QUICK CLIPS FOR FOUND SHIPS

This listing of ships is by date of wreck. These ships will be moved to their own post as more information is discovered:

1700-1799

H.M.S. Garland / 29 November 1710
English warship wrecked on a small sandbar a little southward of Currituck Inlet. 15 of her crew perished. The wreck sanded over before anything could be salvaged.

Sloop Benjamine Eddy / 21 October 1728
Home port Boston, MA. While en route from North Carolina to Boston, the sloop Benjamine Eddy was completely lost about 6 miles from the Ocracoke Bar.

Merchantman Adriatic / 1739
English merchantman en route from London to Virginia under Captain Hanney, wrecked at Cape Hatteras with a large loss of lives.

Two English Merchantmen / 1741
Lost off Cape Hatteras: Hoylin, Captain Cunningham, arriving from Bristol, no lives lost; and Woolford, Captain Kenlock, sailing from Jamaica to London.

Coastal Trader George / 1743
American coastal trader under Captain Raitt, sailing from Boston to North Carolina, wrecked near Oregon Inlet. No lives lost.

Two English Merchantmen / 1744
Both ships sailing for London were lost on Diamond Shoals: Katherine & Elizabeth under Captain Webster and Neptune under Captain Knowler.

Merchantman Greyhound / 1751
English merchantman under Captain Cook, sailing from Boston to North Carolina, wrecked during bad weather near Salmon Creek, in the Chowan River. No lives lost.

Three Merchantmen / 1758
English ships lost at Cape Hatteras: Friendship, Captain Briscal, arriving from England. No lives lost: Peggy, Captain Abercrombie, sailing from Philadelphia to South Carolina, and Princess Amelia, Captain Freizwell, sailing fro Halifax to South Carolina.

Two Merchantmen / 1763
Royal Charlotte, Captain Severy, sailing from Montserrat to Georgia, wrecked at Long Bay; and Union, Captain Blackburn, sailing from Barbados to North Carolina, lost crossing the Cape Fear Bar. Crew was saved.

Merchantman Revenge / June 1765

English merchantman, Captain Whittingham, sailing from Curacao to Norfolk, wrecked two miles north of Currituck Inlet. Only the crew was saved.

Slave Ship Good Intent / 1767
English slave ship, Captain Copeland, arriving from Africa with over 300 slaves, lost off Cape Hatteras. The ship's "human cargo" ended up in Hyde County, NC.

Two Merchantmen / February 3, 1768
English ship Beggars Bennison, Captain Boyd, on Cape Lookout Shoals; and Scottish ship Enterprize, Captain Reid, totally lost during a February 3 gale, on Linger Shoals, inside the Cape Fear bar.

Merchantman Charming Polly / January 1770
English ship arriving from London under Captain Shoemaker. Totally lost off Cape Hatteras.


Sloop Peggy / 24 December 1771
Driven ashore on Ocracoke Island and completely lost along with cargo. Captain Robert Tompkins, his crew and passengers were saved.

Lively / 1771
Arriving from Grenada under Captain Read. Lost off Cape Hatteras.

Two Vessels / 1774
English ship Charming Betsey, sailing from Baltimore to London under Captain Waugh, wrecked on Ocracoke Island. Only a small part of cargo saved; the Sally, sailing from Maryland to Gibraltar under Captain Keith, was lost on Cape Hatteras.

Brigantine Aurora / 19 September 1776
Brigantine of unknown registry wrecked at Portsmouth Island. All on board survived.

Aurora / 11 November 1777
British troop transport under Captain Bishop. Lost off Cape Hatteras with few survivors.

Britannia / 1786
English ship arriving from England under Captain Dunlop. Wrecked south of the Cape Fear River. No lives lost.

Merchantman Molly / 1789
English merchantman sailing from Dunkirk to Virginia under Captain Baker. Wrecked at Cape Hatteras.

Merchantman St. James Planter / 1791
English merchantman sailing from Jamaica to London under Captain Paxton. Lost near Cape Lookout. Part of her cargo was saved.

Two Vessels / 1792
English merchantman Pitt, arriving from Antigua under Captain Cook, lost on the Ocracoke Inlet bar; in May, American ship Experiment, traveling from North Carolina to New York under Captain McDonald was wrecked. Lloyds of London reported that the ship had been "lost on Cape Hatteras."

Merchantman Nancy / 1793
American merchantman sailing from Jamaica to Virginia under Captain Beacon, lost off Currituck. No lives lost.

