Tar, that thick, gooey, mess has been used on ships for many purposes since the beginning of ancient voyages. All types of tars and pitch formulas were used on hulls, decks, riggings, and even on a seaman’s clothing. It has always been the crew fighting…
Posts published in “February-March 2024”
Captain David Reed Morehouse of the barque Dei Gratia was on deck when he first spotted the Mary Celeste; she was just at the horizon. Sailing out of New York with a load of petroleum, the Dei Gratia was bound for Gibraltar. On arrival at…
When I was in high school some of the girls in my class who lived on the water had their own small boats – some had sailboats, others had earlier family boats now outgrown. Other than where they went, the young boat owners had little…
Of the many ships that have been run aground off the coast of Rhode Island the story of the tanker Swiftstar has to be one of the most unusual. She was not unusual because of her design or her being stranded, in which she was…
Each month, an interesting aspect of the world’s oldest continuous maritime service will be highlighted. The men and women of the United States Coast Guard follow in the fine tradition of the brave mariners who have served before them. As sentinels and saviors of the…
There is an incredible irony in the fact that long after the golden age of sail when clipper ships raced across the world powered entirely by wind power that once again cargo ships are turning to wind-assisted power. The new sails that are being evaluated…
When I was a wee lad, my favorite Golden Book was titled “Scuppers the Sailor Dog”. I got that book in 1952 and continue to read it to this day. I loved the Sailor Dogs name “Scuppers’’. When my son was born, I wanted to…
Saltwater wise, February is always the slowest month of the year, but when the calendar page turns to March, the spark starts the fire. February is not a total loss though as blackfish and white perch are still on a chew, and usually all the…
Almost there!! The off-season just feels longer and longer each year, and having actual winter temps this year didn’t help.Just about a month away from the first casts of the season from shore in the bays come late March. I’m on the east end of…
As I write this, I am looking at low-20-degree high air temperatures with overnight lows in the teens over the next few days; great weather for ice fishing but downright miserable for those of us who love to fish in the ocean! This followed a…