Our previous crosswords have mostly featured ships whereas this one created by MAT volunteer Roger Burns has one type of ship, with answers being artefacts in the Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum on the Isle of Wight. These artefacts represent a tiny snapshot of what has been mostly recovered from beneath the waves and now [...]

Eighty years ago on 6 June 1944, D-Day, Operation Neptune,  a component of Operation Overlord, swung into action as the Allies launched their invasion of Europe on the Normandy beaches, and Southampton was key to one of the largest ever amphibious landings in history. Volunteer Roger Burns looks back, from a Southampton perspective, at preparations [...]

A dramatic introduction to intended trans-oceanic sailing followed by its untimely demise, the sailing vessel Irex could hardly have had more misfortune on its maiden voyage! Volunteer Roger Burns recounts the events of its short and expensive life.  The Irex features within the Unpath’d Waters Needles Voyager  and is also being researched as part of [...]

There couldn’t be a better time than International Day for Women in Maritime (#WomenInMaritimeDay) to take a look at the outcomes of our recent project ‘Women and Protected Wrecks’  which was funded by Historic England as one of the projects marking 50 years of the Protection of Wrecks Act. Here Lauren Tidbury takes a look [...]

In our developing world, underwater cultural heritage is vulnerable to the big changes we are making to our coastline, environment and waters. One of the biggest threats is from erosion. Volunteer Benita investigates what is being done and asks the vital question - how do we manage and protect underwater cultural heritage from the threat [...]

These two technological terms crop up repeatedly in maritime archaeology. But what are Bathymetry and Side-Scan Sonar used for and how do they contribute to understanding and appreciating sub-surface environments? Volunteer Roger Burns takes us through the basic technologies and why they are so useful for maritime archaeologists. Indeed, Roger who has been volunteering with [...]

In the late 19th Century, many physicists in Europe, America and elsewhere were investigating and experimenting with radio waves. One of these was the Italian, Guglielmo Marconi, who came to England at a young age. He went on to found the Marconi company, which established the Lizard Wireless Station in 1900. There, he conducted further [...]

The first crossword for 2024 devised by volunteer Roger Burns features a wide range of maritime and nautical clues to test your knowledge. This edition includes some clues linked to sites featured within the Needles Voyager, where you might find some pointers for the answers! The Voyager is part of the Unpath’d Waters project which [...]

Volunteer Roger Burns investigates the sinking and subsequent raising of a Royal Navy Cruiser, HMS Gladiator, consequent on a collision in the Solent with an American passenger liner, SS St. Paul.  Raising ships, especially such a large ship, was unusual then and a considerable feat. A decade later, a bizarre sequel unfolded.   HMS Gladiator [...]

This year, we thought it would be illuminating to portray a combination of Christmas celebration, hardship and poignancy but with a maritime flavour spanning the late-19th and mid-20th centuries, and volunteer Roger Burns has compiled a representative selection of events and stories. Booze and mistletoe provide a good start! The Belfast Telegraph of 8 January [...]