500 years ago an unrecognisable ship arrived in the port of Seville. Its crew was reduced to just 18 emaciated and starving men. But the ship had just completed a voyage of huge importance that changed the shape of history and changed the way we live today. It was 1522 and the Victoria had just become the first ship to circumnavigate the world. Voyages of Discovery s1e1, Paul Rose, BBC 2019
The course that [Ferdinand] Magellan was planning would take him beyond chartered waters into the unknown; it was a journey many believed was impossible. ibid.
One night nearly 250 years ago a ship ran aground on a treacherous reef in the Pacific ocean. Water poured into the wooden hull threatening to sink her and all those on board. The ship that faced a watery grave appeared to be nothing more than an unremarkable coaling vessel captained by an unknown commander on an obscure scientific field trip. But this ship had a secret mission: one that would redraw the map of the world, and make a hero of her undistinguished hero: the ship was called The Endeavour and her captain was called James Cook. Voyages of Discovery s1e2
The Endeavour sailed from Plymouth on 26th August 1768. It was the age of enlightenment, an era of intellectual ferment. ibid.
Cook would have to navigate his ship to the other side of the world … The Endeavour travelled alone. ibid.
Conditions below must have been appalling let alone the smell. And disease was rife. ibid.
Over 2,000,000 sailors had died from scurvy. ibid.
Banks had accidentally stumbled across the cure for scurvy. ibid.
After 33 weeks at sea land was finally spotted: Cook had arrived … in paradise. ibid.
The Transit of Venus is an incredibly rare event. ibid.
Man has fought wars in many terrible places over the century, but never has he fought in a place as terrible as this. This is where the men who ran the Second World War Arctic convoys went to work, among not just the German submarines and planes but Nature at her most brutal. PQ17: An Arctic Convoy Disaster, Jeremy Clarkson reporting, BBC 2019
Codenamed PQ17 it was the largest [convoy] that had ever sailed … The biggest naval disaster of the 20th century. ibid.
The task of delivering these supplies to Russia would fall to the men of the merchant Navy. ibid.
In the first 12 convoys to make the voyage there were 103 ships and only 1 was lost. ibid.
This is the story of three cruise ships which set sail between January and March this year. They would each suffer devastating outbreaks of Coronavirus, together resulting in hundreds of infections and the deaths of dozens of people. All three ships were owned by Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company. Our World: Coronavirus Cruises, BBC 2020
Is it worth it?
A new winter coat, and shoes for the wife
And a bicycle on the boy’s birthday
It's just a rumour that was spread around town
By the women and children
Soon we’ll be shipbuilding
Well, I ask you
The boy said, ‘Dad, they're going to take me to task
But I’ll be back by Christmas’
It’s just a rumour that was spread around town
Somebody said that someone got filled in
For saying that people get killed
In the results of their shipbuilding
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls
It’s just a rumour that was spread around town
A telegram for a picture postcard
Within weeks, they’ll be reopening the shipyard
And notifying the next of kin once again
It’s all we’re skilled in
We will be shipbuilding
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls. Robert Wyatt, Shipbuilding