San Francisco Firefighters Save Liberty Ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien From Massive Wharf Fire

Posted on by May 24, 2020

A major fire broke out on Saturday morning in a warehouse on Pier 45 on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf which came very close to the engulfing the historic World War II Liberty ship, SS Jeremiah O’Brien. The fire was reported at around 4:15 AM and quickly rose to four-alarms. At the height of the fire there were 130 firefighters and 50 apparatus on the scene. 

Shortly after the first firetrucks arrived, the San Francisco Fire Boat #3, St. Francis, also came on the scene. CBS San Francisco quotes fire department spokesman Lt. Jonathan Baxter who said that the fireboat crew saved the historic Liberty ship.

“When firefighters arrived, the flames were literally lapping over the Jeremiah O’Brien,” he said. “They literally saved the O’Brien.”

“The Jeremiah O’Brien has been known as the lucky ship,” said ship captain Cevan Lesieur. “She survived the North Atlantic and D-Day and that’s the first reaction — it’s a miracle!” Continue reading →

Very Large Tankers Sailing on Wind and Bubbles of Air

Posted on by January 19, 2021

China Merchants Group has recently signed a contract with China Shipbuilding for two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) that will sail, powered, in part, by the wind while gliding on a cushion of air bubbles.

The two 300,000 DWT tankers will feature four rigid wing sails to provide wind-assisted propulsion. These ships will not be the first VLCCs with wing sails. In November 2018, China Merchants took delivery of New Vitality, a 300,000 DWT tanker with two rigid wing sails. The sail-assist provided on the New Vitality must have been successful, as the new ships will have double the number of wing sails of their near sister vessel.

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On National Maritime Day — the “Steamship” & the Forgotten Anchor of Corlear’s Hook

Posted on by May 22, 2020

In the United States, May 22nd is celebrated as National Maritime Day. The day brings to mind a largely forgotten monument, a ship’s anchor on a concrete slab, on Corlear’s Hook in New York’s East River Park. 

National Maritime Day was created by Congress in 1933 in honor of the sailing of the steam auxiliary packet ship Savannah sailing from her namesake city in 1819. Built as a sailing packet ship, the Savannah was outfitted with a 90 HP steam engine which drove twin paddle wheels and is credited as the first ship to cross the Atlantic under steam. The claim is a bit of a stretch, as she used her engine for 80 hours in a voyage of 29 days and 11 hours on the eastbound voyage across the Atlantic. On the westbound voyage, which lasted 40 days, she did not use her engines at all.  Nevertheless, she was a technological marvel in her day. Unfortunately, Savannah was not an economic success and the steam engine was removed after her first voyage.

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New Coronavirus Outbreak on Navy Oiler — One Dead, Over 50 Sick

Posted on by May 21, 2020

The latest coronavirus outbreak on a Navy ship is on the Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler, USNS Leroy Grumman. The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is reporting that the outbreak occurred late last month, barely a week after the MSC assured the public that the coronavirus was not spreading among civilian mariners.

Twenty-two of the 46 civilian crew members and 30 government contractors have tested positive for the coronavirus. One contractor has been reported to have died from COVID-19 while one merchant mariner has been hospitalized in critical condition. 

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Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Shark Cam

Posted on by May 20, 2020

Whether in quarantine or not, the Monterey Bay Aquarium live shark cam is a great spot to escape to. The cam features sevengill sharks, leopard sharks, spiny dogfish, and the elusive Pacific angel shark in an aquarium that replicates the Monterey Bay habitat. Designed with sharks in mind, the exhibit’s 90-foot-long hourglass shape gives the big sharks room to glide and turn. If you watch carefully, you may also see big skates and bat rays pass by the window, as well as sharks.  Plus, keep your eyes peeled for sturgeon coasting through the water, rockfish and giant sea bass relaxing by the reef, and flatfish nestling on the sandy seafloor.

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Live Shark Cam – Monterey Bay Aquarium

More Than 100,000 Crew Still Trapped Aboard Cruise Ships

Posted on by May 19, 2020

The Miami Herald recently helped to quantify the scale of the crew repatriation crisis aboard cruise ships around the world. They report that “two months after the cruise industry shut down amid repeated COVID-19 outbreaks on ships, more than 100,000 crew members remain trapped at sea with little reliable information about what will happen to them.” 

When the cruise lines first shut down on March 13, they anticipated being back in service within about a month, much like the SARS pandemic of 2002. Then on April 9, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention banned cruising in U.S. waters through at least late July. The CDC also imposed tough new rules for sending crew home, effectively banning the use of public transportation for crews traveling to or from cruise ships. Other countries also imposed new and tough regulations for repatriation.

