USS Monitor in action with CSS Virginia, 9 March 1862 by J.O. Davidson Both survived because they were so heavily armoured their opponent’s guns couldn’t penetrate. #Ironclads #USNavy #AmericanCivilWar

Hawke's fleet at Spithead in 1759 by American artist Mark Myers They will go on to defeat the French at the battle of Quiberon Bay, the most decisive naval engagement before Nelson, fought in a gale on a dangerous lee shore. #Ageofsail #RoyalNavy #Sevenyearswar

The latest issue of Quarterdeck is out. It’s free and can be found by following this link. #Ageofsail #RoyalNavy #AmReading

Autumn 2026 Quarterdeck | Globe Pequot

This Autumn edition of Quarterdeck you’ll enjoy a By George column on Smuggling in Fiction; a feature called Frederick Marryat by George Jepson and The Real Jack Tar by Julian Stockwin; and an intervi...

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Grand Harbour Valetta in Malta – photo c1863 I’m just back from a research trip to Malta for my next book. Grand Harbour's defences seems little changed, although cruise ships now take the place of the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet. #Ageofsail #RoyalNavy #Malta

New York City Docks - c1900s photo taken by Paul W Faust Most of the world’s great ports would have looked similar at the time, with forests of masts. #Ageofsail #NewYork #ships

The Down Easter Henry B. Hyde, San Francisco Bay, by American artist Christopher Blossom. She looks to be passing the place where the Golden Gate will one day be built. #Ageofsail #Sea #ships

The Rescue by 19th century Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky #Ageofsail #Sea #ships

Príncipe Real arriving in Guanabara Bay in 1808 by Geoff Hunt She has just crossed the Atlantic to Brazil accompanied by a Royal Navy squadron. On board are the Portuguese royal family going into exile after their country had been occupied by Napoleon’s troops. #Ageofsail #Napoleon #RoyalNavy

The whaleship Essex leaving Nantucket, August 12th, 1819, by New Zealand artist Anthony D Blake The following year she will be sunk in the Pacific by a sperm whale, providing the inspiration behind Herman Melville’s Moby Dick #Ageofsail #InTheHeartoftheSea #whaling

Three-masted ship off the coast of Crete by German marine artist Michael Diemer Diemer, a Bavarian, was brought up far from the sea, but developed a strong interest in ships. He benefitted as a united Germany looked to the sea in the second half of the 19th century. #Ageofsail #sailing #sea

The Clipper Lightning by British marine artist Montague Dawson Dawson was a keen yachtsman who served in the Royal Navy. This gives his work a real-world authenticity. #Ageofsail #sailing #sea

Released Worldwide today – the audio book of Clay and the Sublime Porte. “Twelve titles into the series, Alexander Clay rates with the greatest heroes in historical naval fiction.” Review in Quarterdeck Magazine #AmReading #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy

Clay and the Sublime Porte: The Alexander Clay Series, Book 12

Amazon.com: Clay and the Sublime Porte: The Alexander Clay Series, Book 12 (Audible Audio Edition): Philip K. Allan, symon james sweet, Philip Allan: Books

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This year’s heatwave and drought in Europe has caused historically low water levels on the River Danube, exposing over 200 German wrecks scuttled in 1944 by the retreating Germans, including this warship. #GermanNavy #Diving #WW2

Droits De L'Homme by Steven Dews In 1797, during a gale off Britany, two British frigates (Edward Pellew’s Indefatigable and the Amazon) outmanoeuvred and drove onto the rocks the much bigger French 74 Droits de l'Homme. The Amazon (in the background) was wrecked as well. #FrenchNavy #RoyalNavy

On this day in 1945 - Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Sussex was struck by a kamikaze near the Dutch East Indies. It failed to penetrate the ship's belt armour, leaving only an imprint on the hull. Posted by the US Naval Institute #RoyalNavy #WW2 #JapaneseNavy

San Francisco in 1849 An early photo showing the harbour choked with ships unable to leave because their crews have abandoned them to join the gold rush. The remains of these ships often turn up during building work in areas of the city reclaimed from the bay. #California #LostShips #Ageofsail

The Swedish ship Vasa. She sank shortly after launch in 1628, but thanks to the conditions in the Baltic, which is tide free and has brackish water, her hull was almost perfectly preserved when raised in 1961. #SwedishNavy #Stockholm #Ageofsail

The Medusa sailing from the Downs by US artist Mark Myers In the age of sail the Downs was a busy anchorage off the Kent coast where shipping would wait for a favourable tide/wind to take them up the Thames into London or down the Channel to the Atlantic #RoyalNavy #Navigation #Ageofsail

HMS Sandwich laying her mooring at sunset by English artist Jack Spurling She was a 90-gun second rate launched in 1759 at Chatham and designed by Thomas Slade, the naval architect behind HMS Victory. #RoyalNavy #Shipoftheline #Ageofsail

The wreck of the cruise ship MS World Discoverer, slowly being taken over by nature. She struck an uncharted reef in the Solomon Islands in 2000 and has remained there ever since. #Cruiseships #Shipwrecks #Pacific

The latest Quarterdeck magazine is available, including a nice review of Clay and the Sublime Porte. “Twelve titles into the series, Alexander Clay rates with the greatest heroes in historical naval fiction.” #AmReading #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy

Under Fire Off Manhattan by British marine artist Geoff Hunt One of his series showing a scene from the War of 1812 #Warof1812 #USNavy #RoyalNavy

USS Iowa (BB61) entering Portsmouth harbour in 1989, following her return to service under President Reagan. HMS Victory visible behind her. #Dreadnought #USNavy #RoyalNavy

Moonlight Barque by the early 20th century English artist Charles Pears It reminds me of John Masefield’s poem Sea-fever. #sea #tallships #maritimehistory

I have just returned from a stint as guest lecturer onboard the #SwanHellenic ship Diana, along with the brilliant Jared Diamond. Great trips ashore, wonderful staff and splendid hospitality. I can’t recommend them highly enough. #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy #seewhatsotherdont

Martha's Vineyard - the Mattapoisett at Osborn's Wharf, Edgartown, in 1886 by British marine artist John Stobart. The late John Stobart specialised in producing meticulously researched harbour scenes, mostly of American ports. #Sea #Tallships #Ageofsail

Something for Hornblower fans - how camels work. Two water-filled boxes are lashed tightly to each side of a ship. When they are pumped out, they lift it, reducing its draft. Invented by the Dutch to get large warships out of shallow harbours. #DutchNavy #Tallships #Ageofsail

The latest Mariner's Mirror podcast features an interview with me. Available from the link below, or from wherever you get your podcasts - Spotify in my case. #AmReading #AlexanderClay #MarinersMirror

The Naval Fiction Interviews: Philip K. Allan and Alexander Clay | The Mariner's Mirror Podcast

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USS Constitution by Anton Fischer Her long career almost ended a month into the war of 1812, when she fell in with a Royal Navy squadron. She used her boats and ditched all her water to escape the British in a chase lasting two days and nights. #USNavy #RoyalNavy #AgeofSail

The frigate Højenhald by Christian Mølsted Seen after an attack on Copenhagen in 1659. The ship resisted repeated attacks made by Swedish troops across the ice. #DanishFleet #SwedishArmy #AgeofSail