Episodes

In 1854, the SS Arctic of the Collins Line sank off the coast of Newfoundland after colliding with the French fishing vessel, SS Vesta. As it became clear the ship was sinking, many of the crew ignored chivalry, rushing the l...

The SS Pacific was a sidewheel paddle steamer, which by 1875 had 25 years of service up and down the west coast of the US and Canada. In November of 1875, she collided with the sailing vessel Orpheus, and was fatally damaged....

The Georges Philippar was a luxurious passenger liner of the French Messageries Maritimes line. She and other ships built by the Ateliers et Chantiers shipbuilding company were plagued by fires over the years, culminating in ...

In the early morning hours of September 8, 1860, the beautiful sidewheel paddle steamer The Lady Elgin was rammed by the schooner Augusta during a violent gale on Lake Michigan. Over 300 passengers and crew lost their lives, ...

Author and historian Richard M. Jones joines me to discuss the British cargo ship Lulworth Hill. Just after midnight on 19 March 1943, the Lulworth Hill was torpedoed by the Italian U-Boat Leonardo da Vinci. The ship split in...

Captain James Cook was one of the most successful explorers and navigators of the 18th century. His scientific discoveries and charting of the Pacific islands, New Zealand, and Australia proved invaluable. But his legacy is t...

Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen was wanted for murdering his wife, and was tracked down while on board the SS Montrose.

Dr. Howard Gray joins me again for this final installment of Batavia's Graveyard. Jeronimus Cornelisz and his fellow mutineers begin their reign of terror on the other survivors of the Batavia shipwreck. Cornelisz orders the ...

In Part 2 of Batavia's Graveyard, the Batavia and its crew depart Table Bay in southern Africa and continue their voyage to the Dutch East Indies. The Schipper, Ariaen Jacobs had just been publicly dressed down in front of th...

In 1628, the Dutch East India Company sent its brand new flagship vessel Batavia from The Netherlands on a voyage to the settlement of Batavia (modern day Jakarta) in the Dutch East Indies. The cast of characters on board wou...

I appeared as a guest on this episode of Archive Unknown, hosted by Lara Zielin. Join us as we discuss the curious disappearance of the USS Cyclops in 1918. Go AD-FREE by becoming a Patreon Officer's Club Member! Join at ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Samuel Bellamy, or "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an extraordinarily successful pirate, albeit for a very short time. Called the "Robin Hood of the Seas," he abhorred violence, treated his victims humanely, and was very generous to...

The Carlskrona was a 19th century corvette of the Swedish Navy. In 1846, the fast but unstable ship encountered a freak storm which came out of nowhere in the Florida Strait. The crew was not able to adjust the sails fast eno...

On October 7, 1916 the German U-Boat U-53 showed up unexpectedly at Newport Harbor, Rhode Island. World War 1 was raging, although the United States remained firmly neutral. The U-53 captain, Hans Rose, paid courtesy visits t...

The USCG Cutter Blackthorn sank after colliding with the SS Capricorn, outside of Tampa Bay, Florida.

The Achille Lauro burned and sank on December 2, 1994.

On July 24th, 1915, the SS Eastland rolled on its side in the Chicago River, just 19 feet from the dock, killing 844 people. The ship, along with 4 others were scheduled to transport over 7000 employees of the Western Electri...

In the early morning hours of 29 May, 1914, the Empress of Ireland collided with the Norwegian ship Storstad, killing over 1000 passengers.

In 1968, Hugo Vihlen broke the record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the smallest vessel, in his 6 foot long boat "April Fool."

Many of the Queen Mary's crew and guests have claimed to have experienced paranormal activity throughout its long history.

Wrecktoberfest special! The spooky tales of the ghost ship Ourang Medan, and the haunted St. Augustine Lighthouse. The Ourang Medan might be the creepiest ghost ship of all time, with all of its crew found dead, frozen in pan...

The luxury passenger line Andrea Doria was the pride of post World War 2 Italy, and sank in 1956 after a collision with the vessel Stockholm.

In 1994, the passenger and vehicle ferry MV Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea during a violent storm, killing 852 of its passengers.

On the morning of May 9, 1980, the large freighter Summit Venture smashed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge while entering Tampa Bay, Florida. The center section of the southbound span was destroyed, killing 35 motorists. This ...