The pleasure yacht Wawinet sank on September 21, 1942, in Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada. The Wawinet was owned by retired NHL defenseman Bert Corbeau who played for the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Corbeau was Plant Supervisor at Midland Foundry and Machine Company, of Midland, Ontario, and he was taking the workers out for an evening boating excursion.

Corbeau was an experienced captain and knew the waters and channels very well. The Wawinet suddenly listed over and took on water, just south of Beausoleil Island, and began taking on water. 25 of the 42 men on board, including Corbeau, perished in the accident. To this day, there are still many questions about what caused the Wawinet to sink.

Joining me for this episode are Bert Mason of Penetanguishene, Ontario, and Brien DesRochers of Parkhill, Ontario, whose relatives died on the Wawinet on that day. It remains one of the worse tragedies in Great Lakes History.

This episode is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/sAYdQTkdB6I.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. Original theme music by Sean Sigfried. All episodes, images, and sources can be found at https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/12/13/the-mystery-of-the-wawinet/

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(This episode was oiginally released in January of 2023.)

On the evening of January 28, 1980 the United States Coast Guard cutter Blackthorn was leaving Tampa Bay on its way to its home base in Galveston, Texas. It was a cool, calm, and pleasant night as the Blackthorn headed out. At the same time, the SS Capricorn was inbound to the bay. Through a series of missteps and miscommunications, the Blackthorn and Capricorn collided almost head-on, killing 23 Coast Guardsmen. Rich's wife Dawn joins the show again as a guest.

For photos and sources related to this episode please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2023/01/24/the-uscgc-blackthorn/.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.

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Bonus Episode from La Fayette, We Are Here! podcast.

This particular conflict goes by multiple names and definitions. While it is globally recognized as the Seven Years' War, it is more commonly referred to in America as the French and Indian War, and in Canada as the War of Conquest. These wars are all interconnected and are part of a vast global struggle between the two superpowers of the mid-eighteenth century: France and Great Britain.

Considered by many as the first true world war, it continues to reverberate even today. Embark on a historical journey, with Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour, the Marquis de Montcalm, and general Wolfe as our guides, to examine "the Great French Disaster." 

Created and hosted by Emmanuel Dubois.

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In the midst of increased tariffs and enforcement of the Navigation Acts, an angry group of merchants, plantation owners, and residents of Providence, Rhode Island slipped out under the cover of darkness on June 10, 1772, and boarded HMS Gaspee. After a short battle, the Rhode Islanders burned the British vessel, and shot and wounded its commander, Lt. William Duddingston. The Gaspee Affair, as it came to be known, was the result of increased tensions between colonists and the British government.

My guest for this episode is Michael Troy, of American Revolution Podcast.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.

For images and sources, please visit https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/the-burning-of-hms-gaspee/

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On the 13th of January, 2012 the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia struck a rocky outcropping off the coast of Italy. The ship lost power and propulsion, and came to rest on its starboard side, just meters from the island of Giglio. Panic and chaos ensued on board, with over 4000 passengers and 1000 crew. Captain Francesco Schettino altered the planned course of his ship to perform a sail-by salute, close to Giglio, without informing Costa operations. His mistress, Moldovan dancer Domnica Cemortan, was on the bridge at the time of the accident. Twenty-seven passengers and five crew were killed in the accident, and countless more were injured. Schettino and other deck officers abandoned the helpless ship well before all the passengers were off the ship, earning him the nickname, "Captain Coward."

Voice actors:

• Dawn Napolitano: Andrea Davis, passenger
• Marwan Saidi: Commander Gregorio DeFalco, Italian Coast Guard
• Allen Nail: Captain Francesco Schettino

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.

For images and sources, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/12/10/the-costa-concordia/.

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Bonus Episode from La Fayette, We Are Here! podcast.

The Nouvelle France (New France) is the French colonization of North America. Over a couple of centuries, the French established settlements all over North America, especially along the St. Lawrence and Mississippi River but also in Nova Scotia, Florida, Louisiana and more.

New France existed from the first adventures of Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763 and the signature of the treaty of Paris, that saw France lose most of its American possessions. It is a remarkable, violent, tragic and perennial story.

Created and hosted by Emmanuel Dubois.

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All episodes, show notes, and transcripts can be found at https://www.lafayettepodcast.com/.

