Shipwrecks and Other Maritime Disasters: The Home Page for Contemporary Maritime Literature, Journalism, Writing and Research.
Search              Research Tips            Buy Maritime Books            Forum                Reviews              Contact Us 

What's New...and Comments 
"Does any one know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours? 
Probably you won't find the answer to that question in the song sung many years ago about the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, check out this site, you can see some fine maritime paintings of the Fitzgerald.      Al l by Dale Lewis.  Also a tribute in "Flash" depicting the final voyage of the vessel. 
A Great Find:  "The Last American Sailors" -- Subtitled appropriately enough, A Wild Ride in the Modern Merchant Marine. These are the stories of Michael R. Rawlins, a merchant mariner for more than a decade, who can indeed turn a phrase.  This is among the very best writing I've seen in recent years not just because Rawlins can turn a phrase but because he writes from first hand experience.  Yes, John McPhee can hitch a ride on a boat and Langewiesche can do what he does so well (see below).  Rawlins is not so seasoned a writer as those two, but what he lacks in polish he makes up for in authenticity. -- and a first hand knowledge and ease that neither of the two more famous authors will ever muster on this topic.  What we have here is the unvarnished world of the merchant mariner told by a nautical Everyman with a great ear for dialogue and a great eye for character.  Rawlins announces he will take the romance out of the sea for us but of course in the course of his story telling, he firmly establishes it.  We hear no modern day tales of piracy -- but a day cleaning out a chemical tanker's holds is in its own way a modern day scarier tale.  Buy it. Encourage this guy.  Perfect for the son or daughter who thinks they want to go to sea, and for the uncle or father or grandfather who was there in an earlier day.  Immensely readable and valuable. 
Need to research UK ship wreck reports?Check out this site, and these new reports.
"Last Stand" is a Great Read, Period. Without going too much into the details of it, "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" covers -- for me, at least -- a little known part of US WWII naval history off the Philippines in '44.  Most Naval scholars or buffs will know that this was the site of the classic "crossing of the T" by US ships.  Broadsides of the US "top of the T" are deployed against a Japanese "base of the T" that can only fire with its forward guns.  Guess who wins.  But less well known was a clever and brave maneuver by another Japanese column of ships that caught the US flat-footed with only Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts to protect some carriers and the Philippine landing party in Leyte.  Bigfoot Japanese battleships and heavy cruisers closed in after a main US contingent of carriers and big gun ships were lured north by Japanese carriers.  Nothing stands between the Japanese big ships and the vulnerable carriers except for the tin can sailors.  The little destroyers charge the big Japanese ships, with some surprising and heroic results, but also a very heavy toll. This is real, and not for the feint of heart.  Read it in two very late but absorbed evenings.  You can buy it here.    Check reviews here. 
A Book entitled "The Outlaw Sea" goes on sale with a great review from the NY Times.  No doubt it deserves it if  the book at all reflects the stories written by author William Langewiesche's in the Atlantic.  First rate reporting, world class writing.  I highly recommend  The Outlaw Sea.  purely on the basis of the boy's previous works.  

Can't say I care too much--for trade publications.  They are often captured by their industries and their advertisers  have the editorial integrity of an ad agency.  So wouldn't you know it that the Alaska Fisherman's Journal comes along crusading and making me eat my words and re-examine that prejudice of mine.  They have a stunningly good analysis and editorial on the wreck of the Arctic Rose and they should win something for it. If nothing else, our attention. 
A Footnote on the SS Poet...Many European immigrants to the United States Post World War II made their way to America on the old troopships -- the C-4's.  One infamously was converted to a cargo ship called the SS Poet, which sank 24 years ago with her entire American crew.  This tale is of a happier time when the Poet was the SS Omar Bradley. 
Piracy Takes a Turn Toward Nasty -- It used to be that one could say that piracy in a sense still existed.  But not the old swashbuckling, kill-the-crew type of the 18th and 19th centuries.  Well guess again.  The worst parts of the old piracy are catching up with the new. 
Richard Hiscock's Web Site Goes Live -- If you are reporting on maritime safety issues, writing on safety issues, researching safety issues, or just plain surfing on research issues, then Richard Hiscock has a wealth of knowledge and insight.  His new web site is a must stop on the web for anyone in the maritime writing business or the maritime business period. See it now here.   (Go to the links page for some of Richard's own writing.)  His knowledge and integrity have helped me size up an issue many a day and I highly recommend this page. (More articles below...keep scrolling...)

