The History of the Mayflower The Pilgrim’s Voyage The History of the Mayflower We all know the name of the ship that carried the citizens of Plymouth Colony to Massachusetts in 1620, but the history is less known. The Mayflower was a Dutch fluyt cargo ship designed to hold a large amount of cargo. She was roughly 100 ft long and could carry almost 200 tons. Captain Christopher Jones chartered the Mayflower early in her career to carry cargo between England and Norway. Jones transported cargo such as wine, wool, hemp, and hops. The Journey In 1620, exiled Protestants from Europe hired Captain ..read more

We all know the name of the ship that carried the new citizens of the Plymouth Colony to Massachusetts in 1620, but not much else is known about the vessel. The Mayflower was a Dutch fluyt cargo ship designed to hold a large amount of cargo and was cheaper to build compared to warships of the 17th century. She was roughly 100 ft long and could carry almost 200 tons. While her location and building date remain unknown, records show that Captain Christopher Jones was a partial owner in 1609 and would be chartered to sail from London to Trondheim, Norway, and back to carry cargo such as wine, woo ..read more

Wash Woods is a ghost town located off the coast of the Atlantic in Virginia. Before being abandoned in the 1930s, the town’s legend states that it was founded by shipwreck survivors of the Atlantic Graveyard. It was named Wash Woods due to its location of constantly being washed away by storms and ocean water, leaving the small town secluded from the rest of the world. Even the area of Virginia where the town is located, known as False Cape, demonstrates the constant changing due to the weather. The town, seen today with remnants of a cemetery and church, was built by lumbar from wrecked shi ..read more

The Texas Revolution, from September 5, 1836, to April 12, 1836, is a historic tale of courage. The declaration from the Tornel Decree of the Mexican Congress stated that any foreigners going against President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna “will be deemed pirates and dealt with as such, being citizens of no nation presently at war with the Republic and fighting under no recognized flag”. While most of the battles were fought across southern Texas, the need for a naval army arose to combat the naval Mexican invasion as well as escort rebel ships containing volunteer soldiers and supplies from the ..read more

Many people have seen the figureheads on ships but may not know what a figurehead actually is and why they adorn the bows of many ancient ships. A figurehead is a large carved object displayed either on the bow or the stern of the ship and is used to classify which ship it was and would carry favor to those sailing with it. Mermaids, bawdy women, and creatures both mystical and powerful take the center stage when you see the ships approaching bow. Evidence from vessels discovered in Egypt, Greece, and the Polynesian Islands show that the concept of a patron symbol or deity is something that h ..read more

Captain James Cook was an explorer in the 1700s. During 1779, he had stopped at the Sandwich Islands, now the Hawaiian Islands. While the details of what happened during a skirmish with the native Hawaiians are highly debated, the result was the death of Captain Cook and several of his men. The poem below by John Rice paints a colorful portrait of one take on the events of that day. February 14, 1779 Captain Cook was killed today by people who loved him, in their way. On a beach in the Sandwich Isles where first he’d met with only smiles, they clubbed him down – his back was turned, he never s ..read more

When I entered the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1976, I was 6’ 3” and weighed less than 170 pounds – eating was a passion. When I went to sea eighteen months later, I quickly learned to make friends with the cook and the entire steward’s department, because eating was still my favorite pastime. My second and favorite ship, the Adventurer, was an especially good feeder. American Export Lines was the only U.S. shipping company at the time to have an in-house union. Other companies drew from the national unions with thousands of members, so they frequently didn’t know their fellow sailors ..read more

After four stories about my life at sea as a midshipman from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a bit of background about that fine school might be in order. The purpose of the school was (and still is) to provide the country a highly trained group of officers who could lead the American merchant fleet in times of war. Often called the “Fourth Arm of Defense” after the Army, Navy, and Airforce, a merchant fleet that can integrate quickly into a support role for the military is considered essential to national security. To that end, the U.S. government provides subsidy funds to companies that bu ..read more

People who take to the sea During my second and third years at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1974-75), I spent twelve months at sea on various U.S. flag merchant ships.  I’ve written three stories about the Captain of the second of those ships – the SS Export Adventurer.  As important as he was to me at 19 years of age (and ever since), others also went out of their way to help during that year. On my third ship, SS Washington of the of U.S. lines, we sailed from California to a number of destinations around the Pacific. The second mate on that ship was half Japanese, half Korean ..read more

Cenac Towing Company is one of the great American success stories in the history of the marine transportation industry. For three generations, the family-run company became the premier towing and barge carrier for the oil and gas industry along the Gulf Coast and throughout the Mississippi River Valley and the Intracoastal Waterway. Its dedication to customer service, performance excellence, and technological advancements in tugboats, pushboats, and tank barges speaks to the fundamental principles of the “Cenac Way” of doing business. This business philosophy embodies the highest standard ..read more