On the morning of April 10, 1968, one of New Zealand’s most infamous maritime disasters unfolded in Wellington Harbour. The TEV Wahine, a modern passenger and vehicle ferry, was driven off course by Cyclone Giselle and wrecked just yards from safety. The ship struck a reef and capsized, killing 51 people and creating a national tragedy.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Original theme music by ⁠⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠⁠, and you can find him at https://www.seansigfried.com.

**No AI was used in the production of this episode.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, tragic loss, and incredible accomplishments on the world's oceans and waterways.

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Host of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Rich Napolitano recently appeared as a guest on Deck Tales. Rich talks about how he got started in podcasting, how he chooses episodes and guests, and some of his favforite episodes. This is a just a clip from the much longer full episode of Deck Tales.

Sammy Catling is the host of Deck Tales, and a former cruise ship entertainer. He collects the wildest, most hilarious sea stories from those who work on cruise ships, naval vessels, ferries and beyond. Find the Deck Tales on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts, or at decktales.co.uk.

*No compensation or remuneration of any kind was paid to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs or Rich Napolitano by Sam Catling or Deck Tales Podcast.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Original theme music by ⁠⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠⁠.

**No AI was used in the production of this episode.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, tragic loss, and incredible accomplishments on the world's oceans and waterways.

Listen AD-FREE by becoming an Officer's Club Member!

Join on Patreon at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/shipwreckspo⁠⁠d⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Seas The Day Ocean Rowing Team – Historic Pacific Crossing (2025)

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at ⁠⁠⁠⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Original theme music by ⁠⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠⁠.

**No AI was used in the production of this episode.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, tragic loss, and incredible accomplishments on the world's oceans and waterways.

Listen AD-FREE by becoming an Officer's Club Member!

Join on Patreon at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/shipwreckspo⁠d⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join through Apple Podcasts at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/4j60XCG⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

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On January 22, 1873, the British passenger ship Northfleet was anchored in the English Channel, bound for Tasmania, when she was suddenly struck by another vessel in the darkness. Carrying more than 300 people, many of them emigrants, the ship sank within minutes.

Lifeboats failed, distress signals went unanswered, and passengers were thrown into icy waters just miles from shore. More than 300 lives were lost, making the Northfleet shipwreck one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters of the 19th century.

This is a bonus episode for all listeners of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at ⁠⁠⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠.

Original theme music by ⁠⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠⁠.

**No AI was used in the production of this episode.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, tragic loss, and incredible accomplishments on the world's oceans and waterways.

Listen AD-FREE by becoming an Officer's Club Member!

Join on Patreon at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join through Apple Podcasts at ⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/4j60XCG⁠⁠⁠. 

You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The RMS Niagara was a trans-Pacific ocean liner of the Canadian-Australasian Line, lost during World War II after striking a German mine off the coast of New Zealand in 1940. While all on board were evacuated safely, the ship went down with 590 gold bars intended as payment to the United States for war munitions.

This episode includes the history of the RMS Niagara, the circumstances of its loss during World War II, and the remarkable salvage effort to recover the gold.

The RMS Niagara was one of the most significant shipwrecks of World War 2 involving a passenger ship, and one of the most valuable salvage operations in maritime history.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at ⁠⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠.

Original theme music by ⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠.

**No AI was used in the production of this episode.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a maritime history podcast about shipwrecks, tragic loss, and incredible accomplishments on the world's oceans and waterways.

Listen AD-FREE by becoming an Officer's Club Member!

Join on Patreon at ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join through Apple Podcasts at ⁠⁠https://apple.co/4j60XCG⁠⁠.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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🍾This is the 100th regular episode of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs! ⚓

The SS Wilhelm Gustloff was a cruise ship built by Nazi Germany for the German Labour Front in 1938. It was converted into a hospital ship during World War 2, and then a U-boat training ship. On January 30, 1945, more than 10,000 people, mostly civilian women and children, boarded the Wilhelm Gustloff to escape the advancing Soviet Red Army into East Prussia. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Baltic Sea by Soviet submarine S-13. An estimated 9500 people were killed, making the Wilhelm Gustloff the deadliest shipwreck in history.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at ⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠.

Original theme music by ⁠Sean Sigfried⁠.

**No AI was used in the production of this episode.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is a maritime history podcast about tragic loss and incredible accomplishments on the world's oceans and waterways.

Listen AD-FREE by becoming an Officer's Club Member!

Join on Patreon at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join through Apple Podcasts at ⁠https://apple.co/4j60XCG⁠.

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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On the evening of 30 December, 1896, the SS Warwick of the Donaldson Line crashed into the rocks at Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada. All 31 on board escaped safely, and there with no injuries. But the curious locals of Grand Manan soon found the precious cargo in the hold of the Warwick, and had themselves a New Year's Eve celebration to remember.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes can be found at ⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠.

Original theme music by ⁠⁠Sean Sigfried⁠⁠.

Listen Ad-Free, get exclusive bonus episodes, and free Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs merchandise by subscribing at ⁠patreon.com/shipwreckspod⁠. Three tiers available!

-OR-

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All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com.

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This episode originally was published on November 22, 2022.

The Empress of Ireland was a luxurious and beautiful steamship of the early 20th century, carrying passengers across the North Atlantic between Quebec City and Liverpool. She and her sister ship, the Empress of Britain, were an important cog during the peak of Canadian immigration. In the early morning hours of 29 May, 1914, the Empress of Ireland collided with the Norwegian ship Storstad in dense fog on the St. Lawrence River. Over 1000 people on the Empress of Ireland perished, and more passengers died than on the Titanic just two years prior. Because of the massive loss of life, she has been called "Canada's Titanic."

Dan Conlin, Curator of the Canadian Immigration Museum at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia joins me as my guest.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes can be found at ⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠. Original theme music by ⁠Sean Sigfried⁠.

Listen Ad-Free, get exclusive bonus episodes, and free Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs merchandise by subscribing at patreon.com/shipwreckspod. Three tiers available!

Listen ad-free on Apple Podcasts! Just find Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs in Apple Podcasts, and click the banner to subscribe.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This replay of Episode 4 contains NEW information from a recent report from an investigation that took place from 2021-2025.

In 1994 the passenger and vehicle ferry MV Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea during a violent storm. 852 of the 989 on board were lost, despite being in communication with other nearby ships. The cause of the ship's demise remains disputed and controversial.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes can be found at ⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠.

Original theme music by ⁠Sean Sigfried⁠.

Go AD-FREE and get exclusive bonus episodes by becoming a Patreon Officer's Club Member!

Join at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠

OR directly through Apple Podcasts!

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs merchandise is available at

⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠.

You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at: ⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠

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