Thank You USCG Veterans!

Of course, I’m thankful for the incredible sacrifice and service that all of US veterans have given us. But here’s a nice US Coast Guard video/photo slide show by Chief Petty Officer Bob Laura, Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie Elis and Petty Officer 3rd Class Seth Johnson from the 2009 Veteran’s Day Parade in New York City.

Thank you all!

Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald

I originally posted this 2 years ago today. I think it’s definitely worth revisiting.

Thirty three years ago today the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was lost with 29 souls. Here’s a very moving video about this tragic event.

[YouTube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw]

Edmund Fitzgerald Song of the BellAt the recommendation of the Just One More Book podcast, last year I purchased the children’s book The Edmund Fitzgerald: The Song of the Bell for my then 4 year old son Luke who not surprisingly loves ships. (Listen to the podcast here) The book is beautifully illustrated and the authors do a great job telling the story of this magnificent ship and her loss. Death can be a challenging subject for young children but the authors handle it superbly. I highly recommend it.

Additional info:

The fateful voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Jenny Nolan / The Detroit News (Nov. 11, 1975)

US National Transportation Safety Board Report (PDF)

Join the C.A.N.O.E. (Committee to Attribute a Nautical Origin to Everything)

Art of Manliness

Sea-Fever Southern California correspondent Mia C. recently sent over a link to an Art of Manliness post about nautical language embedding itself in our modern lexicon like a Somali pirate boarding a Saudi tanker under the cover of darkness. (Three Sheets to the Wind: Nautical Slang in Common Usage November 9, 2010)

What troubled me most about the post was their manly “claim” that C.A.N.O.E., the Committee to Attribute a Nautical Origin to Everything, is a  “tongue-in-cheek (and completely fictional) organization.” Next thing you know they’ll “claim” things about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and maybe even the Tooth Fairy.

Well, that’s ok, we’ll be happy to host and sponsor the next C.A.N.O.E. AGM at Sea-Fever blog world headquarters here in Mattapoisett.

Back to the post. My favorite nautical phrase in the Art of Manliness post is “son of a gun” which was new to me.

What’s your favorite?

Birch Tide by Sam Moyer (public art)

I love art, especially public art in places that surprise you. I also love art that’s influenced by the sea. This covers it.

Birch Tide by Sam Moyer | Total Recall for Public Art Fund NYC 2010

This work is by Sam Moyer and is part of an exhibition organized by the Public Art Fund in NYC and titled Total Recall From the website:

Covering more than 50 tree trunks in the middle of MetroTech Center Commons, Sam Moyer’s work creates the illusion of a forest of birch trees with their easily recognizable silvery bark. Upon closer inspection, this bark reveals itself to be an image of the North Sea transposed on aluminum planks. Thus, she transplants nature from sea to land, layering species over species and allowing numerous realities to co-exist harmoniously. A multi-layered viewing experience, from some perspectives the work is revealed while from others it disappears completely.

Moyer was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1983. She received her BFA from Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington D.C., in 2005 and her MFA from Yale University, New Haven, in 2007. She was most recently included in the exhibition Greater New York at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City (2010). Recent exhibitions include the solo presentation of work entitledShape Shifters, Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York (2010) and group shows at Max Hans Daniel, Berlin, Germany; P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City; and the St. Louis Museum of Contemporary Art, Missouri.

Moyer lives and works in Brooklyn.

Photo credit: Public Art Fund on Flickr.com

Bonus Moby-Monday: Conan and the Whale

Conan and the Twitter Whale

Remember Jonah and the Whale? The web 2.0 version is Conan and the Fail Whale.

Conan’s new show launches tonight and Twitter Fail Whale artist Yiying Lu created this graphic to celebrate it.

More about this on Mashable and Conan’s website (http://www.teamcoco.com/)

You can follow Conan on Twitter: http://twitter.com/conanobrien He’s funny.

Moby-Monday: 2010 Moby-Dick (the movie)

From the same people who brought us Titanic II (huh?), on November 30, coming straight to your DVD player, Herman Melville‘s classic  has been updated: 2010 Moby Dick. I guess the original (and all previous versions) were not good enough; nothing a few helicopters and machine guns can’t fix thankfully.

Tall Ship Concordia Sinking: In Their Own Words

Concordia Bell by Wojtek (Voytec) Wacowski

Earlier this year I devoted a lot of blogging space and time to the sinking of the Tall Ship Concordia. (High School Tall Ship Concordia Sinks Off the Coast of Brazil – Feb. 19, 2010)

It really was an incredible story. Now you can hear it straight from the mouths of some of the survivors, a very impressive lot.

Unfortunately, the CBC does not allow their videos to be embedded so you’ll have to sail over to their Land and Sea website to watch the video. I highly recommend it.

I’m off to SEA!

Well, I’m actually off to the semi-annual Trustee and Overseer meeting at Sea Education Association in Woods Hole for the next 2 days.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s the coolest “overseas” college study program on the planet!

It’s Sunday, relax and take 5 minutes to watch this, then find a high school or college student and make sure they know about the adventure, benefits and college credit you get for going to SEA!

Bananas + Suitcases + Crabs = Bad Luck

No denying that sailors are a superstitious lot.  But NEVER, EVER bring bananas or suitcases on a crab boat.

How Stuff Works – Why are fishermen superstitious of bananas?

Here’s Sig from the Deadliest Catch talking about his superstitions. (sorry about the Discover Channel autoplaying their video) Continue reading Bananas + Suitcases + Crabs = Bad Luck

FotoFriday: Lost (and Found) at Sea

Rescue at Sea

Imagine after a lovely scuba dive you return to the surface to find that the anchor line of your boat has parted and your ride home is no more.  :(

What do you do? Take some pictures, of course.  :)

You are miraculously rescued by a passing boat :D

which then capsizes on the way back to port :(

and your camera is lost. :(

Then four years later somebody walking the beach finds your camera! :D

Here are the pictures and interview.

Listen here: 

Flag dip to ABC North Coast NSW – Lost at sea: survival snaps surface after four years Oct. 27, 2010