Free Republic

A report for Iran International has revealed that American forces involved in Operation Epic Fury notified an Iranian warship twice that an attack was impending and advised the Iranian sailors to abandon the vessel, the outlet published on Saturday.An Iranian sailor who was killed when the warship Dena was struck by the US near Sri Lanka had called his father shortly beforehand, saying American forces had issued two warnings for the crew to abandon the vessel, a source close to the family told Iran International.The Iranian navy warship's commander refused to allow the crew to abandon Dena despite the imminent...

Amid rising tensions in the region, a second Iranian ship has sought assistance from Sri Lanka, while 208 sailors are expected to be brought to Colombo following distress calls in the Indian Ocean. Reports say another vessel is currently near Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, raising security and humanitarian concerns.

Stena Bulk has confirmed that a commercial vessel hit in an Iranian missile attack in Bahrain early on Monday was one of its own ships, known to be in the employ of the US Navy. TradeWinds reported that the vessel hit in the strike that left one Asian maritime worker dead and two seriously injured, could be the US-flagged, 49,800-dwt Stena Imperative (built 2016).

US special forces raided a cargo ship travelling from China to Iran in November that was allegedly transporting "dual-use military technology," according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Friday.Citing unnamed US officials, the WSJ revealed that a special operations team boarded the ship several hundred miles from Sri Lanka and seized the cargo, which was described as “dual-use components that could be used either for civilian applications or to make conventional weapons."Image source: US Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class William FarmerieThe ship's name, its owner, and the flag under which it was sailing...

A fiber-optic cable survey of the lake from Buffalo to Toronto alerted experts to an anomaly sitting on the lakebed, leading experts to surmise it could be the Rapid City vessel, an 1884-built schooner lost in 1917.Now, though, they don't think it can be that recent a wreckage.James Conolly, Trent University archaeologist and diver, said there were features that just weren't common for ships built after 1850, a period that experienced a bit of a technological leap for Great Lakes ships. Post-1850s ships had metal rigging, whereas the one found is rope-rigged. "It immediately puts it into, likely, the first...

MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — Two people were hospitalized after being injured during a fight on a cruise ship. WSVN reported that the fight happened on Monday aboard the Royal Caribbean's "Wonder of the Seas." According to WSVN, the altercation began with a verbal argument that escalated into a physical confrontation. Because of the situation, the cruise ship made an unscheduled return to port in Miami. The cruise line stated that they provided medical assistance to the injured passengers with minor injuries until they could be taken to a hospital. At this time, the cause of the fight is still unknown,...

On Monday night, a major explosion and fire occurred aboard a bulker in the Port of Baltimore's inner harbor, three miles from the site of the former Francis Scott Key Bridge. At 1830 hours local time, the vessel W Sapphire (IMO 9605645) was departing the CSX Curtis Bay coal pier in laden condition. Just off the dock, the vessel sustained a massive explosion in the forward hold, followed by a fire. A web cam operated by StreamTime captured video of the event, with some of the elements of the Key Bridge visible in the background. Multiple firefighting vessels responded immediately...

The ship that carried Captain James Cook to Australia more than 250 years ago has been found off the coast of Rhode Island, according to a new report by the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM). Known for being the first European vessel to reach eastern Australia between 1768 and 1771, HMS Endeavour was later sold, renamed Lord Sandwich, and repurposed during the American War of Independence. In 1778, the ship was deliberately scuttled by British forces in Newport Harbour, Rhode Island, along with a dozen other vessels, in an effort to block advancing American and French forces. It has remained...

The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. Smoke was initially seen coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to a Wednesday statement from the ship’s management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas.

In a dramatic video posted to Facebook, dozens of cruise-goers erupted in a brawl that went viral on social media. In the cinematic clip, passengers can be seen fistfighting and throwing luggage as others desperately attempt to escape the chaos. For context, cruise ship brawls have become a common sight as lines slash prices and offer large quantities of alcohol to attract patrons. Often, these unruly passengers are banned from subsequent cruises due to their poor behavior. In any case, the dramatic incident was posted to Facebook on April 26, 2025. Trelle Ray, who captured the disgraceful brawl, added her...

