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Part 1 of a five part look at Container Ships from the television show Extreme Engineering on the Discovery Channel

For the next four parts click here: [Continue Reading →]

We have seen a host of Maritime reality shows come on air in the past year. Some, like Deadliest Catch, have done really well while others, America’s Port, have less certain fates. While we have enjoyed them all, it’s the shows that put mariners up against tough challenges which catch the excitement of broader audiences. NatGeo’s new show will do just that. It’s called “World’s Toughest Fixes” and like some of the other Engineering shows (Engineering Connections, Man Made,  Mega Ships, Ultimate Oil Rigs, Disasters At Sea…) they produce, we are sure the maritime content will be amazing.

Here’s a brief overview of the show concept:

World’s Toughest Fixes takes you inside some of the most daunting repair jobs imaginable. Each one-hour episode follows Sean Riley as he pushes himself to the limit while working with some of the world’s top mechanics, showing viewers how these challenging fixes are tackled.

A professional rigger with a passion for adventure, Riley isn’t afraid to strap on a hazmat suit or attach himself to a live high-voltage power line to get the job done. He’s seen more than his fair share of perilous situations, but on each job he has to show the crew he knows his stuff. Read More…

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For the first maritime themed episode Sean dives under the storied vessel DCV Balder (her first job was constructing the Piper Alpha) to replace a busted 38-ton thruster with a broken engine. Here is the video:
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Watch the full resolution video HERE.

Also stay tuned for the ManMade episode Deep Sea Drillers. gCaptain has loyal readers on most of the vessels it will featur.

Coast Guard comes to the aid of the Ocean Challenger as the crab fleet listens to the news.

Video of USCG ( United States Coast Guard ) rescue of the crew of the Ocean Challenger which sank during the filming of the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch.

With the shows Carrier America’s Port and The Deadliest Catch ships are dominating America’s primetime reality television but a new show broadens the coverage to an international audiance. Our friends at MarineBuzz tell us:

Further to the telecast of USS Nimitz documentary series by PBS last month, it is now the turn of Channel Five to telecast Warship Documentary series of light aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious of the Royal Navy.The 26 year old ship is also known as ‘Lusty’ to her 1000 strong crew. The documentary series will be telecast in six episodes on every Monday at 2100 hours starting from May 19. The series was filmed by Channel Five during her four month deployment that commenced in January 2008.

You can view the TV commercial HERE and below is a preview of the show [Continue Reading →]

Carrier, a new show by PBS, joins America’s Port and The Deadliest Catch as the third prime time television series chronicling life at sea. Our friends at Sea Fever have the details in a post titled “At Sea Reality“

The following is posted by Fred Fry:

I mentioned back in Maritime Monday 103 that National Geographic is set to start airing a short series called America’s Port that was filmed in the Port of Los Angeles:

America’s Port
Mondays 10P et / 7P pt

America’s Port provides an unblinking view of this vibrant and colorful nerve center for global trade—the Port of Los Angeles. Get an inside look at this massive complex and the intrepid individuals charged with keeping it running smoothly and securely 365 days a year. It’s a dynamic and dangerous 24/7 operation.

As it says, the series is to air on Mondays. That’s great. To bad they were not so swift in mentioning early on that the series premiere airs Sunday 6 April.

More information including at least two video previews of the series can be found at the shows America’s Port Blog. And yes, episode II will be on Monday night.

Some Rogue Wave Footage from “The Deadliest Catch”

Here is another unfortunate but interesting video on fishing in heavy seas:

More Links:

Wikipedia: Rogue Waves