Pride of Baltimore II is a replica of a Baltimore Clipper topsail schooner and the only one of its kind in the world. She is 157 feet overall and has a sail area of 9,705 square feet. She represents Maryland and is considered the state’s Goodwill Ambassador. She has sailed nearly 200,000 miles and visited Read More
For many reasons, boat lovers and landlubbers love Nantucket. The well-known island 30 miles off the Massachusetts coast has great maritime history, picturesque scenery, unspoiled beaches, boutique shopping, a nice marina and seafood galore. It’s also home to a unique basketmaking tradition developed in the second half of the 19th century by manly men who Read More
I’ve never had much luck saltwater fishing. My first outing as a young boy was holding a handline over the side of my grandfather Pop Hunter’s motorboat in the shallow bay behind Alligator Point east of Apalachicola, Florida. Pop and my father were after redfish, and I wasn’t expected to catch anything. Sit and be Read More
Mornings at the home on 907 Whitehead Street in 1930s-era Key West were filled with the faint sounds of a pencil on paper or fingers flicking the keys on a Royal-brand typewriter. By early afternoon, this illustrious inhabitant had finished his work for the day, satisfied with the progress on his latest novel and went Read More
SINCE THE EARLY DAYS OF PIRATES, FISHERMEN AND SAILORS, sea voyages required not only skill and bravery but also the ability to balance the fine line between faith and fate. Humans have often tried to make sense of the unknown for comfort, so it’s only natural that seafarers concocted rituals to channel good luck for Read More
Resting at the bottom of our enigmatic ocean floor, thousands of shipwrecks hold stories deep-rooted in the world’s maritime past. From bloody wars and voyages to conquer the New World, to treasure quests and foreign trade, these battered relics leave behind a history of colonial exploration, expansion and the birth of nations. Our oceans hold Read More
When you think about Miami Beach, I seriously doubt avocados and elephants come to mind. Nightlife and models probably do. Art deco architecture might. Don Johnson might if you’re above a certain age. Luxury boats certainly should, because they are big business in South Florida. Companies that promote boating lifestyles from family fishing to yacht Read More
One of my fondest summer memories was back in the late 1960s when my brother and I took sailing lessons at Pelican Harbor in Miami’s Biscayne Bay. Our mom outfitted us in matching blue bathing suits and white Sperry canvas boat shoes. Boy, did we feel just like real sailors tacking and jibing around the Read More
Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially opened the St Lawrence Seaway on June 26, 1959 in a dedication ceremony near the harbor of Montreal, Canada. After some speeches, the two leaders boarded the royal yacht Britannia and sailed through one of the seaway’s new locks. According to on-site British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reporting, Read More
“All aboard on the glass bottom boat, it’s the greatest show that was ever afloat. Take a ride on the tide with the guide and see, the way out wonders of the deep blue sea.” Actress Doris Day sang these words in the 1966 MGM film entitled – no surprise – The Glass Bottom Boat. Read More