James Marinero
Bio
I live on a boat and write as I sail slowly around the world. Follow me for a varied story diet: true stories, humor, tech, AI, travel, geopolitics and more. I also write techno thrillers, with six to my name. More of my stories on Medium
Stories (125)
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They Shoot Horses Don't They?
We were locked down in New Zealand on our boat during Covid. And to fill in the time we travelled mainly on land to both ends of this fantastic country. We'd done thousands of miles sailing there from Europe and sailing offshore in New Zealand in the winter is not for the faint-hearted.
By James Marinero3 years ago in Wander
The Kulbit Manoeuvre
If you love planes, as I do, then you might find this story interesting. It was over ten years ago when I was researching a NATO/China aerial battle set in my novel ‘Gate of Tears’ that I first heard of the Kulbit. The ding-dong was then set in the future and involved UK F35s against Chinese J20s over the Red Sea (the aerial battle scenes in my book were vetted by an ex-Harrier pilot).
By James Marinero3 years ago in Futurism
Operation Chromite: MacArthur's Stroke of Genius
Operation Chromite was a pivotal military operation during the Korean War that took place in the late summer of 1950. The operation was led by United States forces and aimed to turn the tide of the war in favor of the United Nations forces by landing a large number of troops at Inchon, a port city on the west coast of Korea.
By James Marinero3 years ago in FYI
Get Knotted! Mathematically, of Course
Depending on what country you live in, ‘Get knotted’ may be a way of telling someone that they are wrong, or worse to go away…so the Monkey’s Fist might come in handy. Sailors often put a bolt or other piece of metal inside to add weight, when used in a heaving line by deckhands and dockhands, thousands of times a day, worldwide. As we did…
By James Marinero3 years ago in FYI
Submarines: Air-Independent Propulsion
I wrote recently about Russia launching Kalibr missiles from its Varshavianka (Improved Kilo) class submarines in the Black Sea. That set me off to explore the latest submarine technology and Air-Independent Propulsion, although not new as such, is certainly leading the way in the non-nuclear fleets. And in some countries with nuclear fleets too. Here’s what I discovered.
By James Marinero3 years ago in The Swamp
Careers: The Chinese Foreign Intelligence Organisation
I first read about the Guoanbu way back in 2009 when I was researching my first novel 'Gate of Tears'. My interest had been piqued by China's involvement in Yemen, a country bordering 'Bab el Mandeb' (Gate of Tears), the strategic strait at the mouth of the Red Sea.
By James Marinero3 years ago in Journal
Stronger Steel With Lower Carbon Emissions
Steel is all around me - I live on a steel boat. The steel that it's built from is 'mild steel' - cheap, durable and easy to work, although I do have some stainless steel above deck. 6 mm of steel is all that separates from the deep blue.
By James Marinero3 years ago in 01
Ukraine War: How Important is Transnistria?
Russia recently launched Kalibr cruise missiles from vessels in the Black Sea which overflew Moldova en route to targets in Ukraine. They didn't actually cross Romanian territory, but came close, although the graphic suggests they did. Romania is a NATO member, and Russian missiles over Romania would have resulted in more than press headlines.
By James Marinero3 years ago in The Swamp
Ukraine and the Porcupine Strategy
There’s a lot of talk these days about geopolitical strategy and one of the key concepts in geopolitics is the “porcupine strategy.” Basically, this is the idea that if you’re a small country surrounded by larger enemies, your best defense is to make yourself as prickly and hard to conquer as possible.
By James Marinero3 years ago in The Swamp
