Since the dawn of history, sailing or boating has been the main mode of transportation of goods and merchandise all over the world. Ships and boats are also a crucial part of any wartime strategy. It is also the preferred vessel of explorers and discoverers.
Nowadays, sailing and boating are still preferred hobbies. Boating cities like Michigan have many pontoon boats for sale for everyone’s enjoyment. Ships will be around for millennia more, but history will not be complete without these famous ones.
The Titanic
Titanic is dubbed as the biggest luxury ship to have ever journeyed the seas. Before its maiden and last voyage, it had claimed to be unsinkable. The ship, however, rammed an iceberg, and over 1,500 people died in what is known to be the biggest sea tragedy of all time.
The Santa Maria
In 1492, Santa Maria chartered Christopher Columbus and his crew from Spain to the New World. It, unfortunately, ran aground and sank. From its salvaged materials and wood, a brand-new ship was built, the Natividad.
The Battleship USS Maine
USS Maine was a battleship of the American troops. While the ship was anchored in the shores of Havana in Cuba sometime in the year 1898, an explosion left it torn in half. This started a brief battle between the U.S. and Spain.
The German Battleship Bismarck
The Bismarck is said to be a hunted ship. It made successful hits at the British Navy seals in 1941 before it sank deep into the ocean. It remained at the bottom of the sea until 1989. It was found by a diver, Robert Ballard, who coincidentally found the Titanic.
The H.L. Hunley
This ship was created by the Confederate Army in an attempt to battle the Union Navy ship. But it sank twice in a row during the testing, and it killed 12 people including the designer, H.L. Hunley.
The Mayflower
The Mayflower was instrumental for the migration of English Puritans and Separatists in 1620. They were known as pilgrims to the New World. Later on, they were known as the first ever British colonies ever established in American land.
The USS Constitution
The longest-serving battleship in history is the USS Constitution. It served until 1882, and it only retired from service some 85 years after. Up to this day, the warship is still intact and can be found in Boston where it often takes people on short cruises.
The Battleship USS Arizona
The bombing of Pearl Harbor included the destruction of the warship USS Arizona in 1941. The savage attack killed over a thousand crew members, including the captain, and put the ship into flames that burned heavily for several days. To this day, the ship can be found at the Pearl Harbor as a memorial of the Great War that took place there.
The Battleship USS Missouri
The USS Missouri was used in the war against Korea and in 1991 in the “Operation Desert Storm.” The surrender documents that later on paved the way to the ending of the war hostilities, as well as the culmination of World War II, were made on this ship.
The HMS Victory
The HMS Victory is known to be the oldest commissioned battleship in the world. It belongs to the British Royal Navy and is now a museum in England.
If you are a boating enthusiast or an avid traveler, setting sail can be one of the most enjoyable forms of recreation you will ever know.