Criminal Investigation Underway in Collision --  The Lonely Hunter and the Katrina Lee collided in darkness off Nantucket in September with two men dead.  Now the Coast Guard will begin a criminal inquiry 
A "Disaster" Page Worth Surfing... Try Steve's Maritime Web Pages for a good survey of contemporary maritime disasters.   There are links worth checking out also at the pages where he lists other award winning sites.
 Did the Coast Guard "Wimp Out"on the Arctic Rose -- Or, did the Coast Guard, the real Coast Guard, do just fine, and did the Commandant "wimp out."  Good question and the article here explores that.  My question, of course, is whether this case is like the string of cases that preceded the disaster of the Marine Electric.  Different, certainly, in that the Commandant is not saying "no problem."  He is concurring with the intent of the Marine Board.  But he is suggesting that the fishing industry will voluntarily come into compliance.  Well, okay, but isn't this is a little like suggesting that eighth graders can have firecrackers if they use them wisely.   The whole fishing industry has a cowboy culture, which plays great on the big screen, but poorly if you are the widow of a fisherman.  But that is just my opinion, as they say, I could be wrong.   Hats off, by the way, to USA Today and Gary Stoller for covering this.   USA Today may have begun life as a McFactoid rag, but it indeed has grown over the years. 

Report on the Arctic Rose -- The fishing boat went down three years ago with all its crew lost and now the Coast Guard, in its first formal Marine Board in almost five years, makes its recommendations.  This will be debated for many days to come, but the quick take?  Board is tough; Commandant waters it down.  Reform is needed, and the Board says change the law.  Commandant says the industry needs to come into voluntary compliance and overrules the board.  You all no doubt know more than I do about this, but in my experience, damned little change comes from volunteerism in the maritime world.   Particularly the fishing sector.  Anyone remember the A Boats?   Not sure how volunteerism worked well there.  Read the report  now and stories about same here.    

A Classy Act by Some Kingspoint Classmates -- The Badger State was an old ammunition ship bound for 'Nam when she was battered by storms and then threatened by shifting bombs, in December 1969.   Despite days of heroic struggle, the officers and crew could not secure the bombs and finally one went off.  They abandoned ship, but many died in the rough seas and cold waters after a bomb fell from the ship into the filled lifeboat.   One of those who did not make it was a young man named Ray Reiche, a Kingspointer and Second Assistant Engineer.  He died on Dec. 26, 1969 without seeing his unborn child.  His widow and daughter -- now grown with three children -- went to Kingspoint in October where Ray's classmates honored him in a ceremony and printed "special edition" of the Class of 1968 Yearbook.  Both women said these moments were among the most important and powerful of their lives.  So, as the beer commercials say, here's to you, the Classmates of Section 68-260/360.  Harry Abair, Baill Ahearn, Pat Conroy, Joe DeMartino, Ray Fernandez, Bill Haneline, Skip Hanford, Joe Isabella, George Kohl, Dennis Konnick, Stu Levenshus, Duncan McCory, Greig Parks, Pete Phillips, Dave Pranulis, Russ Rehm, Mark Schecter, Paul Skripol, Jim Walkter, Jim Ware, Rich Weigang and Tim White.  You're a class act and a class class.  For more info on the Badger State, read this excerpt from Until the Sea Shall Free Them, and navigate to the official Coast Guard report as well. 
Dominic Calicchio posthumously wins Plimsoll Award from Professional Mariner... The award, named for 19th Century English maritime reformer Samuel Plimsoll, bears the famed Plimsoll Line in bronze on a plaque.  Dom was honored because of his lifetime of work, particularly his crucial role in the investigation of the sinking of the Marine Electric.  Dom's brother, Fred,  accepted the award.   All three Calicchio brothers sailed.  All three were masters and captains.   The award was given in September. 
Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Honored -- Swimmer Jason P. Quinn receives the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroic rescue near Kodiak.   He saves five people. Read it here. 
Captain Dominic Calicchio passes the bar...
Dom died over the weekend of March 7 in his Florida home.  He was an unsung hero for most of his career in the Coast Guard.  What he did in the wake of the sinking of the SS Marine Electric changed everything in the American merchant marine.
Dom was suffering from diabetes in addition to a number of other ailments.
> His brother, Fred Calicchio, said Dom spent his last days at home among
> family and friends and the stray dogs Calicchio adopted and made pets over
> the years.  Captain Calicchio died quietly and in peace.  He battled a
> number of ailments over the years, including cancer, in addition to the
> diabetes. 
>> His battles in the Coast Guard as a single-minded reformer resulted in
> some of the most significant maritime reforms in American maritime
> history.  His steadfast inquiry into the causes behind the wreck of the
> Marine Electric resulted in criminal indictment of the ship company, the
> formation of the Coast Guard rescue swimmer program, and the adption of
> survival suits on cold water voyages.   Captain Calicchio paid a price in
> career advancement for taking those strong positions and retired from the
> Coast Guard shortly after the final report of the Marine Electric was made
> public.  He then launched a successful career as a maritime safety
> consultant.  He had been a captain of merchant ships for more than
> 20-years before joining the Coast Guard.
>
> His brother said Dom fought the illnesses similar to the way he fought his
> bureaucratic battles -- with no quarter given. 
>
> "Toward the end I think he was just staying alive for his family and for
> me, because he was my best friend," his brother, Fred, said. 
>
> "Finally, he said to me, 'It's time for me to go.  I've had a good life
> and three good careers.  I'm ready to go.' I think he was asking my
> permission."
>
> "I've got to let you go then,"  Fred said he told him.
>
> "Thank you," Dom said. "It's right for me."
>
> Dom then directed his doctors to stop extreme measures of life support and
> he died a few days later.


Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me;
"Here he lies where he longed to be,
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill."

"Requiem" Robert Louis Stevenson

God bless, Dom and thanks. 

Some Novel "Safety" Novels -- Writes an author: "Might I be bold enough to suggest that your maritime story readers might enjoy the "actual fiction style in my two recently published novels, Hazard Elimination, Inc. and Hazard Elimination, Inc. - Shaken But Not Stirred.  Both books include several maritime related adventures, all gleaned from actual events.  The books center on a Woods Hole based safety consulting firm and their worldwide travels solving safety, environmental and industrial health crisis'.  The main character is a Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduate (like the author).  Maritime related stories include the Mint Quick shark meat poisoning, the Terra Nova oil production ship in Newfoundland, the 165' vessel grounding in Looe Key over a flatulence attack, among other unique stories.  The books are available from all internet booksellers, Amazon.com; barnesandnoble.com; Borders.com and phone 1-888-795-4274.  Thanks for considering my works for your most enjoyable web page.  Sincerely, Richard Hughes   ----- capesafetyguy@aol.com

A Tribute to Albion "Sparks" Lane -- Radioman on the Marine Electric ---  Lane stayed at his post until the last possible moment sending out the location and situation of the sinking ship.  To read a moving tribute to the job Lane did, written by Mary Landesman, click here. 

Until the Sea Shall Free Them ( Life Death and Survival in the Merchant Marine)
By Robert R. Frump ---  The true story of the Marine Electric
 and how a few brave men changed the merchant marine forever.
  Order Now    
              Cusick and Calicchio Win Awards -- Finally.  Robert Cusick and Dom Calicchio received recognition from the U.S. Marine Safety Association this Saturday in a welcome ceremony that also established permanent awards in future years in their names.  Bob Cusick was the chief mate of the Marine Electric.  Dom Calicchio was the Coast Guard captain who wrote one of the finest Marine Boards ever written.  Neither received much recognition at the time that the Marine Electric case reformed many aspects of the US Merchant Marine.  The Cusick award will be granted to a professional mariner who helps in the reform of safety standards in the merchant marine.  The Calicchio award will go to a Coast Guardsman who does the same.  Both men were courageous in their actions and both men's careers suffered because of their actins.  Hats off to two of the finest.  
 
The Grosvenor Expedition -- The good news is:  A lot of people made it off of the Grosvenor when she went aground back in the 18th Century off the coast of Africa.  The bad news is:  They're still looking for the ones who made it to land on the 220th anniversary of the wreck..   And none of the treasure rumored to be aboard her has materialized, though a few may have died in the search.  Read the report from Tony Mechin here. 
Some Link Updates -- Those looking for good World War II information should check out the renovated web page at George Duncan's Maritime Disasters of World War II.  Good maritime casualty data and descriptions.  (Quick?  What was the first civilian maritime casualty?  Answer right  here. ).  For industrial strength users only, or if you'd just like to browse and get some treasurer hunting visions going, check out www.SpanishWrecksResearch.com  -- some credentialed archaeologists in search of treasurer, and qualified investors (ie., you have a lot of treasure already) to help find the new treasurers.  

  You Too, Can Be An A.B.!!!! Or at least you could buy a fake license saying you were.  Looks like a former Coast Guardsmen with a thick blank credentials pad and thin ethics wrote papers for a fee. Or so it is alleged.  

A Tear to the Eye...With the US Navy on Sept. 11. This has the ring of truth, but you never know on the web. Regardless, it is worth reading.  The experience of a young navy man and US allies off Afghanistan.  I'm no pushover and found this very moving. 

