Nautical Nonsense

Episode 20: Shackleton   If there was ever a man with a sense of adventure and a roaming spirit, it was Earnest Shackleton.  Earnest left school at the age of 16 to join the Merchant Navy. After that, he spent four years learning his trade as an apprentice on a square-rigged sailing ship. He then trained to be an officer, working his way up through the ranks. In 1898 he earned his master mariner certificate and got a job as an officer on the Union Castle line.  He primarily did the sailing route between London and South Africa.  Shackleton was a man of resolute character. And just a few weeks ago, we were reminded of the perseverance of Shackleton and his crew. SHOW NOTES:   :10 Shackleton's Younger Life :40 The Discovery of the Endurance 2:07 The Man Behind the Story 3:00 1901 - RSS Discovery 3:40 Shackleton Returns to England 4:00 Working for Beardmore 4:07 The Nimrod 5:15 The Boss 6:00 The Next Great Adventure 7:15 The Women Applicants 8:00 All Male Crew 8:15 The Ship 9:20 Setting Sail 9:50 They Reach the Sea 10:00 Stuck at Ice 11:25 The Escape 12:30 Heading to Elephant Island 13:40 Departure to South Georgia 14:30 South Georgia Trekking 15:22 Rescuing the 22 Men on Elephant Island 17:15 Shackleton's Final Adventure   Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website Nautical Nonsense Merchandise  

In 1950 the Sandra departed from Savannah Georgia with 300 tons of insecticide on board. The Sandra's destination was Venezuala, but she never completed her journey. As the ship passed the Florida coast  the ship lost complete radio contact and disappeared without trace. No one ever heard from the Sandra again. SHOW NOTES: :40 Flight 19 1:00 SS Cotopaxi 2:10 The Bermuda Triangle 2:35 Vincent Gaddis 4:30 Charles Berlitz's The Bermuda Triangle 9:10 The Reality of the Bermuda Triangle Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website Nautical Nonsense Merchandise  

