Women’s History Month — Celebrating Admiral “Amazing Grace” Hopper

Posted on by March 7, 2025

As the current administration launches a frontal attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is a good time to remember Admiral Grace Hopper. Grace Hopper was a pioneering computer scientist and a United States Navy Rear Admiral. Hopper received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale. She was nicknamed “Amazing Grace” and is often referred to as the “mother of computing.” An updated repost.

Since 1994, The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC) has honored Admiral Hopper hosting a series of conferences designed to bring the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. It is the world’s largest gathering of women and non-binary technologists. This year the celebration will be held in Chicago.

In October of 2020, the U.S. Naval Academy officially opened Hopper Hall, the academy’s new center for cybersecurity studies, named in her honor.  The cybersecurity facility is the first building named after a woman at the three main service academies.

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The Long Goodbye — Preparing SS United States to be Sunk as an Artificial Reef

Posted on by March 6, 2025

The iconic passenger liner  SS United States arrived early Monday in Mobile, Alabama, nearly two weeks after departing under tow from South Philadelphia. She was docked at Modern American Recycling Service (MARS), where if all goes according to plan, she will be stripped of non-metal and potentially hazardous materials in preparation to be sunk as the world’s largest artificial reef, off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach in the Gulf of Mexico. The remediation is expected to take until the end of this year.

The SS United States was taken out of service in 1969. Last year, Okaloosa County, FL purchased the ship for $1 million and budgeted an additional $8 million for remediation, transport, and deployment. The project also includes plans for a land-based museum dedicated to the ship.

A last minute attempt to save the ship from being sunk is being mounted by the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States. They propose mooring the ship in South Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY at the Gowanus Bay Terminal (GBX™) to be used as a public waterfront mixed-use center. 

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A23a, World’s Largest & Oldest Iceberg, Runs Aground 50 Miles Off South Georgia Island

Posted on by March 4, 2025

The world’s largest and oldest iceberg, designated A23a, has run aground in shallow water approximately 50 miles off the remote British island of South Georgia, in the South Atlantic. The island is home to millions of penguins and seals. The iceberg, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island, appears to be stuck and should start breaking up on the island’s southwest shores. 

The good news is that A23a did not directly collide with the remote island as had been previously feared, which had the potential to devastate the penguin and seal populations by blocking their access to food.

In 2004, the island was not as lucky. The huge berg A38 grounded at South Georgia leaving countless penguin chicks and seal pups dead on local beaches. 

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Trump’s DOGE Fires 800 More NOAA Scientists — Endangering the Economy & Public Safety

Posted on by February 28, 2025

Yesterday, hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees were fired, lawmakers and weather experts said.  Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the country.

Cuts at NOAA appeared to be happening in two rounds, one of 500 and one of 800, said Craig McLean, a former NOAA chief scientist who said he got the information from someone with first-hand knowledge. That’s about 10% of NOAA’s workforce.

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Leaked Recordings Challenge Greek Coast Guard Account of Deadly Migrant Shipwreck

Posted on by February 27, 2025

On June 14, 2023, the Adriana, an aging fishing trawler overloaded with up to 750 people, capsized in international waters off the Greek town of Pylos. One hundred and four men were rescued, and eighty-two bodies were recovered.  An additional 500 people – including 100 women and children who were in the hold of the boat – are missing and believed to have died. The sinking was one of the worst disasters on record in the Mediterranean.

The BBC now reports that leaked audio instructions by Greek rescue co-ordinators have cast further doubt on Greece’s official version of events in the hours before a migrant boat sank along with up to 650 people onboard.

Survivors told the BBC that coastguard personnel had caused their overcrowded fishing boat to capsize in a botched attempt to tow it and then forced witnesses to stay silent.

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In Honor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion During Black History Month — the Floating Freedom School

Posted on by February 26, 2025

The steamboat Ben Campbell commonly attributed as John Berry Meachum’s Floating Freedom School. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

At a time when programs supporting the American values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are being banned in schools across the nation, it is incumbent on the rest of us to keep alive the history that some are now seeking to suppress. Here is an account of how far we have come while also being a reminder of how far we still have to go — the story of Missouri’s Floating Freedom School.

The Floating Freedom School was an educational facility for free and enslaved African Americans on a steamboat on the Mississippi River. It was established in 1847 by the Baptist minister John Berry Meachum.

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Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Pushes Back Against DOGE Cuts of Corps of Engineers’ Critical Employees

Posted on by February 25, 2025

In a surreal moment, Elon Musk, who heads the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE), pranced around on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week in oversized sunglasses, a black gothic MAGA hat, a thick gold chain around his neck—and wielding a chainsaw that the unelected billionaire wants to use figuratively to cut down the size of the US government. 

In the wake of the chaotic and apparently indiscriminate firing of federal employees, Musk and his questionably legal department have begun to face pushback from those affected. 

The Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA) has written the Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington State congressional delegations expressing its “strong opposition to federal employee cuts being implemented by DOGE. Specifically, the letter signed by Neil Maunu, Executive Director of the PNWA, opposes plans to fire thousands of critical employees of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)  who are vital to the entire region’s safety, efficiency, and economic vitality. 

