What’s New

Wilmington, DE, August 27 – How do you plan for an ocean voyage on the Tall Ship of Delaware during a pandemic? This week Kalmar Nyckel is voyaging from Wilmington, Delaware for the first ocean voyage of 2020, with a small but mighty crew of 16 officers and volunteers who just completed a two-week quarantine to safely voyage to Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. The ship is going to “dry dock” which means it will be…

Newport, Rhode Island, August 14 – After thirteen days at sea, 11th Hour Racing Team have arrived home to Newport after a successful delivery from Concarneau, France. Their refurbished 60-foot monohull, skippered by Charlie Enright (Bristol, RI), slipped into Fort Adams just after 0830 ET this morning. The Atlantic crossing has been a dual opportunity for the team to test the boat and new foil after an extended refit in France due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as…

Newport, RI  – All Hands Alliance, a nonprofit worldwide community that will inspire a grassroots effort among boaters and water-sports enthusiasts to clean up the oceans and waterways, has officially launched. The organization, founded by ardent boaters and marine-industry veterans, is built on the idea that the world’s oceans and waterways are an irreplaceable resource that must be valued and protected for future generations. All Hands Alliance brings that value home, and encourages and inspires the people…

Plimoth Plantation’s fully restored historic tall ship to make port stop at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy before homecoming to Plymouth on August 10; tickets to board ship on sale on August 8 On August 10, 2020, following a more than three-year, multi-million-dollar restoration, the 64-year-old Mayflower II will return home to Plymouth Harbor where it is a major exhibit of Plimoth Plantation, the living history museum of 17th century Massachusetts. “Mayflower II is a unique educational resource…

Free hurricane planning videos, guides from BoatUS SPRINGFIELD, Va., July 31, 2020 – Hurricane Isaias is forecast to run up the East Coast, likely bringing heavy rains, high winds and storm surge from South Florida to potentially as far north as New England through next week. With the storm having reached Category 1 status (sustained winds of 74 mph) Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is urging boaters to be prepared. “It doesn’t take a…

As we noted in an earlier Ship’s Log post, our friend Tom Darling, a lifelong sailor and sailing author who wanted to combine the history and the romance and the genealogy of great vintage boats, has launched Conversations with Classic Boats, a podcast about classic boat designs and the stories behind them. Premiering May 6 with Episode 1 on the Herreshoff Newport 29, Dolphin, “the winningest boat sailing our waters today,” the series of 30-minute podcasts invites…

Free Admission May 23-29 Our friends at Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut have announced that the Museum of America and the Sea will reopen to the public on Saturday, May 23. To celebrate the occasion and to thank the community for its support of the Museum during its closure, admission will be free May 23-29. Visitors will be welcome to explore the grounds, including the historic village and gardens, the shipyard, and the Mystic River waterfront….

Over the years, sailboat racing in Greenwich, Connecticut has been very popular. The competition is typically casual, particularly mid-week evening racing. And as important as the racing is, for many, the social aspect is equally critical. Following the racing, the Greenwich yacht clubs organize post-race gatherings so competitors can share stories of triumph and defeat. Yet in the age of Covid-19, activities such as sailing have had to be curtailed. With restrictions hopefully starting to loosen, it’s…

It’s been said that when one door closes, another opens. For Griffin Spinney, a Newport, Rhode Island resident who’s been sailing for most of his 18 years, the “prize behind door #2” turned out to be more fantastic than he could have imagined. A senior at Proctor Academy in Andover, New Hampshire, Griff is an accomplished offshore sailor.  After his plans to build a wooden paddleboard for his senior project were waylaid by COVID-19, our friends at…

We like to think that volunteers who organize and run regattas for sailors with disabilities are “paying it forward,” meaning that if it were you in the boat, you’d want someone to be looking out for you, too. But paying forward isn’t always the only option. For the past twelve years, the hundreds of volunteers who have helped make the Robie Pierce Regattas for sailors with disabilities a success have had their contributions matched by financial underwriting…