There are so few well-done documentary series involving ships and the sea that it seems worth pointing out that the excellent Disasters at Sea has been picked up for a second season. The series is produced by Exploration Production Inc. in association with Smithsonian Networks and Discovery Channel (Canada). Season Two was broadcast in Canada last summer and fall and is now being broadcast on the Smithsonian channel in the US. Episodes are also available on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and other streaming services.

This season’s episodes:

Ep1: Storm Watch — The 2015 loss of huge container ship El Faro leads baffled investigators to the bottom of the ocean. Why did an experienced crew end up on a deadly course?

Ep2 : Fire Fight — On board the Norman Atlantic in 2014, a deadly and disastrous fire broke out. What caused the ferocious flames on this passenger ferry and why did it spread so quickly?

Ep3 : Queen of the North — In March 2006, the Queen of the North sank after running aground on Gil Island in Wright Sound. What caused this historically strong and sturdy vessel to sink?

Ep4 : The Arctic Rose Mystery — Fishing boats sink frequently in the Bering Sea, but normally at least some of the crew survive. What happened to the fishermen on the Arctic Rose in 2001?

Ep5 : The Sinking of the Lady Mary — In March 2009, scallop fishing boat, the Lady Mary sank off the coast of New Jersey, killing six crew and leaving only one survivor. Can the mystery of how the tragedy occurred be explained?

Ep6 : Death on the Staten Island Ferry — An investigation into an event of October 2003, when ferry Andrew J. Barberi between Manhattan and Staten Island crashed into a pier, killing 11 people and injuring many more.

For the sake of full disclosure, I advised and appeared in several episodes in Season One and appear in Episode 4 of Season Two.