Latest news with #maritimeHistory
Reuters
20-06-2025
- Science
- Reuters
Wreck of 17th century Swedish warship found off Finland
Researchers have identified a shipwreck off Porkkala, in southern Finland, as the Swedish warship 'Falken,' a 17th-century vessel built in Stockholm and considered the 'little sister' of the iconic Vasa ship.
BBC News
20-06-2025
- BBC News
Nao Victoria: Ahoy! Spanish galleon to sail into UK port
A replica of a 16th Century Spanish galleon will arrive in Yorkshire later this enormous ship is a newly built copy of an ancient ship called the Nao Victoria, which was the first to travel around the globe more than 500 years the 26 June to 6 July the full-size replica ship will be docked at the North Wharf Quay in Scarborough and open for the public to take a look around."It is a wonderful opportunity for visitors and residents to witness maritime history up close, jumping aboard a replica of the iconic ship that was the first to ever circumnavigate the world," said Mark Crane from North Yorkshire Council. The Nao Victoria - whose name translates as "Victory" - changed the course of history with an epic by Juan Sebastián Elcanowas, it was part of a group of five ships that set sail from Seville in Spain in 1519. But was the only one to return three years later in 1522 after successfully sailing across three oceans and along the edge of four 18 members of of a crew of 265 made it back too; many died from a poor diet and scurvy, and others had left or were taken prisoners by other ship eventually sank many years later, on a voyage in 1570. The replica of the Nao Victoria was built in 1991, and completed a similar journey to the original one between 2004 and Bathke of the Nao Victoria said his crew were "looking forward to meeting residents," and the said they would "share the incredible story of the Nao Victoria with them".Last year another ship named the Galeón Andalucía, a replica of a 17th Century ship, also visited the town.
CBC
17-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Search for century-old artifact from Canadian shipwreck solved with a call from the U.S.
David Saint-Pierre says he had little information to go on in his effort to hunt down the keeper of a 111-year-old artifact from the shipwrecked Empress of Ireland. He had a photo of a man in a diving suit, an address from 1975 and a name: Ronald Stopani. Saint-Pierre — a maritime historian who has studied artifacts recovered from the site of the 1914 shipwreck off the coast of Rimouski, Que. — treated it like a modern-day scavenger hunt. He was looking for the Marconi wireless apparatus, the communication system used to receive and send wireless telegraphs on the ship before it sank, claiming the lives of more than 1,000 people. The system included a tuner, work table and keys to send messages. Saint-Pierre and staff at the Empress of Ireland Museum in Rimouski discovered it was found and recovered during an expedition to the site 51 years ago by a diving crew from Rochester, N.Y. With Saint-Pierre's help, the museum found Stopani — a member of the diving crew who first pulled it up from the water in the 70s — and in the spring, the apparatus was sent back to Quebec. 'I didn't even know if that man was still alive' The process of finding Stopani involved dozens of emails, Facebook messages, a handful of phone calls and physical letters, says Saint-Pierre. "I didn't even know if that man was still alive," said Saint-Pierre. "It was a shot in the dark." He says he wrote to "probably anyone" with the last name Stopani on Facebook for a few weeks. "If your name is Stopani, you probably have one of my messages in your junk box," joked Saint-Pierre. One day in January, he got a call back. In an interview with CBC News, Stopani said he still had the apparatus stored in a clear storage box in his home in Las Vegas — and he was eager to donate it. "As soon as I opened up the letter, it even had a picture of me in there so I knew exactly what it was," said Stopani, reached in Las Vegas. "I wanted to donate them for a while, but I had no way of contacting anybody." The 81-year-old, who splits his time between his homes in Florida and Nevada, says he half expected to be contacted. Years earlier, the family of his best friend, Fred Zeller — who had led diving expeditions to the shipwreck and who recently passed away — told Stopani that they travelled to the Rimouski museum to donate artifacts Zeller found and documents from over the years. Included in the donation was the photo of Stopani with the Marconi and correspondence between him and Zeller from the mid-1970s — when the pair met up to dive the shipwreck together. It was that photo and letter which first inspired Saint-Pierre and museum staff to find Stopani — and the pictured artifacts. Five decades later, Stopani still remembers the day he pulled the items up from the floor of the St. Lawrence River — decades before it was prohibited to recover artifacts. "Believe me, it was cold," he said, adding that during the dive in July, he could see small pieces of ice floating in the river. He recalled inflating his dry suit to float up to the surface with a bag that he says weighed about 30 kilograms. For the next 51 years, the artifact was well-travelled as he brought it with him on his moves from Rochester to Brampton, Ont., to Florida and finally Las Vegas. Having shipped the Marconi out a few months ago, he says sending it back to Quebec made him feel "elated." Artifact to be sent for restoration work Roxane Julien-Friolet, a museologist, says the Marconi arrived at the museum in mid-March and in great condition. "We're just amazed and really honoured to have this really important object part of our collection now," said Julien-Friolet. She says it will be sent for restoration work and then displayed. Operated by telegraphist Ronald Ferguson, this device was a very useful tool, she says, and part of the reason some were saved from the wreck in 1914 after an SOS message was sent. Saint-Pierre says laying eyes on the device gives historians even more information as to what happened on board. In a photo, Saint-Pierre's friend noticed the switch on the tuner was turned off. "It means that … [Ferguson] had to abandon his post [but] he took the time to turn the machine off," said Saint-Pierre. "Which was standard protocol. So really a professional man." Ferguson was one of the 465 survivors of the wreck and lived until the 1980s, he says. Saint-Pierre has since connected with Ferguson's son, who lives in the U.K., and informed him that his father's instrument was finally found. "That was also a great moment for me to be able to tell [him]," said Saint-Pierre.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Guided walks will celebrate Grimsby's maritime history
Free guided tours are to be offered around Grimsby docks as part of the Heritage Open Days September, people will be able to explore the architecture of the Port of Grimsby, including the landmark Dock Associated British Ports (ABP) said it was a chance for people to learn more about the town's maritime history."This event allows us to share our stories from the archive and examine buildings which have shaped our maritime story," regional director Andrew Dawes said. In addition to the tours, Garry Crossland, a local maritime author and volunteer archivist of the ABP collection, will give two said: "The architecture of many of the principal buildings on the Port of Grimsby estate replicate those influenced by the railways. This is reflected in the many engineers' drawings that are retained within the archives."The most iconic building on the port is the Dock Tower, and of course there are many buildings that were commissioned by fish merchants."As part of the presentation, we will display some of those drawings, which will show the ingenuity and vision of the Victorian engineers."For more information or to book, visit the ABP Humber Port Tours this year, a three-year programme for the Kasbah area of the docks was Kasbah has been marketed as a film location due to the large number of period buildings in the area. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
CNA
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Interactive exhibit charts 700 years of Singapore's history as maritime hub
Fancy a sampan ride across the Singapore River, battling choppy waters and navigating other vessels, all with passengers in tow? This is one virtual experience visitors to the National Museum of Singapore will get at a new exhibit from May 24. It shows the country's maritime history over the past 700 years, as part of the country's 60th birthday celebrations. More than 350 artefacts will be on display, alongside interactive digital formats. Muhammad Bahajjaj with a sneak peek.