Sloop Betsy / 5/6 September 1797
A storm on this date affected the entire North Carolina coast, for it caused damage at least as far south as Charleston, South Carolina and caused the loss of a sloop as far north as lost at Currituck Inlet. I believe that sloop was the Betsy. She was lost at Currituck Inlet on [September 6] while returning from Cape Hatteras. When in sight of the Cape Henry lighthouse, she was "obliged to bare away in a gale of wind."

Merchantman Industry / 1798
American merchantman sailing from St. Vincent to Virginia under Captain Woodend, lost on Cape Hatteras.

Christian / 1799
German Immigrant sailing from Bremen to Baltimore under Captain Deetjen, lost near Cape Lookout. No lives lost and a part of cargo saved.

1800-1899

Two Merchantmen / 1802
English merchantmen lost on Cape Hatteras: Expectation, sailing from Antigua to North Carolina under Captain Baker; and Brunshill, sailing from England to Virginia under Captain Bacon. Her crew was saved.

Brig Neustra Senore del Carmer / 7 December 1804
Copper-bottomed Spanish ship commanded by Captain Manuel Rodrigues. Wrecked on Ocracoke bar.

Three Vessels / 8 September 1804
American packet Wilmington wrecked at Bald Point after first striking on Frying Pan Shoals; English ship Lydia, sailing from Wilmington to England under Captain Hatton, lost on Cape Hatteras; American merchantman Molly, arriving from Jamaica under Captain Mill, wrecked near Cape Hatteras.

Merchantman Santa Rosa / mid-November 1804
Spanish merchantman, sailing from Havana to Bilbao under Captain Fernandez with a great amount of treasure, lost near Wilmington.

Merchantman Fortura / 1805
Portuguese merchantman sailing from Brazil to Baltimore under Captain Rhode, lost on Cape Hatteras. Part of her cargo was saved.

Four Vessels / 1810
English ship Rhine, arriving from the Bahamas under Captain Turnly, lost crossing the Wilmington bar in September; the French ship Maria, sailing from Martinique to New York, lost on Cape Hatteras; English ship Olympus, arriving from England, totally lost near Wilmington at the end of November; in September, American ship Lively Lass, sailing from New Orleans to Liverpool, drifted onshore at Ocracoke Island at the end of September without any persons on board.

Merchantman Young Factor / 1811
English merchantman sailing for London, was lost crossing the Wilmington bar. No lives lost.

Brig San Antonio / 18 February 1813
Spanish ship under Captain Fabre totally lost near Wilmington. All of her crew saved.

Gunboat #140 / 23 September 1814
Wrecked on Ocracoke Island.

More Than 23 Vessels / 1815
During a hurricane early in September, more than 20 ships were wrecked or sunk at Ocracoke Inlet and on Ocracoke Island (See North Carolina Hurricane of September 1815). During the year, three other ships were lost: American brig Atlanta on November on Diamond Shoals. Crew saved; English merchantman Sero, coming from Cuba under Captain Robinson, wrecked September 25 off Cape Hatteras; American merchantman Superior, sailing from Antigua to Philadelphia under Captain Spence, lost on October 3 near Cape Hatteras. Crew and part or cargo saved. 

Five Merchantmen / 1816
American merchantman Eliza, sailing from Jamaica to Philadelphia under Captain Steele, lost on Ocracoke Island. Crew and part of cargo saved; American merchantman Bolina, sailing from New York to Charleston under Captain Lee, wrecked on Bodie Island on September 26. Crew and part of cargo saved; American merchantman Little Dick, sailing from Jamaica to Wilmington, lost crossing the Wilmington bar; English merchantman Nancy, sailing from the Virgin Islands to Edenton under Captain Scott, wrecked near New Bern on January 23. Crew saved; Mary, a merchantman of unknown registry, sailing from Norfolk to Trinidad, wrecked on Currituck beach on April 15. Most of her cargo saved.

Five Merchantmen / 1817
American merchantman Voucher, sailing from New York to Charleston under Captain Howland, wrecked at Chicamacomico on November 19. All of her crew, passengers and cargo saved; merchantman of unknown registry, Emperor of Russia, sailing from Amsterdam to Boston, lost March 19 near Currituck Inlet. Crew and part of her cargo saved; American merchantman John Adams, sailing from Charleston to Norfolk, lost on Cape Hatteras on May 19. Crew and some of her cargo saved; merchantman of unknown registry, Rosetta, arriving from New York under Captain Sissen, lost crossing the Ocracoke Inlet on March 4. Crew and all cargo saved; American merchantman Mary & Francis, sailing from Madeira to Baltimore under Captain Marsh, wrecked in March near Cape Hatteras. Most of her cargo saved.

Three Vessels / 1818
The English merchantman Fly sank on Frying Pan Shoals; American merchantman William Carlton wrecked at Kill Devil Hills on May 15; and English brig Georgia under Captain Colesworth, en route from New York, was wrecked July 15 at Currituck Inlet. Crew and most of wood cargo saved.

