WASHINGTON,(Reuters) – Beginning more than a millennium ago, intrepid seafarers traversed vast Pacific Ocean expanses in double-hulled sailing canoes to reach the far-flung islands of Polynesia, the planet’s last habitable…
nautical history
Rare Maps of Spanish Armada to Stay in England
By Estelle Shirbon LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) – A set of 10 hand-drawn, 16th century maps showing the progress of the Spanish Armada that attacked England in 1588, an event that shaped national identity,…
500-Year-Old Shipwreck Discovered in Baltic Sea Appears ‘Like it Sank Yesterday’
An international team of scientists have announced the discovery of the remains of a 500-year-old ship that remains pristinely intact in the cold, dark depths of the Baltic Sea. Scientists say the shipwreck is perhaps the best preserved shipwreck of its period yet to be discovered. It was first...
Blackbeard’s Ship Embarks for U.S. Supreme Court in Video Piracy Case
By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) – The nine black-robed justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will soon navigate the treacherous legal waters around a sailing ship made famous in the 18th century by the notorious English pirate known as Blackbeard. The court on Monday agreed to hear a bid...
Canadian Premiere – Trapped in Typhoon Alley, the Mystery of MV Derbyshire
Discovery Channel (Canada)’s new documentary series, “Disasters at Sea,” premieres on April 16th at 10 PM ET. The first episode, “Trapped in Typhoon Alley,” looks at the mysterious sinking of the Capesize Ore/Bulk/Oiler MV Derbyshire, with the loss of 42 aboard, in Typhoon Orchid in 1980. To this...
Review: Disasters at Sea — Deadly Neglect, the Loss of the Marine Electric
Thirty-six years ago this week, the SS Marine Electric sank off the coast of Virginia with the loss of 34 officers and crew. There were only three survivors. The tragedy resulted in major reforms in ship inspections and operations and ultimately saved many lives. Last month, a new documentary...
MV Marine Electric: The Shipwreck that Changed the Coast Guard
By Petty Officer 2nd Class Corinne Zilnicki When the clock tolled 12 a.m. on Feb. 12, 1983, the 605-foot cargo ship Marine Electric trekked northward 30 miles off Virginia’s Eastern Shore, plowing slowly through the gale-force winds and waves stirred up by a winter storm. An able-bodied seaman...
Remains of Famed Explorer Captain Matthew Flinders Found in London Rail Dig
LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Archaeologists have found the remains of Captain Matthew Flinders, a British Royal Navy explorer who was the first to sail around Australia and is credited with naming it, while working on a rail project connecting London to other cities. Flinders’ coffin was discovered...
Veteran’s Day In Peace And War
by Salvatore R. Mercogliano, Ph.D. (gCaptain) This Veteran’s Day we remember the thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen who gave their lives in defense of the United States of America. We should also remember the thousands of merchant mariner veterans who set sail...