Indian Ocean Naval Symposium

A stamp on Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was organized by Bangladesh Navy from January 10 - 13, 2016.

The 'Indian Ocean Naval Symposium' (IONS) with 35 members, is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues. In the process, it endeavors to generate a flow of information between naval professionals that would lead to common understanding and possibly cooperative solutions on the way ahead.

Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence By Myanmar, China and India

A First Day Cover was released by Myanmar to celebrate 60th Anniversary of the announcement of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence By Myanmar, China and India on 8th August 2014.

Great Voyages of New Zealand

The 'Great Voyages of New Zealand' stamp issue which was released on 5th September 2012 features five vessels that have played a part in shaping New Zealand.

70c - Aramoana: The Aramoana’s big stern door transformed domestic transport in 1962. Prior to then, double-handling had made it too costly and slow for rail to compete with coastal ships, but roll-on, roll-off ships seamlessly connected the islands. In 2012 five such ships form a ‘floating bridge’. The 4,160-ton road/rail ferry Aramoana served until 1984.

$1.40 - Waka: Over time Māori developed a range of distinctive dugout canoes ranging from the imposing waka taua (war canoes) to the humbler fishing canoes, river canoes and reed and flax craft. Usually paddled but sometimes assisted by mat sails, the bigger vessels could transport large quantities of people and trade goods across Cook Strait.

$1.90 - Earnslaw: Tourists walk the triple - expansion steamer Earnslaw’s decks these days, but 100 years ago the ‘Lady of the Lake’ was a hard-working passenger, freight and livestock carrier, one of several linking the isolated farms and settlements of Lake Wakatipu. Designed and built in Dunedin and reassembled at the lakeside in 1912, the Earnslaw still burns coal today.

$2.40 - Dunedin: In 1874 the Albion Line (later Shaw Savill & Albion) commissioned the 1,320-ton Dunedin for the immigrant trade, which it served until being converted in 1881 to carry frozen meat. A regular caller to Oamaru, the Dunedin vanished with all 35 crew after sailing from that port for London in March 1890; the ship probably hit an iceberg.

$2.90 - Rotomahana: With its rakish bow, masts and funnel, the Rotomahana looked like an elegant steam yacht. The first ocean-going ship built of mild steel, the 15.5- knot ‘Greyhound of the Pacific’ spearheaded the Union Steam Ship Company’s grab for the trans-Tasman trade in the late 1870s. The 1,727-ton ship later served on the Wellington-Lyttelton and Melbourne-Hobart runs before being discarded in 1925.

Thanks to: Mrs Jeanette Gash, New Zealand for the FDC.

Text Source: New Zealand Post.

Lighthouse of Indonesia - 2007

Indonesia issued a set of 2 stamps on17.08. 2007 on its old Lighthouses.

Semarang Lighthouse, also know by Tanjung Emmas in Central Java Province. Located on a promontory on the east side of the harbor of Semarang, a major port of central north Java.

Cikoneng Lighthouse, located about 45 kilometers from Serang town, in Cikoneng district. It is an oldies lighthouse that was built in 1885 with 75 meters in height. From the top of the  lighthouse one can see an awesome beauty panorama from the top of the tower.

Jewel of Muscat.

The Jewel of Muscat is a replica of a 9th-century Omani ship, built through a joint effort by the governments of Oman and Singapore.

On 3rd July 2010, Jewel of Muscat arrives in Singapore to a spectacular and joyous welcome. She is welcomed by the President of Singapore H.E. S R Nathan and H.H. Sayyid Harib Bin Thuwainy Al-Said, representative of H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of the Sultanate of Oman. In a formal ceremony Jewel is handed over to the people of Singapore as a gift from Oman. Jewel will now be prepared for transfer to her permanent home the Experiential Maritime Museum at Sentosa Resorts World.

For more information and details visit the website of Jewel of Muscat

250th Anniversary of Birth of Nelson.

Gibraltar celebrates the 250th anniversary of the birth of Horatio Nelson with an issue of 6 stamps.

