Soundings Editors

Blackbeard and other pirates may have been social reformers and opponents to King George well before the American Revolution took place.

Working from speeding boats and helicopters, the Italian Coast Guard uses Newfoundland dogs to rescue people from the water. READ

It may not be one of the two actual Boeing 747-200B/VC-25 jets that are known as Air Force One when President Trump is onboard, but a replica of the famous aircraft this week created quite a sight as it was floated from Narragansett Bay to the Potomac River near Washington, DC.

Image: Onne van der Wal

Most of our scariest moments are in marinas, but ours was in the Gulf of Mannar, between Sri Lanka and India — 10 days, two with very high winds, 35 knots, high seas on the beam.

Voyaging past the dry deserts of Chile to the green forests of northern Patagonia to the wind-ravaged islands of south Patagonia puts everything in proper perspective. We are merely insignificant visitors in a vast and beautiful world.

Elizabeth (Tiedemann) duPont got her first taste of the sea while in her early 20s off Newport, Rhode Island, watching the final race of the 1983 America’s Cup from an 85-foot spectator boat.

If you live in an area where boating has a cold off-season, there’s no better place than the Miami International Boat Show to shake off the winter blues. The event kicks off Feb. 15 on Virginia Key and runs through Feb. 19.

Test your knowledge with these Coast Guard license exam prep questions from the National Captain’s Institute captains.com

Lucky John England. The former master shipwright at Rockport Marine, in Rockport, Maine, England has probably never worked on an ugly boat.

Built in 1889, the traditional Chesapeake Bay sailing bugeye Edna E. Lockwood is getting a fresh lease on life at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland, where shipwrights are installing a new handcrafted log bottom hewn from 12 loblolly pine logs. This video has the latest on the restoration

Launched in 1888, Fremad II is an English-built fishing boat currently undergoing a complete restoration at Hardanger Ship Preservation Center in Vågå, Norway. This video shows a shipwright using a mix of traditional and modern tools to handcraft a curved plank for Fremad II’s stern.

Frigid temperatures in December and early January cooled Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico waters to such an extent that hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles washed up on shore. This video has more on how humans are helping the animals recover.

A single oyster can filter 50 gallons of water in a day, making the tasty bivalves a critical link in improving water quality in Chesapeake Bay.

Images

Coral reefs are more than just pretty underwater seascapes for divers to enjoy. They also provide vast habitats that support commercial and recreational fishing in the United States to the tune of more than $100 million. This video explains why. WATCH

Boatbuilders today are outfitting a vast array of boats traditionally powered by inboard engines with outboards. Enjoy this quick video peek at eight new models with outboard power onboard. WATCH

Rimas Meleshyus was rescued in October after 137 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean. It wasn’t the first time he’s been rescued. This video has more. WATCH.

If you’ve ever met Billy Black, you know he loves his work. A welcome presence at boat shows and industry events, Black is seldom seen without a beaming smile on his face.

We got an inside look at the ongoing recovery efforts in the British Virgin Islands. This video shows what’s happening. WATCH

Photos by: Rachel Dowd

Watch as scientists survey the Pacific Ocean sea floor around the Channel Islands and discover the haunting skeletal remains of a whale. WATCH.

For residents of Chesapeake Bay, October is more than just the month to celebrate Halloween — it also marks the start of the annual oyster harvest. Watch as watermen get a jump on the season by scuba diving for these tasty bivalves. WATCH.

Cabot Lyman moved to Thomaston, Maine, from Vermont in 1978 with a plan to become a boatbuilder. Lyman was  looking for space to rent, Morse Boatbuilding was struggling, and it wasn’t long before the two joined forces as  Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding.