Maritime History & Culture

  • 11 Coolest LEGO Ship Sets for Mariners and Adults

    11 Coolest LEGO Ship Sets for Mariners and Adults

    Although LEGO sets were initially known to be popular construction toys for kids, most adults have fallen in love with them. You can use them during your spare time, relieving stress, relaxing, and during breaks at work or duty. LEGO sets have gained immense popularity recently, even among older people, and come in various themes…

  • The 10 Most Mysterious Ghost Ships of the Maritime World

    The 10 Most Mysterious Ghost Ships of the Maritime World

    Anything can happen while on the sea, such as disasters, loss of life, and even ships becoming ghosts. There are famous real-time stories of ships that disappeared in thin air without any trace. However, such circumstances have been present since man began traveling, and every generation has a story to tell. This does not only…

  • Why Are Ships Called She and Gendered Female?

    Why Are Ships Called She and Gendered Female?

    Although the term “she” is a pronoun commonly used by human beings, it is also used when referring to ships. The term has been utilized for centuries, and there are numerous reasons for it. One of the most dominant reasons is that the word ship originates from the Latin word “Navis,” associated with feminism. Another…

  • NYC’s Annual Tugboat Race: History, Vessels, and How the Event Works

    NYC’s Annual Tugboat Race: History, Vessels, and How the Event Works

    The Great North River Tugboat Race has run in New York Harbour since 1991. It is one of the few events in North America where working port vessels compete in public. Every year on the Sunday before Labor Day, tugboats race a one-nautical-mile course down the Hudson River off Manhattan’s West Side. The audience ranges…

  • The Panama Canal: History and Impact on Global Shipping

    The Panama Canal: History and Impact on Global Shipping

    When we think about the items we use every day, it’s easy to overlook how those items arrived at our stores, markets, and warehouses. Only recently have we learned about things like supply chain disruptions and logistics issues at our world’s ports.  It’s estimated that 11 billion tons of consumer goods travel by cargo ship…

  • What Does Maritime Mean?

    What Does Maritime Mean?

    When speaking about the history of colonial empires or explorations that circumnavigate the globe, there are a few words that crop up more than most. A lot of these can be worked out by the audience, whether that be a reader or a person in a physical audience, but some still elude people.  This is…

  • Ship Prefix Meanings: The Complete Guide to MV, MT, SS, FV and Every Vessel Designation

    Ship Prefix Meanings: The Complete Guide to MV, MT, SS, FV and Every Vessel Designation

    Ship prefixes help identify the type, propulsion method, or purpose of a ship. Historically, these abbreviations played a key role in communication, especially during the telegraph era. Today, they remain an integral part of maritime tradition and regulation. Why Do Different Ship Prefixes Exist? Ship prefixes originated to save space in telegraph messages and identify…