The Ferry Columbia.  The following accident report is now available online at 
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2001/MAR0102.htm Title: Marine Accident Report: Fire On Board the U.S. Passenger FerryColumbia, Chatham Strait, near Juneau, Alaska, June
6, 2000NTSB Report Number: MAR-01-02, adopted on 09/18/2001

Keep scrolling down for more stories....

Articles and Original Works
The Torpedoing of The Lake Osweya. 
By Bob Cusick  Thirty nine men went down in 1942 off Nova Scotia.  The author was almost one of them. 

Bob Cusick on WW II 

Cold Comfort--by Bob Cusick.  A survivor's tale of the wreck of the Marine Electric.

Articles by Bob Frump

Poetry Corner:  Try this one. 

Feeling Cerebral?  Check out 

A Typology of Shipwrecks and Imperilled Mariners

By George P. Landow, Professor of English and Art History, Brown University

Check these out from usmm.org, one of the best sites for American merchant marine information.

"The Tragic Story of the SS Sunset Crew" is Bruce Felknor's latest contribution. We think you'll find this well written story as
fascinating as we did. 

In "Fateful Enmity Turned into Sincere Friendships" Captain George Duffy recounts the circumstances of his reunion with his German captors.

Bob Cusick on WW II 

Until the Sea Shall Free Them can now be pre-ordered.  Amazon had some confusing statements about the book earlier saying that it had been (shudder) cancelled. Not so I am happy to say, just delayed.  If you'd like to pre-order through Amazon, click here.  Until the Sea Shall Free Them : Life, Death and Survival in the American Merchant Marine/By Robert R. Frump...    

Abandon Ship! Stays on Top.  The cruiser Indiannapolis certainly went to the bottom in one of the most tragic of WW II US Navy stories, but the book about that disaster is staying on top of the best seller list.  You almost certainly know the story, but if you don't:  Thousands of men into the water.  Thousands of sharks. No rescue. Thousands lost. Click here to read more reviews and order.   Abandon Ship! 

Now It's May for the Marine Electric Book. -- The publishers at Doubleday believe      May is a better slot for Until the Sea Shall Free Them, the story of the Marine Electric. 

The Marine Electric nearly claims two more...Be careful out there Captain JT!  This was a little too close.  For the latest dive expedition.....here.

Marine Electric Update --Doubleday will publish "Until the Sea Shall Free Them" this Fall.  Written by Robert R. Frump (that's me), the book tells the story of the men of the Marine Electric, how three survived, and how they helped change the history of maritime safety.  Story from the original series is listed here. 

"The Last of the Boom Ships" is published by Jim Whalen.  Fourteen men and one woman relate their experiences as Deck Officers on U.S. flag merchant ships -cargo ships in regular service, tramps, tankers, and the fastest passenger ship ever built, the SS United States. You can read a sample chapter and order the book at  www.boomships.com to buy the book.  This is the same publisher as the Poet book, folks, and if you're not having luck with the conventional boys and girls on publishing row, give this some consideration.  Yeah, you pay them, but it's a far cry from the old vanity press stuff.  These books are Print on Demand (POD) and available on the big name book web sites.  You don't do a big run.  The text is stored electronically, then printed out order by order, book by book.  The result is a nice looking paperback.  And this one seems pretty interesting.  How could you resist a promotion that says, "Grieve over deaths from lack of oxygen in a tank. Rescue escaping Cubans and Vietnamese Boat People. Laugh at the returning Master who kissed his dog and then shook hands with his wife."  Whalen is a former third mate and spent 30 plus years as special agent for the FBI.  

Notes on the SS Waratah -- It's still lost.  Researchers had hoped they had found it, but dives showed the wreck of the passenger liner was in fact a World War II cargo ship, laying in exactly the position expected of the Waratah.  Had a chance to talk to the people chasing after her in Cape Town this past month, and I think they'll nail it soon.  Read about the disappointment here. 
As good a tale of the disappearance may be Emlyn Brown's pursuit of the ship.  I don't think he'll ever give up.  And you can trace his obsession to a book about the Waratah, "Scend of the Sea," which told the story of a fictional man obsessed with...locating the Waratah.  You can still buy the 1971 book on Barnes and Noble.  Click here ( Buy Maritime Books) and do a search for it.

The Next Big Maritime Hit?  The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome.  By Jim Carrier.    The buzz is good and so are the initial reviews -- though at least one licensed master mariner on the Amazon.com site thinks he takes it too easy on the chartering company.  Most reviews say the book is even handed and fair.  I'd give a synopsis, but the title pretty much says it, huh?  You can buy this one through BN.com as well.  Just click here and follow the bouncing cursor. Buy Maritime Books

The SS Poet book is now available! Bob Pesseck's epic story of the SS Poet, an American flag ship that sailed from Philadelphia and simply disappeared with all hands, is now available.   Go to Amazon.com and search for "The Poet Vanishes: An American Voyage."  About $24.   The book is worth it for those interested in an encyclopedic account of the ship's life, literally from the first plate steel hauled to the shipyard to the mystery of its death.  Along the way, Pesseck portrays all the joys and dismays of life in the American Merchant Marine.  A tour de force of modern maritime journalism. 

