In the Time of COVID-19, the Unexpected Voyage of the Wylde Swan

Posted on by April 26, 2020

The Wylde Swan has returned to the Netherlands. The schooner, said to be the world’s largest topsail schooner, was completing an educational cruise of the Caribbean with 25 Dutch high school students, ages 14 to 17.

The plan was for the students to fly home from Cuba in March but with the outbreak of the pandemic, that became impossible. Instead of boarding airplanes, the decision was made to reprovision the ship and to sail it and the students across the Atlantic back to its base in Harlingen, in the Netherlands. So, the high school students, along with a professional crew of 12 and two teachers, set off on an almost 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) voyage onboard the 60-meter (200-foot) topsail schooner.  The Wylde Swan arrived in port today.  

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Navy Recommends Reinstating Fired Roosevelt Captain

Posted on by April 25, 2020

Yesterday, senior Navy officials recommended that Captain Brett Crozier be reinstated as commander of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Captain Crozier was fired after a letter expressing concern about the health and safety of his crew in a shipboard coronavirus outbreak was leaked to the press.

“Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday has presented recommendations to the acting secretary of the Navy, James McPherson,” the Navy said in a statement on Friday. “Secretary McPherson is continuing discussions with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.”

Rather than accept the recommendation Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper is taking time to consider whether to sign off on reinstating the captain of the nuclear-powered carrier. Reportedly, Esper’s decision to hold up the investigation has surprised Navy officials, who believed that the defense secretary would leave the process in the hands of the military chain of command. Ironically, Captain Crozier was fired for going outside the chain of command to express concern for the health of his sailors. Continue reading →

USNS Comfort Leaving New York — the Limitations of Hospital Ships

Posted on by April 24, 2020

US military doctors, nurses, and technicians are among the best in the world, able to step in and to do their jobs under a range of challenging and demanding conditions. Fortunately, over 500 professionals from the Army, Navy, and Air Force are currently working alongside civilian medical professionals in New York City’s still overstressed hospitals. The military doctors and nurses are getting glowing reviews from all concerned. 

The hospital ship USNS Comfort will soon be leaving New York harbor to return to its base in Virginia. Reviews of the hospital ship’s performance have been mixed at best.

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Red Tide, Blue Waves

Posted on by April 23, 2020

Photo: Patrick Coyne

Recently, an outbreak of red tide off Newport Beach, California discolored the Pacific waters during daylight and then, once the sun had set, put on an amazing show of bioluminescence which turned the ocean waves a vivid neon blue. Not all red tide is bioluminescent, but when the conditions are right the phytoplankton bloom which makes up the tides can explode into a blue light when stirred by the action of the waves. A trio of photographers captured the most recent display. To see more check out their Instagram.

Red tides and blue waves have been occurring from time to time on the California coast for a number of years. Here is a video from San Diego in 2014.

Bioluminescent waves in San Diego, Red Tide Blue Waves

USS Roosevelt Update: Over 700 Infected, Sailors Test Positive Despite Isolation

Posted on by April 22, 2020

The plan was to start moving sailors who had completed a 14-day coronavirus quarantine back on the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt beginning this Saturday. Politico reports that that plan has been delayed after a number of sailors tested positive for the virus even after their isolation period. Some of the sailors who recently tested positive had previously tested negative, one Navy official said. The ship has been dockside in Guam since March 27th.

The move potentially delays the ship’s departure amid new questions about the spread of Covid-19.

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The Almost Carrier, USS America, Steams Toward South China Sea

Posted on by April 21, 2020

The UK Daily Mail’s headline, as shown on Google, read “USS America aircraft carrier steams to intercept Chinese ships…”

The story behind the headline is that the USS America and the guided-missile destroyer USS Bunker Hill are being deployed to intercept a Chinese government survey ship and several Chinese Coast Guard vessels in a contested stretch of the South China Sea near Malaysia. US officials have accused China of taking advantage of the distraction posed by the coronavirus outbreak to increase its maritime presence in the region. The deployment of the USS America Expeditionary Strike Group is intended as a show of force.

Despite the Google headline, the USS America is not, at least according to the US Navy, an aircraft carrier. Continue reading →

Juna, the Beluga, at the Wedding

Posted on by April 20, 2020

We recently posted about a penguin on a “field trip” interacting with a beluga whale at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. The post brought to mind a story from years ago about a young couple, Kim & Kevin, who decided to get married at the Mystic Aquarium, in Mystic, Connecticut. They decided that the service would be held directly in front of the beluga tank. As entertainment, they hired a mariachi band, “Los Trovadores de America.”  

