In 1483 Captain M. Shankley set out from Plymouth harbour in mid-September. The story will be familiar to all who have at least a passing interest in 15th Century nautical history. Captain Shankley aimed to sail his ship, 'HMS Fortify', and his crew to The Moon.
Captain Shankley stocked up on essentials and hired the best crew he could afford and, on September the 16th 1483, the lot of them set sail to make a new home on The Moon - or Shankland as they had renamed it.
Three months out of harbour the ship disappeared from radar and no trace of it could be detected - the mystery of Shankley had begun in ernest.
The Fortify was never found again, and there are those who believe that it did indeed reach its goal, and there are descendents of her crew living in Tycho Crater this very day.
It is to those people that this website is dedicated.
