Although there has been an increasing interest in the study of Renaissance translations and the early world of print, the history of navigation and exploration has not been the subject of any such in-depth bibliographical research. This thesis identifies and analyses a corpus of translated navigation manuals and related works that were printed in England between 1500 and 1640. The context is sketched by defining the different areas of maritime writing found in Renaissance England. Although English contributions were particularly strong in such topics as the mathematical side of navigation, the technical instruments and the debates about magnetism and compass variation, publications of manuals and sailing directions were scarce. This thesis reveals that such knowledge was imported from continental Europe through translation. Forty-three translations out of seven different source languages are discussed from a book-historical perspective to establish what their source text was, how they came to England and who was responsible for translating and publishing them. Such information was obtained, in part, from a study of the paratexts, in particular the translators’ and publishers’ dedications and addresses to the reader, which show the reason and purpose of the translations, the methods employed and particular problems encountered, as well certain linguistic and rhetorical characteristics. One work is selected as a case-study for in-depth research, namely Martin Cortés’s Breue compendio de la sphera y de la arte de nauegar (1551) and its translation by Richard Eden, The Arte of Navigation (1561), which went through ten editions and became the model for English navigation manuals. Finally, by turning to the agents involved in the production and dissemination of these translations, particularly the printers and booksellers, and establishing the connections between them, this thesis reveals intricate social networks and sheds new light on certain aspects of the fields of navigation, translation and print.

The popular myth of Cornish wrecking is well-known within British culture, but there has not been a comprehensive, systematic inquiry to separate out the layers of the myth from the actual practices. This study rectifies this omission by examining wrecking activity as reported in popular sources and traditional tales; deconstructing the most widely believed elements; illuminating the complexity of the practices; and investigating the process of myth-making which sustained the image of the wrecker in popular consciousness. It suggests that violent wrecking was not nearly as widespread and invidious as popular histories allow. The coastal populace had their own popular morality, including the use of mediation and constraint, which allowed them to practise wrecking, salvage, and lifesaving activities simultaneously. They did not condone all forms of wrecking; thus it cannot be deemed a 'social crime'. Wreckers did not escape conviction because of local resistance to centralised authority, but as a result of the complex legal practices of discretion that were incorporated into the eighteenth century English criminal justice system. The role of the lord of the manor was also more complex; their relationship with the coastal populace was based on reciprocity as well as antagonism. However, the tightening of governmental control and increasing bureaucratisation in the Victorian period resulted in the loss of customary wreck rights for both the coastal inhabitants and the local elites. At the same time, the press and pulpit were the primary conduits for establishing and popularising the wrecker stereotype through symbolic violence and moral panics. The stereotype became reflexive, touted as an accurate description in Victorian histories, and thus burying the reality of wrecking under accretions of moralising discourse. Therefore, the process of historical 'beach combing' across the disciplinary boundaries has revealed wrecking as a multi-faceted, sophisticated cultural practice and cultural construct.

The Tenth Cruiser Squadron provided a vital element to the Blockade of Germany, patrolling the seas between northwest Scotland, Iceland and Greenland. It was the longest continuous naval operation of the war lasting from 1914-1917. The Squadron’s resources were armed merchant cruisers manned by Naval Reservists and Mercantile Marine ratings all commanded by a Flag Officer and Royal Naval Commanding Officers. The thesis follows the Royal Navy’s deliberations to establish its Reservist elements and how the Navy assumed the men of the Mercantile Marine could be brought into naval service. A parallel debate in Parliament considered the viability of taking up ocean liners for conversion to armed merchant cruisers. Both sets of discussions lasted nearly fifty years. Most existing Squadron literature is chronological, drawing heavily on official reports of proceedings. This thesis concentrates on analysing personal diaries and biographies and is focused on the crews’ daily work to reveal a broad picture of life in the Squadron. Topics included are pay, accommodation, feeding scales, daily routines, promotion, pastoral and medical welfare, and recreation. These issues were in addition to the daily threats from surface and submarine attack and the constant debilitating bad weather. Although deemed successful, the thesis concludes, the blockade could have been tightened sooner if the Government had used statistics already held on imports and exports. The conclusion is also made that the Royal Navy’s failure to understand fully the shipping industry’s unique facets and the merchant seaman, created problems that could have been avoided. The Squadron’s operational achievement was intercepting nearly 13,000 suspect vessels. Its patrols performed a constabulary function which encouraged ships to call voluntarily at examination ports to be searched effectively. Less tangible, but equally praiseworthy, was the successful cohesion built amongst crews of widely differing experience.