Bob Cusick -- After the War.  Those of you who know the story of the Marine Electric know some of the story of Bob Cusick, the chief mate who survived the ordeal.  And many of you may have read some of Bob's other stories on this page about the wreck and about the War.  Here is another chapter from Bob, detailing his experiences after WW II. 

The Admiral -- Hanging by a Thread. Anyone who grew up or spent time in the St. Louis area knows the Admiral, the streamlined river cruise boat.  We used to play pinballs on cruises up the Mighty Mississippi when I was ten or so.  Now they gamble there.  And there she was one night, rammed by a tug with barges in tow, with eight of her mooring lines snapped, filled with gamblers, and the other two lines straining.  The Captain of the tug then took a risk.  He let his barges go and turned his bow into the Admiral, saving her as the ninth line snapped.  To read the NTSB report, check it out here. 

MV Estonia -- New Evidence?  One of the worst modern passenger ship/ferry disasters was the sinking of the Estonia.  Says one investigator of same: I'm running a private web page for informing the public about the latest  findings about the MV Estonia disaster in 1994. As we are having severe difficulties in getting the information out, here in Sweden, due to a news blockade...http://www.kajen.com/~rasken/ms_estonia/MV_ESTONIA_VIDEO_EVIDENCE.html
This is the first and by far most important news that nobody in mainstream media STILL wants to touch over here!  None of the government agencies, that received this letter from the  Factgroup in Sweden or Finland have answered it!!
Best regards/ Kenneth Rasmusson, free editor
<rasken@kulturservern.se> We make no judgments one way or the other on Mr. Rasmusson's information, but present it here for your consideration, just as we have, elsewhere, posted the official report on the Estonia. 

Contemporary Ship Casualties?  Now it's much easier to search for ship casualties on the web because worldwide the major safety agencies are publicly keeping score.  A unified data base of safety information from reputable ship owners and the major ship safety agencies in Asia, Europe, North America and South America finally is online.  This laudatory service can be viewed at this address. , http://www.equasis.org/index.

Online Nautical Books:  Check out the list at this link for an eclectic survey of books you can download for free online.  Or check out my choices from this page.

Passenger Ship Safety Statistics: Check out this data from the Coast Guard on passenger ship casualties and shipwrecks form 1980 through 1981. 

Damages to Ships Here are records of shipwrecks in US waters resulting in damages $300,000 or more.

Some New Research Tools.  I've  records of Major American Ship Casualties, 1980-1991 from Coast Guard files.  These are ship accidents where at least one death occurred.  This should give you the basics on ships you are searching for.  Major casualties are still available on the Coast Guard casualty page, (link on the left.)  Your feedback appreciated.   Check them out here.

Also New:  World War II US Navy Casualties are listed here courtesy of the Navy.

Behind The Perfect Storm -- You've read the book, seen the movie, now...the Prequel!!! Read the official Coast Guard report here.  Interesting, but, yeah, Junger wrote it better.  You may find this "source file" fascinating, though.  Most casualty reports are. 

Pirates in the Year 2000 --  Check out the New York Times Magazine for August 20.  The cover story is on pirates of the new age.  Not a bad job by Jack Hitt. 

Perfect Storm Opens -- To weak reviews and a good box office.  The reviews I've seen seem a tad picky.  The New York Times, for example, beats Hollywood up for commercialization.  But in the review I saw, the reviewer said, indirectly, that the adaptation was too literal.  Shoulda been an Ahab type in the Clooney role.  Right, and maybe UFO's and sew with a mermaid.  Haven't seen it yet, but suspect it is every bit as powerful as Junger's book, which also took some cheap shots from the critics.  Let me know what you think on The Forum.

The Farallon:  Shipwreck and Survival on the Alaska Shore by: Steve K. Lloyd is now out in the market.          This is a well-reviewed book  about an ill-fated 1910 expedition.  I can testify from pro bono work he's done for The Forum that Lloyd knows his stuff.  Check it out.

"It's about a whale" -- Remember the early Woody Allen line.  "Yeah, I took the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Course and Read "Moby Dick" in 20 minutes."  (Pause.)  "It's about a whale."  Well, here's one, by all accounts, you want to settle in with, not rush through.  The "pre-quel" to Moby Dick in a sense, only non-fiction.  The New York Times has had an incredibly favorable review, as has the author of "The Perfect Storm."  Visit barnesandnoble.com and check out "In the Heart of the Sea" -- the true story of how a whale sank a Natucket whaler, and how the men survived, in part by drawing lots to see who would eat or be eaten.  Or read a sample chapter?  

