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 history! 🌊⚓ Subscribe to the Officer's Club on Patreon for ad-free listening and bonus content! Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a proud member of the Into History podcast channel. Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.
Episodes
April 29, 2025 • 71 mins
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 and left the passenger steamship to fend for herself. 114 people died in the collision and in the days that followed.
In August of 2024, Jennifer Sellitti, her partner Joe Mazraani, and a tea...
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April 15, 2025 • 45 mins
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 ran aground and was unable to be evacuated due to worsening weather. Despite rescue ships waiting nearby, conditions prevented any safe transfer of passengers. When the storm intensified, the Pri...
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April 1, 2025 • 70 mins
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 wreck and subsequent mutiny in 1741, off the desolate coast of Chilean Patagonia.
Original theme music for Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs by Sean Sigfried.
Go AD-FREE by becoming a Patreon Officer's Cl...
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March 26, 2025 • 53 mins
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, dehydration, and exposure. Of the 1,195 on board, only 316 ultimately survived.
This episode is also available on YouTube.
Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, show no...
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March 25, 2025 • 24 mins
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 1892. The vessel was caught in a strong gale on Lake Superior on August 30th, 1892, and all but one of its 28 occupants was lost, including Peter G. Minch and his family. The location of the ship...
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March 11, 2025 • 31 mins
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 in history. His brutal savagery also was notorious, leading to a worldwide manhunt for his capture. Henry Every mysteriously disappeared from history in 1696, but there are many rumors of what bec...
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March 4, 2025 • 31 mins
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 prophetic "Titan" novel written 2 decades before the Titanic sank, and the story of an interracial married couple who boarded the Titanic.
This episode is also available on YouTube.
Hosted by R...
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February 25, 2025 • 31 mins
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 survived, including only 1 passenger. All of the women and children perished. The wreck of the Cataraqui is Australia’s deadliest civil maritime disaster in history.
Written, edited, and produced by Ri...
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February 18, 2025 • 50 mins
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 the Inuit, such as dog sledding and wearing fur clothing, to survive in extreme polar conditions. Amundsen also led the first successful navigation of the Northwest Passage in 1906 and later beca...
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February 4, 2025 • 31 mins
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 It is one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Hook's Lighthouse in Ireland is over 1200 years old and is the oldest, intact, operational lighthouse in the world. The Eddystone off the coast o...
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January 21, 2025 • 37 mins
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, orchestrated by Philip Spencer and other young crewmen. Spencer was the son of Secretary of War John Spencer, and already had a reputation as a troublemaker. Acting swiftly, Mackenzie ordered the ex...
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January 7, 2025 • 50 mins
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 Supervisor at Midland Foundry and Machine Company, of Midland, Ontario, and he was taking the workers out for an evening boating excursion.
Corbeau was an experienced captain and knew the waters and ...
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December 31, 2024 • 39 mins
(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 pleasant night as the Blackthorn headed out. At the same time, the SS Capricorn was inbound to the bay. Through a series of missteps and miscommunications, the Blackthorn and Capricorn collided almo...
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December 23, 2024 • 47 mins
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 Indian War, and in Canada as the War of Conquest. These wars are all interconnected and are part of a vast global struggle between the two superpowers of the mid-eighteenth century: France and Great ...
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December 17, 2024 • 39 mins
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 Gaspee. After a short battle, the Rhode Islanders burned the British vessel, and shot and wounded its commander, Lt. William Duddingston. The Gaspee Affair, as it came to be known, was the result o...
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December 10, 2024 • 46 mins
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 and chaos ensued on board, with over 4000 passengers and 1000 crew. Captain Francesco Schettino altered the planned course of his ship to perform a sail-by salute, close to Giglio, without infor...
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December 3, 2024 • 64 mins
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 St. Lawrence and Mississippi River but also in Nova Scotia, Florida, Louisiana and more.
New France existed from the first adventures of Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the end of the Seven Years' War ...
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November 26, 2024 • 31 mins
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 menagerie. The caravan included horses, lions, camels, a tiger, birds, reptiles, and even an elephant. when the ship's boiler ran dry due to a leak. When the boiler became red hot, it ignited the t...
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November 12, 2024 • 64 mins
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, so provisions had to withstand long voyages. The cuisine was monotonous, barely edible, and nutritionally deficient by modern standards. Sailors endured long periods of hunger and boredom over ...
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November 5, 2024 • 70 mins
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 survived a fire on board the Norway, with all hands saved, and a hurricane that sank the Mary S. Ames. Throughout his years on the seas, Captain Frank had many adventures, and his legacy lives on th...
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