Rovarch - Marine Archaeology & Exploration

12/09/2026

169 years ago, tonight, the 12th September 1857, about 160 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in 2195m of water the SS Central America was caught up in a Category 2 Hurricane. This American side-wheel steamer built in 1852 was owned by and operated by the United States Mail Steamship Company and sailed between Panama and New York on the last leg of a regular route from San Francisco to New York during the American Gold Rush.
Winds and heavy seas had shredded her sails, she was taking on water, and her boiler could no longer maintain fire. Steam pressure had dropped, shutting down both the pumps and the paddle wheels stopped. The ship was now on the verge of foundering. Commander Herndon managed to hail a passing ship, the brig Marine. 100 passengers, mostly woman and children were safely transferred. A bucket brigade of passengers and crew fought a losing battle against the rising water. Conditions worsened and at 8pm the SS Central America with 425 people sank beneath the waves.
I had the privilege of being part of a team that did the final gold recovery and artefact recovery from the wreck. I thank Robert Evans and his team for the privilege to spend 5 months working on a truly amazing shipwreck. We made some amazing discoveries and recovered many amazing artefacts that represented life in Gold Rush America.
Known as ‘the ship of gold’, tonight I take a moment to remember the loss of those who did not survive that fateful night.

03/09/2026

Today is Merchant Navy Day. Take a minute to remember all those lost at sea and all those who are at sea at present. The photo montage shows my late father a Marconi Radio Officer and his ship the SS City of Edinburgh and below, myself around the same age as my father as a Deck Officer on the TSS City of Edinburgh. It was great that we both sailed on ships of the same name. Both my father and I are proud to have served under the Red Duster. The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the flag flown by British merchant or passenger ships since 1707. Fifty-three years ago, when I joined my first ship, I never imagined I would end up as a deep-ocean shipwreck expert, explorer and still going out to sea on modern ROV construction, survey and salvage vessels.
"The sea is the largest cemetery, and its slumbers sleep without a monument. All other graveyards show symbols of distinction between great and small, rich and poor; but in the ocean cemetery, the king, the clown, the prince, and the peasant are alike undistinguishable." (George Bruce, St Andrews, 1884).

11/08/2026

A mention in the Daily Mail today

Leaked cables from the early 2000s show how ministers scrapped plans to rescue a warship understood to be HMS Sussex in case it would threaten relations with Spain.

10/08/2026

Made it in the Telegraph today

Britain abandoned an attempt to recover treasure worth up to £5.5bn from a suspected Royal Navy shipwreck to avoid inflaming tensions with Spain, leaked documents have revealed.

20/07/2026

Many thanks for all the birthday messages I received on Saturday. It was humbling. I had a hangover of note on Sunday.

19/07/2026

Sunset John Knox road and moon rise Market street last night

19/07/2026

Big thank you to Marta and Kelly and Keys family for a fantastic night for my 70th birthday. Thanks Scotty for the lift home.

18/07/2026

Today I am 70 years young. I have navigated seven decades of life, weathering every storm and celebrating every victory. My strength has carried me this far, and it remains my anchor. I am not just aging; I am evolving. Like fine w**e and a good malt wh**ky, my experiences have added depth, character, and richness to who I am. I have set course for 100 at a modest half ahead both engines. Happy birthday me. (PS. I did pour a really really large Aberlour A'Bunadh at 00:01).

08/07/2026

A week of remembrance for me. 6th July 1998 the Piper Alpha oil platform disaster. I was on a jack up in the southern North Sea on that day. A survey friend of mine left my rig and went to the Piper Alpha and never returned. It sent a shock through all of the oil industry. Most of us who worked offshore then would have known a friend, colleagues or somebody from your town who lost their lives that day. For me years later I was privileged to be part of a team with RGIT at Dundee who designed and implemented the UKs first freefall lifeboat training courses from recommendations from the Lord Cullen report. Spare a minute or two today to remember those that lost their lives.

06/03/2026

Yesterday Thursday I was selected to attend as a guest to celebrate 125 years of the Carnegie Trust for Universities, held in the Dovecote Studios, Infirmary Street Edinburgh. I was one of 10 Carnegie Trust Alumni chosen to be highlighted. My story was shown on large TV panels. It was a good event and great to speak to the people that gave the grants and those who benefited from them. I took my youngest son Harris with me as he will be looking for grants in the future for his career journey.