Beyond the Horizon

BEYOND THE HORIZON

June2026 BOAT NEWS Bob Hicks, publisher of MESSING ABOUT IN BOATS, where this blog originated as OVER THE HORIZON, passed away recently. The magazine was one of the last printed editions dedicated to small boating and those of us who like to mess around. Bob was a mainstay in journalism, a friend, and a man of importance. He…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

May 2026 S.D. “Doc” Regan SEA NEWS Steve Thomas researched and wrote a fascinating book, THE LAST NAVIGATOR, about a master Micronesian man who could sail hundreds of miles between islands without any technology and using only his long-taught skills from elders who passed down sailing knowledge for over 2,500 years. A thousand years before…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

April 2026 Stephen D. (Doc) Regan, Publisher INLAND WATERWAYS Gentle on My Mind, written by the great songster John Hartford, owned and operated the JULIA BELLE SWAIN on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers until he sold it prior to his death, leaving the last paddle wheeler built by the Dubuque Boat and Boiler Works to rusticate…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

Stephen D. (Doc) Regan March 2026 \ SEA NEWS AXIOMA, a 236-foot super luxury yacht replete with 3-D movie room and infinity pool, was built for meager $400 million as a toy for Russian Oligarch Dmitry Pumpyanskiy who is close to President Vlad Putin. Since he did not have $400 million in cash, he received a…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

February 2026 Stephen D. (Doc) Regan, Ed.D. GRAY FLEET I can’t make this up. President Trump has decided that he wants a series of Trump-class battleships to be built that will project our image and provide significant warfare capabilities. Unfortunately, this ship will never sail. The cost of building this mega-ship for the Golden Fleet…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

January 20026 INLAND WATERWAYS INLAND WATERWAYS Sitting in snow after two blizzards, it is hard to comprehend that the Missouri River is very low impeding tows and forcing barges to be half full. By adjusting the Gavin’s Point Dam near Yankton, SD, the Army Corps of Engineers can regulate flow; however, tow companies are pointing…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

December 2025 GRAY FLEET Rachel Riley, recently a major DOGE figure, moved to Chief of Naval Research replacing VADM Kurt Rothenhaus who shifted to Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, an alignment that has many in the Navy grinding their teeth. A sizable number of Gold Braids complained that Riley has no knowledge of the Navy,…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

BEYOND THE HORIZONNovember 2025 CRUISE NEWS Pacific Princess aka LOVE BOAT The PACIFIC PRINCESS that served as the stage for the TV hit THE LOVE BOAT has been junked for scrap. A lovely cruise ship that, perhaps, became the most beloved cruise vessel simply died of old age. CARNIVAL LEGEND made an unexpected stop at Acapulco Mexico when storms prevented…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

October 2025 BEYOND THE HORIZON October 2025 COAST GUARD The Coast Guard stemmed two leaking oil pipes in San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico, through the usage of divers, auto-crawling cameras to map the structure, inflatable plugs to stop the flow, capturing spillage, and capping and sealing further issues. This response using highly technical equipment verifies…

BEYOND THE HORIZON

September 2025 SEA NEWS If you have not spent too much time on the computer tracking ships on www.marinetraffic.com then you are in for a treat because every single vessel from a pleasure craft to the largest cruise liner or freighter is shown exactly where it is according to their AIS, and if you touch on the ship…