Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs
A maritime history podcast. Dive deep into the captivating world of shipwrecks, maritime disasters, and seafaring legends. Each episode unravels the true stories behind history’s most infamous shipwrecks, from legendary vessels lost to the depths to modern-day maritime mysteries. Join host Rich Napolitano as he explores the history, science, and human stories behind these sunken relics—perfect for history buffs, sailors, divers, ocean lovers, and adventure seekers alike. Set sail with us on a voyage through time, where the past meets the sea.Follow Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs and embark on a journey through the forgotten chapters of maritime hist...
Episodes
The Exxon Valdez Disaster
Just after midnight on March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef, in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Over 10 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the waters, killing hundreds of thousands of animals, and devas…
The Adriatic: A Civil War Era Ship Uncovered
In 1864, the American packet ship Adriatic was on voyage from London to New York when it was captured and burned by the notorious Confederate raider CSS Tennessee. The passengers and crew were taken prisoner, but the ship fell out of memory…
Flotsam & Jetsam: Artifacts, Stories, and Conspiracies of the Morro Castle
Rich chats with Deb Whitcraft, of the New Jersey Maritime Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of artifacts and memorabilia related to the Morro Castle. https://njmaritimemuseum.org/ This bonus Flotsam & Jetsam episode is av…
The Inferno of the Morro Castle
The Morro Castle shipwreck of 1934 was a tragic maritime disaster involving a luxury passenger liner operated by the Ward Line. On September 8, 1934, while en route from Havana to New York, the ship caught fire off the coast of New Jersey n…
Discovering the Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario
In 2025, a team of eight students, scientists, and engineers from the University of Rhode Island conducted the first survey of known shipwrecks in the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. Using URI’s new, state-of-the-art remotely opera…
King Henry VIII's Lost Warship: The Mary Rose
The Mary Rose was a warship of the Tudor era of the English monarchy, built in 1510 during the reign of King Henry VIII. The hulking ship was the king's favorite for many years, until it inexplicably sank in Portsmouth Harbour in 1545 as it…
Listener Appreciation Week: The Wreck That Crashed the Stock Market
Listener Appreciation Week Day 5 When the SS Central America sank off the coast of South Carolina in 1857, it went down with millions of dollars worth of gold from California. The loss of the badly needed gold caused a run on the banks, and…
Listener Appreciation Week: The Pourquoi Pas and Roald Amundsen
Listener Appreciation Week Day 4 Renowned French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot explored the polar regions for many years aboard his ship, the Pourquoi Pas. When fellow explorer Roald Amundsen's plane went missing in 1928, Charcot joined th…
Listener Appreciation Week: The Toilet That Sank a German U-Boat
Listener Appreciation Week, Day 3During World War 2, the Germans captured several Dutch submarines, which included an experimental air venting device. The Germans put this to use, and used it on board some of their own U-boats. This led to …
The Top Secret Mission That Found the Titanic
Listener Appreciation Week, Day 2 Renowned ocean explorer Robert Ballard found the legendary Titanic in 1985, but it was a top-secret mission sponsored by the U.S. Navy that allowed Ballard to make his discovery. As a thank you to all Ship…
Listener Appreciation Week: Heroes of Two Shipwrecks
Listener Appreciation Week, Day 1: Heroes of Two Shipwrecks Musicians Moss and Tracy Hills survived the sinking of the Greek cruise ship Oceanos in 1991, and then the Italian ship Achille Lauro in 1994. During both sinkings, the married cou…
Announcement: Listener Appreciation Week 2025!
Announcing the first ever Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Listener Appreciation Week! From June 16 - 20, 2025 a bonus mini-episode will be published each day as a special thank you to listeners. June 16: The Heroes of Two Shipwrecks June 17: T…
The Bounty Mutiny - Part 2
William Bligh makes his miraculous voyage to Timor in the small launch, and Fletcher Christian and his fellow mutineers take the Bounty to the uninhabited Pitcairn Island. Meanwhile, 16 of the Bounty crew remain on Tahiti and are captured b…
The Bounty Mutiny - Part 1
The legendary story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. In part 1 of this 2-part series, the Bounty departs England for Tahiti to obtain breadfruit. The crew become comfortable on Tahiti and form relations with the women. Commanding Lt. William Bl…
History Daily: The Pirate Trials of 1720
This guest episode is from History Daily hosted by Lindsay Graham. November 16, 1720. The trials of notorious pirates Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and John Rackham begin in Spanish Town, Jamaica. A co-production from award-winning podcasters Air…
The HL Hunley: First Submarine to Sink an Enemy Ship
The H.L. Hunley was a submarine built by the Confederate States of America in 1863, during the American Civil War. Two tragic mishaps during testing resulted in the deaths of 13 crewmen in Charleston Harbor, including its namesake, Horace L…
The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit and Run
The American sailing vessel Adriatic collided with the French steamship Le Lyonnais on November 2, 1856, off the coast of Nantucket in what can best be described as a maritime hitand-run. Adriatic’s captain, Jonathan Durham, rendered no aid…
The Princess Sophia: The Unknown Titanic of the West Coast
The Princess Sophia was a Canadian passenger steamship that tragically sank on October 25, 1918, after striking Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal near Juneau, Alaska. Caught in a severe snowstorm with strong winds and poor visibility, the ship …
