Here are some incredibly interesting and awesomely intriguing facts about boats, boating and the history of ships in general. From Scorned Pirate Wives to capsizing perverts - we've listed all the interesting stuff in one place.
20 Interesting Boat Facts
- A Frenchwoman, Jeanne de Clisson, became a pirate in the 1300’s to revenge her husband’s death who was beheaded. She sold her lands to buy 3 ships. They were painted black with red sails. She hunted French ships, caught nobles, whom she personally beheaded with an axe.Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned - indeed.
- There is a Royal Navy superstition that whistling on a ship can summon strong winds. Traditionally, the only person allowed to whistle is the ship’s cook, as it means he’s not eating the food.
- In 2004, a party yacht tipped over when the passengers all moved to one side of the boat as it passed a nude beach in Texas
- There is an old abandoned Russian cruise ship roaming international waters since 2013. (no really!) Source: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/abandoned-russian-cruise-ship-adrift-2013-2
- In 1812, an American ship rescued a British crew stranded on an island. While the Americans went out to search for food for the extra crew, the British took over the ship and left the Americans stranded on the island.
- A man who survived the fire and sinking of a ship in 1871, left him emotionally scarred. About 41 years later, he finally was able to overcome his fears and nightmares, deciding to sail again, only to die in the sinking of a new ship, the Titanic. (Poor Leo)
- Chunosuke Matsuyama, a Japanese Seamen, sent a message in a bottle in 1784 that his ship had wrecked. It washed up in 1935 in the village where he was born.
- A ferry sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994. The ship and 852 passengers are still at the bottom of the sea, and it is illegal to dive to it. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Estonia
- In 2005, a tour bus driver for the Dave Matthews Band released the bus’ septic tank over a grate above the Chicago River. A boat full of sightseers was below at the time, and its passengers were covered with 800 lbs of human waste.
-I don’t know about you but I reckon going to a Dave Matthews concert would be akin to having 800 Lbs of excrement thrown at you ;)
-- Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0503100266mar10-story.html
- During WW2, a Dutch warship was disguised as a tropical island to escape detection by the Japanese. It was the only ship of its class to survive. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNLMS_Abraham_Crijnssen_(1936)#Early_service
- In 2004, a study was published showing that retiring to a cruise ship was often as cost effective as retiring to a retirement home and was more effective in providing quality of life.
- I’m heading off on the Funship. Stuff the retirement home!
- In 2012, an Air Canada flight took a detour to find a stranded Australian yacht. The passengers of the Boeing 777 found the yacht only 25 minutes after the distress beacon was activated. Source:http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/18/travel/australia-yacht-rescue
- No wonder the Aussies love the Canadians and vice versa. Good. Aye
- One of the mightiest pirates that ever lived was a Chinese female prostitute named Ching Shih. She controlled 1,800 ships and 80,000 sailors
- Quarantine comes from the Latin word for 40, which was the number of a days a ship had to wait to dock because of the plague
- The world’slargest Superyacht - the Triple Duece measures 222 metres from nose to stern and will cost over $1 Billion USD to build. Due to be completed in 2018 it is at the request of one very wealthy Russian billionaire.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2950206/Buoy-s-big-boat-World-s-largest-yacht-set-stand-222metres-long-cost-800m-commissioned-one-rich-owner.html
The world’s largest and most expensive sailing boat - superyacht measures 468ft in length and has masts over 300ft high. It cost it’s Russian billionaire owner a measley $295 million USD - an upgrade over his previous ride, which was only worth $215Million. Pffft. Is that all?!Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3243137/The-world-s-LARGEST-super-yacht-revealed-Russian-billionaire-s-260m-mega-yacht-300ft-high-eight-floors-underwater-observation-room.html- Steamboat Willie was the first Disney cartoon with sound, released on November 18, 1928, which is thus celebrated as Mickey Mouse’s birthday.
