Secrets of history's most important boats and ships

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History's greatest ships have shaped entire eras, steering the course of civilisation and leaving lasting legacies. Some now rest on the ocean floor, remnants of grand voyages and battles, while others have been preserved in museums or rebuilt as full-scale replicas. From ancient vessels that set out to explore the unknown to modern marvels of engineering, each ship tells a story of innovation, exploration and survival.

Read on to discover history's most iconic ships, from Henry VIII's flagship to the legendary Titanic and more...

Khufu ship, 2500 BC

Dating from 2500 BC, this boat was found in a pit at Giza in Egypt where it had been dismantled as a grave offering for the pharaoh Khufu. Measuring 141 feet (43m) long and 16 feet (5m) wide, it is known as a ‘solar barge’, a ritual vessel to carry the king and later his embalmed body. Built of Lebanon cedar, it seems to have been propelled by oars as there is no room for sails.

Discovered in 1954, the ship was reconstructed and will soon be back on display at the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, which partially opened in October 2024.

Nemi ship, 1st century AD

Roman author Suetonius described an extravagant ship built by Emperor Caligula in the 1st century AD, featuring "jewels, baths, galleries, vines and fruit". This likely refers to one of the ships discovered in Lake Nemi, Italy, in 1895. The two vessels, each measuring 230 feet (70m) by 66 feet (20m), were incredible feats of Roman engineering, showcasing advanced features like plumbing and rotating statues.

In 1927, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini ordered Lake Nemi to be drained to fully reveal the ships. Though they were photographed and studied, both vessels were tragically destroyed by fire during World War II.

Sutton Hoo ship, 7th century

"I've never heard of a ship more splendidly laden with weapons for battle and dress for war," proclaims the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. This description could well apply to the 7th-century ship uncovered in a burial mound at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, England, in 1939. While the wooden hull had decayed, its outline was preserved in the soil, along with the iron rivets that once held it together.

The ship was an impressive 88 feet (27m) long and 16 feet (5m) wide, and equipped with 40 oars. The wealth of exquisite grave goods found with it suggests that it was the burial site of a significant ruler, possibly King Raedwald of East Anglia.

Gokstad ship, 9th century

In 1880, a Viking-era ship was discovered in the Gokstad burial mound near Sandefjord in Norway. Measuring 75 feet (23m) in length and 16 feet (5m) in width, the vessel was clinker-built using overlapping oak planks and could accommodate 32 oarsmen, with a total crew of around 70. The burial site also contained the remains of a man, thought to be in his forties, as well as other artefacts, including three smaller boats.

The ship and surviving items are typically displayed at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, though the museum is currently being rebuilt and is expected to reopen in 2027.

The White Ship, 1120

In 2021, divers exploring the waters off the coast of Normandy speculated they may have found a section of the White Ship, which famously sank in 1120. The ship was carrying William Aetheling, the only legitimate son of Henry I of England, along with his sister and around 150 nobles and crew members.

Tragically, all but one aboard died, with the sole survivor being a butcher from Rouen, France. The ship’s design and construction are not fully documented, though it was likely similar to other vessels of the time, possibly accommodating both oarsmen and a sail.

Santa Maria, 1400s

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue – as the children’s rhyme goes. The largest of his three ships on that voyage was the Santa Maria, probably built in Spain, although the date of construction isn't recorded.

The vessel was a nau (also known as a carrack), a type of ship designed for long-distance ocean voyages. It had three masts and was around 62 to 75 feet (19 to 23m) long, with a crew of around 40, and sailors slept in cramped conditions on deck or below. This replica of the Santa Maria was built in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage and is now docked in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.

Geobukseon, 1500s

The Geobukseon, also known as the Korean Turtle Ship, was an innovative military boat used by the Korean navy during the Imjin War (1592–1598), when Japan invaded Korea. Its development is credited to Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who refined the design during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897).

With a distinctive spiked rooftop to stop intruders, a line of holes along the side from which weapons could be fired, and capacity for up to 80 rowers, she was a highly advanced warship.

Mary Rose, 1511

It's estimated that around 600 oak trees were felled to build Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose. Launched in 1511, the ship was a carrack, designed for both warfare and cargo. By 1536, after significant modifications, the ship had four heavily armed decks and capacity for a crew of 400-500.