It seems that a beluga named Juna became very interested in the mariachi band and began to move along with the music. Someone caught it on video (of course), and put it up on Youtube. Juna being serenaded by the mariachis has become a minor internet sensation getting almost 6 million views, so far. The video is after the page break.

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What USS Theodore Roosevelt & Iceland Reveal About Testing & the Virus

Posted on by April 19, 2020

When the COVID-19 infection broke out on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, the decision was made to test all the 4,865 sailors aboard the ship. As of today, the Navy says that 94% of the crew has been tested. The results were stunning. From an initial three infections, the number of sailors testing positive had risen to 660 or over 14% of the ship’s personnel tested. One of the crew, Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr, has died. Another six sailors have been hospitalized and two are reported to be in intensive care.

As disturbing as the total number of infections, there was something even more alarming. 60% of those who tested positive were asymptomatic – they showed no symptoms, no indication that they were sick. Why is this so troubling? According to new research, people with coronavirus infections may be the most contagious one to two days before they start to feel ill. One study suggests that more than 4 in 10 coronavirus cases are spread by those not obviously sick.

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Doolittle Raid on Japan, 78 Years Ago Today

Posted on by April 18, 2020

On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25B Mitchell medium bombers took off from the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Hornet deep in the Western Pacific Ocean to attack Toyko and other targets, in what would become known as the Doolittle Raid.  Here is a short video about the first airstrike on Japan in World War II.

The Doolittle Raid on Tokyo (1942): The US Strikes Back | Battle 360 | History

Clinton Pearson, Pioneer in Fiberglass Boat Building, Dies at 91

Posted on by April 17, 2020

Clinton J. Pearson, a pioneer in building fiberglass yachts, passed away on April 4, 2020, at the age of 91.

With his cousin, Everett Pearson, Clinton began building fiberglass dinghies in their garage in Seekonk, MA in 1955. The venture would grow into  Pearson Yachts. Their first auxiliary sailboat, the Triton 28, was launched at the New York Boat Show of 1959 and was an immediate success. The company grew rapidly and in 1961 was acquired by Grumman Allied Industries.

Clinton Pearson left his namesake firm in 1964 and bought the struggling sailboat-builder, Sailstar, which he renamed Bristol Yacht Corporation in 1966. The company operated until 1997 and built more than 4,400 yachts. Between Pearson and Bristol, Clinton Pearson is credited with the construction of over 20,000 yachts.

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Coronavirus Spreads on Carriers, Submarines and Hospital Ships

Posted on by April 17, 2020

Charles de Gaulle

We have been following the spread of the coronavirus on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, where almost 600 sailors, including the captain, who was fired for speaking out about the spread, have tested positive for the virus. One crew member on the Roosevelt has died from the infection. Three other US aircraft carriers have reports of crew testing positive, as well.

Now the BBC reports that a third of the sailors serving with France’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle – 668 out of nearly 2,000 – are infected with the coronavirus. Nearly all of those infected are on the carrier itself. An escorting frigate and carrier pilots are also in quarantine.

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Safely Visit the Ocean Pursuit Shipwreck – Milky Way Time Lapse

Posted on by April 15, 2020

On March 1st, the 72′ scallop fishing vessel Ocean Pursuit came ashore on Bodie Island, part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Since then the boat has been settling into the sand as well as attracting tourists. So many people have been visiting the wreck that the National Seashore has issued a warning to stay away, as the boat appears to be unstable in the sand.

So, whether you are a resident of the Outer Banks or just stuck at home under lockdown, like me, there is still a way to safely visit the Ocean Pursuit.  Wes Snyder has shot a wonderful timelapse sequence of the shipwreck beneath the Milky Way. It is beautifully done and you won’t get sand in your shoes.

Capturing The Ocean Pursuit Shipwreck – A Milky Way Timelapse Cape Hatteras National Seashore

First Sailor from USS Theodore Roosevelt Dies From Coronavirus

Posted on by April 14, 2020

The coronavirus was spreading out of control on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, docked in Guam. Captain Brett Crozier pleaded with his superiors to evacuate most of the sailors from the ship to try to stem the infection. On March 30th, after being rebuffed by his superiors for days, Captain Crozier wrote a letter that he knew would probably end his navy career. In the letter, he wrote: “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors.”

Captain Crozier was subsequently fired. The number of infections on the Roosevelt rose from three sailors on March 25th to almost 600 today, including Captain Crozier. And yesterday, the first sailor died. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

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CDC Modifies & Extends “No Sail Order” for All Cruise Ships

Posted on by April 13, 2020

Last Thursday, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) extended its “No Sail Order” for cruise ships calling on the United States. The CDC announced that “this Order shall continue in operation until the earliest of three situations. First, the expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency.  Second, the CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations. Or third, 100 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.” 

