This crossword, created by MAT volunteer Roger Burns, features ships’ names which are also variously worldwide cities and towns, a foreign mountain range, foreign countries, UK rivers and edifices. As usual, “linking” words are included, some are nautical or maritime, and some are not. Answers including associated weblinks will be posted next month. Download, print, [...]

MAT is delighted to be taking forward a project assessing the remains of Metal hulled sailing vessels within English Territorial Waters.  Thanks to funding from Historic England we are exploring the history and significance of these vessels. Volunteers are involved in undertaking this research. We hear from Jack Thorode, a Masters Student from Southampton University, [...]

In July 2023, MAT’s Project Officer Greta embarked on the HSE commercial SCUBA divers’ course at Andark Diving School, made possible thanks to the Maritime Archaeology Trust. One year later, Greta reflects on the course itself and diving at Bouldnor Cliff since. We approach the underwater platform in Vobster Quay, our first dive, and watch [...]

Find out what a group of college students did for their placement at MAT!

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 [...]