PodcastsDocumentaryShipwrecks and Sea Dogs

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

Rich Napolitano
Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs
Latest episode

161 episodes

  • Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

    The Stargazer of Nantucket w/Julie Gerstenblatt

    23/06/2026 | 37 mins.
    In this episode, Rich speaks with author Julie Gerstenblatt, author of Daughters of Nantucket, which won the New England Society Book Award for Fiction, to discuss her new historical novel, The Stargazer of Nantucket.

    Set in 1851, the novel follows Winifred Starbuck, an eighteen-year-old who stows away on her parents' final merchant voyage from Nantucket Island to San Francisco and across the Pacific to the ports of China, only to uncover a long-buried secret that reveals the truth behind her parents' desperate fear. Gerstenblatt and Rich dig into the real maritime history behind the fiction, including the novel's connection to the record-setting maiden voyage of the clipper ship Flying Cloud, the golden age of sail, the dangers of 19th-century trade voyages, and what it took to bring this seafaring world to life on the page.

    To purchase Stargazer of Nantucket, please visit https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=Julie+Gerstenblatt

    For more information about Julie Gerstenblatt please visit https://www.juliegerstenblatt.com/.

    **🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES**
    👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is part of the Into History podcast channel. Subscribe here: ⁠https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod⁠
    👉Get exclusive bonus episodes and merch on Patreon: ⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon⁠
    👉Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/apple⁠

    👉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

    *No remuneration was received by or paid by Rich Napolitano or Nautilus Media, LLC for Ms. Gerstenblatt's appearance on Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs. An advance copy of the author's work was provided by the publisher for review.

    ** No AI was used to create this video.

    Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, images, and sources can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com.

    Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.
    ⁠https://www.seansigfried.com⁠

    You can also listen to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. ⁠https://www.podfollow.com/shipwreckspod

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
  • Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

    Based on a True Story: The Terror & Franklin Expedition

    18/06/2026 | 2h 8 mins.
    The Terror and the Franklin Expedition

    Rich recently appeared as a guest on Based on a True Story Podcast with Dan Lefebvre to discuss fact versus fiction in AMC's The Terror, Season 1. This series is a sci-fi/horror adaptation of the novel by Dan Simmons called The Terror portraying the 1845 Franklin Expedition as they search for a passage through the Canadian Arctic on HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.

    Based on a True Story Podcast compares historical accuracy versus what was portrayed on screen, and delves into some of the biggest films and television shows of all time. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube.

    For more information about Based on a True Story Podcast, please visit BasedonaTrueStoryPodcast.com.

    All episodes, notes, and transcripts can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
  • Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

    90 Seconds to Disaster: The Herald of Free Enterprise

    16/06/2026 | 38 mins.
    The Herald of Free Enterprise: How a Routine Ferry Crossing Became One of Britain's Deadliest Peacetime Disasters | Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

    On the night of March 6, 1987, the roll-on/roll-off ferry Herald of Free Enterprise left the Belgian port of Zeebrugge bound for Dover with nearly 500 passengers and crew aboard. Minutes after clearing the harbor, the ship rolled onto its side in shallow water, claiming 193 lives in one of the most consequential maritime disasters of the 20th century.

    In this episode of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, host Rich Napolitano traces the chain of small failures, design flaws, and operational pressures that turned a routine cross-Channel run into catastrophe. Topics discussed include the open bow doors that let the North Sea pour onto the car deck, the free surface effect that capsized the ship in under two minutes, the frantic rescue effort in freezing water, and the Sheen Inquiry that famously diagnosed the ferry operator's culture as suffering from a "disease of sloppiness." This disaster reshaped international maritime safety law and changed RO-RO ferry future designs.

    **🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES**
    👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is part of the Into History podcast channel — subscribe here: https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod
    👉Get exclusive bonus episodes and merch on Patreon: https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon
    👉Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/apple

    👉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

    #HeraldOfFreeEnterprise #ShipwreckHistory #ZeebruggeDisaster #MaritimeDisaster #FerryDisaster #MaritimeHistory #NauticalHistory #HistoryPodcast #ShipwrecksAndSeaDogs #Townsend #Thoresen

    ** No AI was used to create this video.

    Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, images, and sources can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com.

    Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.
    https://www.seansigfried.com

    You can also listen to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://www.podfollow.com/shipwreckspod

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
  • Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

    The Wreck of the Mentor w/Eric Jay Dolin

    09/06/2026 | 36 mins.
    The Wreck of the Whaleship Mentor (1832) | Shipwreck, Captivity & Survival in Palau | Interview with Eric Jay Dolin

    In May 1832, the American whaleship Mentor was battling fierce storms in the western Pacific when disaster struck. Wrecked on a remote reef in the Micronesian archipelago of Palau, eleven surviving crewmen found themselves stranded in unfamiliar territory, their supplies dwindling and their fate uncertain. Within days, indigenous Palauan warriors approached bearing axes, clubs, and spears. What followed was years of captivity, tribal warfare, dashed hopes, and a fraught naval rescue mission that captivated the American public.

    In this episode, host Rich Napolitano sits down with award-winning maritime historian and bestselling author Eric Jay Dolin to discuss his book The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail. Dolin brings this largely forgotten saga back to life, a gripping story of survival, cultural collision, and the realities of life at sea in the Age of Sail.

    In this episode:

    👉The Mentor's doomed voyage and how the wreck occurred
    👉The surviving crew's first contact with the Indigenous people of Palau
    👉Years of captivity and the struggle to survive
    👉The naval rescue mission and the diplomatic challenges it created
    👉What the Mentor's story reveals about 19th-century whaling and American maritime history

    About Eric Jay Dolin: Eric Jay Dolin is the bestselling author of seventeen works of maritime history, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, Black Flags, Blue Waters, and Rebels at Sea. His books have received numerous awards, including the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature. Learn more at ⁠ericjaydolin.com⁠.

    * No compensation or remuneration of any kind was received by Rich Napolitano or Nautilus Media LLC for Mr. Dolin's appearance in this episode, other than a copy of the author's work.

    ** No AI was used to create this video.

    All episodes and transcripts can be found at ⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠.

    For ad-free listening, access to exclusive bonus episodes, and free perks, please subscribe to the Officer's Club!


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    This episode was written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. Original theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    Please leave a rating and review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podchaser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs tee shirts, hats, and other items are available at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, tragic loss, and incredible accomplishments on the world's oceans and waterways.

    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
  • Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

    (Bonus) The Curious Case of the Glenesslin

    02/06/2026 | 20 mins.
    In 1913, the fully-rigged British vessel Glenesslin strangely sailed straight into the rocks on the coast of Oregon, despite relatively calm weather. Locals reported the captain and crew were drunk, and rumors of insurance fraud swirled. Many questions still remain about why this beautiful ship was wrecked on the rocks.All episodes and transcripts can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com.For ad-free listening, access to exclusive bonus episodes, and free perks, please subscribe to the Officer's Club!


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠

    This episode was written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. Original theme music is by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    **No AI was used during the production of this episode.**

    Please leave a rating and review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podchaser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

    Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs tee shirts, hats, and other items are available at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, tragic loss, and incredible accomplishments on the world's oceans and waterways.

    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
More Documentary podcasts
About Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs
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.
Podcast website

Listen to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, The Slow Newscast and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features
Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs: Podcasts in Family