In this episode, Graeme Hill is joined by maritime historian and storyteller John McCrystal for a gripping account of the wreck of HMS Orpheus, New Zealand’s worst maritime disaster in local waters. The conversation traces the warship’s final voyage from Sydney to the treacherous Manukau Bar in February 1863, where outdated charts, missed signals and brutal surf combined to deadly effect. McCrystal brings the tragedy to life through the decisions made on board, the desperate attempts at rescue, and the extraordinary courage of the young crew as the ship broke apart in the breakers.