Everyone loves the story of an underdog. A tale of someone with all the odds stacked against them, and manages to come back and surprise the world with their amazing feats. The type of person who has Islands named after them and can inspire a nation Someone who is so impressive at what they have accomplished, you can almost forget and forgive their flaws.   Horatio always had a poor disposition. His stomach afflicted him in ways he barely handled. When he was born, his mother didn't believe he would survive infancy, and in fact he nearly died. As a child Horatio suffered many illnesses such as measles and marsh fever. He was afflicted constantly by coughs and colds. Being born in 1758 and the sixth of eleven children, Horatio knew that his only chance of leading a successful life was to join the military. Horatio had an uncle in the navy who was a captain, and at the age of twelve he went to his uncle and told him of his intent to enlist. In response, Horatio's uncle, the Naval Captain Maurice Suckling, was surprised and remarked: ‘what has poor Horatio done, who is so weak, that he above all the rest should be sent to rough it out at sea?' They might not have known it at the time, but was a premonition of what was yet to come. SHOW NOTES: Sickly Seadog While life at sea made Horatio much more robust than in his childhood, he was still extremely susceptible to illness. Over his years of service Horatio suffered from malaria, yellow fever, scurvy, tuberculosis and dysentery. All of which he bore stoically.    Nelson Fights a Polar Bear One of Horatio's first voyages was on the bomb vessel HMS Carcass as a coxswain on a voyage of exploration in the Arctic to try and reach the North Pole. He was only 15 years old at the time. When they set sail on their expedition in 1773 there was a theory circulating around the world there was an open sea near the North Pole. Inevitably the two ships in the expedition quickly became stuck in the ice. While stranded, young Horatio spotted a polar bear in the distance. He set off across the ice with his musket, intending to run the creature down. Coming to a halt, Horatio paused and studied his hand, then pulled the trigger. Unfortunately his gun misfired.   Nelson Fights the Walrus While in the arctic, two of the ships' boats were sent off to try and find a passage out of the ice.  During their expedition, one of the boats decided on a little bit of sport with a walrus. They managed to shoot and wound one, but the beast dived down into the sea, escaping from his hunters. When the walrus resurfaced, he came with reinforcements. Several of the walruses proceeded to attack the boat putting it at risk of being overturned. Horatio, in the other boat, raced to their rescue and chased the walruses away.    Promoted to Captain  Just 5 years after the arctic expedition, Horatio was promoted to Captain. The now captain was given command of a frigate and took part in operations against Spanish settlements in Nicaragua at just 20 years of age. After the American Revolution Captain Horatio Nelson returned to England, but was soon dispatched to the West Indies again. It was in the West Indies where he met his future wife, Frances and her son, Josiah. No Eyes, No Arms Not only was Horatio Nelson sickly, but he ws rather prone to injury as well. In 1794 he Horatio lost partial sight in right eye. The incident occurred while he was engaged in an operation to capture the island of Sardinia.  While on shore a cannon ball landed nearby. The shot showered his face with debris. There was no wound on the eye and it is likely that he suffered from a detached retina.  He would never properly see from his right eye again. Just a few years later he was stuck by a musket ball in the arm during the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.    Who was Nelson? Horatio Nelson, Viscount Nelson of the Nile and Burnham Thorpe, in full, is one of Britain's greatest heroes. He sits atop his column revered as a national icon. Many stories have been written about him; many true, many false and most embellished in some way. He was a flawed and controversial hero.  He possessed the moxie and the leadership, but lacked the constitution. He was weak and sickly and he disobeyed orders. But he was charismatic, lucky, and a tactical genius who inspired great loyalty.  Nelson's Love Life While Horatio was a hero on the battlefield, he didn't uphold quite the same reputation in his personal affairs. His love life was spectacular but it was hardly was a gentleman or lady would call honourable. He met his wife Frances, or ‘dearest Fanny' as he called her, at the age of 27 when he was stationed in the West Indies. While The Agamemnon was in the Mediterranean, Horatio met the British Ambassador to Naples, Sir William Hamilton, and his wife Emma. Emma struck a cord with Horatio, and he was smitten. After the battle of the Nile Nelson returned to Naples and immediately took up relations with Emma Hamilton. The two became inseparable as he once again fell head over heels in love. Their affair quickly became public knowledge and it both outraged and fascinated polite society. When they returned to England in 1800 Emma his mistress, and Fanny, his wife met for the first time. It is safe to say that they did not hit it off. Emma called Fanny a 'vile Tom Tit', and 'a very wicked, artful woman'. During the argument Horatio sided with Emma. He never saw Fanny again.  Before setting off for the battle of Trafalgar Nelson and Emma attended communion together and in an informal ceremony they exchanged betrothal rings. They were as good as married, except in the eyes of the law. Things did not turn out well. Nelson was killed at the battle on October 21st, 1905 from a gunshot wound. 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Sailors in particular are known for their decorated canvases of bodies. It is often said tattooing was first introduced to sailors after Captain Cook's voyages to the South Seas. Here the men encountered the islanders with extensive tattoo designs, and the sailors were smitten. Captain Cook himself undertook a systematic study of these designs and several of the sailors on his the voyages had themselves tattooed. Everything about the first sailor tattoos were simple. They were marks of identification or affection. But gradually, and as things do with sailors, a superstition began to grow around tattoos. Different tattoo designs began to take on specific and often superstitious meanings.  The first designs were very simple. They were extremely basic line drawings of anchors, mermaids, initials, crucifixes, love hearts, and patriotic symbols.  The location of tattoos was predominantly on the arms and hands, at least initially, but tattoos gradually spread over the whole body.  SHOW NOTES: :30 HOW SAILORS REVOLUTIONISED TATTOOS: SAMUAL O'REILLEY 1: 30 COOK & BLIGH'S DOCUMENTATION OF SAILOR'S TATTOOS 3:25 THE FIRST SAILOR TATTOO DESIGNS 3:45 MEANING BEHIND THE ORIGINAL SAILOR'S TATTOOS 4:20 THE FIRST TATTOOIST 4:50 HOW THE FIRST TATTOOS WERE APPLIED 6:10 PROFESSIONALS TATTOOIST SET UP 6:30 SAILOR JERRY 9:25 SAILOR'S SUPERSTITIOUS TATTOOS Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website Nautical Nonsense Merchandise  

