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Oct - 2023 -
13 October
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Did you know there are ships named after college football teams?

During the past century, hundreds of ships in the U.S. merchant marine have been named after colleges and their football teams.

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Sep - 2023 -
28 September
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: Ships of concrete

The U.S. government at the start of World War I looked to concrete vessel hulls to counter severe steel shortages when the country entered the war.

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01 September
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: 150 years of refrigeration

Today’s refrigeration systems in transportation are extremely sophisticated, rooted in a history that reaches back nearly 150 years.

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Apr - 2023 -
06 April
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: Daniel K. Ludwig — father of the supertanker

American shipping magnate believed in efficiency and economies of scale in operating the world’s largest ships.

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Jan - 2023 -
04 January
Captain James McNamara, contributor

The evolution of car carriers

As cars gained popularity, ships were converted and built specifically for transporting vehicles overseas.

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Dec - 2022 -
21 December
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: When US intercoastal lumber trade floated fleets

By the start of the 1900s, about 40 U.S.-flag ships were operated by the country’s lumber titans, proving to the industry at the time that marine transport was more efficient than rail.

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Nov - 2022 -
18 November
Captain James McNamara, contributor

United States Lines enjoyed its share of glory years

FreightWaves Classics examines storied ocean carrier U.S. Lines, which was persistent in its desire to operate a successful cargo ship named the American Shipper.

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09 November
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Misdeclared cargo and the fabled Rock Island Line

Cargo misdeclaration may save a shipper money on freight rates, but this underhanded act threatens the lives of those who provide the transportation.

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Feb - 2021 -
01 February
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: Pioneering LNG carriers

Though maritime shipments of LNG are routine today, it was only 62 years ago that the first shipment of LNG occurred.

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Oct - 2020 -
27 October
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: ‘Jumboized’ T-2 tankers

How former World War II-built American tankers became the bulwark of international commercial oil transport in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Aug - 2020 -
26 August
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: Beirut blast echoes Texas City catastrophe

The recent death and destruction at the Port of Beirut from ammonium nitrate reminds us that continued carelessness with handling this substance dooms us to repeat history.

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Jun - 2020 -
26 June
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Bay of Pigs invasion fleet was no match for Castro

The Cuban invasion force was to land under the cover of night to begin a counter-revolution against Cuba’s communist government, but the operation unraveled in hours as the invasion fleet floundered in the Bay of Pigs.

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Apr - 2020 -
01 April
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: America’s hospital ships

The Comfort and Mercy, now assisting America through the COVID-19 pandemic, started as crude oil tankers.

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Mar - 2020 -
25 March
Feb - 2020 -
Jan - 2020 -
30 January
Dec - 2019 -
25 December
Oct - 2019 -
29 October
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: Waterman Steamship Co. at 100

Of the 200 U.S.-flag shipping companies that were formed after World War I, only one remains in operation today.

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Sep - 2019 -
30 September
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: The China trade 1784 to today

For 235 years China and the U.S. have sought out each other’s markets by utilizing their fleets of merchant ships.

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02 September
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: The father of integrated shipping

If Sea-Land founder Malcom McLean is recognized as the “father of container shipping,” then surely Charles Morgan should be deemed the “father of integrated shipping” since he was the first […]

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Jul - 2019 -
05 July
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: The Cuban rail ferries

The Florida East Coast Railroad’s ships ran a regular and profitable service from 1915 to 1940.

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May - 2019 -
01 May
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: A special National Maritime Day

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the first steamship to sail across the Atlantic.

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Jan - 2019 -
24 January
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: Nuclear Liberty ship scrapped

The Sturgis proved that a floating nuclear power plant was not only possible but practical and safe.

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Nov - 2018 -
02 November
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: A pioneering containership

The S.S. Fairland had a storied career before being converted for commercial operations.

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Sep - 2018 -
26 September
Captain James McNamara, contributor

Maritime History Notes: Last American passenger ships

The scrapping of sister passenger- and cargo-carrying vessels marked the end of an era.

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Aug - 2018 -