On 19 July 1545, during a battle in the Solent off the south coast of England, the Mary Rose capsized while attempting a sharp turn, sinking in around 40 feet (12m) of water. In 1982, after being submerged for over 400 years, the wreck was raised from the seabed and is now preserved at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth.

Golden Hind, 1576

The original Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Sir Francis Drake during his circumnavigation of the globe from 1577 to 1580. Measuring about 102 feet (31m) long, it carried 18 cannons and a crew of around 80.

After Drake’s return, Queen Elizabeth I ordered the ship to be preserved, and it remained on display for nearly 100 years. Several replicas have since been built, including the Golden Hinde, a full-size replica now docked on Bankside in London near Southwark Cathedral.

Mayflower, 1620

The year 2020 marked 400 years since the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth, England to Cape Cod, in present-day Massachusetts, carrying 102 passengers. Later known as the Pilgrims, they sought to start a new life in North America. Crewed by about 30 men, the voyage across the Atlantic took approximately two months.

The Mayflower was likely built in London and measured about 90 feet (27m) in length. It had three masts and three levels: the main deck, gun deck and cargo hold. The replica pictured here was constructed in England in 1955.

Drebbel submarine, c.1620

While submarines didn’t play a significant role in military action until World War I, the idea of underwater vessels dates back much earlier. In 1578, English mathematician and seaman William Bourne designed the first concept for a submarine, though his plans were never built. The first fully operational submarine was launched 42 years later, in 1620, by Cornelius Drebbel, a Dutch inventor working in England.

Drebbel’s submarine was likely a leather-covered rowing boat, capable of submerging to about 15 feet (4.5m). King James I and astonished Londoners witnessed this early submersible dive into the River Thames, marking a significant milestone in naval engineering.

Vasa, 1628

King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden commissioned the Vasa warship to be built with two gun decks and 64 bronze cannons. On 10 August 1628 she set sail on her maiden voyage, but she was barely out of the harbour when she keeled over and sank with the loss of 30 lives.

In 1962, she was brought to the surface in a remarkable state of preservation and it became clear that she sank because of faulty design. Today the beautiful vessel can be seen at the dedicated Vasa Museum in Stockholm.

Queen Anne's Revenge, 1710

In 1717, the British pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, captured French slave ship La Concorde. Blackbeard refitted the ship and renamed it Queen Anne’s Revenge, likely a nod to his loyalty to Queen Anne, the British monarch who had died in 1714. With this ship, Blackbeard crossed the Atlantic, attacking Dutch, British and Portuguese merchant vessels.

In 1718, however, the Queen Anne’s Revenge ran aground and sank off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. In 1996, the wreck of the ship was discovered, and numerous artefacts, including a massive anchor, were brought to the surface. Pictured is a model of Queen Anne’s Revenge.

HMS Endeavour, 1764

The HMS Endeavour, commanded by Lieutenant James Cook, became the first European ship to reach the east coast of Australia during its famous voyage of discovery from 1768 to 1771. During the American War of Independence, the British scuttled the Endeavour off the coast of Rhode Island in 1778, along with other ships, to block French naval advances.

Researchers have since spent decades investigating the waters around Newport Harbor and believe that they've located the wreck. Although still awaiting confirmation, the site shows promising evidence linking it to Cook's famous ship. Meanwhile, a replica of the Endeavour is berthed at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

HMS Victory, 1765

Around 6,000 trees, mostly oak, were used to construct HMS Victory, which was launched in 1765. Measuring 227 feet (69m) in length and armed with 104 guns, her three masts allowed her to sail faster than many ships of her size. The ship could carry a crew of around 850 men, who lived and worked in very cramped and uncomfortable conditions, while officers enjoyed more spacious quarters.

HMS Victory saw numerous military engagements, but her most famous was at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where she served as Admiral Nelson’s flagship. Today, she is preserved and open to the public at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire, England.

Turtle, 1775

Neither a boat nor a ship, the Turtle was a one-man submarine used during the American Revolution. It was designed by the inventor David Bushnell and made of oak and iron, with the aim of destroying British warships with a detachable mine. All of its missions, including one to sink HMS Eagle in New York Harbor in 1776, failed.