The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon in the United States widely known as 9/11 undeniably produced a profound impact on a multitude sectors across the globe. The events became a turning point in the treatment of maritime security establishing a “before” and after” dividing line. One element that emerged in response to that attack was the change of attitude to security. This change, led to changes in behaviour and practices since it prompted a raft of measures, rules, and regulations to prevent such occurrences in the future. This thesis examines how security in the maritime sphere in respect of ports was given a new impetus by virtue of their inherent weaknesses as a potential target. In the past, port security was primarily focused on cargo theft and pilferage as well as denying access to those seeking to enter the country to improve their political or economic condition or to engage in smuggling activities. While the international regulation of shipping had increased substantially through the efforts of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the second half of the 20th century, ports had remained largely unaffected by this regulation. However, the 9/11 changed this situation. As the main focus turned towards dual objectives: to secure ports from any kinds of unlawful acts and concurrently fulfil the international security requirements, implementing and complying with a host of security regimes imposed by a range of parties was seen by some commentators as a particular challenge for the developing nations, due to higher costs and the implications for port policy and administration. This study examines this generalisation using the Port Klang and Malaysian port system as a case study. It analyses security measures and management before and after 9/11, considering the impact not only of international regulations, especially the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, but also of bi-lateral security measures required by the United States as a trading partner and regional organisations. Its findings are based on in-depth interviews conducted with the key Malaysian governmental and private stakeholders, supplemented by other primary and secondary sources. The study concludes that, partly as a result of previous colonial and post-colonial anti-terrorist measures, Malaysia generally had a well managed port security system prior to 9/11. This meant that though some minor internal and external problems were identified, Malaysia managed to handle effectively the post 9/11 port security regimes with minimal cost implications. Any presumption that, as a developing country, it would have problems with implementation proved to be unfounded.

My thesis seeks to develop the theory of legitimate peripheral participation by focusing on how it is accomplished in practice, through exploring the process of transition from novices to (relative) masters. In doing so, the study opens the black box of participation in studies of situated learning and focuses on two aspects that lead to a further development of legitimate peripheral participation. First, it looks at how newcomers undergo legitimate peripheral participation at two sites of practice and how movement between the sites influences the process of transition. Second, it focuses on the ways in which newcomers negotiate access to participation at a site where such access is not readily available. The research was conducted as a five-month multi-sited ethnographic study in the maritime industry; as such it focuses on the process of transition from cadets (newcomers) to officers (relative old-timers). Two research sites were used for conducting the ethnographic study, a maritime training center, and a merchant shipping vessel. Analysis of the data collected through observations and interviews at the two sites reveals key insights into the practical accomplishment of legitimate peripheral participation. The study shows the influence of movement between sites of practice and theorizes transition as an episodic process. Furthermore, the study explores the ways of doing through which newcomers are able to successfully negotiate access to participation. As such it develops a practice-sensitive concept of proactivity as a way of negotiating access to participation. Overall the thesis develops a more nuanced understanding of participation and shows how legitimate peripheral participation is accomplished in practice.

