Top all-time · #6123
Rick Spilman
Personal blog · oldsaltblog.comhistoryculture
Rick Spilman's personal blog at oldsaltblog.com covers history and culture. Since 2014, 13 different Hacker News readers have linked it 16 times. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-09-22, and you can follow it by feed.
Too few sampled comments (8) to say how often HN recommends it.?
Why HN links it
HN readers link this blog for posts on naval and maritime history, warships, shipbuilding, and seafaring, such as the Apex boats at Operation Dragoon and the USS Thresher documents. Comments cite it as supporting background.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 8 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
a virtual port of call for all those who love the sea , hosted by nautical novelist Rick Spilman
What Hacker News says?
> Engineered wood indeed creates elements from imperfect timber that are free from defects and exhibit the same engineering properties, if not better. Tangent - some research from the '60s that shows the impact of the computer age on the timber industry: CROMAX - A Crosscut First Computer Simulation Program to Determine Cutting Yield (1963) https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA134223.pdf Development of a Computer Met…
Comment linking /2020/11/constitution-grove-the-navys-white-oak-forest-on-a-high-tech-base/
on “Old vs. new growth trees and the wood products they make”Submitted Constitution Grove – the Navy’s White Oak Forest on a High Tech Base (2020) as a story · 143 points
HN discussionLike the Apex boats in Operation Dragoon. https://www.oldsaltblog.com/2024/08/apex-boats-the-unlikely-... "On the landing beach at Baie de Pampelonne, most Apex boats exploded against the obstacles. Nevertheless, one ran aground, and one sank. A third reversed course and turned back out to sea before exploding near Sub-chaser #1029 and severely damaging it." One could argue all those Mk 14 torpedoes that malfunction…
Comment linking /2024/08/apex-boats-the-unlikely-and-dangerous-naval-drones-of-world-war-iis-operation-dragoon/
on “Solar power has begun to transform the world’s energy system”Submitted Prohibition and ice cream in the US Navy as a story · 91 points
HN discussionAnd despite the claim, they are not a new invention - Anti-sea sickness googles and glasses have been around for almost a decade http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2017/04/anti-sea-sickness-glasses...
Comment linking /2017/04/anti-sea-sickness-glasses/
on “Inventor May Have Cured Motion Sickness Without Drugs”Submitted Four Ballads of USS Thresher (2013) as a story · 20 points
HN discussionI don't see any sources on this, just some tongue in cheek Quora posts. I did find something interesting about "the Slugshot" being illegal in some US states, but I would take this with a grain of salt considering the source. http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2018/07/the-monkey-fists-nasty-co...
Comment linking /2018/07/the-monkey-fists-nasty-cousin-the-slungshot/
on “Essential Climbing Knots”Submitted Ships in Bottles – A Bit of the History and Lore (2016) as a story · 14 points
HN discussionThere was an archaeologist who drowned last year during an attempted crossing from the Faroe islands to Trondheim. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnvyge44nppo https://www.oldsaltblog.com/2024/08/american-archeologis-die...
Comment linking /2024/08/american-archeologis-dies-in-reenactment-of-viking-voyage/
on “Sailing the fjords like the Vikings yields unexpected insights”Submitted Frigate USS Stein Was Attacked by a Squid as a story · 3 points
HN discussionNo, they aren't simply removing them. They are replacing them with new ones tuned for a slower more efficient speed. http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2013/03/container-ship-nose-jobs-...
Comment linking /2013/03/container-ship-nose-jobs-maersk-retrofits-bulbous-bows-for-slow-steaming/
on “Ulstein X-BOW inverted bow”Submitted Scientists Find Vast Habitat in Pacific Garbage Patch as a story · 2 points
HN discussionSongs of Thresher http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2013/04/four-ballads-of-the-uss-t...
Comment linking /2013/04/four-ballads-of-the-uss-thresher/
on “Judge Orders Navy to Release USS Thresher Disaster Documents”Submitted Anti-Sea Sickness Glasses? as a story · 2 points
HN discussionIt sounds like the whole class is having trouble. http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2013/03/uss-freedom-limping-towar...
Comment linking /2013/03/uss-freedom-limping-toward-singapore-the-us-navys-sorry-lcs-saga-continues/
on “Builder Blames Navy as Brand-New Warship Disintegrates (2011)”Submitted The US Navy’s Sorry LCS Saga Continues as a story · 1 points
HN discussion