The Wager Book Discussion with Lindsay Graham
Rich joins Lindsay Graham, host of History Daily, American History Tellers, and American Scandal, for a discussion of the book The Wager by David Grann. HMS Wager HMS Wager was a British Royal Navy ship that became famous for its dramatic w…
The USS Indianapolis
On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-58. The ship sank in just 12 minutes, leaving almost 900 men stranded in the water. For 4 days, the men suffered from horrific shark attacks, d…
Unbreakable: The SS Western Reserve
The SS Western Reserve was the first steel-hulled bulk carrier on the Great Lakes, launched in 1890 for the Minch Transportation Company. Its owner and designer, Peter G. Minch, took his family for a vacation cruise on a late summer day in …
Henry Every: King of Pirates
Famed pirate Henry Every went by many names, but earned his nickname "King of Pirates" when he plundered the Mughul treasure ship, Ganj-i-Swai in 1695. Valued at over $100 million today, it is believed to be the most lucrative pirate haul i…
Titanic Conspiracies and a Love Story
This special bonus episode features guests Dr. Scarlett Smash and Dr. Craken McCraik from the Marine Conservation Happy Hour Podcast. Join us as we discuss the conspiracy theories of the Titanic/Olympic switch, the legend of the supposedly …
Australia's Deadliest Shipwreck: The Cataraqui
The barque Cataraqui crashed into the rocks of King Island, Tasmania, in the Bass Strait, August 4, 1845. The ship was carrying emigrants, mostly families, from England to New South Wales to start a new life. Of 409 on board, only 9 survive…
The Last Viking: Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer renowned for being the first to reach the South Pole on December 14, 1911, beating Robert Falcon Scott's British expedition. A skilled navigator and leader, he used innovative techniques learned from …
Lighthouses of the World
The first in a planned series of future episodes about the world's most well-known lighthouses. The enormous Lighthouse of Alexandria is the most famous lighthouse of all time, and stood for 1500 years on the shore of Alexandria, Egypt, and…
The USS Somers Mutiny
The U.S. Navy brig Somers was part of an experimental apprentice program to teach young men, mostly teenagers, to be naval officers. During a return voyage to Africa in 1842, Captain Alexander Slidell Mackenzie learned of a mutiny plot, orc…
The Mystery of the Wawinet
The pleasure yacht Wawinet sank on September 21, 1942, in Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada. The Wawinet was owned by retired NHL defenseman Bert Corbeau who played for the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Corbeau was Plant Super…
Ship's Log: The USCGC Blackthorn
(This episode was oiginally released in January of 2023.) On the evening of January 28, 1980 the United States Coast Guard cutter Blackthorn was leaving Tampa Bay on its way to its home base in Galveston, Texas. It was a cool, calm, and ple…
The Seven Years' War: The Great French Disaster - From La Fayette, We Are Here! Podcast
Bonus Episode from La Fayette, We Are Here! podcast. This particular conflict goes by multiple names and definitions. While it is globally recognized as the Seven Years' War, it is more commonly referred to in America as the French and Indi…
The Burning of HMS Gaspee
In the midst of increased tariffs and enforcement of the Navigation Acts, an angry group of merchants, plantation owners, and residents of Providence, Rhode Island slipped out under the cover of darkness on June 10, 1772, and boarded HMS Ga…
The Costa Concordia
On the 13th of January, 2012 the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia struck a rocky outcropping off the coast of Italy. The ship lost power and propulsion, and came to rest on its starboard side, just meters from the island of Giglio. Panic…
Nouvelle France: The French in North America - From La Fayette, We Are Here! Podcast
Bonus Episode from La Fayette, We Are Here! podcast. The Nouvelle France (New France) is the French colonization of North America. Over a couple of centuries, the French established settlements all over North America, especially along the S…
The Circus Ship: The Royal Tar Tragedy
The Royal Tar was a Canadian steamship built in 1835. On October 25, 1836, the ship was on voyage from Eastport, Maine to Portland, Maine. On board were 72 passengers, 21 crew, and a large caravan of animals that were part of a traveling me…
Danderfunk, Salt Junk, and Scurvy: Cuisine Aboard Ships
Food aboard ships during the Age of Sail (roughly from the 16th to the 19th centuries) was far from luxurious, chosen for its durability rather than flavor or nutritional value. Sailors were at sea for extended periods with no refrigeration…
A Sailor's Tale: Captain Frank Knowles
Captain Samuel Francis Knowles began his career on the sea at a very young age, honing his skills as a teenager aboard ships out of Boston. He would go on to captain several ships including the Norway and the Mary S. Ames. Captain Frank sur…
Kidnapped at Sea: David Henry White
On October 9, 1862, David Henry White was kidnapped at sea from the United States merchant ship Tonawanda by Captain Raphael Semmes of the CSS Alabama. The young man was from a free, black family of Lewes, Delaware, and was employed on the …
Wrecktoberfest! The Skeleton Coast
The Skeleton Coast of Namibia is infamous for the countless shipwrecks scattered along its shores, a haunting reminder of the treacherous conditions mariners have faced for centuries. Thick, unpredictable fogs, strong Atlantic currents, and…
The Ocean Ranger Disaster
The Ocean Ranger disaster occurred on February 15, 1982, when the semi-submersible offshore drilling rig sank off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, in the North Atlantic. A severe winter storm caused massive waves and hurricane-force winds…
Ships of The Crusades with Dr. Nicholas Morton
Ships of the Crusades Joining me for this episode is Dr. Nicholas Morton, Associate Professor with the School of Arts and Humanities at Nottingham Trent University. Dr. Morton has written many books, including The Mongol Storm: Making and B…