In Memoriam on Memorial Day -- The crew of the SS Poet never was found, nor the ship. Nor has it been forgotten by friends and family.   A moment for the men on this Memorial Day 2000, 20 years after the sinking.

Figure the Odds -- Here's what the National Transportation Safety Board is looking at now.  Well, it just shows, you gotta know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em....On April 4 1998, a tow of the M/V Anne Holly was travelingnorthbound on the Mississippi River through St. Louis Harbor when it struckthe Missouri-side pier of the center span of Eads Bridge. Eight bargesbroke away from the tow. Three of the barges struck the President Casino on the Admiral, a permanently moored vessel, causing eight of its ten mooringlines to break. The Anne Holly and the single mooring wire that remainedattached to the Admiral's stern anchor held the Admiral near the Missouribank. No deaths resulted from the accident, 16 of the 50 persons examined for minor injuries went to the hospital for additional treatment. Total damages were estimated at $11 million. 

Port and Ship Cams -- If you have a PC and good connection capable of handling streaming video, these are a gas.  Mari-Cam Page!

Maritime Insurance Mega-Page --Not your average underwriter's fine print.  Fascinating collection of maritime sites, including casualty links. 

Research Crie de Couer -- Well, the French is butchered no doubt, but the call for help comes from Wales, so pas de problemme.  Hear it out: "Shipwreck Researchers on the East Coast of the USA can you HELP ME OUT PLEASE - I think that Between 1850 and 1870 the 500 ton square rigged vessel CALIFORNIA was shipwrecked on the CLERKS AND BISHOPS ROCKS, PEMBROKESHIRE, WEST WALES...."And help the fellow out by going to The Forum and posting a reply. 

Ships at Risk Now -- One is on fire. Another is grounded.  Ships go down out there at the rate of one a week and Lloyd's is the best source generally.  Check out Lloyd's open access listing of developing casualties. 

Or Take a Look at Modern Day Piracy -- in this weekly posting of buccaneers at the millennium.  (Sample: "On 14.05.2000 at 0205 LT in position 03:54.1N 098:46.0E at Belawan anchorage, Indonesia. Five pirates armed with long knives boarded a general cargo vessel from starboard side. They tied up the duty sailor and threatened to kill him. They broke into forecastle store and stole a large amount of ship's stores. Pirates jumped overboard and escaped at 0225 LT after realizing that the other crew had been alerted. At 0320 LT the same pirates re-boarded the vessel. However, seeing the alert crew they aborted the attack and escaped in a small unlit wooden boat..."

The U-571 Movie -- An Historical Error on German U-Boat Massacres?  The Movie U-571 shows a German U-boat gun crew riddling a lifeboat filled with British seamen or sailors.  Did the German's machine-gun lifeboat survivors during World War II?  The Japanese sure did, in several documented and infamous cases.  From what I know, the Luftwafte sure did, particularly on the Murmansk run.  But German U-boat Commanders?  Quite the reverse, I believe.  There are several accounts of U-boat captains aiding shipwrecked merchant seamen.  Surfacing and giving directions, bearings and, in some cases, food water and rafts.  But I may have this wrong.  Let me know the real story at The Forum.   (Oops!  George Duffy, in a Forum post, confirms my general sense of things, but provides one exception.  Check it out at The Forum.)

New Original Works -- Aircraft Carrier Tales.  Travel on board a modern aircraft carrier for the first of some sea tales from a new writer.  With some stunning pictures as well.   Read his account of First Rescue, as fliers off the Saratoga are forced to bail out.  Or WWIII, as a carrier plays cat and mouse with Soviet spy ship-trawlers.
Or try Accidental Secrets by the same author, anonymous by request, with some interesting photo  shots he probably should not have.  
And finally, the saga of how the Chicken Pluckers got their (more acceptable) name on board the Saratoga. Our writer obviously spent time on board some carriers, but prefers to remain anonymous -- and retain his pension.  He passes on these words of wisdom and warning:  Say, what's the difference between a "sea story" and a "fairy Tale"?
A fairy tale begins with, "once upon a time" and a sea story begins with, "this ain't no shit Jack."  Well, a picture tells a thousand sea tales.  Here's a nice shot of the Lexington as she plows through rough weather. 