EPISODE 16 - SHIP TALK The way a person speaks says a lot about their background. Even setting the topic of conversation aside the accents, colloquialisms, and vocabulary of an individual are all indicators of geographic origins, regional and parental influences, and education. The way someone phrases their sentences, certain jargon they might use, and the way they place certain inflections on words and syntax can also provide huge clues to the profession of the speaker. Salesmen tend to posses the earnest capability of carrying a conversation with a wall, using everyday language, but in a way that makes you feel comfortable and like lifelong friends. Nurses love to throw around acronyms and other hospital lingo that I absolutely always need a clarifier on. If you're one of those lucky few people who hang around my company, you'll very rarely hear use the word say “bathroom” - ninety nine percent of the time, I'll say something along the lines of “I've got to hit the head”.   SHOW NOTES: 1:20 The Head 2:20 Oral Heritage 3:30 The Tradition of Storytelling 4:15 Landlubbers' Talk vs Sailors' Lingo 5:00 Technical Sailing Craft Vocabulary to Pleasure 5:30 The Internationality of the Maritime Trade 6:30 Not a Clew - Clue Vs. Clue and where it Originates 8:00 The Meanings of Running Gear, Foot, Yard, and Fiddle 8:10 How Halyards Came About 9:15 The Origins of Port & Starboard Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense Merchandise Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website  

Fear of anything is often misplaced for what is truly fear of the unknown. Are you scared of the dark, or maybe what lay hidden in the darkness? From the first time a human dipped their toes in the ocean, we have been fearful of what lies beneath that glimmering surface. From Greek myths to Icelandic sagas and in Chinese folklore. stories from around the world tell tales of terrible monsters in the sea. These creatures continue to hold a fascination over us today and appear in movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean and The Meg.  The Kraken is one of the most infamous of all sea creatures out there - I mean there's even a rum named after the devilish beast. The Kraken is even written about in the scientific works of Aristotle.   SHOW NOTES:   Squid or Kraken? Some of the finest minds in history believed the kraken to truly exist.  And the truth of it is, the ocean is a mystery to us. Humans know and have seen much more of the surface of the moon and mars, than the ocean, which is right here at home. Over 80% of the ocean remains unmapped, unseen, and unexplored. Carl Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who established the natural history classification that we still use today, included the Kraken in the first edition of his Systema Naturae in 1735.    Sea Serpents Sea serpents appear in many different folklores around the world but are particularly common in Scandinavia. Scientists were always sceptical about these creatures, they seemed childish, silly even, just some common folk lore. This all changed in 1848 when HMS Daedalus was on its way to St Helena and spotted what the crew thought could only be a sea serpent.  Reports reverberated in the press around the world. This phenomena sparked a renewed interest in scaly creature and many more sightings were reported, many of questionable origins.   Captain Ahab So it's probably not surprising almost all anecdotes of fearsome attacking whales tend to come from whalers – men who were hell bent on killing whales to get their oil.  And while yes, whales tend to be a peaceful and benevolent animal, occasionally, when pushed to the brink in an act of self-preservation, a whale would turn on its pursuers and attack their boats.  The whale that attacked Ahab and his crew, to them, was a monster. And when the whale attacked, he relentlessly pursued, not giving up. If you don't know how the story ends…well, I suggest you go and watch the movie “In the Heart of the Sea” starring Chris Hemsworth. It tells the story of what inspired Herman Melville to write one of the most famous novels of all time. Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website Nautical Nonsense Merchandise  

Sometime in the summer of 1860, just over 100 kidnapped africans children came ashore in Mobile Bay, part of the gulf coast of Alabama. The reports on the specific number of slaves on board vary anywhere from 109 to 116. The slave trade had been outlawed for over 50 years at this point, but that didn't stop William Foster from seeking a profit on the exploitation of human lives. More than 8,000 captives were brought to the American South by slave traders following the 1807 ban. American shipowners, merchants, seamen and corrupt officials, a majority of then based out of New York City, continued shipping captive Africans well past when it was legal. The ship that brought the slaves in was a 86 foot double masted Schooner, called the Clotilda. SHOW NOTES: 1:00 William Foster 1:55 Voyage to Africa 3:10 Return to America 4:20 Scuttled to Silence 5:10 After the Emancipation 6:15 Africatown Further Reading:    The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and an Extraordinary Reckoning By Ben Raines Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website Nautical Nonsense Merchandise  

