John Fairfax, Pioneer of Ocean Rowing, Dies at 74

Posted on by February 19, 2012

These are busy days in ocean rowing. The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge has finishing up and the Bouvet Guyane Solo Atlantic Rowing Race 2012 is well underway.  There have been races across the Indian Ocean and races are scheduled for the Pacific.  It is easy then to forget that before John Fairfax, who died this month at 74, rowed across the Atlantic in 1969, no one had ever done so alone. In 1972, he and his girlfriend, Syliva Cook, became the the first to row across the Pacific.   Fairfax died, apparently of a heart attack on February 8th at this home in Henderson, Nev., near Las Vegas.

John Fairfax, Who Rowed Across Oceans, Dies at 74
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Schooner Ernestina Needs $1.4 Million in Repairs

Posted on by February 20, 2012

The schooner Ernestina, Ex. Effie M.Morrissey, was built in 1894 for the Gloucester fishing fleet. Under Captain Bob Bartlett she sailed to within 600 miles of the North Pole, and later brought immigrants to the U.S. under the power of sail.  The schooner was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and is currently the official vessel of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  The Ernestina is also in desperate need of repair.
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Oil on the Water – Barge Spill on the Mississippi, Progress on the Concordia and Chances Missed on the Rena

Posted on by February 18, 2012

Three stories this weekend of oil spills, a successful oil transfer and opportunities lost in mitigating a spill.  Two barges collided on the Mississippi River on Friday upriver from New Orleans.  A roughly 3,500 barrel capacity double hulled tank barge suffered damage and was reported to have spilled an estimated 10,000 gallons (238 barrels) of crude oil into the river.  The Coast Guard closed a five mile stretch of the river on Friday but have begun to reopen it this morning. The spill is reported to be contained.
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French “Superyacht” Yogi Sinks in the Aegean Sea, Eight Rescued

Posted on by February 18, 2012

Looking slightly like a miniature Costa Concordia, the  60.2 meter (197′) French yacht Yogi rolled and sank after reporting a ‘mechanical failure’ in high seas and Force 8 winds on Friday.  The yacht sank between the islands of Skyros and Psara, 19 nautical miles off the coast.  Greek Coast Guard vessels supported by two Air Force helicopters, a Navy frigate, and four commercial ships headed to the assist the yacht after its captain sent out a distress signal.  Eight people aboard the Yogi were airlifted to safety by Greek Super Puma helicopters.  The yacht Yogi was less than a year old, having been built at the Proteksan Turquoise Shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey in 2011.
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Canadian Submarine HMCS Corner Brook – Damage a “Fender Bender” or is Sub “Totalled”?

Posted on by February 17, 2012

HMCS Corner Brook

Canadian Submarine HMCS Corner Brook ran aground during manoeuvres off Vancouver Island in June 2011.  Two sailors were slightly injured.  The Canadian navy never described the extent of the damage or released a photograph of the damage to the sub.  The sub has now just been drydocked for repairs.  Canadian Senator Colin Kenny, the former head of the Senate defence committee, commented that  “I was gobsmacked. I had no idea that this level of damage had occurred,” describing the damage to the sub as “horrific.”
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Rum Running Documentary on CBC’s Land & Sea

Posted on by February 17, 2012

We have previously posted about the CBC’s “Land and Sea,”  a program which for thirty years has been focussed on stories from people who live off the land and the sea on the Canadian Atlantic. In December, they featured a wonderful documentary on Nova Scotia Schooners.  This Sunday, February 19th, Land & Sea will broadcast Rum Running, a documentary by Tell Tale Productions, which looks fascinating.

Rum Running Trailer

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Italian Armed Guards Charged with Murder in Killing of Fisherman Mistaken for Pirates

Posted on by February 16, 2012

Enrica Lexie

Armed guards, reported to be Italian naval personnel, on the tanker, Enrica Lexie, fired on and killed two Tamil Nadu fishermen off Kochi on Wednesday, believing the fishermen to be pirates.  Indian authorities said the Italian guards fired without warning in violation of international anti-piracy guidelines – a claim denied by Italy. Charges of murder have been filed.

Killing of fishermen: Italian navy men charged

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Pirates Kill Bulk Carrier Captain and Chief Engineer in Gulf of Guinea

Posted on by February 16, 2012

French amphibious assault ship Siroco

Pirate attacks are escalating in the Gulf of Guinea, with tragic consequences. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre posted on its website that eight armed pirates boarded a drifting bulk carrier, awaiting berthing instructions, on Monday in the Gulf of Guinea, 110 NM south of Lagos, Nigeria.  Most of the crew retreated to the “citadel,” a locked safe room aboard the ship.  The pirates shot and killed the ship’s captain.  The chief engineer attempted to escape from the pirates but was injured in a fall and later died. The chief cook was taken hostage but released when the pirates fled the vessel after stealing what they could. A French warship in the area received the IMB PRC broadcast warning and went to the aid of the ship. The warship escorted the ship to Lagos. The remaining 18 crew members were uninjured.

