a solid sheet of ice, so the ocean waters off Nantucket have become the consistency of a 7-Eleven Slurpee.

Meanwhile, on the Great Lakes, ice caves have been forming. Ice caves usually form around once a decade, yet this is the second year in a row that they have made an appearance on the shores of Lake Michigan.

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