The Return of the Sail Cargo Ship

While everyone is talking about electric cars these days, another transport revolution is happening quietly out of most people's sight: The return of emission-free shipping and seaborne fair trade. As we know by now, the environmental impact of shipping can be substantial. Global waterborne trade and tourism account for more than 2.2% of human-made emissions, …

From the Mountain to the Valley: More Ranft!

Realms of Nature. As an Armchair Sailor I love the sea, but I am actually currently living in Switzerland of all the landlocked places. This means that I have come to also appreciate the mountains. When you live by the seaside, you can walk down to the coast whenever you need the sea breeze to …

You always meet twice

Tales from the Archives. According to a German saying, you always meet twice in life. In early 1886, the people of Greece must have felt the cruel accuracy of this promise when they learned the name of the naval officer who had been charged with commanding the international naval squadron about to assemble outside the …

Drawing attention to the sea

Did you know that the Science Year 2016*2017 - a joint initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the organization Science in dialogue (Wissenschaft im Dialog) - actually runs under the motto "Seas and Oceans. Discover. Use. Protect"? Every year, the initiative aims to raise public awareness of special research areas …

Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage!

Book Review. Matt James's Northwest Passage. Of all the tales of exploration, the story of the Northwest Passage has always fascinated me the most. And I am not alone. For centuries, the search for a sea route connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean via the waterways of the Canadian Arctic was the elusive goal …

A hidden Gem – literally!

Travel guide. The Armchair Sailor's favourite museum is the National Maritime Museum of Denmark (MS Museet for Søfart) in Elsinore / Helsingør, just a 60-minute train ride away from Copenhagen and just a 20-minute ferry ride away from Helsinborg (Sweden). The main attraction of Helsingør is Kronborg Castle - a beautiful Renaissance palace where you …