French navy helped ship attacked by pirates off Nigeria
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A Houseboat on a London Rooftop and Singapore’s Cruiseship on a Skyscraper

Posted on by February 16, 2012

Roi des Belges

A quick look at two quirky structures that look like a boat and a ship left high and dry.

What appears to be a modest houseboat is perched above the Purcell Room of Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre in London. Described as an “instant landmark that melds a boat (with room for two) with a view of the Thames,” the art installation/boat will remain in place through the end of 2012.” Living Architecture, the organization that oversees the one-bedroom boat, named the Roi des Belges, rents it out by the night and reports that it is fully booked for the year. The perched houseboat was designed by David Kohn Architects in collaboration with Fiona Banner.

SkyPark - a cruise ship on a skyscraper

On the other side of the globe, the SkyPark at the 55 story Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is often referred to as a “cruise ship on a skyscraper.”  Actually, three skyscrapers. The complex was developed by Las Vegas Sands, and is it is billed as the world’s most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion, (US$6.3 billion) including real estate costs. The “cruise ship” portion of the development is the 340 m-long SkyPark with a capacity of 3,900 people and a 150m infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world’s largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 67m. The SkyPark opened on 24 June 2010.

Thanks to Alaric Bond and Ann and Hal Brown for contributing links for this post.

Irene Sets Sail with Ale for France & Oil For Brazil

Posted on by February 15, 2012

The ketch Irene, built in 1907 to carry bricks and tiles, has set sail with a cargo of Devon ale for Brittany and Spanish olive oil for  Brazil, on what will be, if all goes well, a five month voyage which will also carry cocoa, coffee, Amazonian “superfoods” and rum from South America and the Caribbean back to the UK.   The venture is being run by the New Dawn Traders in association with TransOceanic Wind Transport.

Vintage ketch sets sail to launch slow cargo movement 
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Russian Scientists Drill Down to Antarctica’s Lake Vostok Searching for New Life.

Posted on by February 15, 2012

Photo: Reuters

The Guardian reports that, “Russian scientists have confirmed they have drilled through more than 2.3 miles of ice to reach Lake Vostok, a 16,000 sq km (6,200 sq mile) body of water that has been isolated from the rest of the world for almost 15m years.

Vostok is the largest of hundreds of lakes that sit under the thick layer of ice on the Antarctic continent and Russian scientists have been drilling through the ice towards the lake for several decades.
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Ekaterinburg Submarine Fire -“On the Brink of the Biggest Catastrophe Since Chernobyl”

Posted on by February 15, 2012

According to the Russian magazine Vlast, “Russia [was] … on the verge of the largest man-made disaster since Chernobyl”  when a fire broke out on December 29th, 2011 on the K-84 Ekaterinburg, a Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, in a dry-dock in Murmansk.  Sparks from welding were reported to have set fire to wooden scaffolding which spread to the rubber acoustic coating on the submarine’s hull. After several hours of fire fighting the sub was partially sunk to control the fire. At the time the damage to the submarine was played down. As reported by the BBC, “The Russian defense ministry said the nuclear reactors on the vessel were already shut down when the fire broke out. All weapons had also been removed from the submarine before it entered the dock, the ministry said.”  According to Vlast, however, “K-84 was in the dock with missiles and torpedoes on board.”   
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How to Tie the Celtic Heart Knot (and Happy Valetine’s Day)

Posted on by February 8, 2012

Happy Valentines Day to all.  In honor of the day, here is a video by Tying It All Together showing how to tie a Celtic Heart Knot.

How to Tie the Celtic Heart Knot by TIAT (A Knotty Valentine)

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Scrapping the Navy Oiler USS Savannah

Posted on by February 13, 2012

Many years ago, I was in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on a container ship having major steel work done in the  CSBS drydock.  In those days, there was a scrap yard within sight of the drydock and for  the week or so that we were there, I was fascinated watching the LNG ship Benjamin Franklin growing smaller and smaller, as it was cut apart by workers, who at that distance resembled insects.  It was like watching the carcass of a great beast being devoured, as everyday, there was less of the ship, pulled higher up on the ways. I was reminded of this by Dave Shirlaw, on the MarHist list, when he pointed out a video of the scrapping of Navy Oiler USS Savannah by Esco Marine, in an article in Gizmodo – The Destruction of a US Navy Ship As Big As a City Block.  See also Mining a Mega Ship.  Just as ships need shipyards to be born, they also need scrapyards when they can go to die.