Two Vessels / 1819
American vessels schooner Phoenix, sailing to Philadelphia under Captain Coffin, wrecked on Cape Hatteras on May 13; the sloop Revenge during January at Currituck Inlet.

Two Vessels / 1820
The merchantman Islington, under Captain Wilson, at Cape Hatteras on March 16; the ship Horatio, under Captain Martin on Diamond Shoals during April. 8 killed.

Brig Sally / 1820
Returning to Wilmington from St. Thomas with a cargo of sugar, the Sally wrecked near New Topsail Inlet. Although the captain and crew were saved, the vessel and cargo were lost.

Two Vessels / 1821
English merchantman Martha, sailing from Bermuda to New London, wrecked at Currituck sands; American schooner Sophia, sailing from Philadelphia to Norfolk under Captain Massey, wrecked 10 miles north of Currituck Inlet. Only one survivor.

Two Vessels / 1822
A ship of unknown registry, Nereus, sailing from Bremen to Virginia under Captain Bosse, totally lost on Cape Hatteras on January 1; the English merchantman, Statira, sailing from Havana to London, lost on Frying Pan Shoals. No Lives lost.

Sloop Emily / 30 March 1823
From New York City under Captain West, wrecked on the Ocracoke. While the cargo of corn and bacon was saved, her crew was lost.

Peter Francisco / 7 October 1823
Sailing from New York to Mobile under Captain Reerson, wrecked on Bodie Island. Crew, passengers and all cargo was saved.

Sloop Only Son / 1823
Bilged on the bar while on passage from Martinique to Elizabeth City with a cargo of molasses. Home port in Cohasset, ME.

Schooner Wesley / 1823
Wrecked on Ocracoke's north bar while en route from Alexandria, VA to Florida. All crew members but one drowned and vessel was totally lost.

Merchantman Caroline du Nord / 19 January 1824
French ship lost while crossing the Ocracoke Bar. Commanded by Captain Grace.

5 American Vessels / 1825

• January 23 at Kitty Hawk: schooner Diomede;
• January 24 at Ocracoke Island: Washington, coming from Jamaica;
• February 21 on the Ocracoke Inlet Bar: Nancy under Captain Hatch;
• April 6 on the Ocracoke Inlet Bar: merchantman Horam, sailing from Boston to Jamaica under Captain Eldridge;
• December at Kitty Hawk: schooner, Victory.
• Schooner Enterprise.

Schooner Gideon Sparrow / 6 June 1827
Wrecked and totally lost. Under Captain Mekins.


Line Packet William Drayton / March 1833

Bound for Charleston from New York with a valuable cargo that included one hundred thousand dollars for the United States Bank, crashed ashore at Bodie Island. Most of the cargo and specie were saved and no one died in the accident.

Brig Hercules & Schooner William / October 1833
A gale in October drove ashore and destroyed the Hercules at Bodie Island. She was bound from Wilmington to New York. The same storm demolished the schooner William, owned by Outer Banker William Etheridge, off Cape Hatteras.

Schooner Victory / 6 February 1837
British schooner from Jamaica en route to Norfolk. Went ashore on Bodie's Island, 50 miles south of Cape Henry. Crew was saved.

Schooner Hunter / 19 August 1837
Of Norfolk en route to Charleston, she was driven ashore the southward of Cape Henry. Two of the crew died. Vessel and cargo was a total loss.

Schooner Wave / 9 December 1837
In ballast from Higham en route to Elizabeth City. Went ashore on Currituck beach. Crew saved but vessel bilged.

Brig Ralph / 31 January 1837
20 days from New Orleans en route to Baltimore. Went ashore near the Wash Woods and bilged.

Schooner Horse / 31 January 1838
Three-masted schooner of Boston, from Wilmington, NC laden with lumber. Bound to Baltimore. Ran ashore about 6 miles south of Carver's Inlet having previously sprung a leak. Vessel lost but crew was saved.

Five Vessels / 7 July 1842
During a hurricane on July 7, the schooner Marie was totally lost at Ocracoke with all on board; the schooner Ann Stille, bound for Philadelphia under the command of Captain Hoffman, was wrecked with a cargo of lumber; the schooner Eliza Marie was lost; the lighter Transport was ashore in the breakers. All hands lost; the schooner Henry Camerden out of Philadelphia sank. A total loss; Several vessels were ashore north of Hatteras.

Schooner Deposite / 17 November 1842
En route from Boston to New Bern. Destroyed inside the bar.