Horatio Nelson was born on 29 September 1758 in a rectory in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, England, the sixth of eleven children of the Reverend Edmund Nelson and Catherine Nelson. The FDC features 6 stamps on the vessels HMS Agamemnon, HMS La Minerve, HMS Vangaurd, HMS Captain, HMS Amphion and HMS Victory.

For further reading click here.

The First Fleet

Botany Bay, the First Fleet's intended destination, was reached by the divided convoy in January 1788. On closer inspection by the area proved unsuitable for permanent settlement. Phillip therefore set off to explore Port Jackson, where he found "one of the finest harbours in the world".On the evening of 26 January the British Flag was raised at Sydney Cove, and the King's health toasted. Australia Day is celebrated on the anniversary of this simple ceremony, marking the founding of the British settlement of New South Wales, and hence of the Australian nation.

International Year of Biodiversity.

India Post issued a set of 2 commemorative stamps on Biodiversity on World Environment Day to enhance public awareness of the importance of conserving biodiversity.

Coastal Pilot Service - Australia

Australia's first Coastal pilot service was the Queensland Coast and Torres Strait Pilot Service, founded in August 1884 and still in existence. Qualified master mariners with specialised knowledge of Queensland's hazardous coastal waters guide shipping safely through the maze of rocks, reefs, coral cays and islands extending from New South Wales border to Torres Strait - the longest coastal Pilotage route in the world.

Originally, pilots were ferried to and from ships via a six-oared whale-boat. Then in 1908 the Service acquired its first motor launch. Torres, shown on the envelope with modern counterpart, Torpilot. A map illustrates graphically the extent of the Service. In the stamp area is the badge of the Queensland Coast and Torres Strait Pilot Service, displaying as its central element, Luis Baez de Torres ship San Pedrico, which is 1606 made the first recorded passage through the treacherous Torres Strait.

This cover was released on 6th August 1984.

World Philatelic Exhibition - Portugal 2010

The FDC and Miniature sheet on Cover released on 30th April 2010 for the World Philatelic Exhibition to be held in Portugal on 01 to 10.10.2010. Thanks Andrej for the beautiful cover.

100 years of Royal Canadian Navy.

The Naval Service Act brought the Royal Canadian Navy(RCN) into being on May 4, 1910. When the first World War broke out, the RCN had fewer than 350 sailors and two under-equipped warships. By the end of the Second World war, it had grown into one of the World's greatest Naval Forces. The Canadian Navy has been a valuable component of Canada's contribution NATO; the navy has provided humanitarian relief on numerous occasions and has participated in the recent campaign against Terrorism and other domestic and international operations. As the warships of Canada's Navy continue to serve the Nation, the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Navy is an opportunity to honour its accomplishments and celebrate its legacy.

The two stamps were designed as separate artworks, but appear as one canvas. They share the same painterly sky, marine life and open sea environments. The two ships, though of a different age appear as part of the same fleet. The first stamp has one of Canada's first warships, the HMCS NIiobe and the second has the modern frigate, the HMCS Halifax.

Links with the Falkland Islands.

On 14th February 1984, a set of 2 stamps was released by The Isle of Man on the ship Lady Elizabeth known as “ The Lady” which was wrecked off the Falkland Island in 1913 and was later beached in her present position at the east end of Port Stanley Harbour.

The first stamp depicts the Lady Elizabeth which was built in 1879 in Sunderland. The second stamp is the picture of the ‘Shipwrecks’ stamp already issued by the Falkland Islands which shows the wrecked hulk of the Lady Elizabeth. The stormy waters of the South Atlantic have proved graveyard for many ships and the seas around the Falkland Islands shows evidence of the dangers faced by sailors in those treacherous seas. The two small Island communities, the sea an ever-present background to their lives, are joined in this piece of maritime history.

Traditional Boats used in Fishing

Many traditional boats are still used for fishing in low scale in different parts of the world even today, specially in the rivers and lakes.These boats are still operated using  sail and oars. These boats vary from place to place according to the geographical needs.Early fishing vessels included rafts, dugout canoes, reed boats, and boats constructed from a frame covered with hide or tree bark, such as coracles.Today, large scale fishing in the deep seas are done by mechanised trawlers and huge boats which can stay in the seas for many days.

