A new study finds that the Greenland shark, which is about 15 feet long and not a pretty beast under anybody’s definition, lives for about 400 years – plus or minus about 120 years – but who’s counting. Either way, they’re the longest-lived vertebrate by a long shot. These predators only grow by about a centimeter a year, so in the past researchers have had trouble tracking their age. Here’s how they’ve come up with some answers: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/08/greenland-shark-may-live-400-years-smashing-longevity-record

The 545-foot long Windoc, a wheat carrier, was half way through Welland Canal Bridge 11 in Ontario, Canada, at 5 knots when the lift bridge suddenly descended – wiping out the wheelhouse and setting off a fire on board. Here’s an incredible video of the accident, one of the most dramatic I’ve ever seen, plus a government report on the whole affair. It’s hard to believe that no one was killed. https://gcaptain.com/windoc-incident-photos-video-tsb-report/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.com%29

In the past, the fabled Northwest Passage connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific across the top of Canada has been one of the most dangerous spots on earth. Some of the world’s most experienced explorers and sea captains (and their crews) have perished there, most famously Sir John Franklin, a British naval hero, who left England in 1845 to explore the passage with two ships and 128 men; they were never seen again. Five years ago my friend and former NBC documentary producer Sprague Theobald tackled the passage on his Nordhavn 57, cruising 8,500 miles from Newport, RI, to Seattle…

Stein Hoff, 70, started rowing his 24-foot boat in New York on May 15, heading for England – all by himself. He almost made it, but after 84 days at sea he was hit by a terrible storm and set off his EPIRB. Fortunately, the British Coast Guard got the signal and asked a bulk carrier near Hoff to pick him up. The rescue wasn’t easy, but he’s now safe. No word yet on whether he’ll try again… http://www.ybw.com/news-from-yachting-boating-world/stein-hoff-70-norwegian-solo-transatlantic-row-20184