Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

Rich Napolitano
  • 4.8 (150)
  • History
  • Updated Biweekly

A maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, maritime disasters, and seafaring legends. Hear tragic stories of loss, as well as heroic tales of triumph. Host Rich Napolitano explores maritime history like you've never heard, including occasional guests such as authors, historians, mariners, divers, and archaeologists. If you love history, you will love Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs.

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  1. 1d ago

    El Faro: The Clock is Ticking

    In October 2015, the cargo ship El Faro sank in Hurricane Joaquin with 33 people aboard. Hear Captain Michael Davidson's emergency calls and the bridge transcripts from the ship's Voyage Data Recorder. This episode reconstructs the final hours of the voyage from primary sources. You'll hear the recorded emergency phone calls from Captain Michael Davidson as the ship took on water and lost propulsion. We also go through transcripts from the Voyage Data Recorder, the "black box" recovered from the ocean floor during the NTSB investigation. The bridge conversations show how decisions were made and how quickly conditions deteriorated. Content note: this episode includes real emergency audio and may be distressing to some listeners. This is a replay of Episode 38, originally released in January of 2024. El Faro, El Faro sinking, Captain Michael Davidson, Hurricane Joaquin, Voyage Data Recorder, NTSB investigation, shipwreck podcast, maritime disaster, true story Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes can be found at ⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠. Original theme music by ⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠. Go AD-FREE by becoming a Patreon Officer's Club Member! Join at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Into History Network for ad-free access to this and many other fantastic history podcasts! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Facebook⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    El Faro: The Clock is Ticking

  2. 1d ago

    Introducing the Jordan Harbinger Show

    Gain insights from some incredible guests on The Jordan Harbinger Show. I have become a regular listener again and hope you check it out too!

    Introducing the Jordan Harbinger Show

  3. 1d ago ·  Bonus • Subscribers Only

    Doomsday Ship: The SS Richard Montgomery

    Off the coast of Kent, three skeletal masts break the surface of the Thames Estuary, all that's visible of the SS Richard Montgomery, a Liberty ship that ran aground in August 1944 while waiting to join a wartime convoy. Salvage crews raced to offload her cargo before she broke apart, but they lost the fight. Buried in her flooded holds is roughly 1,400 tonnes of unexploded ordnance, live since the day she sank. This is an exclusive bonus episode for premium subscribers. For eighty years, that cargo has simply sat there. Authorities monitor the wreck, mark it on admiralty charts, and enforce an exclusion zone around it, but nobody has found a way to remove the munitions without risking detonation. Experts have modeled what that detonation could look like: a wave large enough to damage nearby towns, and windows shattering for miles around. This episode traces the Richard Montgomery from her final voyage to the September 2026 project to remove her masts and alleviate the stresses on her hull. Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All show notes, episodes, and transcripts can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com. Original theme music is by Sean Sigfried, and you can find him at seansigfried.com. 🚫No AI was used during the production of this episode. 👉Apple Podcast subscribers get 15% OFF all merchandise at https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com. Use code SHIPWRECKS at checkout.

    Doomsday Ship: The SS Richard Montgomery

  4. 1d ago • Subscribers Only

    El Faro: The Clock is Ticking (Replay)

    In October 2015, the cargo ship El Faro sank in Hurricane Joaquin with 33 people aboard. Hear Captain Michael Davidson's emergency calls and the bridge transcripts from the ship's Voyage Data Recorder. This episode reconstructs the final hours of the voyage from primary sources. You'll hear the recorded emergency phone calls from Captain Michael Davidson as the ship took on water and lost propulsion. We also go through transcripts from the Voyage Data Recorder, the "black box" recovered from the ocean floor during the NTSB investigation. The bridge conversations show how decisions were made and how quickly conditions deteriorated. Content note: this episode includes real emergency audio and may be distressing to some listeners. This is a replay of Episode 38, originally released in January of 2024. Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes can be found at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠. Original theme music by ⁠⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠⁠. Apple Podcast subscribers get 15% OFF all merchandise, all the time! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code SHIPWRECKS at checkout. (Captain's Table members get 20% OFF and Admiral's Circle members get 25% OFF.) Follow Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Facebook⁠⁠⁠

    El Faro: The Clock is Ticking (Replay)

