Free Republic

A massive Mexican navy tall ship making a festive visit to New York slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge late Saturday — toppling one of its huge masts into the deck in a horrifying scene that left multiple crew members seriously injured, according to fire officials and sources. A search and rescue operation was underway to pull people out of the water after one of the towering 147-foot masts on the Cuauhtémoc — which has a crew of 277 — collided with the bridge’s road deck just before 9 p.m., ... Video of the scene shows a high mast slamming the...

A replica of an 18th century French warship has set sail from France for the United States.

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — The Coast Guard says a woman who was rescued in the Atlantic after abandoning ship in rough weather churned up by Hurricane Sandy has died. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert says 42-year-old Claudene Christian was unresponsive when she was pulled from the water Monday evening and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Fourteen other crew members were rescued from the HMS Bounty, a replica 18th-century sailing vessel that was originally built for the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" and was featured in several other films over the years. The Coast Guard...

U.S. Coast Guard Tall Ship Eagle If you've ever wanted to tour a tall ship, now is your chance. Starting Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard will sponsor free tours of the only square-rigged sailing ship in the U.S. fleet when it docks in Astoria at the Maritime Museum, 1792 Marine Drive. The tall ship Eagle, also known as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle, has been under way for the past two months, serving as a hands-on classroom for Coast Guard cadets at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. According to Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Adam...