What Becomes of the Old and Weary?

In our last post, we looked at the naming of the brand new cruise liner, Britannia. But do we ever think about the old ships that are being replaced? What becomes of these grand old vessels that once carried thousands across the water? Today, we shall delve into the fate of these old ladies that shall never again rule the seas. S.S. United States This cruise ship was once the jewel in the crown of

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Cruise Ship Britannia Gets a Royal Naming

Tuesday 10th March saw the traditional naming ceremony of the largest cruise ship for P&O Cruises and the 11th largest in the world. The ship was christened with the name Britannia, the same name as the Queen’s former Royal Yacht which was decommissioned in 1997. Queen Elizabeth II travelled to Southampton to carry out the ceremony, where she declared the name of the ship and pressed a button which brought a bottle of sparkling wine

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Our Favourite Boat Themed Movies (Slideshare)

Here at Offshore Supply, we’re passionate about everything to do with boats and ships! So in our free time, we love a good old boat themed movie. In this Slideshare, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite boat movies of all time, so take a look and tick off all the films you’ve seen! If you would like more information about any of our products or services, please don’t hesitate to contact us

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All At Sea – Nautical Terminology – Part One

Throughout history, the world of sailing has been a great inspiration for culture and language. You may not know it, but there are plenty of commonly used phrases whose origins are nautical, and you probably use them every day. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the phrases that began at sea and have now become part of our everyday vocabulary. By and Large Meaning: generally speaking; on the whole. The words ‘by’ and

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Sailor Profile: Captain James Cook

We recently started an interesting series talking about some of the most influential sailors of all time, kicking off with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to single-handedly sail non-stop around the globe. Today, we shall carry on our series by jumping back in time to the 18th century and looking at Captain James Cook. Born in 1728, James Cook grew up in Yorkshire as the son of a farm worker. At the age of

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Superstitious Sailors

Historically, men of the sea are known to be a pretty superstitious lot, and it’s no surprise when you consider that sea faring is one of the oldest careers. The unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of the sea has led many sailors to turn to a little superstition in an attempt to ensure they did not fall victim to the sometimes cruel, dark depths of the ocean. Banana Ban In the 18th century, at the height

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The Evolution of the Navy – Part Five

In part four of our evolution of navy series, we left off as the English Civil War ended in the defeat of the monarchy and the Commonwealth of England began. In today’s post, we’ll take a look at how the Navy was affected by this tumultuous period of time. Oliver Cromwell was an authoritarian, thought of as a dictator. However, he was also very talented, with a keen mind for military tactics. As Lord Protector

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Most Powerful Navies From Around the World

We’ve been getting to grips with the history of our Royal Navy in recent blog posts, but what we are yet to discuss is the might of other Navies around the globe. At one time, the British Navy was the most powerful force in the world, and the envy of other world leaders, but we have since slipped down the list as other nations have built and developed their naval forces. USA The US Navy

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Famous Ships in History: HMS Warspite

In our latest instalment of our famous ships series, we looked at the Japanese battleship, Yamato,which was a huge part of the Japanese war effort on the seas during WWII. Today, we shall look at a British ship that served during both world wars over her 30-year career. HMS Warspitewas one of five Queen Elizabeth-class battleships; a class of ship that was championed by Sir Winston Churchill, who was then First Lord of the Admiralty.

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Top Boat-Based Attractions

As you may have noticed from our long-running series on the evolution of the Navy, our little island has a historic love affair with boats, ships and the sea. For this reason, our country is a rich source of visitor attractions that display the hundreds of years of naval history. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – Portsmouth The dockyard is filled to the brim with exciting things to do and see. You can wander round the museum dedicated

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