In the nineteenth century Darwin's Origin of Species gave credence to the reality of mermaids. Darwin's research concluded the possibility of mermaids as some evolutionary by-product or evidence of humankind's descent from watery origins. When this happened, the Victorians of the nineteenth century became obsessed. Mermaids consumed everything. The fantasy of the ethereal creature from the deep moved from sailor's folklore into the cultural mainstream. In this evolving folklore, the sight or sound of a mermaid was taken as a sign of storms or shipwreck.  There are many ballads that tell the same basic story: seamen spot a mermaid combing her hair, the win begins to blow, the ship is tossed on the stormy seas and is dashed on the rocks and the sailors go to heaven or hell. Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website Nautical Nonsense Merchandise  

The ocean holds a power within her, a volume that our species is incapable of comprehending. She makes up nearly 75% of the planet we call home, yet we know only her surface. We know the seven seas, our major oceans, but we don't know all her history. We know the great barrier reef and the inhabitants. We know the beautiful blue whale and we know of great whites.   We also know how we have used and abused the ocean, making her our trash bin, a place we could discard things and forget about them. But long before Europeans were sailing the ocean and trying to figure out how to calculate longitude and latitude, there was a group of people who respected the ocean, and listened to her. These people settled some of the farthest reaches of the world, and it all started nearly four thousand years ago, in a dugout canoe. SHOW NOTES :30THE FIRST POLYNESIAN VOYAGES 2:48 EUROPEAN OPPRESSION 3:39 THE STORIES 4:20 THE STARS 5:45 VENTURING INTO LOCAL WATERS 6:30 THE DEPARTURE 7:05 THE VOYAGE 8:07 THE ARRIVAL 9:20 EUROPEAN ARRIVAL TO POLYNESIA 11:50 TON TIKA 12:30 REVIVAL OF WAYFINDING Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website Nautical Nonsense Merchandise

In the early days of sailing and navigation, sailors had to stay close to the coast. They looked to the shore for landmarks to guide them. Hills, cliffs, churches, and windmills could all give a navigator key clues to his location. As local knowledge grew, and more people navigated coastal waters, books showcasing the horizon and specific landmarks regarding your route became available for purchase. A sailor knew as long as he could see land, he wasn't truly lost. By keeping an eye on the coast, you had that rough idea of your location.   SHOW NOTES: :58 Sir Cloudsley 1:40 Why Sailors Look Up 2:15 Red Sky at Night 4:05 Mackerel Sky & Mare's Tails 6:06 Dead Reckoning 9:00 Celestial Navigation 9:10 Astrolabe 9:35 Cross Staff 10:00 Back Staff 10:20 Quadrants 10:30 Octant 10:55 Sextant 11:20 Determining Longitude 11:40 Chronometer Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Nautical Nonsense Website Nautical Nonsense Merchandise Mackerel & Mackerel Sky Mare's Tail

Episode 10: The Story of Anne Bonny & Mary Read Anne had flaming red hair, and the stereotypical fiery temper to go with it. She was the illegitimate daughter of Irish lawyer, William Cormac. In those days, having a child out of wedlock was kind of a big deal. William Cormac's maidservant, Mary, gave birth to Anne in sixteen ninety seven. Shortly after her birth and, not surprisingly, William's wife found out about the child and his mistress. So William fled with Mary and baby Anne to America, in order to avoid the scandal. They settled in Charleston, where they fell into a tumultuous life with a Troublesome Anne. As Anne got older, her father wanted nothing more than a respectable marriage for his daughter, but Anne had a mind of her own. A respectable marriage was not on her list of things to do. SHOW NOTES: 1:50 The Birth of Mary Reed 3:33 Mary's Youth 4:20 James & Anne Bonny's Marriage 5:15 Calico Jack & Anne Bonny Meet 6:27  Who is Calico Jack Rackham? 7:45 Anne's Escape into a life of Piracy 8:30 Anne & Mary Meet 9:20 Their Collective Capture 10:00 Anne & Mary's Life After Piracy Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney Zaruba on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon *** Research for Nautical Nonsense is Conducted by Dr. Martin Bellamy Sources Appleby, John C.. Women and English Piracy, 1540-1720: Partners and Victims of Crime. United Kingdom, Boydell Press, 2013. Duncombe, Laura Sook. Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas. United States, Chicago Review Press, 2017. Druett, Joan. She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea. United Kingdom, Simon & Schuster, 2001. Jo Stanley, Bold in Her Breeches: Women Pirates Across the Ages. United Kingdom, Pandora, 1995. Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. United States, Beacon Press, 2011. Charles Johnson, A General History of the Pyrates, (London, 1724).  

