So, anyone who knows me will know that up until recently (as in, within the last oh, 5 years or so) I had a really severe fear of shipwrecks. Yep, the girl who had been studying ships since she could read, was terrified to dive/swim/be physically anywhere near them.It was a bit of an impediment when it came to my preferred area of study, so I decided to do something about it. In the summer of 2010 I went and visited my first shipwreck, the SS Ethie. From there, I made efforts to actually go out on the water and not get nervous. Then a couple of summers ago, I ventured out to Conception Harbour and stood within touching distance of the SS Charcot. Since then (and especially since I started this blog) I can honestly say my phobia is pretty much a non-issue.
Read MoreI've covered shipwrecks in places you wouldn't necessarily expect in this blog before, such as Saskatchewan and Nunavut. I've also already covered one shipwreck from Manitoba, the M/V Ithaka, a modern wreck that is close enough to touch (when the tide is out). This week, we're returning to Manitoba, and to the shores of Lake Winnipeg, where in 1906 one of the most elegant steamships to sail in this area was lost in a storm. We're looking at the story of the SS Princess.
Read MoreLast week, I received a message from Martin LeDuc, Chief Engineer on the McKeil Marine owned tug Beverly M I. The Beverly was in St. John's for some maintenance and was moored at NewDock - Martin wanted to know if I was interested in a tour of the tug. I jumped at the opportunity, so Saturday afternoon, myself and Scott Humber of Scott Humber Photography headed down to the dock and met up with Martin for a tour of the ship.
Read MoreHappy (?) Monday, everyone! When I started this blog, I initially kicked around the idea of each week of "Over the Waves" corresponding with the date that the ship sank/went out of service. Turns out, this is a lot more difficult than it sounds, so I went a different route. However, this week, I have managed to pull it off, and it was too good an opportunity to pass up, so here we go!
I've covered some of the Alphabet Fleet before. Ships such as the SS Kyle and SS Ethie that were members of the Reid Newfoundland Company's fleet of coastal steamships at the turn of the century. This week I'm covering another one, which while not as well known as say, the Kyle, or even the Ethie, this ship was considered crucial to the ports she visited along Notre Dame Bay. Called the "harbinger of spring", her visits to small coastal ports would be met with crowds of locals down at the wharf. This week, we're looking at the career of the SS Clyde.
Read MoreSome of my favourite shipwrecks are the ones that remain in the shallows - close enough that you can still see them, or in some cases, walk out and touch them. This week's shipwreck falls right into that category. A vessel of many owners and many names, and ended up aground in the cold Canadian North: the M/V Ithaca.
Read MoreContinuing with this theme of ships that are in the harbour for the winter, and following up with the icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent from last week, I decided to do a profile on the first Coast Guard ship I ever saw. When I still lived in Ontario, I remember watching the show "Mighty Ships" on Discovery Channel. They showcased one of our heavy icebreakers that also doubled as a supply vessel, heavy tug, and all around multi-purpose vessel. That ship was the CCGS Terry Fox, and she is our ship for this segment of "This Week".
Read MoreThe Northwest Passage has long been a route which many ships have tried to traverse, and a large number have failed while trying. This past summer, the HMS Erebus was discovered, a ship affiliated with the Franklin Expedition of the Northwest Passage. Another ship, lesser known unless you are from the area, is the Maud, a Norwegian oak-hulled exploration vessel that was claimed by the icy waters off the Nunavut coast in the 1920s. It is this wreck that we're looking at for this week's Over the Waves.
Read MoreHello everyone! I know I'm a couple of days late but this week has just been crazy! I'm happy finally be able to sit down and tell you about a well known Newfoundland ship. The first time I came across this wreck was a few years ago, when I was an intern living in St. John's for the summer. I was on a day-trip out to the community museum in Carbonear, and it was one of my first trips out of the city. It was also very early in the morning, and I was making a desperate effort not to doze off in the front seat of the car (which was being driven by my supervisor). As we drove along the highway, me clutching my coffee, I happened to look down into an inlet and caught glimpse of a ship done up in a traditional early-1900s paint job. With her yellow and black smokestack, black hull, and red keel, I had to do a double take to make sure she wasn't actually operational. I immediately woke up and asked my supervisor what ship I was looking at.
Read MoreHello all! Winter is just around the corner in St. John's. It's gotten much colder, though we haven't had any snow yet (only a matter of time if the rest of the province is anything to go by). As everyone knows, with winter comes ice, and without this weeks ship a lot of communities would be sealed off for most of this cold season. This week, I am profiling the heaviest icebreaker in the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent.
Read MoreWhen you think of Saskatchewan, what comes to mind? Flat, fields of wheat, blue sky, prairie... Probably not shipwreck. Today I'm going to tell you the story of one of the few wrecks in Saskatchewan, right in the South Saskatchewan River - the wreck if the SS City of Medicine Hat.
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