Scrapping the Navy Oiler USS Savannah

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No Shortage of Heated Words as 30th Anniversary of Falklands War Nears, Eggs and Vegetables Run Short

Posted on by February 12, 2012

The Falklands or the Malvinas Islands

The Falklands War, or the Guerra de las Malvinas, depending on which side you choose, began on April 2, 1982.  As the thirtieth anniversary of the war approaches, a war of worlds between the ex-combatants, the UK and Argentina, has escalated.  Eggs and fresh vegetables are also running short on the island as as an Argentine trade embargo takes its toll.

Argentina’s foreign minister, Hector Timerman, has accused the UK of sending a nuclear-armed submarine to the South Atlantic and has made an official complaint to the UN over the Falklands dispute.  As reported by the BBC, “Mr Timerman told a news conference at the UN in New York that the UK was “militarising the region”, repeating accusations made by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner earlier this week.
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Costa Concordia – Salvage Going Too Slowly, or Too Quickly?

Posted on by February 12, 2012

Costa Lines has asked ten companies to bid on salvaging the Costa Concordia. The bids are due early next month and Costa has plans to award a contract by the end of March. Smit Salvage, Svitzer Salvage, Mammoet Salvage, Titan Salvage, Resolve Marine Group, T&T Bisso Savage, Donjon Marine, Tito Neri, Fukada Salvage & Marine and Nippon Salvage have been invited to tender.  Salvage is expected to take around ten months.  Is the process of choosing a salvor moving too slowly or to quickly?  One expert in the salvage industry is complaining that the process is unrealistically fast.
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Update: Odyssey Marine Loses Appeal to Supreme Court Justice

Posted on by February 11, 2012

Earlier this week, we posted that a circuit court had upheld previous rulings against Odyssey Marine Exploration, requiring the company to return to Spain $500m (£308m) worth of gold and silver coins it had recovered from the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes.  Odyssey announced plans to appeal.  Now, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has rejected Odyssey’s request to block the lower court order requiring the company to return the coins to Spain.

Odyssey Marine loses appeal to Supreme Court justice

From Drought to Extreme Cold – Europe’s Waterways Freezing Over

Posted on by February 11, 2012

Pity the river boatman. Just a few months ago, a European drought lowered the water levels on many rivers and canals, significantly limiting barge and ship traffic.  The lower river levels also unexpectedly exposed un-exploded ordinance from  World War II.   In early December, half of the population of the German city of Koblenz was evacuated so that  several bombs that had emerged from the Rhine riverbank could be defused.

Now, the problem is intense cold, the coldest February across Europe in almost three decades, which has frozen solid hundreds of miles of Europe’s busiest waterways.  Germany has shut the Rhine-Herne canal linking the river Rhine to Hamburg, Europe’s second largest container port.  The closure canal has also cut off Berlin from the German inland waterway network.  A prolonged closure of the Rhine, Europe’s busiest inland waterway, would quickly impact deep-sea port traffic and intermodal shipments. The river handles well over a million containers a year as well as iron ore, coal and grain.

Freeze Forces Germany to Close Key Shipping Artery
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Help Save the Schooner Lettie G. Howard

Posted on by February 11, 2012

The Lettie G. Howard is in trouble.  The wooden Fredonia schooner was built in Essex, Massachusetts in 1893. She was acquired by the South Street Seaport Museum in 1968 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989.  She was recently drydocked at the Mystic Seaport in CT to repair rot in her keelson. The rot turned out to be far more extensive than originally thought. The cost of the repairs, of course, is also significantly higher than budgeted.  The good news is that the new museum management is committed to saving the much loved and historic schooner and has begun raising funds to support the repairs. (As we posted in December 2011, the previous management was attempting to get rid of the schooner.)

On Friday, the Museum posted on its Facebook page:
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New Navy Litoral Combat Ship to be Named for Gabrielle Giffords

Posted on by February 10, 2012

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

The Navy newest Littoral Combat Ship will be named the USS Gabrielle Giffords in honor of the former Arizona Congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt one year ago. The USS Gabrielle Giffords will be the 17th ship to be named for a woman and the 13th to be named after a living person, according to the Defense Department.  The ship’s “sponsor” will be Roxanna Green, the mother of Christina-Taylor Green, the 9-year-old girl who was killed in the Tucson shooting that wounded Giffords in January 2011.  The Secretary of the Navy,  Ray Mabus, described Giffords and Roxanna Green as “sources of great inspiration” who “represent the Navy and Marine Corps qualities of overcoming, adapting and coming out victoriously despite great challenges.”

Navy ship to be named for Gabrielle Giffords

Gabrielle Giffords is married to Captain Mark Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut and a graduate of the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY.   Mark Kelly’s twin brother, Scott, is also a NASA astronaut and is a graduate of the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler.  The Kelly brothers are the first twins to fly for NASA, and no doubt, the first astronaut brothers to have both graduated from merchant marine academies.