Despite these failures, George Washington was impressed by the innovation, later writing to Thomas Jefferson that he thought it was 'an effort of genius'. Although the Turtle was a revolutionary idea for its time, it would take more than a century before submarines became a critical element in military operations, particularly during World War I.

HMS Bounty, 1784

HMS Bounty, originally built in 1784 as a merchant vessel named Bethia, was repurposed by the Royal Navy in 1787 to transport breadfruit plants from Tahiti to the West Indies as food for enslaved people. Under Captain William Bligh, the ship reached Tahiti, but a mutiny led by Fletcher Christian broke out due to Bligh’s harsh leadership.

Bligh and 18 loyal crew members were set adrift but managed to survive an incredible 3,600-mile (5,794km) journey to safety. The replica pictured was built for the 1962 film Mutiny on the Bounty but sank during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, resulting in the loss of two crew members​.

USS Constitution, 1797

The USS Constitution, known as Old Ironsides, is the oldest ship in the world still afloat. Launched in 1797, she is a three-masted, wooden-hulled frigate. She took part in the 1812 war against the British, was a training ship during the Civil War and took American artwork to France for the Paris Exposition in 1878.

In 1997, to celebrate her 200th anniversary, the USS Constitution sailed under her own power for the first time in 116 years, departing from her berth in Boston.

HMS Beagle, 1820

Charles Darwin set sail on HMS Beagle from Plymouth, England in 1831 at the age of 22, having been invited to join the voyage as the ship's naturalist. Although initially reluctant, Darwin agreed, collecting specimens and making observations that would later shape his groundbreaking theory of evolution.

The Beagle’s five-year journey around the world was focused on charting coastlines and taking longitude measurements, while Darwin collected fossils and plant samples. After her historic voyages, HMS Beagle was later used as a coastguard watch vessel before being dismantled for scrap in the mid-19th century.

SS Great Britain, 1843

When launched in 1843, the Great Britain was the largest vessel afloat at 321 feet (98m) long. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, she was one of the first to have a hull made of iron and was powered by both steam and sail.

Designed to carry passengers quickly across the Atlantic – which she did in 14 days – her four decks provided accommodation for 360 passengers and 120 crew. The ship was later used to carry immigrants to Australia and is today preserved in Bristol as a museum.

Flying Cloud, 1851

The Flying Cloud, a clipper ship built by Donald McKay in East Boston, Massachusetts, was a record-breaker in her time. On her maiden voyage in 1851, under the command of Captain Josiah P Creesy and with his wife Eleanor Creesy serving as navigator, she sailed from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn in a record-breaking 89 days and 21 hours.

This was nearly half the time it took most other vessels at that time. Three years later in 1854, the Flying Cloud then broke her own record by 13 hours. This speed record for sailing ships held for an astonishing 135 years, until it was finally surpassed in 1989 by the modern yacht Thursday's Child​.

Cutty Sark, 1869

In Britain, tea became so popular from the 18th century onwards that specialist tea clippers, designed for speed, became essential for transporting tea from China. The Cutty Sark, built in 1869, was one of the fastest ships of its time. Constructed from teak and elm attached to a lightweight iron frame, it was designed for speed and efficiency.

However, it was also one of the last of its kind, as steamships and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 dramatically reduced the time needed for voyages to India and China. Today, the Cutty Sark is preserved as a museum ship and is on display at Greenwich, London​​.

Potemkin, 1900

The Potemkin was a steam-powered battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy, launched in 1900. It became famous when the crew mutinied during the 1905 Russian Revolution, an event later depicted in Sergey Eisenstein’s 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin. At the time, Russia was at war with Japan, and the Potemkin was stationed off the coast of Ukraine.

The mutiny began when the crew refused to eat rotten meat infested with maggots. When officers threatened to execute the crew, the sailors revolted, killing seven officers and taking control of the ship. The rebellion, though short-lived, became a symbol of resistance and was seen as a precursor to the 1917 Russian Revolution​​.

Lusitania, 1906

When launched in 1906, the Lusitania was one of the largest and fastest ships in the world, measuring 787 feet (240m) in length. However, the Lusitania is best remembered for her tragic role in World War I. On 7 May 1915, while en route from New York to Liverpool, she was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20 off the coast of Ireland.

The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,198 of the 1,959 passengers and crew aboard. Among the dead were 128 American citizens, and the sinking of the Lusitania significantly influenced public opinion in the United States, contributing to the country's decision to enter the war in 1917.