  5. 4d ago

    This Week in Shipwrecks #6

    This Week in Shipwrecks: September 18–24, 2026 From a sabotage plot hidden in a 160-year-old cargo of Guinness to the long-overdue removal of the masts on Britain's most dangerous wreck, and a modern maritime disaster still unfolding in Indonesia, this week's episode spans two thousand years of shipping history and picks up right where last week left off. Stories in this episode: The Mindoro, English Channel — New evidence points to a sabotage plot behind the 1864 wreck that gave up bottles of vintage Guinness this summer. Iron Age Arms Cache, Austria — A hoard of prehistoric iron bars pulled from the Danube turns out to be one of Europe's largest. F/V Mistress, Rhode Island — A fishing boat missing since 2019 is finally located near the Block Island Wind Farm. Collision in the Singapore Strait — Viral footage captures a bulk carrier striking a Chinese fishing vessel in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The Virgo Transport 8, Indonesia — An update on the ferry disaster, as the search enters its twelfth day with dozens still missing. Fishing Boat off Sattahip, Thailand — A storm sinks a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Thailand, with crew still unaccounted for. The SS Richard Montgomery, Thames Estuary — After 80 years, work begins removing the masts of Britain's WWII "bomb ship." Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, show notes and transcripts can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com Original theme music is by Sean Sigfried, and you can find him at seansigfried.com. 🚫No AI was used during the production of this episode. **🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES + MERCH** 👉Subscribe on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    This Week in Shipwrecks #6

  6. 5d ago • Subscribers Only

    This Week in Shipwrecks #6

    This Week in Shipwrecks: September 18–24, 2026 From a sabotage plot hidden in a 160-year-old cargo of Guinness to the long-overdue removal of the masts on Britain's most dangerous wreck, and a modern maritime disaster still unfolding in Indonesia, this week's episode spans two thousand years of shipping history and picks up right where last week left off. Stories in this episode: The Mindoro, English Channel — New evidence points to a sabotage plot behind the 1864 wreck that gave up bottles of vintage Guinness this summer. Iron Age Arms Cache, Austria — A hoard of prehistoric iron bars pulled from the Danube turns out to be one of Europe's largest. F/V Mistress, Rhode Island — A fishing boat missing since 2019 is finally located near the Block Island Wind Farm. Collision in the Singapore Strait — Viral footage captures a bulk carrier striking a Chinese fishing vessel in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The Virgo Transport 8, Indonesia — An update on the ferry disaster, as the search enters its twelfth day with dozens still missing. Fishing Boat off Sattahip, Thailand — A storm sinks a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Thailand, with crew still unaccounted for. The SS Richard Montgomery, Thames Estuary — After 80 years, work begins removing the masts of Britain's WWII "bomb ship." Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, show notes and transcripts can be found at ⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠ Original theme music is by Sean Sigfried, and you can find him at ⁠seansigfried.com⁠. 🚫No AI was used during the production of this episode. **🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES + MERCH** 👉Subscribe on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    This Week in Shipwrecks #6

  7. Sep 22

    SS Caribou: Newfoundland's Deadliest Night

    In the dark hours before dawn on October 14, 1942, the passenger ferry SS Caribou was making her regular crossing between North Sydney, Nova Scotia and Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, when a torpedo from the German U-boat U-69 struck her starboard side. She sank in under five minutes. Aboard were civilians, military personnel, and entire families, including the ship's own captain, Benjamin Tavernor, and his two sons serving as officers. Her naval escort, HMCS Grandmère, tried to hunt down the U-boat but couldn't stop what was already unfolding in the freezing water. Of the 237 people on board, 136 didn't survive. This episode traces the final voyage of the Caribou from her construction in the Netherlands in 1925 through the tense wartime crossings of the Cabot Strait, where U-boats had already been sinking ships throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The attack left passengers scrambling for lifeboats, most of which couldn't be launched. The loss of the SS Caribou was the most devastating loss of civilian life in Canadian waters from a single sinking during the Second World War. Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. Original theme music is by Sean Sigfried, and you can find him at seansigfried.com. 🚫No AI was used during the production of this episode. **🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES + MERCH** 👉Subscribe on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/spotify⁠⁠⁠ 👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    SS Caribou: Newfoundland's Deadliest Night

  8. Sep 18

    This Week in Shipwrecks #5

    This Week in Shipwrecks is the weekly maritime news series of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs. This week's stories: Rescuers race against time after the Virgo Transport 8 ferry capsizes in the Java Sea. Cádiz port dredging turns up 27 cannons and a stash of silver. New horrors surface from the 1629 wreck of the Batavia Lake Michigan diver's body found Archaelogists glean information from historic Bronze Age shipwreck Sunken German U-Boat leaking TNT off the coast of Denmark Mystic Seaport Museum announces it Maritime Trades and Foodways Day, scheduled for Saturday, September 26. Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All show notes, episodes, and transcripts can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com. Original theme music by Sean Sigfried, and you can find him at seansigfried.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    This Week in Shipwrecks #5
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
150 Ratings

About

A maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, maritime disasters, and seafaring legends. Hear tragic stories of loss, as well as heroic tales of triumph. Host Rich Napolitano explores maritime history like you've never heard, including occasional guests such as authors, historians, mariners, divers, and archaeologists. If you love history, you will love Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs.

Information

  • Creator
    Rich Napolitano
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    212
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Nautilus Media, LLC
  • Show Website
    Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs
  • Provider
    Nautilus Media LLC

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