New Original Works -- A Woman Officer on the Marine Electric.  When the Marine Electric carried grain across the Atlantic, the coastal officers took vacation. Such was the ship's reputation that most other senior officers took a pass, too.  That left a 23-year-old woman maritime graduate, who took the assignment gladly. Here is her story of that trip -- 
and about learning that the M.E. later went down with most of her crew and colleagues on board.  

What Happened to the MV Derbyshire?  A British agency will re-open an inquest into the sinking of a ship nearly 20 years ago, says Focus magazine in the UK, ordered by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, a former merchant seaman. On or about September 9th 1980, The Derbyshire sank off the coast of Japan in position apparently 25o 30' North, 130o 30' East. There were forty four people on board, including two wives; there were no survivors. The ship had been hove to in Typhoon Orchid (Typhoon 15, 16). There were no Mayday calls. She was en route for Kawasaki, Japan with a cargo of Iron Ore Concentrates (Caroline Concentrates) loaded at Sept Isles, Canada. 44 people died. Here is one report on the incident and ensuing 20 year fight by the families to find out for sure what happened.

Hanseatic Star.  She sank in the early 1940's, supposedly with a cargo of, among other things, Indian Scout motorcycles.  Anyone know the story?  If so, go to the Forum now and let us know. It's got me stumped. 

The SS Poet at Long Last is Home. The book about the SS Poet, that is. Bob Pessek will publish with 1st Books soon.  Expect the epic story of one of the American Merchant Marine's continuing mysteries between covers this summer.  Available electronically, too.  Watch this space for news. And read Bob's sample chapters here.

A Diver's Ghost Story, Web Marketing, or Both?  You decide.  The Haunted Button. 

Submission of Manuscript:  "The Curse of the San Miguel Archangel"Beginning of the Saga:
Manuscript I, by Capt. Dominic Addario
 {all rights reserved} Timeline: 1659 – 1660.  Enjoy this original work.

Whither the SS Waratah?  Says the National  Underwater Marine Agency:  The SS Waratah left her maiden voyage to Australia in November 1908 from London via South Africa. This was a brand new passenger ship of 9,339 gross registered tons which foundered off the east coast of South Africa, south of Durban in the 28th of July 1909.

 Once she departed, she exchanged signals with another ship further down the coast in a southerly course. This was the last time anything was heard from the SS Waratah.  Now NUMA has located the wreck and is digging for clues as to why and how she sank. 

Check out Lost Liners at (where else?) www.lostliners.com. --one of the best personal web sites I've seen and loaded with information on the big ones. From the Andrea Doria to the Waratah. You'll find backgrounds and eulogies on all the great lost passenger ships as well as a beautifully designed and rendered site. 

The Wreck of the Estonia -- A Modern Passenger Ship Tragedy.  Yes, the Titanic and all the Lost Liners were tragic affairs.  Sometimes we forget our contemporary maritime tragedies. The ro-ro passenger ferry ESTONIA sank in the northern Baltic Sea during the early hours of 28 September 1994. Of the 989 people on board, 137 survived. All 95 victims recovered from the sea have been identified and 757 people are still missing.  A joint investigating committee report tells you about everything you'd want to know.

NTSB and DUKW's -- The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that operators and manufacturers/refurbishers of amphibious passenger vessels:
"Without delay, alter your amphibious passenger vessels to provide reserve buoyancy through passive means, such as watertight compartmentalization, built-in flotation, or equivalent measures, so that they will remain afloat and upright in the event of flooding, even when carrying a full complement of passengers and crew."  In the wake of the tragedy of the M/V Miss Majestic in Hot Springs, Ark., last May.  (Scroll down for original report.) 

The Survivors' Survivor:  Check out Captain George Duffy's POW Page.  Captain George Duffy was a Prisoner of War of both the Germans and the Japanese during World War II and survived multiple ship wrecks. Check out his page here, and read his other stories of World War II, including the incredible story of the crew of the American Leader.  The ship was sunk by a German raider and the crew taken on board same.  Then transferred to the Japanese.  Then put on ships sunk by American subs.  Duffy survived it all. Barely. And jungle prison camps.  Few others of the crew did. His tales are found here. 

  Rustbucket of the Month!  The Paris MOU operation attempts to bar substandard ships from ports.  They run a feature called Rust Bucket of the Month.   Check out these shipwrecks waiting to happen. 

Author's Search:  Author seeks surviving crew members and officers of The Badger State, the American munitions ship of the Vietnam War era.  Author is working on magazine article.  Believes Badger State was one of the most heroic actions of modern maritime history.  Please contact at rrfrump@aol.com.