A woman who lives on a cruise for free for half the year has revealed all the perks that come with it – and the one “weird” thing she can’t do. Christine Kesteloo, who is originally from the US and lives in the Netherlands when she’s not sailing, has visited a whopping 109 countries and counting. The 44-year-old doesn’t cook, clean, make her bed, do laundry or pay for food, and it’s all thanks to her husband Pete’s role as a chief engineer for the Holland America Line cruise company. Christine, who documents her life at sea for her almost...

More than 200 people aboard a still-at-sea Cunard Line cruise bound for New York, including members of the crew, contracted norovirus in the latest cruise ship outbreak of the nasty stomach bug. Of the 2,538 guests on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, 224 reported getting ill on the current voyage along with 17 crew members, this month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cruise departed from Southampton, England on March 8 to set out for New York and later the Caribbean. The entire journey, however, doesn’t conclude until April 6, leaving the rest of the guests stuck...

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that in 2026, congressional Republicans “will feel like rats on a sinking ship.” Host Kristen Welker said, “Some Democrats are saying they want leadership to show more fight in this moment. They think that’s what’s required and you were instrumental in urging President Biden out of the 2024 race when he wasn’t convinced. I’ve had conversations with Democrats who says this moment feels similar. Are you making the same mistake that President Biden did?”

Vladimir Putin unleashed a missile strike to 'sink' a cargo ship amid unconfirmed Russian claims it was carrying British weapons for use by Ukraine. Two Iskander-M ballistic missiles hit the Panama-flagged container ship MSC LEVANTE F - reportedly Swiss-owned - soon after it arrived in Odesa on March 1, after making a stop in Turkey. Two port workers were believed to have been wounded in the strike, which also damaged infrastructure, Ukrainian reports said. The report of the attack comes as British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer today hosts Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders to discuss the future of...

A newly minted and massive Iranian drone carrier was captured in new satellite images sailing in the Persian Gulf this week — the ship’s first reported sighting since leaving its home port for the first time in mid-November. The satellite images taken Thursday by commercial operator Maxar Technologies shows three Iranian drone ships in the waters off the country’s coast as theories have swirled in the US that Iran could be behind the mysterious drone sightings across the tri-state area, according to Business Insider. Iran’s new carrier — the Shahid Bagheri — is a converted shipping container that was outfitted...

A German military helicopter was fired upon by a Russian ship in the Baltic Sea, the latest escalation in tensions between Moscow and the West, a report in German media states. A Bundeswehr (Federal German armed forces) helicopter was shot at by a Russian ship in the Baltic Sea with a signalling flare, the German Press Agency (DPA) has said. When this event is alleged to have taken place has not been made clear, but Deutsche Welle states the Russian ship responsible for the dangerous act was a “tanker”. A signal flare launcher is generally a gun in the conventional...

Yemen’s Houthi rebel forces launched two missile attacks on the Panama-flagged Turkish cargo vessel Anadolu S within 24 hours in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The ship’s crew survived both attacks unscathed.

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A New Zealand navy ship carrying 75 crew members and passengers caught fire and sank off Samoa, but all on board are safe, the New Zealand Defence Force said on Sunday.The Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu Island in Samoa while conducting a reef survey.Videos shared on social media show thick plumes of grey smoke rising after the vessel, which cost the New Zealand government over NZ$100m (US$63m), ran aground.

A New Zealand Navy vessel has run aground in Samoa while surveying a reef. Passengers and crew aboard a New Zealand navy ship have been dramatically rescued after their vessel ran aground off the coast of Samoa in the South Pacific, caught fire and sunk. According to the NZ defence force, HMNZS Manawanui first got into trouble at about 6:45pm on Saturday while it was conducting a hydrographic survey just one nautical mile from the shore of the island country. The exact cause of the grounding remains unknown, but it is understood the ship collided with the reef. The 75...