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Remembering Wesley A. Brown — First Black Graduate of the United States Naval Academy

Posted on by February 24, 2025

In honor of Black History Month and in light of current events, it seems especially worthwhile to remember the pioneering career of Wesley A. Brown, who endured intense racial harassment to become the first black graduate of the United States Naval Academy in 1949.

Wesley Brown entered the Naval Academy in 1945 as the sixth black man admitted in the 100-year history of the Annapolis military college. He was the first to successfully withstand the intense racism that had forced the others to leave within a year, according to Navy historians.

The New York Times recounted that white midshipmen refused to sit next to Mr. Brown, racial epithets were whispered behind his back, and fellow plebes barred him from joining the choir — all of it mixed with and hidden behind a torrent of regular hazing that underclassmen were expected to bear. He told interviewers that not a day passed when he did not consider quitting.

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Black History Month Repost — John Henry Turpin : Pioneer, Survivor, and Overlooked Hero

Posted on by February 23, 2025

John Henry Turpin was among the first Black Chief Petty Officers to serve in the United States Navy. He was also a survivor of two naval disasters — the catastrophic explosions of the USS Maine in 1898, and USS Bennington in 1905.  He was one of 12 sailors nominated for the Medal of Honor for their efforts in rescuing their fellow crew members on the Bennington.

Turpin was born in Long Branch, NJ, in 1876. At age 20, he enlisted in the Navy as a messman, one of the only positions available to Black sailors at the time. 

Almost two years later, on February 15, 1898, Turpin was serving in the mess hall of the USS Maine at anchor in Havana Harbor, Cuba when it mysteriously blew up. He was picked up from the waters of the harbor along with 89 other crew members. They were the only survivors of the explosion out of 350 total crew.

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The Hanging of Captain Nathaniel Gordon of the Slave Ship Erie — February 21, 1862

Posted on by February 21, 2025

A repost in honor of Black History Month.

On this day,  February 21, 1862, 163 years ago, Nathaniel Gordon, captain of the slave ship, Erie, was executed by hanging in New York City. Under the Piracy Law of 1820, slave trading was considered to be an act of piracy punishable by death. He was the only slave trader ever to be tried, convicted, and executed in American history.

Captain Gordon, originally from Portland, Maine was 36.  In a detestable trade, Captain Gordan was among the worst. When he was apprehended by the USS Mohican 50 miles off the Congo in 1860, the Erie, a ship of 500 tons, had 897 Africans crammed aboard. Of these, 563 were children. Captain Gordan preferred children because they were smaller and were less able to attempt to take over the ship.

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Celebrating DEI & Black History Month — Harriet Tubman & the Great Combahee Ferry Raid

Posted on by February 20, 2025

Last week, the New York Times reported that Harriet Tubman posters, origami paper cranes and rainbows have been disappearing from the halls of the American schools at NATO headquarters in Belgium, a response to the Trump administration’s rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Teachers were worried that they would be seen as signs of Black, Japanese and gay culture — and thus run afoul of the new rules from Washington. The rush to comply with the administration’s directives intensified after educators learned that the wife of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth planned to visit their campus.

There is something deeply shameful about denying the children of our military personnel the opportunity to learn about our history. Erasing the life of Harriet Tubman is particularly egregious as she was the first female to lead a combat regiment when she spearheaded a Union riverboat raid during the Civil War.

In honor of Harriet Tubman, Black History Month, and the American values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, here is an updated repost about the Great Combahee Ferry Raid. 

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Historic Passenger Liner SS United States Finally Departs Philadelphia on Its Last Voyage

Posted on by February 19, 2025

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SS United States, the largest and fastest transatlantic passenger liner ever built in America, was towed this morning from the dock in Philadelphia where it has been moored for nearly three decades, on the first leg of its final voyage.  The historic ocean liner’s next stop is Mobile, Alabama, where it will be prepared for a new role, to become the world’s largest artificial reef, off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Today, the nation’s sole surviving ocean liner will glide down the Delaware River to begin the next chapter in her uniquely American story,” said Susan Gibbs, president of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship’s designer, William Francis Gibbs, in statement just before ship left.

In the fall of 2024, Okaloosa County bought the ship to sink her to create an artificial reef off the Florida Panhandle. Since then, the ship’s departure has been delayed by bad weather, lawsuits over dockage fees, and the Coast Guard concerns over the ship’s structural integrity.

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Leo’s Row : Russian NHS Doctor Hits Halfway Mark in Transatlantic Row for Ukraine

Posted on by February 18, 2025

Dr Leo Krivskiy, a doctor with the UK’s National Health Service, is rowing 2,630 nautical miles solo across the Atlantic to raise money for medics in Ukraine in a 6m (20ft) ocean rowing boat called Happy Socks.

The BBC reports that he has reached the midway point. The Moscow-born consultant anesthetist at Southampton General Hospital is 1,210 nautical miles from the finish in Barbados and says that he had not seen a ship for more than three weeks. He set off from Gran Canaria on Boxing Day and has currently raised more than £23,000.

He said he was averaging about 30 miles per day but trade winds were making life rough on board with large waves, “it’s a slow journey, it’s a slog but physically I’m holding up”.

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Close Encounters of the Humpback Kind — Gulping & Spitting Out Swimmers, Surfers, & Kayakers

Posted on by February 17, 2025

A video of a humpback whale gulping up and spitting out a kayaker has gone viral over the last week.  Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell Simancas, in the Strait of Magellan, off Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region, when a humpback whale suddenly surfaced, trapping the young man and his yellow kayak in its mouth for a few seconds before letting him go. 

Dozens of media accounts reported that Adrián had been “swallowed” by the whale.  Fortunately, for all concerned, if the word “swallow” is defined as “cause or allow something to pass down the throat,” the description is impossible. Humpbacks are baleen whales that feed primarily on krill and small fish. The whale’s esophagus is only about 4″ to 5″ in diameter, far too small to swallow a person. 

So how did a kayaker end up in a whale’s mouth?

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Update: USS Harry S. Truman Put into Souda Bay for Repairs After Collision

Posted on by February 16, 2025

USS Harry S. Truman, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that collided with the merchant bulk carrier M/V Besiktas-M off the coast of Egypt, put into Souda Bay, Greece, for repairs, US 6th Fleet announced on Sunday.

“While the ship is fully mission capable and the ship conducted flight operations following the collision, pulling into port for emergent repairs will enable the ship to continue deployment as scheduled,” said Capt. Dave Snowden, Harry S. Truman’s commanding officer.

The Navy’s Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center will assess the repairs needed to the carrier following the collision.

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Belated Congratulations to Zara Lachlan, First Woman to Row Solo from Mainland Europe to Mainland South America

Posted on by February 15, 2025

We recently posted about Ananya Prasad who completed the 2024-2025 World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic Challenge, a 4,800-km race across the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to Antigua, in 52 days. Ms Prasad, 34, born in India and raised in the UK, became the first woman of color to row solo and unsupported across any ocean.

We have learned that Ms Prasad was not the only woman breaking records for ocean rowing at the time.  Thanks to Chris Roche for passing along the news.

Zara Lachlan, 21, also from the UK, arrived in French Guiana on February 1, 2025, after rowing for 97 days 9 hours, and 20 minutes across the Atlantic Ocean from Lagos, Portugal. By doing so Ms Lachlan made history as the first female (and youngest person) to row solo, unsupported, and non-stop from mainland Europe to mainland South America. She’s only the second person in history to complete this 6,670-km voyage.

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Celebrating Frederick Douglass on Valentine’s Day — “I Will Take to the Water”

Posted on by February 14, 2025

Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of both the day and Black History Month, here is an updated repost about Frederick Douglass. But what does Valentine’s Day have to do with Frederick Douglass?  As a slave, Douglass never knew the date of his birth, so he chose to celebrate it every year on February 14th.

Frederick Douglass was born around 1818. From an early age, he developed a close attachment to ships and the sea. His path to freedom led directly through the docks and shipyards of Baltimore, Maryland.

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Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Collides with Bulk Carrier in Mediterranean Sea Near Suez Canal

Posted on by February 13, 2025

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, collided with M/V Besiktas-M, a 53,00 DWT bulk carrier, on Wednesday evening near Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea, the Navy said Thursday.

The incident occurred near Port Said, Egypt, at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time, Cmdr. Timothy Gorman, U.S. Sixth Fleet spokesperson, said in a brief statement Thursday.

The collision “did not endanger” the Truman, as no injuries or flooding were reported, Gorman said.

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Forty Two Years Ago Today — Remembering the SS Marine Electric

Posted on by February 12, 2025

Forty-two years ago today, on February 12, 1983, the collier SS Marine Electric loaded with 24,800 tons of steam coal, capsized and sank in a storm 30 miles off the coast of Virginia. Thirty-one of the 34 crew members died. While nothing good can be said about the tragic loss of 31 sailors, the aftermath of the Marine Electric sinking led to important improvements in safety in the US shipping industry.

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Remembering Robert Smalls – Former Slave, Pilot of the Planter, First Black Captain in the US Navy & US Congressman

Posted on by February 11, 2025

Here is a story well worth retelling; an updated repost in honor of Black History Month; the remarkable story of Robert Smalls.

On May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls, a 23-year-old slave, who served as the pilot of the Confederate armed transport, CSS Planter, led eight fellow slaves in an audacious flight to freedom. They seized the CSS Planter, steamed it out past the batteries and forts of Charleston harbor, and turned it over to the Union naval blockade.  Smalls would go on to become the first black captain of a U.S. Navy vessel, a South Carolina State Legislator, a Major General in the South Carolina Militia, a five-term U.S. Congressman, and a U.S. Collector of Customs.  

Harper’s Weekly of June 14, 1862, recounts the escape:
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