This week we discuss the OMI Charger explosion that occurred at Bolivar Roads near Galveston, Texas on October 9th, 1993.

*There are some minor issues with the sound quality of Tanner's mic in this episode; reminds us of the old days.

Sources:

Butterworth Tank Cleaning Machines

"Investigation Into the Circumstances Surrounding the Explosion and Fire Aboard the Tankship OMI Charger..."  United States Coast Guard, 6 Mar 1997.

"Lower and Upper Explosive Limits for Flammable Gases and Vapors." 

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This week we discuss one of the worst maritime tragedies in the history of the West Coast of North America - the sinking of the paddle steamer Brother Jonathan  in July of 1865.

**Bonus content alert**
There will be an additional 20ish-minute segment available on Patreon in which we discuss the legal battle surrounding the discovery and salvage of Brother Jonathan, a case which made it all the way up to the US Supreme Court

Sources:

Jones, John Paul. "Treasure Salvage and the United States Supreme Court: Issues Remaining After Brother Jonathan." University of Richmond  Scholarship Repository

Lincoln, Mary Todd. "A Letter from Mary Todd Lincoln to Mrs. Anson G. Henry." Retrieved 2 May 2022 from rememberinglincoln.fords.org

Lomax, Alfred J. "Brother Jonathan: Pioneer Steamship of the Pacific Coast." Oregon Historical Quarterly, vol. 60, no. 3, Sept 1959

Powers, Dennis. "Brother Jonathan." Oregon Encyclopedia, 24 Aug 2019.

"The S.S. Brother Jonathan." Del Norte County Historical Society

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This week we discuss the 1983 sinking of the SS Marine Electric, a pivotal moment in the history of ship safety and the US Coast Guard's rescue capabilities.

Intro/outro music clip: "The Mary Ellen Carter" - Stan Rogers (1979)

Sources:

"Marine Casualty Report - SS Marine Electric O.N. 245675, Capsize and Sinking in the Atlantic Ocean on 12 February 1983 with Multiple Loss of Life." U.S. Coast Guard.

"SS Marine Electric: The Ship That Changed The Coast Guard." gCaptain, 12 Feb 2019

Frump, Robert. Until the Sea Shall Free Them: Life, Death, and Survival in the Merchant Marine. 2002.

US Coast Guard Swimmer Rescue Program

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In this episode, we discuss the sailing yacht Cheeki Rafiki, lost with her four crew members in May 2014 after taking part in Antigua Sailing Week.

Many thanks to the crew of the Belafonte for suggesting this topic. You can follow them on Instagram @aboard_belafonte and check them out on YouTube

Sources:

Harries, John. "'Cheeki Rafiki' Report Misses An Opportunity To Make Boats Safer." Attainable Adventure Cruising.

MAIB Full Report on the Cheeki Rafiki

"Yacht firm boss charged with manslaughter over Cheeki Rafiki deaths." The Guardian, 7 Oct 2016.

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This week we discuss the 1991 incident involving the cruise ship Oceanos in which the ship's entertainers stepped in to play a critical role in the safe evacuation of all aboard, while the captain and crew fell short of expectations.

Opening music is ‘Oceanos’ by the band Coast, off their self-titled first album

Click here to visit the website about the sinking run by Moss Hills. This is a great resource for first hand accounts and for pictures of the event.

Link to the BBC podcast Life Changing featuring Moss speaking about his experiences on the Oceanos.  This is where I first heard this story. 

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**This is Part 2 of a 2-part series**

In this episode we discuss one of the more well-known maritime disasters of the 20th century - the sinking of the cruiseferry Estonia in September 1994.

Part 2 covers some more specific details of the sinking and survivor accounts from some of those who managed to escape.

*This is the first episode recorded on our upgraded microphones. Thanks so much to our supporters on Patreon for making that possible!

Sources:
Joint Accident Investigation Commission of Estonia, Finland, and Sweden. "Final Report on the Capsizing On 28 September 1994 In the Baltic Sea of the RO-RO passenger vessel MV Estonia."

Joly, Josephine. "MS Estonia: New expedition confirms official accident report." Euronews, 18 Nov 2021.

Langewiesche, William. "A Sea Story." The Atlantic, May 2004.
^A PDF of this article is available in a public post on Patreon for those interested in reading. 

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In this episode we discuss one of the more well-known maritime disasters of the 20th century - the sinking of the cruiseferry Estonia in September 1994.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part series.

*This is the first episode recorded on our upgraded microphones. Thanks so much to our supporters on Patreon for making that possible!

Wisconsin Books To Prisoners

Next For Autism

Sources:

Joint Accident Investigation Commission of Estonia, Finland, and Sweden. "Final Report on the Capsizing On 28 September 1994 In the Baltic Sea of the RO-RO passenger vessel MV Estonia."

 Joly, Josephine. "MS Estonia: New expedition confirms official accident report." Euronews, 18 Nov 2021.

Langewiesche, William. "A Sea Story." The Atlantic, May 2004. 

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This week Kaylee (@kayleefabulous) tells the story of the SS Benjamin Noble, a freighter that sank on its approach to Duluth during a storm in April 1914. 

Kaylee's album Stirring Skies

Further reading:

"Benjamin Noble Nomination" - Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society

Capitol Transportation vs. Cambria Steel Co. - U.S. Supreme Court (1919)

Hemphill, Stephanie. "Mystery ship found." Minnesota Public Radio, 20 July 2005.

"Memorial For Master." Escanaba Morning Press, 14 May 1914.

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In Part 1 of a three part bonus series, we discuss the use of prison hulks with an emphasis on their role in the American Revolution.

Check us out on Patreon for parts 2 and 3 of the series!

Sources:

Bowden, Mary W. "In Search of Freneau's Prison Ships." Early American Literature, vol. 14, no. 2, Fall 1979, pp. 174 - 192.

Cray, Robert E. "The Horror of These Hulks." Naval History, 2006

Freneau, Philip. "The British Prison Ship."

 Freneau, Philip. "To Lord Cornwallis."

Ranlet, Philip. "In the Hands of the British: the Treatment of Americans POWs During the War of Independence." The Historian, vol. 62, no. 4, 2000, pp. 731 - 758. 

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This week we are discussing the tragedy of the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kursk (K-141), which was lost with all hands in August 2000.

Donation link for the National Bank of Ukraine (Patreon money will be donated from our February proceeds.)

Correction: Multiple times we refer to two of the rescue vehicles as “AN-32” and “AN-34” this should be “AS-32” and “AS-34”. 

Sources:

Chuen, Cristina, Clay Moltz, and Nikolai Sokov. "The Kursk Accident." nonproliferation.org. Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. 22 Aug 2000

Лютых, Сергей. "'Наши ребята не дождались помощи'' 21 год назад затонула подлодка Курск. Почему погибли люди и можно ли было их спасти?" 12 Aug 2021. 

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