FDC from Finland

Today I have posted a scan of a beautiful FDC which I received from a friend in Finland. I thank Monique for this FDC.

Maritime Heritage - Singapore.

Shipping played a pivotal role in the development of Singapore. Sailing crafts of different origins journeyed through the water passages of Singapore, bringing along trade and other commercial activities.

The FDC here which was released on 19th march 1999 has four stamps, the first one used for local mail with standard postage rate has the sailing vessel Clipper, the second of &0 cents has the Twakow, the third of 1 dollar has Fujian Junk and the fourth one of 2 dollars has the Golekkan. All these sailing Vessels played an important part in the maritime history of Singapore.

William Hall.

William Hall, V.C., was born in Circa 1825 in Nova Scotia, to African-American parents who had been liberated from the U.S Slave Trade. He launched his seafaring career at a young age, first joining the crew of an American trading vessel as a merchant mariner in 1844. In 1852 Hall joined the British Royal Navy, the world's leading Naval power at the time. While serving on the HMS Shannon in 1857, he volunteered with a relief force sent to Lucknow, India, where a British garrison was besieged by mutineers. two survived the attack, Seaman Hall and Lieutenant Thomas young, but only Hall was left standing, and he continued to fight until the relief of the garrison was assured. for this, Hall was awarded the coveted Victoria Cross, the British Empire's highest award for valour. he was the first black person, the first Nova Scotian, and the first Canadian sailor to receive this outstanding honour.

Malaysian Submarine.

FDC of the first Malaysian Submarine - Kapal Diraja Tunku Abdul Rahman with three stamps of 30, 50 and 50 sen.

The first, 30 sen stamp shows a graphic sketch of KD TAR. The new generation diesel-electric submarine called scorpene is named after a reef fish that is capable of disguising itself according to its surrounding.

The second, 50 sen stamp potrays KD TAR equipped with the latest high technological navigation system, communication equipments and fire control system appropriate with it's role and responsibility to face the future modern warfare.

The third, 50 sen stamp potrays KD TAR sailing in the oceans to begin her journey and its mission in protecting Malaysia's sovereignty. KD TAR is one of the sophisticated asset owned by the Royal Malaysian Navy since its inception 75 years ago.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution - FDC

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) founded in 1824 with the Motto "train one save many"is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the British Isles. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. It also employs lifeguards on beaches. It has its Headquarters at Poole.

The FDC is issued on 1st june 1984 for its centenary celebrations.The picture of the life boat to the left is on Colorano "Silk" Cachet.

Visit its webiste at : http://www.rnli.org.uk/

Irish Immigration - Joint issue.

On February 26, 1999, the U.S. Postal Service and Ireland Post released a joint stamp on Irish Immigration. The U.S stamp was released in Boston, with a special ceremony in Chicago.The irish stamp was released in Cobh, a port city approximately 120 miles south of Dublin from where the majority of the emigration ships departed for America.

In the 114 years between 1815 and 1929, nearly six million immigrants sailed across the ocean in huge vessels searching for new opportunities in North America. The five-year period between 1845 and 1850 marked the height of the migration out of Ireland. During the Great Famine more than a million Irish died of starvation and disease when a fungus destroyed the Irish potato crop, which the population depended on as the main ingredient in their diet.

The stamp depicts a large ship sailing into a harbor as seen from a dock. The words "IRISH IMMIGRATION 33 USA" in the U.S stamp and the words "IRISH EMIGRATION 45 EIRE" are featured in the Irish Stamp.

Thanks, Sandra for the beautiful cover which is a valuable addition to my collection.

FDC from Australia.

Here I present two FDCs received from Australia on my subject.

First one has the cachet of HMS Investigator Australia Day 1980, the stamp depicts Capt.Matthew Flinders, which is released on 23rd Jan 1980. Second cover is of Australia Day 1978 with the stamp of Australian Flag released on 26th Jan 1978.