Endurance, 1912

Launched in 1912 in Norway, the Endurance was a steam and sail-powered ship with a reinforced oak hull, built for Arctic travel. In 1914, Ernest Shackleton purchased it for his Antarctic expedition. The ship, with a crew of 27, set sail from England, reaching the Weddell Sea where it became trapped in ice in January 1915.

After drifting for months, the Endurance sank in November 1915, though all crew members miraculously survived. In March 2022, the wreck was discovered at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, 100 years after Shackleton’s death​.

Titanic, 1912

The Titanic, probably the world's most famous ship, was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and sank in April 1912 on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. At the time, she was the largest ship ever built and was designed with 16 watertight compartments, which were intended to keep her afloat even if four were breached.

However, after striking an iceberg on 14 April 1912, five compartments were compromised, leading to the ship's sinking. Tragically, around 1,500 people lost their lives.

Empire Windrush, 1930

The ship that lent its name to the Windrush Generation was originally called the Monte Rosa, built in 1930 in Hamburg as a cruise ship. During World War II she served as a German troop ship, but was seized by the British, renamed Empire Windrush and used for troop transport. In 1948, the Empire Windrush famously brought 492 passengers from the Caribbean to London, marking the start of large-scale migration from Commonwealth nations.

These passengers played a key role in rebuilding post-war Britain and are today known as the Windrush Generation. The ship met a tragic end in 1954 when a fire broke out in the engine room, and she sank off the coast of Algeria.

Queen Mary, 1936

The naming of the Queen Mary is the subject of a well-known legend. In the early 1930s, Cunard Line reportedly approached King George V intending to name their new liner after Britain's greatest queen – referring to Queen Victoria. However, the king is said to have responded that his wife, Queen Mary, would be delighted, so the ship was named after her instead.

Whether or not this is true, the RMS Queen Mary embarked on her maiden voyage in 1936 and served as a troop ship during World War II. She then resumed service as a passenger liner until her retirement. Today, she is permanently moored in Long Beach, California, where she serves as a floating hotel and museum.

USS Enterprise (CV-6), 1936

Launched by the US Navy in 1936, the USS Enterprise (CV-6) was one of the most famous ships used in World War II. The aircraft carrier was involved in many of the conflict’s famous battles including the Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz Islands, Guadalcanal and Midway, and she received 20 battle stars.

Despite being the most decorated US warship in World War II, she was scrapped in 1960.

Bismarck, 1939

The Bismarck, named after German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, was one of the largest battleships ever built by a European country, launched by Nazi Germany in 1939. Deployed in the North Atlantic to disrupt Allied shipping, she was damaged by HMS Prince of Wales and later crippled by torpedo bombers in 1941. The crew scuttled the ship to avoid capture.

In 1989, the wreck was discovered by Robert Ballard, who had discovered the wreck of the Titanic just four years earlier.

Yamato, 1940

In the 1930s, the Japanese government began expanding its navy to support its imperial ambitions. The Yamato, the lead ship of her class, was powered by four steam turbines and, upon her launch in 1940, was one of the largest and most powerful battleships ever built, alongside her sister ship Musashi.

In October 1944, the Yamato took part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, where Japanese forces confronted the combined American and Australian fleets off the coast of the Philippines. On 7 April 1945, during Operation Ten-Go, the Yamato was sunk off the coast of Okinawa by American aircraft, with the loss of most of her crew​.

Ngatokimatawhaorua, 1940

A 98-foot (30m) ceremonial waka (canoe) was launched in Aotearoa (New Zealand) on 6 February 1940, a century after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document. Ngatokimatawhaorua is named for the original waka sailed by Kupe the navigator, who in Maori oral tradition is said to have discovered Aotearoa.

It's launched each year on Waitangi Day and requires at least 76 paddlers to handle it – once in the water it can weigh up to 12 tonnes. Pictured is the carved figurehead on the tauihu (prow).

Calypso, 1942

During the 1960s and 1970s, Jacques Cousteau, the famed French oceanographer, became a household name through his television shows exploring the world’s oceans aboard his ship Calypso. The vessel was built in 1942 as a Royal Navy minesweeper, on loan from the US Navy during World War II.