The S.S. Pulaski was built for the ocean, unlike her predecessor Home. Pulaski was larger, faster, more robust and far more glamorous. She was the who's who of eastern seaboard ocean liners, everyone sought a berth aboard and dare to take a trip on board the new and elegant Pulaski. She was built so impressively not only to attract the attention of rich businessmen, but to allay passenger fears after what happened to the S.S. Home. S.S. Pulaski departed on her fourth voyage on the thirteenth of June, 1838.  She was to set sail from Savannah, pick up more passengers in Charleston, then carry on to Baltimore. Many of the passengers on board were wealthy businessmen with last names we have all heard of, Hamilton and Rochester to name a few. The passengers who traveled on the Pulaski were some of the richest folk in the Southeastern United States. But, not all of the names are recorded in the manifest for the transit. And truthfully, this was a pretty common occurrence for the time. Sometimes tickets were exchanged, or someone signed on last minute, and there would be no record of that person on the ship. Sometimes, people just disappear from our written history. The North Carolina Coast is a mysterious place. There is one place in particular though, that leaves you with an eerie feeling. Hatteras Island used to be known as Croatoa or Roanoke Island. And yes, that's the same Roanoak Island where the settlers disappeared from without a trace. A large part of Hatteras island is mad up by the sandy Cape Hatteras. And while it may seem like a lovely vacation spot with a quaint lighthouse, this mystifying jutting cape off the North Carolina Coast and the area surrounding it, is also known as the graveyard of the Atlantic. Further Reading: Graveyard of the Atlantic Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon

But there is something to be said about why a sea shanty, a tune from a time most people know or think little about, happened to become a viral phenomena overnight Sea shanties and ballads have long been a way to bring people together. Their simplicity of tune and rhythm means anyone can partake, so long as you can remember the words - or not, that's fine too.  You can always just mumble along. But the words to sea shanties are often very simple, allowing people of many languages, backgrounds, and cultures to be able to understand and participate in the communal activity of song. While shanties were used for working - and exclusively so, ballads, like the Wellerman were used to entertain and tell stories.  The sailors saw them as a way to pass the time, vent through a creative outlet, tell stories, and bring the crew together and ease into a form of peace, in whatever situation they may find themselves.  [:39] Scottish Postman Sings Sea Shanty on TikTok [1:35] Why Sailors and Modern Society in a Pandemic Love Sea Shanties [3:00] When and Why Sea Shanties Were Sung [3:35] Why Sea Shanties Were Important [4:00] The Three Types of Shanties [4:10 ] Hauling Shanties  [4:20] Earlie in the Mornin' [5:00] The Shantyman [6:10]Blow the Man Down  [7:10] Heaving Shanties [8:25] Pump Shanties [8:40] Shanty Superstitions [9:40] Forecastle Shanties / Ditties /Forebitters [10:34] Decline of the Sea Shanty Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon   Listen to Rummer the Rum Runner on Spotify

Episode 7: Edmund Fitzgerald Not all tales of ships on the lakes come from a time of corsets and petticoats. Some of our most famous and tragic stories are much more modern than that, and stick with us more notably because of the impact from falling so close to home. In 1976 Gordon Lightfoot released a folk ballad that reached the number one slot in Canada and the number two slot in the U -S on billboard charts. The song was nominated for two grammy awards, song of the year, and best Male pop vocal performance. A keen yachtsman, Lightfoot grew up sailing on the great lakes. So deeply touched by the news of the sinking of an ore carrier on Lake Superior in the November of 1975, he wanted to memorialise the crew and their lives lost. Show Notes [2:00] About the Edmund Fitzgerald [2:50] Earnest McSorley [3:10] Her final Departure [3:37] The Witch of November [3:50] Hours into the Storm Edmund Fitzgerald Radios into Headquarters [4:13] The Snow Sets In [4:44] The Big Blow [5:10] Final Words from the Edmund Fitzgerald [5:40] Arthur M Anderson reports Edmund Fitzgerald Missing [6:00] Search and Attempted Rescue [6:15] What's left of the Edmund Fitzgerald [6:54] Why the Edmund Fitzgerald Sank [8:44] Why they Sailed in November [9:20] The Mariner's Church in Detroit Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon Listen to the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot on Spotify

