It seems a BBC experiment to test a World War II theory didn’t quite go as planned. When ideas are left on the drawing board, it is often with good reason. But that didn’t stop the BBC testing out one of the craziest proposals of the Second World War…a boat made from ice and wood… Continue reading That sinking feeling . . .
Tag: Ships
The Great Wall of . . . Denmark???
I’m intrigued by the news that archaeologists in Germany have uncovered a new section of a Viking-era defensive wall, originally designed to provide cover for a transshipment route from the Baltic Sea across the foot of Denmark to the North Sea. Der Spiegel reports: Their attacks out of nowhere in rapid longboats have led many… Continue reading The Great Wall of . . . Denmark???
The return of sail power?
A very interesting vessel, the E-Ship 1, has just gone into service in Europe. She’s what’s called a rotor ship or Flettner ship (after their inventor, Anton Flettner). She’s powered by conventional diesel engines; but as well as driving the propellers directly, their exhaust turns four rotorsails which rise high above the deck. They use… Continue reading The return of sail power?
The Age of Sail, captured on film
Google has released Life magazine’s collection of pictures of sailing ships, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are some remarkable images in the gallery. Here are a few to whet your appetite. There are hundreds more pictures at the link, all much bigger than the small reproductions above. To view them,… Continue reading The Age of Sail, captured on film
A family adventure
I was very happy to read of the adventures of the Crafton family, who over the past seven years have sailed around the world. The Washington Post has an excellent article about the experiences of the two adults and three children. Here’s an extract to whet your appetite. After achieving two-career success in Anchorage (Kathy… Continue reading A family adventure
Remembering ‘Black Tot Day’
Forty years ago, on July 31st, 1970, the Royal Navy abolished the daily issue of rum to its seamen. The date has been remembered as ‘Black Tot Day’ ever since. Yachting Monthly reports: The 40th anniversary of what is known as Black Tot Day will be marked [aboard HMS Victory in Portsmouth] with a re-enactment… Continue reading Remembering ‘Black Tot Day’
A 114-year-old record falls at last
Back in 1896, two Americans of Norwegian origin, Frank Samuelson and George Harbo, set a record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. They embarked in an 18-foot clinker-built dinghy that they named Fox, after the publisher of the Police Gazette, a tabloid newspaper of the period. They sailed from New York city on June 6th,… Continue reading A 114-year-old record falls at last
The Northwest Passage gives up its secrets
As a nautical and history buff, I’m very pleased to learn that the wreck of HMS Investigator, one of the ships dispatched by Britain in 1850 to search for the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin, has been discovered. She lies in Mercy Bay, off Banks Island in Canada’s Northwest Territories (circled in red on… Continue reading The Northwest Passage gives up its secrets
Fun with whales
I’m sure many readers have seen the news report about a yacht in Table Bay, South Africa, that was struck by a breaching Southern right whale. In case you missed it, CNN had this to say: Paloma Werner, 50, of the Cape Town Sailing Academy, and her partner Ralph Mothes had been watching the whale… Continue reading Fun with whales
Remembering a nautical milestone
On July 19th, 1843, 167 years ago, the SS Great Britain was launched in Bristol, England. She was a remarkable vessel for her time: the first commercial steamship to be both built entirely of iron and equipped with a screw for propulsion instead of paddle-wheels. Each of these advances had been used in other ships,… Continue reading Remembering a nautical milestone