As an island nation, ships and seafaring have been an important part of our history. This week, enjoy some of our varied stories on a sea-going theme ...
The name HMS Ark Royal has been given to five Royal Navy ships over the centuries. Their high profile exploits in both war and peace have made this name one of the most famous in British naval history.
The Mary Rose - Henry VIII's flagship warship, was lost in the Solent in 1545. She was recovered in 1982 in a highly complex raising operation, and has been on display to the public since then at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard whilst undergoing restoration.
Unsinkable Sam (also known as Oskar or Oscar) is the nickname of a ship's cat who purportedly served during World War II with both the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy and survived the sinking of three ships.
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada. His last voyage came to an unfortunate end and his fate is uncertain.
Originating in a once-proud British company dating back to 1822, P&O Ferries is now owned by a Dubai-based organisation, and its ships sailing out of British harbours are registered to ports in Cyprus, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and a handful of European countries. None are registered as British vessels.
The life of a sailor was for most of British history a perilous one. But aside from the usual risks of shipwreck, disease, accident and mistreatment, the most dreaded fate was to find oneself working aboard a so-called "coffin ship" ...
