But now I have another reason to go… to see a ship being built without plans, without torches or tools, and without any steel. National Geographic brings us the 150 foot Zanzibar dhow:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here at gCaptain, we love a good television program that offers viewers an inside look into the realities of life in the maritme world.  We are hoping that National Geographics Monday premier of the 5 part series titled “Salvage: Code Red” won’t dissapoint.  Here is their description of the show:

In National Geographic Channel’s Salvage Code Red, salvors race against time to rescue stricken ships, their cargo and crew, and prevent environmental disaster. Divers venture with helmet cameras inside sunken vessels to capture gripping footage of abandoned behemoths. The five-part series takes viewers inside the bowels of a burning ship while intricate CGI illustrates the immense challenges, and some innovative solutions, in hauling and repairing a sinking vessel.

Now let’s take a look at the teaser:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Some more info:

In Firestorm, a multi-million dollar ferry becomes an inferno, burning uncontrollably for days until a salvage crew climbs onboard to battle lingering blazes, and savage seas tear apart a U.K. truck ferry. Two rookie salvage masters undergo a baptism by fire in Typhoon Showdown when a typhoon-battered Russian coal freighter forces the salvage team to abandon their divers overnight and a stranded Mexican ferry threatens a coastal reef. Heading back to the Russian freighter in Breaking Point, a salvage diver suffers a close call after becoming disoriented by violent wave surges while a storm wreaks havoc and causes substantial loses for a team salvaging a sunken freighter off the Strait of Gibraltar.

Like we mentioned, it is a 5 part mini-series that air’s this Monday, Feb. 9 at 9PM on the National Geographic Channel.  From reading the website, it seems like the series kicks off with a bang with back-to-back episodes titled Firestorm and Typhoon Showdown.

While we have not seen any footage besides what they have released on their website, we have high hopes that this will be a better program than some others we have seen recently, although I guess we will have to reserve judegement until Monday night.

For all information on Salvage: Code Red, including video’s photo’s and episode schedule, visit National Geographic HERE.

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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Click here to view the embedded 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.

Our friends at Sea-Fever had an excellent post yesterday regarding the above video. They tell us;

No higher than Verazanno Narrows Bridge in New York, no longer than the turning area in South Hampton, England and no wider than the Panama Canal. Those are the three key dimensions for any luxury cruise ship planning to circumnavigate the globe.

However, according to this National Geographic clip with Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Cruise Lines, they decided to break one of the rules to provide the luxury that passengers today expect. Watch to find out which rule and why!

What a ship designed for your personnel use? Perfect for landlubbers is Lake Erie’s Ship Residence: LINK