This week it's the tale of the Portuguese galleon Padre Eterno, launched in the Bay of Guanabara in 1663. More the story of a ship that did wreck at some point and the world she inhabited rather than a nuts-and-bolts 'shipwreck' yarn.

The Sameer Project

Sources:

Blackburn, Robin. The Making of New World Slavery: From the Baroque to the Modern, 1492 - 1800. Verso, 1998.

Camenietzki, Carlos Ziller. “O galeão Padre Eterno.” BN Digital Brasil. https://bndigital.bn.gov.br/dossies/historia-da-ciencia/o-galeao-padre-eterno/

Costa, Fernando Dores. A Guerra da Restauração, 1641 - 1668 (Temas de História de Portugal. Livros Horizonte, 2004.

Gomes, Laurentino. Escravidão, Volume I: Do primeiro leilão de cativos em Portugal até a morte de Zumbi dos Palmares. GloboLivros, 2019.

Lara Mesquita, João. “Padre Eterno: maior navio do século 17 no Brasil.” Mar Sem Fim, 13 Jan 2020. https://marsemfim.com.br/maior-navio-do-mundo-no-seculo-17-foi-construido-no-brasil/

Marcolin, Neldson. “Por mares sempre navegados.” Pesquisa, vol. 189, Nov 2011. https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/por-mares-sempre-navegados/

Russell-Wood, A. J. R. The Portuguese Empire, 1415 - 1808: A World On The Move. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

https://lisboa-e-o-tejo.blogspot.com/2019/06/padre-eterno.html

Els Segadors (Catalan National Anthem) referenced in the episode

Support the show

We've unlocked a bonus episode for everyone, since there's some useful information here for an upcoming main episode dealing with Portugal/Brazil.

Sources:

Blackburn, Robin. The Making of New World Slavery: From the Baroque to the Modern, 1492 - 1800. Verso Books, 1998.

Silva, Daniel Neves. "Escravidão no Brasil." Universo Online, https://mundoeducacao.uol.com.br/historiadobrasil/escravidao-no-brasil.htm

Tinnie, Dinizulu Gene. “The Slaving Brig Henriqueta and Her Evil Sisters: A Case Study in the 19th Century Illegal Slave Trade to Brazil.” The Journal of African American History, vol. 93, no. 4, Fall 2008, pp. 509 - 531.

"Trans-Atlantic Slave Trades - Estimates." https://www.slavevoyages.org/assessment/estimates

Support the show

This is a short preview of our most recent $3 bonus episode - sign up on Patreon at the $3 Able Seaperson tier for an extra episode each month, or the $5 2nd Mate tier for two extra episodes.

Patrons also get main episodes a few days early, plus occasional bits of the main episode that are edited out on the main feed release.

Support the show

We're back to discuss the career of the SS Pacific (not that one, the other one!) We'll even throw in a rail disaster for free.

Sources:

https://web.archive.org/web/20091215121426/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsP-Q.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20100120135812/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/collins.html

https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep062/usrep062372/usrep062372.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20141024184337/http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/home2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15011

https://www.pilotcatholicnews.com/article.php?ID=197412

Support the show

Here we have the long-awaited conclusion to our epic series on the saga of HMCS Karluk

Don't forget that there is a bonus Part V available for patrons, covering Stefansson's later ill-fated attempt at colonizing Wrangel Island

Major thanks to Jess (@jesslovesboats) for guiding us through this story!

gazafunds.com

Sources:

Cavell, Janice. “The Karluk’s Lost Men: The Alexander Anderson and Alister Forbes Mackay Parties, 1914.” The Journal of the Hakluyt Society, March 2025, pp. 1 - 31.

Diubaldo, Richard J. Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978.

Jenness, Stuart E. Stefansson, Dr. Anderson, and the Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-1918: A Story of Exploration, Science and Sovereignty. Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, 2011.

Levere, Trevor H. “Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the Continental Shelf, and a New Arctic Continent.” The British Journal for the History of Science, vol. 21, no. 2, June 1988, pp. 233 - 247.

Levy, Buddy. Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk. St Martin’s Press, 2022.

Niven, Jennifer. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk. Hyperion, 2000.