As humans, we yearn for tradition. We crave the companionship and comfort in the knowledge our actions were reflected in those before us and will be in those after us. Some traditions that get passed on are obvious, like roasting a turkey on Thanksgiving or leaving out cookies and milk for Santa. Language through the years has morphed, and thanks to immigration, our colloquialisms, and an increase in rapid communication, our vocabulary has both expanded and contracted. Language is a living organism of its own. You might remember from episode one, where I told you the origin story of minding your p's and q's - it came from sailing. So it probably won't come as a surprise to you, but HEAPS of the common phrases we say today come from a nautical background. Show Notes: [3:35] Slush Fund [4:46] Toe the Line [5:10] The Cat's out of the Bag [5:45] Pipe Down [7:00] Three Square Meals [7:38] Elbows off the Table [8:50] Shanghied [9:45] Three Sheets to the Wind [10:50] Feeling Groggy [11:25] Dressing Down [12:03] Little Nippers [13:33] Cut and Run [13:51] Feeling Blue Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Nautical Nonsense & Sydney on Patreon

Eighteen men, five days of rations, and the equivalent of an Atlantic crossing. People used to be made of tougher stuff. There aren't many people in our lifetime who would willingly leave their families, knowing the potential of death, and also knowing our modern comforts and giving them up entirely. Society has, in a lot of ways, changed for the better, but not necessarily in all aspects. Many people would grimace at the idea of camping, let alone a lifetime of camping with rations, cold miserable weather, strict regulations, and little to no pay. As much as the British Empire has made some very questionable choices in history, we cannot deny the fact they created some truly remarkable sailors and loyalty-inspiring leaders.  In the mid-1800s the royal navy acquired The  HMS Bounty, a converted merchant collier they planned to use to transport breadfruit from French Polynesia to the West Indies. The Bounty's planned route sailed from Tahiti to the West Indies. Now the British and the French did not get along in the seventeen hundreds, and I don't particularly think that has changed even now. Tahiti was chosen as a place to British dominance, in a sort of territorial standoff with the French. Shipping out the breadfruit from French Polynesia was a tactical political and militaristic display. In August of 1787, the British Royal Navy appointed William Bligh, of Plymouth, England as commanding Lieutenant aboard the Bounty. Show Notes: [02:35] Who is Captain William Bligh [04:12] William Bligh was given command of the HMS Bounty [04:55] HMS Bounty set sail from Spithead, England [05:34] HMS Bounty finally reached Tahiti [06:18] They departed Tahiti for the West Indies & Tensions Grew Between Captain and Crew [08:03] Fletcher's Mutiny  [08:58] Bligh Taken Prisoner and Sent off in the Ship's Boat [10:46] HMS Bounty Returns to Tahiti and then Headed to Pitcairn Island [11:45] HMS Bounty Crew Carry-On and Bligh's Crew Arrives [13:04] Mutineers Sent to Trail and Bligh Welcomed as Hero [11:45] Bligh's Career Continues [14:37] Wreckage and Recreation of the HMS Bounty   Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram A Narrative Of The Mutiny, On Board His Majesty's Ship Bounty; And The Subsequent Voyage Of Part Of The Crew, In The Ship's Boat

