Happy Evacuation Day! When the British Sailed From New York at the End of the Revolutionary War

Posted on by November 25, 2023


Happy Evacuation Day! 240 years ago today, on November 25, 1783, the last shot of the American Revolution was fired by a gunner on a departing Royal Navy ship at jeering crowds gathered on the shore of Staten Island, at the mouth of New York Harbor. The shot went wide, missing its target.  

Sir Guy Carleton had ordered his troops to sail at noon on November 25th.  George Washington and an honor guard from the Continental Army marched in shortly thereafter. Before Washington could arrive, officially ending the seven-year occupation of New York, the British flag, which had been nailed to a greased flag pole at the Battery, needed to be taken down. John Van Arsdale, a survivor of a British prison ship, climbed the greasy pole, ripped down the Union Jack, and nailed up the Stars and Stripes.  For years, greased pole climbing contests were popular in celebrations of Evacuation Day in New York.

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Thanksgiving Repost — Whaling Ships, Sarah Josepha Hale, Mary’s Lamb & a Liberty Ship

Posted on by November 23, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving to those on this side of the pond and below the 49th parallel. (The Canadians celebrated the holiday in October.)

What do whaling ships, a child’s nursery rhyme, a female magazine editor, and Abraham Lincoln have to do with Thanksgiving? An updated repost.

Until the Civil War, Thanksgiving was a sporadically celebrated regional holiday.  Today, Thanksgiving is one of the central creation myths of the founding of the United States, although not universally admired. The story is based on an account of a one-time feast of thanksgiving in the Plymouth colony of Massachusetts during a period of atypically good relations with local tribes. 

The actual history of what happened in 1621 bears little resemblance to what most Americans are taught in grade school, historians say. There was likely no turkey served. There were no feathered headdresses worn. And, initially, there was no effort by the Pilgrims to invite the local Native American tribe to the feast they’d made possible.

Thanksgiving only became a national holiday in 1863.  Before the celebration spread across the country, Thanksgiving was most popular in New England. On 19th-century American whaling ships, which sailed from New England ports, they celebrated only the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Of the three holidays, Thanksgiving may have been the most popular. On Norfolk Island in the Pacific, they also celebrate Thanksgiving, the holiday brought to the island by visiting American whaling ships.

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Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Hijack Vehicle Carrier Galaxy Leader in Red Sea — 25 Crew Taken Hostage

Posted on by November 19, 2023

Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized the vehicle carrier Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on Sunday, officials said, taking over two dozen crew members hostage. 

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel. The group warned that it would continue to target ships in international waters that were linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israel’s campaign against Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

The government of Israel denies that the ship is Israeli. The Times of Israel reports that the Bahaman-flagged vessel is registered under a British company, which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar, who goes by Rami. The vessel was leased out to a Japanese company at the time of the hijacking.

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Don Walsh, Record Breaking Deep Sea Naval Explorer, Dies at 92

Posted on by November 18, 2023

Don Walsh, a pioneering US Navy explorer, died on Nov. 12 at his home in Myrtle Point, Ore. He was 92. On Jan. 23, 1960, Walsh was a Navy lieutenant in command of the bathyscaphe Trieste, when he and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard dove to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, reaching and measuring the deepest point in the world’s oceans.

Walsh and Piccard spent 20 minutes at the ocean floor, taking measurements and peering through the super-fortified viewing holes in the Trieste. What they saw opened new frontiers in deep-sea marine biology. They reported spotting fish, shrimp, and jellyfish at depths below 30,000 feet. The observations were the first eyewitness clues to the range of life that could survive in the most extreme depths.