The CDC noted that there are around 100 cruise ships still at sea off the East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast, with nearly 80,000 crew onboard. There are also 20 cruise ships at port or anchorage in the United States with known or suspected COVID-19 infection among the crew who remain on board. 

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Sailors Sewing Cloth Masks on US Aircraft Carriers, USS Roosevelt Infections Rise to 550

Posted on by April 12, 2020

Since April 5, the U.S. Navy has required fabric face coverings for all service members and civilians where social distancing isn’t possible, such as in the cramped quarters aboard an aircraft carrier or other Navy ship. While they required face coverings, they did not, however, provide cloth masks to Navy crews. The Navy appears to be no more prepared for the pandemic than the rest of the Federal government.

When no cloth masks were forthcoming, sailors aboard aircraft carriers have begun to make their own. Continue reading →

Over 400 Sailors Test Positive For Coronavirus on USS Theodore Roosevelt

Posted on by April 11, 2020

In late March, there were reports of three cases of coronavirus on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.  The number quickly grew to dozens and the ship was diverted to Guam. Now, the testing of sailors aboard the Roosevelt is nearly completed. Of 4,865 of the crew who have now been tested, 416 tested positive, and 3,170 tested negative, while the results for another 1,164 are still pending. Of those testing positive, 229 — more than half — showed no symptoms of the disease. About 2,700 crew members have been taken off the ship and are lodged on the base and in hotels on the island. Those who have tested positive are being checked by medics twice a day.

One of the personnel who tested positive was the ship’s commander Captain Brett Crozier, who was fired for raising concerns about the spread of the virus among his crew. Captain Crozier is being treated. One member of the crew was hospitalized Thursday in intensive care on Guam. 

The military is beginning to acknowledge that the spread of the virus on Navy ships is likely to only grow worse.

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Emergency Fundraiser for Developing World Seafarers

Posted on by April 10, 2020

A group of maritime organizations is raising money to provide much-needed emergency funding for developing world seafarers. From their Crowdfunder page:

While much of the shipping industry take their responsibilities to their seafarers very seriously there is still a real challenge facing many seafarers from the poorer regions of the world. Many are in lock down with casual contracts and unable to work, others are facing difficulties due to lock downs when they leave ships and are unable to return to their families with costs and little income coming in and there are even some reports of seafarers being shunned on their return to their homes for fears of the virus. There is also the issue of their families not having an income in order to get by.

The situation is likely to get far worse before it gets better. Continue reading →

Remembering Howard Slotnick (1930-2020)

Posted on by April 9, 2020

The maritime community has lost a great friend, shipmate, and leader in the passing of Howard Slotnick. A treasurer and chairman emeritus of National Maritime Historical Society, he served on the Coast Guard Foundation board and was an advisor to Tall Ships America. He also served on the board of trustees of Amistad America, and was an honorary trustee of South Street Seaport.

Here is a remembrance of Howard Slotnick by Roberta Weisbrod:

Howard Slotnick lived fully his ninety years. His joie de vivre and and love of the sea were one and the same. He expressed his devotion in myriad ways that have influenced the lives of New Yorkers, the spirit of our nation, and even the way the world appreciates maritime history and the waterfront.

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Penguin on “Field Trip” Meets Beluga Whales

Posted on by April 8, 2020

And now, for something completely different. While Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium has been closed to visitors, the aquarium has allowed its penguins to take ‘field trips’ inside the facility. Here is a short video of Wellington, a rockhopper penguin, coming face to face with three beluga whales, Kayavak, Mauyak, and baby Annik. The whales appeared to be very interested in the penguin and vice versa. Given that penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere and belugas are found only in the north, this may be one of the few interactions between the two species.

Coronavirus lockdown sees penguin and beluga whale become unlikely friends

Update: Acting SECNAV Modly Wildly Out of Control, Resigns

Posted on by April 7, 2020


Update: Thomas B. Modly has offered his resignation.

When the Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly traveled to Guam on Sunday to speak to the sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, he needed to deliver a clear and calming message. He needed to address concerns over the recent firing of the ship’s commander, Captain Brett Crozier, and to reassure the crew that the Navy was taking appropriate steps to treat sailors with the coronavirus. He failed miserably.

Instead, he launched into a profanity-laced tirade in which he accused the captain of betrayal and suggested that he was “too naïve or too stupid to be a commanding officer”. Modly repeatedly criticized Crozier’s integrity and suggested the possibility of court-martial for the captain. He also inserted partisan politics into the speech by attacking former Vice President Joe Biden, who has repeatedly criticized Crozier’s removal. Modly also slammed the crew for giving the captain a rousing sendoff as he left the ship.

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