Category: Ocean Liners
A Day with the Chief Engineer
It’s Global Day of the Engineer! One of the highlights from when I worked aboard the Queen Mary was getting to spend a day with Chief Engineer Ronnie Keir of the Queen Victoria. It was January 2012, and Commodore Everette Hoard asked me to come along and take “lots of photos.” It was my day…
Can “America’s Flagship” Still Be Saved? One Group Thinks So
Ever since the SS United States left Philadelphia on February 19 for Mobile, Alabama, social media has been abuzz with images of the grand ship. The crew of Vinik No. 6 — the tugboat towing “America’s Flagship” — has posted some phenomenal pictures, as have spectators from land, sea, and air. One Facebook comment said…
A New Vision: Marcus Garvey & the Black Star Line (Part 2)
Marcus Garvey was at the height of his power in the early 1920s. His Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) had between two and four million members worldwide. He spoke passionately and persuasively about Black pride, nationalism, and economic independence from the White world. To help promote his agenda, Garvey established the Black Star Line in…
A New Vision: Marcus Garvey & the Black Star Line (Part 1)
Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), had a dream of uniting all people of African descent. Proclaiming an agenda of Black pride, nationalism, and economic independence in the 1910s, the Jamaican-born activist struck a chord to some…and a nerve to others. Some called him the “Black Moses.” In 1965, Dr. Martin…
The SS United States Leaves Philadelphia After Nearly 30 Years
After nearly 30 years, the SS United States has left Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On February 19, 2025, “America’s Flagship” left her longtime berth aided by tugboats. She was maneuvered into the Delaware River and started the first leg of her last voyage. Over the next two weeks, the ship will be towed down to Mobile, Alabama…
Day of Final Victory: Black Soldiers Aboard the Queen Mary
During World War II, the need to transport large numbers of Allied troops across the globe saw the world’s ocean liners being pressed into military service. Mighty ships like Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Île de France, and Aquitania were pressed into service. So were smaller liners like Laconia, Empress of Japan (renamed Empress of Scotland in 1942), Borinquen, and…
The Captain’s Sixth Sense
Docking a ship requires a tremendous amount of skill, ability and resolve. This is especially the case when the weather is bleak and uncooperative. Then there’s docking an ocean liner. While cruise ships today are highly maneuverable and largely don’t need tugboats, liners in the 1960s were downright clunky and relied on them to dock….
Forgotten Hero Ship: The Wreck of La Jenelle
The coast of Oxnard, California was stormy on April 13, 1970. Gale-force winds blew about and rocked the nearly 500-foot cruise ship until her starboard anchor began dragging. There was little that the two crew members aboard could do to stop it. Less than 30 minutes later, the ship grounded itself on nearby Silver Strand…
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition Las Vegas
As I mentioned in my last post, we recently visited Las Vegas for a quick little getaway. We stayed at the Virgin Hotel and planned to spend a lot of time at the pool. However, cool and windy weather forced us to change plans. One of the things we ended up doing was revisiting the…
Haunting Reminders of the Night: Titanic Artifacts and the Paranormal
Earlier this week, my wife and I were in Las Vegas for a quick little vacation. We decided to visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. We first went in September 2022, and I’ve been wanting to go back ever since. I’ll write about this recent visit in a future blog…