Sowards, Adam M. “Claiming Spaces for Science.” Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences, vol. 47, no. 2, Apr 2017, pp. 164 - 199.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Friendly Arctic. Macmillan, 1921. www.loc.gov/item/21021129/

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Letter from Mr. Stefansson.” The Geographical Journal, vol. 52, no. 4, Oct 1918, pp. 248 - 255.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “‘Living Off the Country’ as a Method of Arctic Exploration.” Geographical Review, vol. 7, no. 5, May 1919, pp. 291 - 310.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Plover Land and Borden Land.” Geographic Review, vol. 11, no. 2, Apr 1921, pp. 283 - 291.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Stefansson’s Expedition.” Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, vol. 46, no. 3, 1914, pp. 184 - 191.

UPI. “North Pole fuss just Peary’s word against Cook’s now.” https://www.upi.com/Archives/1909/09/10/Pole-fuss-just-Pearys-word-against-Cooks-now/3310181788478/

Webb, Melody. “Arctic Saga: Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s Attempt to Colonize Wrangel Island.” Pacific Historical Review, vol. 61, no. 2, May 1992, pp. 215 - 239.

Support the show

Jess (@jesslovesboats) is back to navigate us through Part Three (of Four) in the saga of the Karluk!

gazafunds.com

Sources for Part II:

Cavell, Janice. "The Karluk's Lost Men: The Alexander Anderson and Alister Forbes Mackay Parties, 1914." The Journal of the Hakluyt Society, March 2025, pp. 1 - 31.

Diubaldo, Richard J. Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978.

Levere, Trevor H. “Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the Continental Shelf, and a New Arctic Continent.” The British Journal for the History of Science, vol. 21, no. 2, June 1988, pp. 233 - 247.

Levy, Buddy. Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk. St Martin’s Press, 2022.

Niven, Jennifer. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk. Hyperion, 2000.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Friendly Arctic. Macmillan, 1921. www.loc.gov/item/21021129/

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Letter from Mr. Stefansson.” The Geographical Journal, vol. 52, no. 4, Oct 1918, pp. 248 - 255.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “‘Living Off the Country’ as a Method of Arctic Exploration.” Geographical Review, vol. 7, no. 5, May 1919, pp. 291 - 310.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Stefansson’s Expedition.” Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, vol. 46, no. 3, 1914, pp. 184 - 191.

Support the show

Jess is back as we get further into the saga of the Karluk (emphasis on the second syllable). If you've been waiting for the shipwreck, wait no more!

Sources for Part II:

Cavell, Janice. "The Karluk's Lost Men: The Alexander Anderson and Alister Forbes Mackay Parties, 1914." The Journal of the Hakluyt Society, March 2025, pp. 1 - 31.

Diubaldo, Richard J. Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978.

Levere, Trevor H. “Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the Continental Shelf, and a New Arctic Continent.” The British Journal for the History of Science, vol. 21, no. 2, June 1988, pp. 233 - 247.

Levy, Buddy. Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk. St Martin’s Press, 2022.

Niven, Jennifer. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk. Hyperion, 2000.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Friendly Arctic. Macmillan, 1921. www.loc.gov/item/21021129/

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Letter from Mr. Stefansson.” The Geographical Journal, vol. 52, no. 4, Oct 1918, pp. 248 - 255.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “‘Living Off the Country’ as a Method of Arctic Exploration.” Geographical Review, vol. 7, no. 5, May 1919, pp. 291 - 310.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Stefansson’s Expedition.” Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, vol. 46, no. 3, 1914, pp. 184 - 191.

Support the show

We're joined by longtime listener and longer time polar exploration enthusiast Jessica (@jesslovesboats) for a tale that would be a certified goofball comedy if not for the overwhelming tragedy of it - it's the story of the Karluk, the Canadian Arctic Expedition, and the men, women, and (yes!) children who fought to survive in some of the cruelest conditions that Planet Earth has to offer.

*This is Part One of a four-part series; there will also be an Able Seaperson-tier bonus episode related to this series

gazafunds.com

Sources for Part I:

Cavell, Janice. "The Karluk's Lost Men: The Alexander Anderson and Alister Forbes Mackay Parties, 1914." The Journal of the Hakluyt Society, March 2025, pp. 1 - 31.

Diubaldo, Richard J. Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978.

Levy, Buddy. Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk. St Martin’s Press, 2022.

Niven, Jennifer. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk. Hyperion, 2000.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Friendly Arctic. Macmillan, 1921. www.loc.gov/item/21021129/

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Letter from Mr. Stefansson.” The Geographical Journal, vol. 52, no. 4, Oct 1918, pp. 248 - 255.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “‘Living Off the Country’ as a Method of Arctic Exploration.” Geographical Review, vol. 7, no. 5, May 1919, pp. 291 - 310.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Stefansson’s Expedition.” Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, vol. 46, no. 3, 1914, pp. 184 - 191.

Support the show