In 1950, Thomas Loel Guinness, a British millionaire, purchased the ship and leased it to Cousteau for a symbolic price of one franc per year. Cousteau converted Calypso into a research vessel, outfitting it with a glass observation 'nose', diving equipment and even a helicopter pad. After Cousteau’s death in 1997, the Calypso fell into disrepair, and efforts to restore her are ongoing.

USS Mount Hood, 1943

Launched in November 1943, USS Hood was the lead ammunition ship of the US Navy during World War II. Assigned to carry cargo to the Pacific, she made her way through the Panama Canal and in August 1944 berthed at Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.

In November, she was moored outside the harbour when an explosion totally destroyed the ship, killing all 350 men on board and damaging 22 other vessels. It's thought the explosion was caused by an accident.

USS Midway, 1945

The longest-serving US Navy aircraft carrier in the 20th century, the USS Midway was commissioned on 10 September 1945, just one week after World War II ended. She played an important role in the Cold War, was deployed for combat during airstrikes in Vietnam in 1965, and served as a floating Air Force base for helicopters during the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Decommissioned in 1992, she can now be visited as part of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, California.

Kon-Tiki, 1947

Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl believed that people from South America had sailed to Polynesia in pre-Columbian times. To test this theory, he built a 46-foot (14m) raft, using balsa wood logs lashed together with hemp ropes. The raft was equipped with a mangrove wood mast, a small cabin and a steering oar.

In 1947, Heyerdahl and a crew of six set sail from Peru, and after a journey lasting four months, they reached Raroia Atoll, 460 miles (740km) northeast of Tahiti. Despite the success of the Kon-Tiki expedition, Heyerdahl's theory is largely rejected today, as modern research supports Polynesian migration from Southeast Asia, not South America​.

Royal Yacht Britannia, 1953

The Royal Yacht Britannia was launched in Clydebank, Scotland, in 1953. Designed to carry the royal family, for 44 years she travelled more than a million miles and hosted state visits, honeymoons and holidays – she's pictured here in San Diego, California.

Powered by two steam turbines and three masts, the ship has luxurious cabins and facilities. In 1994 she was retired and is now moored and open to the public in the Port of Leith in Edinburgh.

Gipsy Moth IV, 1965

Made of Honduran mahogany, this two-masted sailing boat was the yacht in which St Francis Chichester completed the first single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in 1967. Aged 64, he set out from Plymouth and made only one stop in Sydney before rounding Cape Horn on his way home. He completed the journey in nine months and a day.

Despite his remarkable achievement, Chichester famously described the Gipsy Moth IV as "one of the worst racing yachts ever built" due to the difficulties he encountered with its design. Gipsy Moth IV is currently undergoing restoration, which started in 2022.

QE2, 1969

Built by Cunard to travel the transatlantic route from Europe to America, Queen Elizabeth II, known as QE2, bridged the gap between ocean liner and modern-day cruise ship. She made her maiden voyage in 1969 and was one of the fastest liners ever built. Originally steam-powered, the QE2 was refurbished in 1986 and converted to diesel-electric propulsion, improving her efficiency.

The QE2 could carry around 1,800 passengers in air-conditioned luxury between Southampton and New York, and also cruised to destinations around the world, including Sydney. In 2008, after 806 transatlantic crossings, she took her final voyage and now is moored as a floating hotel in Port Rashid, Dubai.

Carnival Fantasy, 1990

Drawing passengers from across the globe, Carnival Cruise Line broke the mould by making cruising unstuffy and affordable. One of the brand's most beloved boats was the Carnival Fantasy. Entering service in 1990 and the first in a series of eight ships, her modern but over-the-top interiors included a huge glitzy atrium and Egyptian statues.

Groundbreaking when launched, this 70,367-tonne, 855-foot (260m) long vessel would be dwarfed by today's megaships, but she still had a 30-year career sailing around the western Caribbean and Mexico from Miami. She was scrapped in 2020.

Yara Birkeland, 2022

The Yara Birkeland is the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container ship, developed by Yara International in collaboration with Kongsberg. Launched in 2021 and entering commercial operations in 2022, the vessel transports fertiliser between Porsgrunn and Brevik, Norway.

By replacing around 40,000 annual diesel truck trips, the ship significantly reduces CO2 emissions and contributes to greener shipping practices.

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