It makes sense a culture filled with superstition and lore has a treasure trove of ghost stories. For as long as mankind has been on the ocean there have been disappearances at sea. For those back onshore the agony of waiting, wishing, and hoping for an answer to where their loved ones were and if they would ever return haunted their every thought. A desperate mind starts to dream up reasons for things unknown. Why have they not returned? Why would they die? Why is there no word? Am I being punished? Maybe they're still out there.  But what happens when we do see something totally unexplainable? Something that even though our brain is fully aware of what it is, we can still find it entirely incomprehensible. Most people would probably try and find some logical reason to suit their experience. But what if you gave up and finally accepted the unaccepted. What if enough people saw something so strange and so phenomenal it couldn't be written off? That is when it becomes something of folklore and this is how ghost ships are born. Show Notes: [00:01] HMS Resolute's connection to the White House [02:30] A Famous Ghost Ship: The Flying Dutchman [05:09] 3 Types of Ghost Ships [05:39] The French Ship: Navire Libera Nos [06:13] La Belle Rosalie [07:29] Eliza Battle [08:58] The Marie Celeste, an abandoned ship [10:33] Captain Parker Takes over the Marie Celeste [10:58] The abandoned SS Baychimo   Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Christmas Ship

Herman Schuenemann was not a wealthy man, most sailors aren't. But he was successful, well-respected, and had a loving wife and three daughters.  He married his wife Barbara in 1891. They were both of German descent, in a time when the area of Chicago was rapidly growing in Germanic and European population. Having been born in Wisconsin, Schuenemann moved to Chicago and established himself as a merchant mariner and a schooner captain. At the same time, the German tradition of decorating pine trees in your home during Christmas significantly increased in popularity. Combined with the budding German community and this new trend, the demand for baby pine trees soared, and thus was born the Christmas tree trade.  Show Notes: [01:04] The beginning of the Christmas tree trade [01:39] Captain Herman Schuenemann/Captain Santa [03:11] The Rouse Simmons [04:38] Shipwrecked [05:37] Never seen again  [06:00] The message in the bottle [06:34] The aftermath [07:10] Wreckage of the Rouse Simmons [08:09] Legacy of the Christmas Tree Schooner Links Mentioned:  Christmas Ship Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Patreon 

We have all heard the saying to curse like a sailor. My mom often says it about my generation and our vulgar tongues.  We often associated the cursing of sailors to their lack of education, morals, or lack of both.  Whenever this is a pop culture film of pirates or sailors, it always seems like they are spewing profanity in one form or another.  Most of these phrases we don't know for sure where they come from. When I talk about them, know that I am taking the story that comes to the closest point of nautical origin. So much of history is unknown and the reasons for things are often unknown. Often, there can be several stories that originate to the reason why we do something, each one of them found in a little bit of truth. I'm here to present to you the options and will give you the research that I have conducted, it's up to you to decide which story you choose to believe. Also, I will always encourage you to do your own research. Don't just take my word for it.  Inside This Episode:  [00:16] Curse like a sailor [03:00] Mind your P's and Q's [04:25] F.U.C.K. [05:28] W.H.A.R.F. [06:24] How poop relates to nautical nonsense [08:11] S.H.I.T.   Connect with Sydney Zaruba: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Patreon 

Sailors have always been a superstitious lot. Maybe it is the inherent risk that comes from being at sea that makes sailors skittish, or perhaps because sailors were traditionally uneducated, illiterate men trying to find a reason for the phenomena happening around them. They wanted to put an explanation on things any way they could.  Whether for peace of mind or just a little extra luck, there is no denying the superstitions, folklore, and traditions associated with the ancient art of sailing.  For the average person, sailing is a world they are totally unfamiliar with. For those of us lucky enough to call the sea our home, we have learned to respect the ocean, the tradition, and the power that comes with our calling.  There is new vocabulary, way of life, and attitude that comes along with being a salty seaman.  Sailing has been around for nearly as long as humans have and that leaves room for a lot of good stories. My goal with this podcast is to share those stories with you.  Show Notes: [02:06] Sailing Superstitions [02:35] Bananas are bad luck [03:25] The Mattapan banana story from 1912 [04:00] Women were banned on most ships [05:04] Redheads were seen as an anemone [05:24] Changing the name of the boat is also bad luck [05:43] Other bad luck superstitions [06:12] Bad luck to kill a sea bird Connect with Sydney: Nautical Nonsense on Instagram Sydney on Instagram Patreon 

In this podcast, we're going to dive into nautical history, sailing quirks, and famous characters who have defined the ocean.  The podcast officially launches on Friday December 3rd and new episodes will be dropping each Friday.