In the early 19 th century, Mexico produced approximately half of the world’s silver. Along with gold and jewels, this was used to pay for British trade goods. The problem was how to get these safely ...

I am currently researching the transmission of Iberian geographic knowledge into English cartography, specifically how Portuguese toponyms may have found their way onto the Molyneux globe of 1592. One ...

In terms of the intensity of activity the thirty years between 1695 and 1725 were the “Golden Age” of piracy afloat. Early modern piracy flourished because it offered material gains rather than being ...

The use of the wheel to activate a ship’s rudder via the tiller came into use in the early 1700’s, in England, France and later Venetia. The essential problem was to translate the rotary motion of the ...

Dating back to the late 13th century this wreck lies in 26m of water some 110nm North of Jakarta and 40nm off the Sumatran coast. She displaced around 300 tonnes. Earlier looting had taken place prior ...

A description of the events that led to the 60 gun ship Weymouth, Captain Calmady, breaking up on a reef in February 1745. Using the ships log and notes from the ...

The Seven Years’ War (1756-1757) had begun badly for the British with a series of defeats, miscarried plans, reversal of alliances and an invasion scare. There was lack of military success in America ...

The free quarterly newsletter of the Society for Nautical Research keeping you up to date with all society news, short research articles, headlines from the world of maritime research and heritage, ...

King Philip II delayed sending galleys to defend Santo Domingo from pirates, due to instability, corruption, and monetary chaos on the island of Hispaniola. The two galleys finally sent in 1582 soon ...

The Naval Academy at Portsmouth was established in 1733. During its 104 years of operation it developed a poor reputation; Lord St. Vincent called it a “sink of vice and abomination…” Closed in 1833, ...

In February 1946, a “sit down” strike/mutiny broke out among seamen at the RIN Signal School at Colaba, Bombay, and was followed by general disaffection and in some cases violence in RIN bases and ...

A detailed history of the Royal Dockyard at Portsmouth which included the first gated “dry” dock in England, intended to handle the largest ships of the day and meant to supersede the “wet’ docks then ...