The influence of non-linearities on wave-induced motions and loads has been the focus of many investigations in the past few years and continues to be an important issue. A number of two- and three-dimensional methodologies have been developed, by and large, partly accounting for various non-linearities. Non-linear radiation, and to an extent diffraction, is the main problem and its solution via a three-dimensional method using Eulerian-Lagrangian schemes is likely to be complex and time consuming for practical applications. On the other hand two-dimensional methods, in spite of issues associated with accounting for forward speed, offer more possibilities of making practical advances in dealing with non-linearities. A two-dimensional hydroelasticity analysis for symmetric (i.e. vertical motions, distortions and loads) dynamic behaviour in waves, including the influence of nonlinearities, is presented in this thesis using two methods. In the first method the total response is decomposed into linear and non-linear parts. The linear part is evaluated using the conventional two-dimensional linear hydroelasticity analysis. The nonlinear hydrodynamic forces are due to changes in added mass and damping coefficients, as well as restoring and incident wave forces, all evaluated over the instantaneous wetted surface. Non-linear forces due to slamming (bottom impact and flare) and green water (treated in a quasi-static manner) are also added. One aim of the thesis is to investigate the influence/importance of each of the non-linear hydrodynamic forces. Furthermore, the effects of assumptions made when using these hydrodynamic forces, e.g. frequency dependence of added mass, neglecting the damping coefficients in some components and evaluation of derivatives, are investigated. The solution in the time domain is obtained using direct integration and convolution integration, the latter based on the impulse response functions of the hull in its mean wetted surface. In the second method the response, including nonlinearities, is obtained from the solution of one system of equations of motion, where the added mass and damping coefficients and the restoring, incident wave and diffraction forces are evaluated at the instantaneous draft. Non-linear forces due to slamming (bottom impact and flare) and green water (treated in a quasi-static manner) are also added. Both methods are applied to the S-175 containership, for which experimental measurements of motions and loads in large amplitude regular head waves are available. Comparisons made between predictions and measurements (heave and pitch motions, vertical acceleration and vertical bending moment) indicate good overall agreement. The comparisons also show that the influence of flare slamming is important for the range of speeds and wave amplitudes investigated.

Kite propulsion has emerged as an attractive means to harness wind power in a way that yields environmental and financial benefits. An understanding of the dynamics that affect kite motion and the resulting forces is required to facilitate the design and optimization of kite propulsion systems. In this thesis results from two line tension models are compared with experimentally recorded time histories for dynamic kite flight. New methodologies for investigating kite performance are established. The first zero mass model assumes that the kite and lines are weightless. The second, lumped mass model, considers the kites mass and thus makes use of the equations of motion. It is found that the two different models converge to the same result in the limit where the kite mass tends to zero. The zero mass model has been shown to compare favourably with experimental results. A method for parameterising figure of eight shape kite trajectories and for predicting kite velocity is presented. Results are shown for a variety of manoeuvre shapes, assuming realistic performance characteristics from an experimental test kite. Using a 320m2 kite, with 300m long flying lines in 6.18ms.

Piracy at sea has existed almost since voyaging began and has been effectively subdued from time to time, principally by the Roman Imperial Navy in the 1st C and the British Navy in the 19th C. Over the past twenty five years piracy has once again been increasing such that it has now become of serious concern to the maritime community, in particular the seafarer, who as always bears the brunt of these attacks. In parallel with piracy itself the laws of piracy have developed from the Rhodian Laws through Roman Law, post Treaty of Westphalia Law both British and American until today the Law of Piracy is embodied in the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982. Under this Law piracy can only be committed on the high seas and with UNCLOS increasing the limit of the territorial sea from 3m1. to 12ml. many of the attacks upon shipping today cannot, legally, be classed as piracy but as armed robbery. Piracy and armed robbery at sea can consist of one or more of the following crimes upon the person: murder, violence actual or implied, rape, torture and disappearance and are considered a violation of the seafarers' human rights. The incidents and court cases cited in the thesis provide the basic information and evidence for this. On the high seas the flag state has jurisdiction over the ship flying its flag and all on board whatever their nationality. In the territorial sea the coastal state has jurisdiction over the safe passage of a ship and is responsible for maintaining order. Many of the states in whose territorial sea these attacks take place are considered failing states unable to maintain order at sea due to lack of political will, resources and corruption. These are matters of law, international relations and the structure of a globalised maritime industry. In effect this thesis argues that the flag or coastal State is failing by omission to uphold the human rights of the seafarer over whom it has jurisdiction. The seafarer may be able in one of the Human Rights Courts to obtain redress from these States but there are many prerequisites which are addressed in detail.