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Inspector Clouseau, the Pink Manta Ray of the Great Barrier Reef

Posted on by May 18, 2020

Now, for something completely different. The bright pink manta ray was first seen swimming in 2015, in the waters off Australia’s Lady Elliot Island, on the Great Barrier Reef. It has been seen only seven times since, making its most recent appearance last February when photographed by Kristian Laine.

Scientists have nicknamed the ray, Inspector Clouseau, for the detective in the Pink Panther movies. It is the only pink manta ray ever seen.  They believe that the coloration is due to a genetic mutation in its skin pigment. 

Scientists baffled by pink manta ray spotted on Great Barrier Reef | The Latest | 7NEWS

Update: On USS Theodore Roosevelt, Number of Sailors Positive Twice For Coronavirus Rises to 13

Posted on by May 17, 2020

Yesterday, we posted about 5 sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt who appeared to have contracted the coronavirus for a second time. That number has now risen to 13. 

Politico reports that the 13 Covid-positive sailors have been removed from the ship and are back in isolation on U.S. Naval Base Guam, according to the officials.

“This week, a small number of TR Sailors who previously tested COVID positive and met rigorous recovery criteria have retested positive,” said Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Myers Vasquez. “These protocols resulted in a small number of close contacts who were also removed from the ship, quarantined and tested.

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On Carrier Roosevelt, Five Sailors Test Positive for Virus a Second Time

Posted on by May 16, 2020

Five sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt appear to have contracted the coronavirus for a second time and have been taken off the ship. The carrier is currently tied up in Guam after an outbreak of the virus infected over 1,100 sailors or almost a quarter of the ship’s crew.

Time reports that all five sailors had previously tested positive and had gone through at least two weeks of isolation. As part of the process, they all had to test negative twice in a row, with the tests separated by at least a day or two before they were allowed to return to the ship. 

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Fleet of Cruise Ships Flees Typhoon Battering the Philippines

Posted on by May 15, 2020

More than 20 cruise ships are departing Manila Bay to escape the wrath of Category 3 Typhoon Vongfong making landfall in the Philippines. Many of the cruise ships had been in the process of repatriating Filipino crew members, a process interrupted by the arrival of the typhoon.

With the Center for Disease Control (CDC) “no sail orders” resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, cruise operators faced challenges in getting their crews home, as they were effectively banned from commercial transportation. Several cruise lines, including the two largest, Carnival and Royal Caribbean, decided, in addition to arranging charter flights, to use their company’s ships to repatriate some of their crews. 

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The Incredible Journey of Belugas Little White and Little Grey

Posted on by August 16, 2020

Almost a year ago, two beluga whales, Little White and Little Grey, traveled 6,000 miles from an aquarium in Shanghai around the globe to Iceland to a new home in the world’s first beluga whale sanctuary. If all goes well, the experience with these first two whales will become a model for rehoming 3,000 of belugas currently in captivity. 

Little Grey and Little White, two 12-year-old female belugas, left behind their previous lives entertaining visitors at the Changfeng Ocean World and were flown across the globe in specially tailored containers.  The whales, which each weigh about 900kg and are four meters long, then were taken by truck and ferry to the sanctuary at Klettsvik Bay at Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands off the south coast of Iceland.

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Scrambling to Save an Engine for the Historic Tanker Mary A. Whalen

Posted on by May 14, 2020

The historic tanker Mary A. Whalen is in dire need of parts to restore its diesel engine. A powerplant in Missouri has a compatible diesel. All that needs to be done is to raise the money to move the engine cross-country before the power plant needs to dispose of the engine. Arrangements had been made and the plans were set to make the transfer, but then the pandemic hit. Things became more complicated and a lot more expensive. Now time is running out.

Mary A. Whalen is a coastal/harbor tanker built in 1938 and is one of the last of her type. The ship had a long and storied career and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The non-profit PortSide NewYork saved the tanker from the scrapper’s torch in 2005. Based on the Brooklyn waterfront, the ship has been the home of Portside’s nautical and community programming ever since.

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Wreck of USS Nevada, the Ship Too Tough to Die, Found Off Oahu

Posted on by May 12, 2020

The wreck of the USS Nevada, deliberately sunk by the US Navy in 1948, has been located in water nearly three miles deep, 65 nautical miles southwest of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. 

The old battlewagon has been called the ship “too tough to die” following a career which began in 1914. The Nevada served in World War I and then was the only battleship to get underway during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs during the attack, she was grounded by her crew, but refloated and rebuilt. Her guns supported five major amphibious landings at Attu, Normandy, Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. 

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Tens of Thousands of Crew Still Stranded As Cruise Lines Plan Reopening

Posted on by May 11, 2020

The major cruise lines have announced plans to restart at least some of their cruise operations in upcoming months, while tens of thousands of crew are still stranded aboard cruise ships.