Excellent News! But then I'm biased on this one.  Publishers Weekly reports that agent Sterling Lord has sold "Until the Sea Shall Free Them" to editor Shawn Coyne at Doubleday for a nice advance.  The book is a non-fiction account of the wreck of the Marine Electric, which went down in 1983.  The author is Robert R. Frump.  Which would be me.  Watch for it sometime in 2001, folks.  My newspaper account of the wreck is here.  The book will be at much more length, of course, with more insight into why the Marine Electric produced some of the most important reforms of the past century.   It is a real honest to God pleasure and honor to be writing this book, an important story, I think, and my personal all-time favorite series from my newspaper days. 

The Sinking of the Morning Dew -- The sailing boat should not have gone to sea, but the Coast Guard might also have done a better rescue job, says the NTSB.  During the early morning hours of December 29, 1997, the 34-foot recreational sailing vessel Morning Dew struck the rock jetty on the north side of the shipping channel into the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. The owner/operator of the vessel and his three passengers, all members of the same family, died as a result of the accident.  Click here to read the National Transportation Safety Board report. 

Bang the Drum Slowly, Play the Pipe Lowly.
For Patrick O'Brian has crossed the bar.  The author of more than 20 books in the  Aubrey/Maturin series. : died earlier this week and I'm in mourning at the loss of O'Brian, Aubrey and Maturin in one stroke.  I just don't read series like these, but the boy could sure get you hooked and I had knocked down 20 of them in no time.  The bad news for us longtime readers is the end of the flow of sea stories that were hailed by some critics as some of the greatest historical novels ever written.  The good news for newbies  You've got some great stuff ahead of you.    Click here for Patrick O'Brian Books and the famous series. : (start with "Master and Commander")   

You say it's contemporary literature, I say it's maritime literature.  Sure, "The Shipping News"  is a take on modern relationships, work and family.   And "Snow Falling on Cedars" treats  modern post WW II society and its racial nuances.  But both have...maritime writers.  In News, a man finds his confidence through reporting the shipping news.  And "Cedars"?  A fine, fine job of investigative maritime journalism.   (Okay, he could have been quicker off the mark, but, hey, then it's not a very long book...) If you haven't read "Cedars" before the movie, do it now at Shipwrecked Books.  Click on the links above to purchase. 

We know he can act.  Can he write?  Gene Hackman has won two Oscars so the debate is settled there.   In  "Wake of the Perdido Star," Hackman ventures into the historical sea novel, teaming up with Daniel Lenihan, a leading underwater archaeologist.  We have a review copy and...so far so good!  The two spin a good tale.  We'll keep you posted.  Turns out Hackman is a maritime buff.  

Says the teaser on the promotional material:  "WAKE OF THE PERDIDO STAR is at once a morality tale, an action packed saga of heroism, camaraderie, and survival, and an historical treatment of men at sea in the early nineteenth century. While reading this engrossing sea adventure, readers will be captivated by the challenges the men face, including sea battles and shipwrecks, and by Jack O'Reilly, the young protagonist who struggles toward manhood as he learns the meaning of bravery, justice, friendship, and love."
Plus, there's a contest at www.perdidostar.com.  Hey, it takes guts to cross over into a new arena, so I'm hoping the book holds up as I keep going.  Patrick O'Brian, after all, can use some help out there.

Sinking of the M/V MISS MAJESTIC on Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Arkansas on May 1, 1999 with multiple loss of life.  Read the Coast Guard report. There were 20 tourists and crew riding on the old World War II amphibious DUKW.  It sank in 30 seconds. Only seven survived.  Click here for the formal Coast Guard report on what went wrong.  

For his Historian's Page, http://www.usmm.org/felknor.html
Bruce Felknor writes about A Privateersman's Letters Home from Prison  ...the courtesy of an editor at Naval Institute Press enables me to share with you the remarkable letters from prison of a Yankee privateersman captured in the War of 1812. The editor is Kimberley A. VanDerveer, the production editor on my book "The U.S. Merchant Marine at War, 1775-1945." http://www.usmm.org/felknor.html

Old Rustbuckets of the American Fleet:  Throughout the 1970's and 1980's, old US ships were kept going far past their prime.  Some of them sank. Here are a selection of stories explaining how they sailed.  The impact on families, including the Wickboldt's, who lost two sons at sea. And  how divers went down to find out how they sank.  

 More:  More reader queries, more story listings. 

You can contact me at rrfrump@aol.com.   Your comments are welcome.

Disclaimer:  Webandwire.com does not censor or review Forum postings. In the Forum and the rest of the website, opinions expressed are those of the contributors and reviewers. Links to other web sites do not imply in any way that the information found there is endorsed.  This is a pro bona web site.  No sponsor fees are paid or advertising accepted.  Robert R. Frump. 1999
About the Author