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The Star of India — 160 Years Old & Still Sailing

Posted on by November 17, 2023

Over the Veterans’ Day weekend, the iron-hulled sailing ship Star of India left her dock at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, setting sail, for the first time in five years, to celebrate her 160th birthday.  A short news video:

World’s oldest active sailing ship, Star of India, sets sail for 160th birthday

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US Tourist, 75, Dies After Ferry Boat to Blue Lagoon Island Sinks in the Bahamas

Posted on by November 16, 2023

A popular, full-day excursion to Blue Lagoon Island, from a cruise ship docked in Nassau in the Bahamas, ended in tragedy on Tuesday when a ferry boat loaded with 100 passengers rolled over and sank in choppy waters. A 75-year-old American woman from Colorado died in the partial capsize.

The NY Post reports that the ferry was nearing its destination when conditions on the water began to deteriorate.

“One of the crewmembers who was downstairs ran upstairs and was crying, absolutely bawling, and grabbing a life jacket. That’s when everybody was like … this is real, something’s happening,” American tourist Kelly Schissel said in a TikTok. 

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Saildrone Issued First-Ever Classification For A Commercial Autonomous, Uncrewed Vehicle

Posted on by November 13, 2023

Intriguing news from Saildrone. The developer of ocean data collection using autonomous vehicles announced that it has received the first-ever classification for an autonomous, uncrewed surface vehicle (USV).

From their announcement:

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has been a driving force in shaping the standards for safety and excellence in design and construction for the maritime industry for over 150 years. Saildrone is excited to announce that ABS has issued the first-ever class certificate for a commercial, uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) for the Saildrone Voyager.

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World’s Newest Island Rises Off Iwo Jima After Undersea Volcanic Eruption

Posted on by November 12, 2023

The world’s newest island has risen from the Pacific Ocean off the Japanese island of Iwo Jima after an underwater volcanic eruption that began toward the end of October. In just 10 days, volcanic ash and rocks built up on the shallow seabed, forming an island that emerged from below the water’s surface. The eruption has now subsided.

By early November it was approximately 100 meters in diameter and had reached a height of 20 meters above sea level, according to Yuji Usui from the Japan Meteorological Agency’s volcanic division.

How long the island will remain is unclear. The fragile nature of its composition, described as “crumbly” by Usui, makes it susceptible to erosion by ocean waves. Ongoing analysis by experts includes an examination of the deposits to determine exactly what it is made of.
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Repost: On Armistice Day, Remembering the German High Seas Fleet Mutinies of 1918

Posted on by November 11, 2023

Soldiers’ council of the Prinzregent Luitpold

In the US, today is Veteran’s Day, when we honor those who have served in the military. It coincides with Armistice Day, the anniversary of the signing of the armistice which ended World War I, on the 11th hour of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918, when the guns finally fell silent after four years of bloody conflict.

Today is a good time to recall the mutiny of the German High Seas Fleet, which played a significant role in finally ending the war. Here is an updated repost of an article from a few years ago about the naval mutinies.

The mutinies at Wilhelmshaven on October 29th and at Kiel on November 3, triggered the German revolution and swept aside the monarchy within a few days. The naval mutinies led directly to the end of the German Empire and to the establishment of the Weimar Republic.

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The Sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald 48 Years Ago — the Unsolved Mystery

Posted on by November 10, 2023

SS Edmund Fitzgerald, an American Great Lakes ore carrier, sank 48 years ago today, on November 10, 1975, in a storm on Lake Superior. The crew of 29 was lost when the freighter, loaded with 26,000 tons of iron ore pellets, sank in 530 feet of water, about 15 nautical from Whitefish Bay. Exactly why and how the bulk carrier sank remains a mystery to this day. An updated repost.

The wreckage of the ship was located within days. The bow section was upright some distance from the stern which was upside down on the bottom. Roughly 200 feet of vessel around midships was missing.

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Cruise Ship Spirit of Discovery in the Bay of Biscay — Passengers Feared for Theirs Lives, 100 Injured

Posted on by November 10, 2023

A disturbing account of the Saga Cruises’ ship Spirit of Discovery that was caught in severe weather in the Bay of Biscay in which 100 passengers were injured. Five are reported to have been seriously injured.