Carnival, the world’s largest cruise line, has announced cruises beginning on August 1. Norwegian Cruise Lines has said it plans to restart on July 1, while Royal Caribbean has an even earlier date of June 15. It is unclear from where these earlier cruises may operate as the CDC’s current no-sail order does not expire until July 24. 

There are, however, still tens of thousands of cruise ship crew members stranded on over 100 ships in various ports or anchored just offshore. Continue reading →

Sailors’ Tattoos on Mother’s Day

Posted on by May 10, 2020

A repost appropriate for Mother’s Day.

Sailors choose their tattoos for various reasons. Among the most popular sailor tattoos are anchors, hearts and swallows.  Not infrequently, “Mom” also made an appearance as a reminder of loved ones and home.  On Mother’s Day it seems appropriate to look at sailors’ tattoos which reminded them of “Mom.”

Remy Melina, in the Live Science blog, writes about the popularity of “I Love Mom” tattoos:  The “I Love Mom” tattoo first became popular during World War II. As they traveled around the world, U.S. Navy sailors got tattoos to document their achievements and memories. Tattoo parlors began to pop up near military bases and patriotic tattoos came into vogue, according to John Gray’s book “I Love Mom: An Irreverent History of the Tattoo.”

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Virtual Tour of Schooner Zodiac

Posted on by May 9, 2020

Click on the image below to be taken to a virtual tour of the 127′ long schooner Zodiac.

The schooner Zodiac was built in 1924 for the heirs to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. After a successful career as a private yacht, winning many races and passing through several owners, the Zodiac was purchased by the San Francisco Bar Pilots Association in 1931. Renamed California, she operated as a pilot schooner on San Francisco Bay until 1972, the last sailing pilot vessel in the United States.

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Royal Navy Celebrates 75th Anniversary of VE Day

Posted on by May 8, 2020

Crew of the RFA Argus celebrating 75 years since VE day.

Parades and large celebrations were planned for the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Victory in Europe Day, the end of World War II in Europe on this day in 1945. And then the pandemic came along. Nevertheless, the Royal Navy has found ways to commemorate and celebrate the anniversary with silence, sound, and light. 

  • At 11 AM GMT, they observed 2 minutes’ silence to remember the sacrifices made between 1939 and 1945.
  • At 3 PM GMT Royal Navy warships and support vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary at home and deployed around the world blasted their horns for a minute to celebrate victory.
  • At 9.30 PM GMT, naval ships will redirect their searchlights skywards to form ‘V for victory’ beams for five minutes.

Here is a short video of a “Virtual VE Day 75 Festival” by The National Museum of the Royal Navy:

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Owner of “Ghost Ship” MV Alta Ghosts, Leaving Ireland the Bill

Posted on by May 7, 2020

In February, we posted “The Long Strange Voyage of the “Ghost Ship” MV Alta,” about a derelict ship that, after 17 months abandoned and adrift, washed up unexpectedly on the Irish coast near the village of Ballycotton in County Cork. Now three months later, the Alta remains where she was dashed onto the rocks by the hurricane-force winds of Storm Dennis. No one is entirely sure what to do about her.

The problem is that the owner of the “ghost ship” has apparently ghosted. The authorities have had no luck locating those who own and are responsible for the 44-year-old, 77-meter cargo vessel. The concern is that the scrap value of the ship is close to zero and if the owner is not located the cost of removing the wreck will be borne by the Irish government. 

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5,000 Tonne Capacity Offshore Crane Collapses During Load Tests

Posted on by May 6, 2020

How is your day going? We hope that it is going better than the folks who were load testing a new 90 meter high Liebherr TLC crane on the offshore installation support vessel Orion 1. The crane had a 160-meter long boom and is designed to have a lifting height of up to 180 meters—almost twice as high as the Statue of Liberty—and a lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes at more than 30 meters outreach. We use the past tense of “had” a 160-meter long boom, because during the load test something went badly wrong, as can be seen in the video below. Fortunately, there are no reports of anyone seriously injured in the accident. 

Orion 1 is owned by COSCO (QIDONG) OFFSHORE CO., LTD, and was moored at the quayside at the Liebherr construction yard in Rostock, Germany during the load test.

“Freakishly Warm” Gulf Waters May Contribute to Severe Spring Weather & Hurricanes

Posted on by May 5, 2020

As if a pandemic is not enough to worry about, the effects of climate change appear to be delivering some particularly nasty weather this year. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico have been described as being abnormally warm, freakishly warm, and “on fire,” as average surface water temperature never fell below 73 degrees over the winter for the first time on record. Cities from Texas to Florida experienced unusually warm winters.

“Out of 90 days this winter, Miami saw a record-setting 69 of them reach 80°F or warmer!” wrote Miami broadcast meteorologist John Morales for the website WxShift, a project of Climate Central. 

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