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The Royal Tar was a Canadian steamship built in 1835. On October 25, 1836, the ship was on voyage from Eastport, Maine to Portland, Maine. On board were 72 passengers, 21 crew, and a large caravan of animals that were part of a traveling menagerie. The caravan included horses, lions, camels, a tiger, birds, reptiles, and even an elephant. when the ship's boiler ran dry due to a leak. When the boiler became red hot, it ignited the timber and supports above. The crew was unable to control the fire, and were forced to save themselves. Panic ensued, with passengers, crew, and terrified animals trying to avoid the fire. Animals and people jumped overboard, in a horrifying scene. 32 people and all of the animals except for 2 horses perished.

For images and sources, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/11/26/royal-tar/.

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Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.

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Food aboard ships during the Age of Sail (roughly from the 16th to the 19th centuries) was far from luxurious, chosen for its durability rather than flavor or nutritional value. Sailors were at sea for extended periods with no refrigeration, so provisions had to withstand long voyages. The cuisine was monotonous, barely edible, and nutritionally deficient by modern standards. Sailors endured long periods of hunger and boredom over these meals, but advances over time, such as adding lemon or lime to prevent scurvy, improved their overall diet somewhat.

Joining Rich for this episode is the creator and host of The History of American Food Podcast, Greta Hardin.

For images and sources, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/11/12/danderfunk-salt-junk-and-scurvy-cuisine-aboard-ships/

For ad-free listening to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs and many other fantastic history podcasts, subscribe to Into History at IntoHistory.com/shipwreckspod.

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Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.

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Captain Samuel Francis Knowles began his career on the sea at a very young age, honing his skills as a teenager aboard ships out of Boston. He would go on to captain several ships including the Norway and the Mary S. Ames. Captain Frank survived a fire on board the Norway, with all hands saved, and a hurricane that sank the Mary S. Ames. Throughout his years on the seas, Captain Frank had many adventures, and his legacy lives on through his ships' logs, diaries, and notes. Captain Frank's great-great-granddaughter Amy Giannotti joins me as my guest. Amy is an environmental scientist, scuba diver, and Director of Development for Schoolyard Films, a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2008.

For images and sources, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/11/05/a-sailors-tale-captain-frank-knowles/.

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Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.

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On October 9, 1862, David Henry White was kidnapped at sea from the United States merchant ship Tonawanda by Captain Raphael Semmes of the CSS Alabama. The young man was from a free, black family of Lewes, Delaware, and was employed on the Tonawanda by the Cope Line as a passenger cook.

Dr. Andrew Sillen, author of Kidnapped at Sea, discusses the story of David Henry White, his life while enslaved on the CSS Alabama, and the Lost Cause myth proliferated by the memoir of Semmes.

For images and sources, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/10/19/kidnapped-at-sea-david-henry-white/.

For ad-free listening to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs and many other fantastic history podcasts, subscribe to Into History at IntoHistory.com/shipwreckspod.

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Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.

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The Skeleton Coast of Namibia is infamous for the countless shipwrecks scattered along its shores, a haunting reminder of the treacherous conditions mariners have faced for centuries. Thick, unpredictable fogs, strong Atlantic currents, and hidden sandbars have made navigating this coastline perilous, often leading ships to run aground. Some of the wrecks, dating as far back as the early Portuguese explorers, remain visible today, slowly being reclaimed by the sands. The coast earned its name because of these wrecks and the skeletal remains of whales, seals, elephants, and even humans found on its shores.

Notable shipwrecks, like the Dunedin Star and Eduard Bohlen, offer a glimpse into the tragic history of those who sailed too close to the Skeleton Coast. The Dunedin Star ran aground in 1942, prompting a dramatic rescue operation, while the Eduard Bohlen, stranded in 1909, now rests eerily in the middle of the desert due to shifting sands. These wrecks, partially buried and weathered by time, have become iconic landmarks, drawing adventurers and history enthusiasts alike to this isolated coastline. The haunting presence of these wrecks is a stark reminder of the unpredictable power of nature in this remote and desolate region.

For images, sources, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/10/06/the-skeleton-coast/.

For ad-free listening to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs and many other fantastic history podcasts, subscribe to Into History, at IntoHistory.com/shipwreckspod.

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Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried.

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