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Sea Stories

Trashy Day at Salmon Creek

January 12, 2018 by sergneri 1 Comment

Today was a lovely day between rain storms. A quick call to my friend Jeff and we decided to meet up at Salmon Creek Beach South to pick trash for a couple of hours. When we arrived at 13:30 it was calm with a misty sun, high tide was at 14:00, about 4 feet, which … [Read more…]

Posted in: Faits Divers, Sea Stories, Thinking about

AFLOAT AND ASHORE

June 17, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Sonoma Democrat, 12 November 1857 AFLOAT AND ASHORE. — It was feared in San Francisco last week (in which fears we truly shared) that Frank Sonle, Esp., had been lost in the brig J. B. Brown, which was wrecked at the mouth of the Albion river a short time ago. Happily, however, he turned up … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Sea Stories Tagged: 1857, Albion river, Bodega, brig J. B. Brown, California, Petaluma, San Francisco, Sonoma County

Lone sailor, 73, rescued by QM2

June 11, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

From the Guardian, a nice sea story: Lone sailor, 73, rescued by Queen Mary 2 liner in north Atlantic storm QM2

Posted in: Faits Divers, Sea Stories Tagged: Halifax Canada, Mervyn Wheatley, Ostar, QM2, Queen Mary 2, Royal Western Yacht Club, RWYC, Tamarind

THE PILOT RECOVERED.

June 10, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Sonoma Democrat > 19 November 1857 THE PILOT RECOVERED. Truth is often stranger than fiction. The following thrilling incident, related with admirable spirit, is taken from the Newburyport Journal : The day of miracles is past — so it has, and let it go; but so long as Michael Stephens, Jr., shall live, we shall … [Read more…]

Posted in: California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Sea Stories Tagged: Man Overboard, Newburyport Journal, Portland Maine, Sea Story, The Sea

Frequently Beastly Drunk

June 9, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Well, I’ll be dimmed, who’d have thought that things like this would be happening on the open sea? In my brief 5 years on the main, I swear things like this never happened! SONOMA DEMOCRAT 19 November 1857 The P.M.S.S. Company. Give it to ’em.— The following from the Morning Call, gives a rather deplorable … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Sea Stories, Thinking about Tagged: abusive, beastly drunk, California, courtezans, deplorable morals, pregnant with profligacy, revolting indecencies, Steamer John L Stephens

Loss of the Steamship Central America

May 14, 2017 by sergneri 2 Comments

Sonoma Democrat > 29 October 1857 Arrival of the Steamer Panama. Two Weeks Later from the Atlantic States. Terrible Shipwreck and Loss of Lives! The mail steamship Panama, arrived at San Francisco on Thursday last, bringing the news of one of the most heartrending disasters that has ever taken place on our Coast, in the … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Sea Stories Tagged: Cape Hatteras, Charleston, Panama, Savannah, Ship Wreck

Saga of the VERNA A II

May 3, 2017 by sergneri 4 Comments

On September 11, 2016, our local newspaper published an article on the misadventures of the VERNA A II, a 56 foot fishing boat out of Fort Bragg, California. The article caught my fancy. A few days later, September 13, 2016, slightly more amusing article was published due to the efforts of its owner, Roy Underwood, … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, Faits Divers, History, Sea Stories, Thinking about Tagged: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, Aleutian Storm, Bodega Bay, California, Fort Bragg, Press Democrat, Salmon Creek Beach, Sonoma Beach State Park, Sonoma County, Underwood, Verna A II

Piromusical 1995

March 14, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

After Saturday night’s festivities at El Correfoc we were wondering what would be in store for us on Sunday. The newspaper had a listing for a “Piromusical” at a large square at the base of the National Palace around Montjuic Fountain. The site was ready made for public displays with the Palace standing on a … [Read more…]

Posted in: Faits Divers, Sea Stories, Thinking about Tagged: Bengalas, confetti, mines, Montjuic, mortars, Piromusical, Pyrotechnics, Pyrotechnics Guild International, rocket racks, salutes

La Merce

March 13, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

La Merce – Fireworks in Barcelona the last weekend in September. In 1995, wife and I took a three-week trip to Spain and France. When planning the trip I looked for festivals  that may occur in areas around our planned stops. In Fodor’s Spain 1995,  in the sections on festivals, only one festival appeared to … [Read more…]

Posted in: Faits Divers, Sea Stories, Thinking about Tagged: 1995, Barcelona, Carretilla, Catalunya, Diablo, Drac, El Correfoc, Festival, fireworks, La Merce, Las Colles, Maco, Pirotechnica, Spain

ALONG THE WHARVES.

February 18, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Daily Alta California, 18 February 1877 The yacht “Minnie” is on the beach at the foot of Mason street cleaning. The bark “Tenby Castle” goes up to Vallejo City to-morrow, to load wheat for Cork. The schooner “Jessie Nickerson” sailed from Eureka on the 11th instant, for Tahiti. The bark “David Hoadley ” was towed … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Sea Stories, This Day in History Tagged: Batavia, Hongkong, maritime, Mason street, San Francisco, Smuggling, Sumatra
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