June 09, 2026

The Wreck of the Mentor w/Eric Jay Dolin

36 minutes

The Wreck of the Whaleship Mentor (1832) | Shipwreck, Captivity & Survival in Palau | Interview with Eric Jay Dolin

In May 1832, the American whaleship Mentor was battling fierce storms in the western Pacific when disaster struck. Wrecked on a remote reef in the Micronesian archipelago of Palau, eleven surviving crewmen found themselves stranded in unfamiliar territory, their supplies dwindling and their fate uncertain. Within days, indigenous Palauan warriors approached bearing axes, clubs, and spears. What followed was years of captivity, tribal warfare, dashed hopes, and a fraught naval rescue mission that captivated the American public.

In this episode, host Rich Napolitano sits down with award-winning maritime historian and bestselling author Eric Jay Dolin to discuss his book The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail. Dolin brings this largely forgotten saga back to life, a gripping story of survival, cultural collision, and the realities of life at sea in the Age of Sail.

In this episode:

đThe Mentor's doomed voyage and how the wreck occurred

đThe surviving crew's first contact with the Indigenous people of Palau

đYears of captivity and the struggle to survive

đThe naval rescue mission and the diplomatic challenges it created

đWhat the Mentor's story reveals about 19th-century whaling and American maritime history

About Eric Jay Dolin: Eric Jay Dolin is the bestselling author of seventeen works of maritime history, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, Black Flags, Blue Waters, and Rebels at Sea. His books have received numerous awards, including the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature. Learn more at â ericjaydolin.comâ .

* No compensation or remuneration of any kind was received by Rich Napolitano or Nautilus Media LLC for Mr. Dolin's appearance in this episode, other than a copy of the author's work.

** No AI was used to create this video.

All episodes and transcripts can be found atÂ â shipwrecksandseadogs.comâ .

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This episode was written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. Original theme music is by â â â â â â â Sean Sigfriedâ â â â â â â .

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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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