Schooner Eolus / 31 December 1845
An unknown schooner ... probably the Eolus ... came ashore on Ocracoke while en route to Florida from New York City. The vessel was lost, but the cargo of dry goods was saved in damaged condition.

Schooner Avon / 19 February 1846
Out of Washington. Came ashore at Ocracoke on Valentine's Day but was able to get off with little damage. Came ashore again on February 19 and was a total loss.

Schooner Charles Slover / 6 July 1846
Out of New Bern with a cargo of naval stores. Bilged and sank in a gale at Ocracoke and was totally lost.

Four Vessels / 7 July 1846
Three schooners lost at Ocracoke: the Patrick Henry and Sophia D. sank at the bar; the Conquest was turned bottom-up at the bar. She broke up and two crew members were lost; the brig Washington was wrecked on Ocracoke bar.

Two Schooners / 30 December 1846
While en route to New York City, the schooner Benjamine Harrison wrecked in the Beacon Island Roads, near Ocracoke; also en route to New York City, the schooner George Warren was lost on Ocracoke with a cargo of dry goods.

Schooner Paddy Martin / 1865
En route from New York to Elizabeth City, she wrecked south of Hatteras Inlet during a snow squall. Eight crewmen froze to death.

Brig Harriet / Year-end 1865
En route from Spain to Liverpool, she wrecked 10 miles south of Hatteras Inlet during a heavy gale.

Schooner A. Kingsley / Early 1867
En route to New York City from Porto Aton, she wrecked on Ocracoke during a gale of wind.

Schooner Wide World / 1869
En route to New York from Savannah, she wrecked south of Hatteras Inlet during a storm. One life lost.

Schooner Melvina Jane / Early 1870
On passage to Boston, she wrecked between Hatteras and Ocracoke during good weather. Cause unknown.

Schooner Harmon Curtis / 17 August 1878
Home port Harrington, ME. She came ashore on the Ocracoke beach, 1/2 mile N.E. of the cable box. Total loss.

Schooner A. L. & M. Townsend / July 7, 1891

Wrecked and sunk two and 1/2 miles southwest of the Cape Lookout station with four in the crew.

1900-1999

Launch Pamlico / 13 January 1910
Launch built in Pamlico in 1898, she sank while anchored 3 miles east of the Portsmouth Station and was completely lost. Her crew was ashore at the time.

Yacht Onana II / 23 April 1910
Yacht of New York City en route from Jacksonville, FL to Norfolk, VA. Went ashore 2-1/2 miles south of the Ocracoke Station. All eight on board were saved.

Schooner Harriet C. Kerlin / 6 February 1911

The American wooden schooner Harriet C. Kerlin, built in 1884 by Russell John and owned at the time of her loss by Caswell S.T., on voyage from Norfolk, Va. to Charleston, S.C. with a cargo of coal, was wrecked on Diamond Shoal.

Schooner Wellfleet / 6 March 1911

The American wooden schooner Wellfleet, on voyage from Baltimore to Charleston with a cargo of manure, was wrecked on the Outer Diamond Shoals.

Schooner Charles H. Valentine / 29 August 1911

The American wooden schooner Charles H. Valentine, on voyage from Charleston, SC to New London with a cargo of lumber, was wrecked on Bald Head, NC.

Schooner Charles J. Dumas / 17 December 1911
On voyage from Florence, N.J. to Port Boliver, Texas with a cargo of sewer pipes, the American wooden schooner Charles J. Dumas was wrecked on Pea Island, 60 miles south of Cape Henry.

Schooner Loring C. Ballard / 3 April 1915

On voyage from Portland, Me. to Georgetown in ballast, the 3-masted, 627 ton American wooden schooner Loring C. Ballard was wrecked near Gull Shoals, NC. Her crew of 7 was saved.

Schooner Elsie A. Bayles / 5 April 1916

On voyage from Providence, the American wooden schooner Elsie A. Bayles, was wrecked off the New Inlet Coast Guard station, 10 miles south of Bodie Island. 3 people were killed.

Schooner Lulu M. Quillin / 11 December 1917

On voyage from New Bern to Baltimore, the American wooden schooner Lulu M. Quillin, was wrecked at Little Kinnakeet, Cape Hatteras.


Schooner Lavinia M. Snow / March 8, 1930

The four-masted schooner was driven ashore at Durants and was wrecked 

Schooner Glory / 21 August 1933

The Honduran motor-schooner Glory, built in 1920 by Johansens Fraeskibsbyggeri A/S and owned by Lizardo Garcia, left Norfolk, VA for Port Arthur, Texas in ballast. She went missing off Nags Head and was not heard of since.

Tug Maryland / 18 December 1971 / Albemarle Sound
Struck by towed barge and sunk. 6 killed.

147 as of 2/19/2019