The detonation of an explosive in water leads to a complex set of chemical and physical phenomena. When the detonation wave reaches the surface of the explosive it reacts violently with the water, producing a shock wave propagating outwards and also a nearly spherical gaseous bubble of detonation products. The fact that the characteristic time scales of these two phenomena differ by approximately two orders of magnitude has often been exploited by utilising independent models to describe the shock and the bubble. In this thesis both the shock and the bubble are examined using a range of methods from a differential equation solver approach through to full hydrocode simulation. With the increasing use of the hydrocode approach for the underwater explosion (UNDEX) problem and the subsequent loading of a structure, then a verification and validation process is required to ensure its accuracy. In this study the capability of the hydrocode to model the shock and the bubble and also their interaction with a rigid structure and with a flexible structure, has been assessed. This has been done computationally, by using faster running purpose built codes, and also by comparison with experimental data. A familiarisation work-up of the boundary integral code for the incompressible bubble flow, which included incorporating modifications into the code in order to investigate the pathlines swept out by the particles in the fluid during the expansion and collapse of the bubble. The boundary integral code was also used to provide a comparison with the Kelvin impulse method with respect to the computation of the zones of explosion bubble collapse direction in a shallow water environment. The validation and verification work carried out and the comparisons of the various computational approaches, make this multifaceted study a useful reference for research workers in the field of UNDEX phenomena.

The Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) is the Royal Navy‘s assessment centre whose role is to select young people for officer training. The two aims of the study were (1) to investigate the relative value of psychometric versus other assessment centre selection measures and (2) the value of these and other approaches for selecting naval commanding officers for practitioners. The AIB selection data was used to investigate the long-term prediction of some of the selection measures, particularly the psychometric tests, in predicting the outcome for students attending the Submarine Command Course. Few pieces of research have looked at the long-term prediction of a real command situation. This research examines the prediction of a practical naval command situation where the student has to make rapid decisions under pressure and where failure to make the correct decision could be costly. A literature review showed that whilst cognitive tests, personality inventories and other assessment measures can predict job performance and training successes, the meta-analytical techniques used to pool research studies have produced inconsistent findings that could confuse practitioners. The students attended the command course, on average, thirteen years after the initial AIB selection process. Selection scores were available for 93 students, 57 of whom also completed a 'Big-Five' personality inventory and an Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) at the start of the 24-week course. The average age of the students starting the course was 32. The students were assessed throughout the course and were graded as pass or fail. They were also given an A to F Course Grade. In addition, 88 students were graded on twenty aspects of performance covering eight tactical grades, three administrative grades and nine personality grades. The results showed that the means of the pass and fail groups on the AIB Non-verbal test were statistically significantly different with a moderate effect size. The correlation for this relationship (with the A to F Course Grade) was 0.20. The Non-verbal test score also correlated with the course instructor‘s grades on tactical performance at 0.30 and the Verbal test correlated 0.23 with the administration grades. None of the other AIB selection measures showed significant results. While this is a disappointing result, the students were a very homogeneous group and to obtain these findings for the Non-verbal and Verbal test after thirteen years shows the predictive power of these tests. Although the findings may be of theoretical interest the low correlations mean that not much variance in performance is explained. The tests would not be a useful screening device to reduce the failure rate on the course because there would be too much misclassification. None of the Big Five personality scales predicted success on the course or the other course grades but statistically significant differences were found for the means of two the OSI scales: these were for 'Ambition' and a Type A Behaviour measure. Ambition was the only scale which correlated significantly with the A to F Course Grade at 0.43. Ambition was also found to correlate with the total score for the twenty performance grades, the tactical grades and the personality grades and several individual performance grades including Practical Ability, Leadership and Command Presence with correlations approaching 0.4. Further research on this aspect of behaviour may be worthwhile. However, there are lessons to be learned. The literature review shows that practitioners need to scrutinize journal articles and book chapters on the validity of selection measures extremely carefully. It may be that measures which have been shown to predict the performance of junior staff are inappropriate for the selection of more senior staff with similar job experience.