Nautical

Shipbuilding, boat making, sailing, navigation, and related pursuits

Spirit of the Vikings upheld in cardboard boat

Baron Dahrien Cordell reports that a group of friends from the Barony of Three Rivers in Calontir plan to build an entry for the Wings of Hope charity cardboard boat race. Their entry: a Viking longship, of course! (photos)

Columbus' ships to visit U.S. shores summer 2011

The Columbus Foundation will sponsor a tour of two of its historical replicas, the Niña and the Pinta, to locations in the northeast and Great Lakes of the United States in 2011.

Diary of Siege of Constantinople online

In 1453, Italian surgeon Nicolo Barbaro recorded his account of the siege and fall of Constantinople. The diary is now available to read online.

Roman plain yields ancient ship

“It’s a unique find. At that depth, we have never found a ship," said Anna Maria Moretti, archaeological superintendent for Rome and Ostia, about the discovery of a wooden vessel 4 meters beneath the ground near the modern city of Ostia.

Scotland's Viking shipbuilders

Archaeologists are investigating a 12th century Norse shipbuilding site on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.  So far they have found boat timbers, a stone dock, and part of a man-made canal.

Final flight of the Endeavour to carry Mary Rose artifact

John Lippiett, chief executive of the Mary Rose Trust, is sending a piece of history into space: "a parrel, a three-inch wooden ball used as part of the mechanism to hoist the sails of Henry VIII's flagship." The artifact will be launched into orbit with the space shuttle Endeavour. (photos)

Lusoria Rhenana set to sail in Germany

A group of Roman history enthusiasts in Germany have constructed a replica of a Roman military riverboat. The Lusoria Rhenana is scheduled to take her maiden voyage in the summer of 2011 near Woerth-am-Rhein.

[MID] Battle of the Inland Seas XVII

2011-05-20 17:19
2011-05-22 12:00
US/Eastern

Presenting Battle of the Inland Seas XVII : Arrrrgh - Pirates RETURN! May 20 - 22, 2011

[WES] See the Sea

2011-09-16 19:00
2011-09-18 17:00
US/Alaska

The Shire of Pavlok Gorod is pleased to announce Mistress Tama's annual birthday celebration: See the Sea
September 16-18, 2011

Learn to sail a Viking ship

Vikings and Viking-wannabes may want to consider enrolling in a course in rowing and sailing square-sail boats to take place May 26-29, 2011 in Skudeneshavn, Norway.

[DRA] Nautical Revel

2011-03-12 11:00
2011-03-12 21:00
Europe/London

On behalf of the Shire of Mynydd Gwyn, I invite one and all to join us at our Nautical Revel on Saturday March 12, 2011.

[GLE] Plunderers & Privateers

2011-04-01 18:00
2011-04-03 12:00
US/Central

Ahoy there! Many a culture lived and died on the seven seas! Join the crew of the Shire of Iron Ox as we follow the code and set sail for High Adventure!

Was Columbus really Polish?

An international team of distinguished professors have a new theory on the origins of Christopher Columbus: the explorer was really the son of Vladislav III, an exiled King of Poland.

Indonesian fishermen find medieval shipwreck

Fishermen in Indonesia have found a shipwreck that probably dates to the 14th century. The wooden ship contains green and gray ceramics similar to what Chinese merchants traded at the time.

Vikings raid southern Maryland

The Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland (USA) had some unusual guests when a company of Vikings - longship and all - sailed into port. The Longship Company sailed their ship, the Sae Hrafn, to the museum's boating basin for a day of education and entertainment.

Mary Rose artifacts on display for the first time

In late 2009, previously unseen artifacts found on the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's flagship, were put on display at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The artifacts will be included in the exhibits at the new Mary Rose Museum scheduled to open in 2012. (photos)

Lost Viking settlement of Linn Duchaill may have been found

A team of archaeologists believes it has found Linn Duchaill, Ireland's lost Viking settlement, near the village of Annagassan, 70 kilometers north of Dublin. The outpost was mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, a 15th century account of medieval Ireland.

Three "new" shipwrecks give insight into the evolution of maritime technology

Three shipwrecks have been found in the Mediterranean Sea dating from 1400 to 1600. One is probably a large English merchant ship and the other two are small and probably of local origin.

Saxon boat uncovered in England

A Saxon-era boat has been discovered during flood defense construction along the River Ant in Norfolk, England.

Early period trading vessels found off Italian coast

A small fleet of trading vessels, dating from the 5th-7th centuries, has been found off the coast of the Italian island of Zannone. Evidence of the ships' cargoes was also discovered.

Estonia claims world's oldest operating lighthouse

The Kõpu lighthouse in Estonia was built first used in 1531 and still uses its original lens. The lighthouse once served as a beacon for merchants in the Hanseatic League.

A cool US$600,000 buys Viking ship

Have you ever had the urge to own your own Viing longship? Now is your chance. The city of Sandefjord would like to sell a replace of the Oseberg ship found in 1904 in a Viking grave near Tønsberg, Norway. (photo)

Cannons, not mirrors: Archimedes legend revised

Debunking a legend begun in the Middle Ages, new research suggests Archimedes used steam cannons to set fire to Roman warships. The legend claimed that during the siege of Syracuse, mirrors were used to create a deadly concentration of sunlight that set the ships aflame.

Galleon San Salvador to be rebuilt in San Diego

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is planning to build a replica of explorer Juan Cabrillo's ship, the San Salvador. The San Salvador was the first European expedition to the area, exploring San Diego Bay in 1542.

Rediscovered Health and Safety report damaging for Odysseus's record

A rediscovered ancient Greek scroll lists a number of health and safety violations by Odysseus during his tenure as ship's captain while returning home from the Trojan War.

York's Merchant Adventurers on Facebook

The 15th century met the 21st recently when York, England's Company of Merchant Adventurers announced that it will share the secrets of its famous guildhall in Fossgate on a Facebook website.

Jewel of Muscat sails

1200 years ago, Arab ships sailed the Indian Ocean. Now, centuries later, the Jewel of Muscat, a replica of a 9th century ship, built in Oman as a gift to Singapore, sails again. Her 10-day journey is chonicled in photos by the BBC.

Mary Rose carpenter's dog honored with museum display

In 1545, the Mary Rose sank during the Battle of the Solent. Trapped inside the carpenter's cabin was a dog, probably kept to catch rats. Now the skeleton of the animal, nicknamed "Hatch," is on display at the Mary Rose Museum at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Graveyard of ships found in Baltic Sea

Workers constructing a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany have discovered a graveyard of a dozen shipwrecked vessels, some dating to the Middle Ages.

2500 Viking Ships Sail to Wal-Mart

In a true medieval/modern oddity, 2500 Viking ships are arriving at Wal-Mart stores across the U.S. as part of a promotion of the film How to Train Your Dragon.