BBC reports that the ship departed for a 14-day cruise around the Canary Islands on 24 October with about 1,000 people on board.

A decision was made to return to the UK early due to worsening weather, but on Saturday the vessel encountered a storm in the Bay of Biscay – where ships often encounter notoriously rough seas.

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Pod of Dolphins Lead a Lost Humpback Whale Mother and Calf to Safety

Posted on by November 6, 2023

A wonderful story from Robyn White writing for Newsweek.

 A pod of dolphins led a whale and her calf back to their migration route after they became lost and distressed, a heartwarming video shows. The albino mother humpback whale was found by the Dolphin Discovery Centre, near Bunbury’s Back Beach in Western Australia, after a few beachgoers noticed her in “distress.”

The whale—which had a dark front and a snowy-white back body—was at first mistaken for an orca by witnesses. But when the Dolphin Discovery Centre took a closer look, it realized it was an albino humpback whale, the Bunbury-based nonprofit said in a Facebook post. Continue reading →

Update — El Nino Drought Results in Further Shipping Cuts to Panama Canal Transits

Posted on by November 2, 2023

In August, we posted Panamax Meets Pana-Drought — Drought Restrictions In Canal Cause Delays and 200 Ship Backlog. A record drought associated with the naturally occurring El Nino climate pattern has resulted in one of the country’s driest years in over 70 years. In July, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reduced the average daily transit capacity in the canal to 32 vessels per day from 38.

Now, transit slots will be cut to 25 per day starting November 3 and will be gradually reduced further over the next three months to 18 slots on February 1, The cuts are anticipated to only worsen supply chain shortages. The Panama Canal handles an estimated 5 percent of seaborne trade.

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From Norse Mythology: Naglfar, Ship of the Dead, Made Entirely From Fingernails and Toenails

Posted on by November 1, 2023

Naglfar and Fenrir on the Tullstorp Runestone in Scania, Sweden

A second post suitable for Halloween week. In Norse mythology, there were two great ships. Skidbladnir, was a ship that could carry Odin and his followers in Asgard, which also could be folded into a cloth that would fit in a pocket when not in use.

An even larger ship, indeed the largest ship in the world, was the fearsome Naglfar, a ship built entirely from the untrimmed fingernails and toenails of the dead. According to the poem Völuspá, the ship will be sailed from Muspelheim (the land of fire) by the two jötnar (giants), Hrym, and Loki. It will carry the army of the dead to Ragnarök, the final climactic battle between Odin and his gods and the giants that will result in the end of the world of gods and men.

The story of Naglfar may have inspired or been inspired by the Scandinavian practices of preparing the dead before burial. This preparation included the trimming of hair, fingernails, and toenails. By ensuring that their deceased loved ones did not have untrimmed nails, they would not contribute to the construction of Naglfar and thus would help to delay the end of the world.

Which Sail Assist Technology is Best — Airbus Trying Both Flettner Rotors & Suction Sails

Posted on by October 31, 2023

Of the various wind assist technologies available for commercial shipping, which is the most cost-efficient? It is likely, too soon to tell. AIrbus is reported to be trying two different approaches — retrofitting one existing ship with suction sails and building three new ships with Flettner rotors.

Last month we posted that the French shipping company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs working with Airbus, which charters one of its ships, will install Bound4Blue suction sails on a ro/ro cargo vessel as a test of the technology, the first-ever fixed suction sail installation on a ro/ro. The suction sails will be installed on the Ville de Bordeaux ahead of a six-month performance monitoring period starting in early 2024.

Last week, Airbus announced that it is again partnering with Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to build three new ro/ros featuring low emissions dual fuel capabilities and wind assist technologies. These ships will feature six Flettner rotors per ship in addition to two dual-fuel engines. The engines will run on either marine diesel or e-methanol. Additionally, routing software will optimize the vessels’ journey across the Atlantic, maximizing wind propulsion and avoiding drag caused by adverse ocean conditions.

