The modern era has seen a great deal of change.Wooden-hulled sailing vessels have given way to steam and petroleum-powered vessels constructed of strong metals.Navies of galleons and armed frigates were replaced by specially-designed torpedo boats, cutters, battleships and aircraft carriers.Huge ocean-liners carried passengers to new homes and to holiday excursions overseas.Pleasure boating became the option of the newly-leisured and moneyed classes of the twentieth century.

THE IRONCLADS AND STEAMSHIPS

Late 18^th century ships architects advised coating the hulls of ships with metals, both to withstand enemy fire and to avoid deterioration from salt water and boring worms.This led to the development of metal-hulled ships and the weapons to accompany them.Among the first such vessels were the Ironclads of the American Civil War.The battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack is remembered for its technological novelty.Of particular interest in Wilmington is the development of the blockade runners—low-built paddle-wheel steamers designed to run the Union blockade.Steam power also led to the deployment of commercial vessels all over the globe.They engaged in commerce in perishable items such as bananas, opening up the economy but necessitating the establishment of friendly fueling stations around the globe—and a new era of colonizing.In the Atlantic, steamships were fitted to bring passengers back and forth between Europe and America.This facilitated large-scale migrations and led to the construction of lavish ocean-liners such as the RMS Titanic.

THE NAVAL RACE

With larger empires at stake, and capitalist industry burgeoning, the great naval powersstepped up production in the 1890s.The British, American, German and Japanese navies developed powerful fleets of newly-designed vessels.Torpedo boats could launch underwater explosives.Battleships could accommodate ever larger guns, and were designed with swiveling gun mounts and a minimum of structures on deck.Submarines became the menace of warfare and a danger to civilian vessels.Suez and Panama calals made the movement of ships more efficient.And in the 1920s, aircraft carriers began to take precedence, as aerial bombardment became more efficient than naval battles.But after World War II, the age of the great navies (and steamships) dwindled away almost as quickly as it had begun, as air travel largely replaced travel by sea.The largest vessels in the late 20^th century have been oil tankers.

RECREATIONAL BOATING

Those who enjoy sailing and being on the water have had another outlet, though—pleasure boating.Yachting had been popular in some circles since the 17^th century, but with the advent of the premier yacht races of the mid-19^th century, it got a new life.Luxury yacht racing has been very popular, and put places such as Newport, Bermuda, San Diego, the Virgin Islands and New Zealand high on the list of sailing destinations.Smaller scale boating, both by sail and engine, has burgeoned on rivers, lakes and coastal inlets throughout the world.The use of the seashore for recreation has also picked up enormously, as people gained access through increased leisure time, higher salaries and means of transportation such as trains.The healthfulness of a seaside vacation has also brought out many twentieth century vacationers.And after World War II, the popularity of surfing has increased enormously, as American sailors and marines picked up the sport in Hawaii.

UNDERSEA DIVING

Diving has been practiced throughout history, typically for commercial purposes such as gathering sponges or pearls, or salvaging shipwrecks.The invention of the aqualung by Jacques Cousteau in 1942 revolutionized the activity.Now divers could breathe compressed air underwater, freeing them from the need to be very near the surface of the water, or to surface frequently to breathe.Cousteau’s invention has led to a vast increase in our knowledge of the undersea world, and provided a very popular sport for those who want to swim with the fishes.

THE SEA AS A RESOURCE

Finally, as we have paid more and more attention to the sea in modern times, we are seeing it as a resource both to exploit and protect.Fishing provides millions of people with a relatively cheap source of protein, but over-fishing and pollution has endangered this resource.Recreational usage and over-development also threatens the cleanliness and ecology of some areas.Increasing use of seaweed as a food source has inspired the possibilities inherent in under-water farming.So as we continue our love affair with the bounteous, powerful sea, we must remember to respect it and care for it in return.