Sea History

05/10/2026

As we get ready for the first Sail250 port (New Orleans, starting May 28th), we found this gem from 1975, "the road to '76."
"And that's the way it is..." —Walter Cronkite.

"CBS Evening News" delivers the day's most important stories, delivering context and depth to bring greater understanding to your world. Check local listings...

05/06/2026

Join us Thursday evening (7PM EST) for the NMHS monthly seminar. Tonight's presenter is artist Russ Kramer, whose painting, BIRTHPLACE OF THE US COAST GUARD, was recently dedicated at the Massachusetts State House. It was also the cover image on the Spring issue of SEA HISTORY (thanks Russ!). Russ is a phenomenal artist and a dynamic speaker. The presentation is free, but you'll need to register in advance. Not too late! Click the link below.

Russ Kramer's Coast Guard mural at the Massachusetts State House is the subject of our May First Thursday Seminar. Register to join live on Zoom.

04/10/2026

Pretty excited to share that the ARTEMIS II Mission Specialist in space at this very moment was the focus of an article we ran in SEA HISTORY in 2017, when she was reflecting on her experience in a sail training program aboard the Galveston barque ELISSA. Here is her quote from that article: “Many elements that are important in astronaut training—things like being part of an integrated crew, sharing a working and living space, self-sufficiency, and focus on technical performance while communicating effectively—are also important when working aboard a ship like the ELISSA. It is interesting to me to think about how skills relevant to one of the world’s earliest forms of exploration may be applicable to our current goals for space exploration.” —Christina Koch

You can read that article on pages 20–22 of SEA HISTORY 160, online at https://issuu.com/seahistory/docs/sh_160_autumn-2017/24. In the photo—below left—Christina Koch is on the right, in the gray t-shirt, along with NASA colleagues Mary Lawrence (at left) and Megan McArthur (middle). In the ARTEMIS II photo are Christina Koch (left), Reid Wiseman (seated in the middle), Victor Glover (standing, rear), and Jeremy Hansen (seated, right).

04/09/2026

Join us for tonight's NMHS monthly seminar (via Zoom.... free!). We'll be treated to a presentation by author/sailor/designer Will Sofrin, who will be discussing the topic of his latest book about the USCGC EAGLE. You'll see photos and footage rarely seen by the public and learn aspects of the storied barque's history you probably have never heard about. Again, it is free to all who want to participate, but you'll need to register first at https://seahistory.org/first-thursdays-seminar-series-uscg-cutter-eagle/. See you tonight!

Join NMHS for a First Thursdays seminar with Will Sofrin on the history of USCGC Eagle, also featured in the Spring 2026 issue of Sea History.

04/03/2026

Congratulations to the Wood Island Life Saving Station Association for being recognized by Maine Preservation with the 2026 Maine Preservation Honor Award. It was only in 2012 that the life saving station was included by the same organization on its list of Most Endangered Historic Places. This 6 minute and 41 second YouTube video shows the history and remarkable work that has been done on the island by many individuals, local businesses, and groups.

Once named one of Maine Preservation’s Most Endangered Historic Places in 2012, this video features the Wood Island Life Saving Station in Kittery Point, Mai...

03/30/2026

The news from the maritime sector in 2026 is more relevant to everyday Americans than it has been in recent memory. To help us navigate what is happening in the world and how maritime activity is influenced by and affects current events, I can think of no better resource than Sal Mercogliano's YouTube posts on his channel "What's Going On With Shipping" at https://www.youtube.com/. Sal is a former licensed merchant mariner, an alum of SUNY Maritime College, a PhD and college professor of history, and an expert on both maritime history and current events as they relate to the maritime sector. Disclaimer: he is also a trustee of the National Maritime Historical Society and an advisor to SEA HISTORY. If you have not already done so, you can check it out at the link above.

What's Going on With Shipping focuses on Maritime Industry Policy, and current events in the Maritime Sector, along with Maritime History. The channel features videos that examine the world's merchant marines, the international maritime sector, current events in the maritime trade, and history. You....

03/07/2026

NMHS members: expect the Spring issue of SEA HISTORY in your mailbox this week. In it is an excerpt from Will Sofrin's soon-to-be-released book on the history of the USCGC EAGLE. In this article, you can read about when USCG Commander Gordon McGowan first arrived in Bremerhaven, Germany, after the end of WW2 to take command of the Kriegsmarine training ship HORST WESSEL, and what it took for him to ready her for the transAtlantic in a region decimated by war. There are some rarely-seen photographs of this chapter in the storied ship's history you won't want to miss.

If you are not currently a member of the National Maritime Historical Society, you can purchase this issue at most Barnes & Noble bookstores, or—even better—JOIN NMHS! It is easy to do at https://seahistory.org/join-sea-history/. You'll get SEA HISTORY delivered straight to your mailbox 4X per year and be supporting our efforts to preserve and promote our maritime heritage. None of this happens for free, and if you enjoy reading about maritime history, we could use your support.

03/05/2026

Don't miss tonight's (FREE) online presentation by maritime historian and author Lincoln Paine at 7PM (ET). Lincoln's books include THE SEA AND CIVILIZATION: A MARITIME HISTORY OF THE WORLD; DOWN EAST: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF MARITIME MAINE; and SHIPS OF THE WORLD: AN HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA. He is a visiting scholar at the Center for Coastal and Oceans Law at the University of Maine School of Law and currently serves as president of NASOH, the North American Society for Oceanic History. He is even a former editor of SEA HISTORY! The seminar is free to all, but you have to register first. See link below for further information and to register.

Join NMHS for First Thursdays with maritime historian Lincoln Paine on Indigenous maritime enterprise and its role in shaping the United States.

02/02/2026

Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the crew of the Gloucester fishing vessel LILY JEAN. Shipmates all.

01/12/2026

In the winter issue of SEA HISTORY, we ran an article on efforts in Camden, NJ, to expose local residents to the natural environment around them that they might not realize is so accessible and efforts to clean up local rivers and engage the city's youth in programs that take them out on the water... in boats they build themselves. John Brady sent us this YouTube short video discussing this very topic with Jim Cummings, the man who started these programs. Video is below. I will post a link to the article in the comments section.

Camden, New Jersey's Cooper River is an educational resource.