The Burning of the Steamship Caroline: A Night on the Niagara and Its Lasting Consequences On a cold, moonlit night in late December 1837, the American side-wheel steamship Caroline was set ablaze and sent over Niagara Falls. The vessel, ablaze from stem to stern, became a dramatic symbol of a border conflict that had begun … Read more

Igloo Glide 110-Quart Wheeled Cooler — Smooth Transport and Long Ice Retention The Igloo Glide is a 110-quart wheeled cooler designed to make hauling large loads easier for one person. Equipped with a telescoping handle that locks into place, the Glide gives users a mechanical advantage that reduces effort when rolling a fully loaded cooler. … Read more

WATCH DOG The Coast Guard cutter Ridley, a patrol boat home-ported in Montauk, New York, maintained a visible security presence in the East River on Sept. 20 while the United Nations General Assembly met in the city. A permanent security zone has been in place since Sept. 11, 2001, restricting vessel traffic within 175 yards … Read more

Spitsbergen, now commonly called Svalbard, lies between the Greenland Sea, the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean, roughly halfway between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole. This remote Arctic archipelago is characterized by sweeping glaciers that cover about 60 percent of its land, rugged tundra, and a wildlife population that includes polar bears, Svalbard … Read more

ANMM Presents New Evidence Claiming HMS Endeavour Wreck Found in Newport Harbor Last year, the director of the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) announced that the shipwreck remains discovered in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, in February 2022 were those of the historic HMS Endeavour. That initial conclusion was met with skepticism from local experts affiliated … Read more

Armstrong Nautical RIB Ladder — Safe, Easy Boarding for Inflatable and Rigid Inflatable Boats Boarding a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) or inflatable dinghy can be easier, safer and more reliable with the Armstrong Nautical Products RIB Ladder. Recognized with the 2009 DAME Design Award for Life Saving and Safety Equipment, this ladder is designed for … Read more

Mr. T: A Loggerhead Sea Turtle Released from The Turtle Hospital and Tracked Across the Florida Coast On May 7, 2019, The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida Keys released an adult male loggerhead sea turtle named Mr. T back into the Atlantic at Sombrero Beach. Rescued earlier that year in February, he required surgery to … Read more

When I first walked into the waterfront offices on North Cove in Essex, Connecticut, so many years ago, Soundings truly lived up to its old tagline: “The Nation’s Boating Newspaper.” The newsroom was a different world — reporters tapping out copy on typewriters, cigarette packs on desks, and a slower, more deliberate rhythm to the … Read more

New Kid on the Block Coast Guard Station New London, Conn., recently welcomed a new 45-foot response boat at a formal handover and response boat ceremony held on Oct. 28. The vessel, showcased to attendees by a Station New London boat crew, is the first of its kind delivered to replace the station’s aging 41-foot … Read more

Designing Fuel-Efficient Boats: Lighter Builds, Smarter Engineering, and Better Propulsion At a 2007 boatbuilders’ conference, naval architect Lou Codega argued that boats should be designed to operate more efficiently and burn less fuel. His message was straightforward: build lighter hulls, pare back unnecessary accommodations, and adopt modern propulsion systems. The presentation was well received, but … Read more