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The Mystery Women of the Oseberg Viking Ship

Posted on by October 30, 2023

Here is a post suitable for Halloween. It is not a ghost story but rather the tale of two mysterious skeletons found in a Viking ship discovered in a large burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The ship itself, dating back to the early 800s AD, is among the best-preserved vessels to have survived from the Viking era. As beautiful and fascinating as the ship is, what is truly intriguing are the remains of the two individuals laid to rest inside the ship.

Ship burials were reserved for the most powerful and wealthiest of the elites of their time. But rather than finding that the Oseberg ship was the burial place of a king or mighty warlord, DNA studies revealed that the partial skeletons in the ship were the remains of two women. The elder is believed to have been roughly 80 when she died, while the younger woman must have been around 40. The women were found together in one bed.

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Update: Sailing Past the Future Stad Ship Tunnel on MS Trollfjord

Posted on by October 29, 2023

This afternoon, sailing south from Ålesund bound for Haugesund, on Hurtigruten’s MS Trollfjord, I noticed something unusual. The ship was pitching and rolling. The motion was gentle but evident. On the previous twelve or so days of the voyage to the North Cape from Bergen and back south, the ship had spent most of the time weaving its way through the archipelago of islands that shield the coast from the worst of the weather on the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea.

The ship was rolling because we were rounding the Stad peninsula, which is also referred to as the West Cape, the westerly most and most exposed point of land on the Norwegian coast.

Within a few years, ships like the MS Trollfjord will no longer have to round the Stad peninsula in rough weather. Norway is now scheduled to begin construction in 2024 of the world’s largest ship tunnel to create a bypass for ocean-going ships, as well as coastal ferries, freighters, and fishing vessels. The tunnel will be 1,700 meters long by 50 meters high and 37 meters wide and is expected to cost more than 2.7bn kroner ($325m). Final cost estimates will be developed by 2024. The tunnel is expected to be completed around 2030.

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Collision Between Two Cargo Ships Off Germany Leaves One Dead, Two Rescued and Four Missing

Posted on by October 24, 2023

Around 5 am about 14 miles southwest of the island of Heligoland, Germany, the British bulk carrier Verity sank after colliding with the Bahamian-flagged bulk carrier Polesie. Of the Verity‘s crew of seven, two were rescued, one has died and four remain missing. The ship had been from Bremen to the English town of Immingham with a cargo of steel.

The Polesie was sailing from Hamburg to La Coruna in Spain with a crew of 22, none of whom were reported to be injured. The 38,056 DWT Polesie is roughly ten times larger than the 3,360 DWT Verity, measured by cargo capacity.

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Who First Devised the Arctic Circle?

Posted on by October 23, 2023

We recently crossed the Arctic Circle on a Norwegian voyage on the Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord.  The crossing brought to mind the question — who first devised this imaginary line at 66° 34′ N latitude? My first guess would have been the early Norse settlers in Scandinavia, which is wholly the wrong answer. The right answer, apparently, was the ancient Greeks.

Norwegian explorer and diplomat Fridtjof Nansen explains in his book, In Northern Mists; Arctic Exploration in Early Times. 

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Updated Repost on Trafalgar Day Plus One : Conrad on Nelson — What if the Wind Had Shifted?

Posted on by October 22, 2023

I am currently traveling, so I managed to miss Trafalgar Day. Here is an updated repost in honor of Nelson’s great victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets a day ago on October 21, in 1805.

There is a tendency to accept history as inevitable, to accept the events of the past as virtually preordained, and to forget that small changes in circumstances could have had major impacts on critical historical outcomes.

I have always been struck that of all the commentary I have read on the Battle of Trafalgar Joseph Conrad is the only writer I am aware of to have asked one simple question — what if the wind had changed? How would a wind shift have altered the history that we all take for granted?

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