Vintage Maine Images . Only parts of the bow remain above water today. Please visit these SeacoastNH.com ad partners. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. The location of the Eagle 56 officially designated as a war grave was only confirmed last year. The river seems to be a graveyard of sorts: According to estimates by the General Company of Ports of Iraq (GCPI), around 36 sunken ships lie in the Shatt al-Arab, according to niqash.org. They were eventually discovered and rescued in early January, after mainlanders apparently found the body of one of the two crewmen who died trying to reach the coastline. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. But with about 3500 miles of coastline (more than California) and more than 2000 islands, there have been plenty of disasters. mobile app. CNN Ever since it first emerged in 1958 on a beach in York, Maine, the 50-foot skeleton of a shipwreck has intrigued both locals and experts alike. the wreck's history, specifications and pictures. The state of Maine in the United States is well-known for its many shipwrecks, but the stories behind some of the vessels are still unknown. Use the Back arrow to Few other events in Maines history still resonate with such intensity, although the story line often changes. We may not have too many opportunities to document marine architecture of this vintage and tell the story of these early American seafarers.. . The ship hit a ledge off of Higgins Beach in Scarborough, damaging the hull. A THOUSAND SHIPWRECK SITES All rights reserved. The cries and entreaties of men, women and children were truly distressing, reads an anonymous passengers account published in the Oct. 31, 1836, edition of the Bangor Daily Whig & Courier. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. A very enjoyable and well written book. Below is a partial list of the wrecks located in the coastal Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. 42 people were killed when the passenger steamship RMS Bohemian sank off the coast of Cape Elizabeth on February 22, 1864. He chartered it for salvage operations, but it ran into engine trouble and rudder damage in Beagle Channel by Ushuaia. The analysis suggested that the trees that were felled had a ring date of about 1753. (Photo: R. M. Calamar), With over 300 wrecks scattered around the harbor, the Bay of Nouadhibou is one of the largest boat graveyards in the world. . However, Germania was seized by England during World War I, and it was later sold and renamed the Half Moon. But some, like the wreck of the Bohemia, are more awful than others. Unable to add item to List. Research also showed that a sloop of the same name was coincidentally built in 1754 in Massachusetts, which fits well with our tree-ring dates of circa 1753, Claesson said. Heres why. In addition to lobster, coastal homes and funny accents, Maine is known for its weather. Many images on this website are for sale on VintageMaineImages.com. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. The United Nations estimates that three million shipwrecks litter our ocean floors. Photo courtesy: State Library of New South Wales, The Bath-built schooner Edward J. Lawrence was reportedly the last surviving six-masted schooner when it burned in Portland Harbor in December 1925. But for years it hosted a ghost fleet of abandoned wooden sailing vessels, the remains of several of which are still visible in satellite imagery. That's because when the Atlantic's cold currents mix with the dry, warm air from the Namib Desert, the two create a cold, dense fog that can befuddle even careful ship captains, the HuffPost reported. It would be impossible to include information on every maritime disaster on the coast of Maine in any single volume, but I apologize if a particular wreck thats of special interest to you is not included here. , Dimensions The schooner Equator was burned and destroyed by the British, during the war of 1812, in 1814 at Biddeford Pool in Maine. That's when the captain, who had 22 years of skipper experience, realized that the Bohemian was off course by more than 6 miles. All Rights Reserved. A shipwrecked Colonial-era sloop periodically emerges during heavy surfs, and is then reburied on Short Sands Beach in York. The last time waves exposed its frame was in March 2018. If you'd like to privately share a comment or correction with MMN staff, please send us a message with this link. About two years ago, a nor'easter struck York Beach, Maine, revealing the skeleton of a centuries-old shipwreck beneath the sand. He said he hoped town officials could protect the wreckage. Already registered? The USS Eagle PE-56 was among the last U.S. Navy ships to be sunk by a German U-boat when it was torpedoed about five miles off Cape Elizabeth in April 1945. VintageMaineImages.com. Some of Maines oldest military shipwrecks are buried usually, at least in the muddy bottom of the Penobscot River. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. THE DEADLY REALITY OF SEA TRAVEL With breakthroughs in remote sensing technology (specifically sonar and radar), researchers have been able to acquire highly resolved maps of ocean floors. Here are 17 mysterious shipwrecks you can see on Google Earth. Photo: NH 93000 courtesy of the Naval History & Heritage Command. (Photo: Francesco Paroni Sterbini), Also known as Smuggler's Cove, Navagio Beach in Zakynthos is one this area's most popular tourist attractions. Historic romanticism aside, the rocky coastline of Maine and its neighbors particularly Cape Cod and parts of Nova Scotia have claimed untold lives over the centuries. In the theater projects version, the little Scottish girl learns to swim by following the example of Mogul the elephant. The ship was built before the American War of Independence and has a tragic history. . You will receive an email to complete the registration. The importance of the ship, and the reason it gets peoples attention, is not because it has $20 million in gold, Tom Desjardin, a historian and former director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. Environmental laws now mandate that the hundreds of hulls stay untouched at the site, which is now known as the Donjon Recycling. The incident, whether true or rumor, highlights the fact that collecting relics from shipwrecks in Maine is usually prohibited unless authorized. They took anchor, but in heavy seas the crew was forced to cut the anchor cables, and were pushed ashore onto York Beach, Mr. Claesson said. Check out our lighthouse road trip to check out the best that Maine has to offer. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. , ISBN-10 Often, we can never know the whole story with any certainty; the 1941 loss of the Don in Casco Bay is a prime example. $18.39. Japanese B5N2 Kate torpedo bombers sank the USS Utah during the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Tourists visiting the boat can also see sand dunes, waterfalls and wild animals, including black seagulls, tortoises and hawks. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. In 1930, a pier was constructed to reach the boat, and it became a popular tourist destination, as well as an environmental hazard that was finally cleaned up in 2006. Seventy-five years ago visible hulks like Wiscasset's Hesper and Luther Little were a common sight. Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU. This rusty shipwreck sits on the Skeleton Coast, just north of Luderitz in Namibia. WARS CASUALTIES Parts of the hull are visible at Higgins Beach. 2000-2023 Maine Historical Society . Pages in category "Shipwrecks of the Maine coast". Records from the 18th century show that Defiance was sailing out of Salem, Massachusetts for Portland, Maine, according to Claesson. I wish to thank the Maine Historical Society, the Museum at Portland Head Light, the Vinalhaven Historical Society, and all the organizations and institutions that provided information and photos for this book. Like most everyone, I was completely unaware of the wreck under the beach until it was revealed by that Patriots Day storm in 2007, he said. George E. Bukers The Penobscot Expedition is a thorough telling of a dark, but fascinating, episode in American military history. But Claesson said there needs to be better protective measures in place to ensure that the next generation will have an opportunity to see and appreciate this important site in American history.. (Photo: stefg74), Built in 1904, the Maheno had a successful shipping history -- even serving as a hospital ship in WWI -- before being sold for scrap in 1935. Use of this Item is not restricted by copyright and/or related rights, but the holding organization is contractually obligated to limit use. Except for classroom educational use, images and content may not be reproduced without permission. But, depending on your preference, we have a fair few months where things arent so brag-worthy. Here are some of their dramatic, courageous and intriguing tales. Great Shipwrecks of the Maine Coast (Maritime) [D'Entremont, Jeremy] on Amazon.com. The wreck is a sought-after location for divers who are drawn by both the poignant backstory and the visible remains of the ship. But, this wasnt always the case. Once used as a ship-breaking yard, the bay houses two main wrecks that can be easily seen and accessed, especially during low tide. We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. Maines commercial fishermen continue to be at greatest risk, as they have for centuries. She also reports on general science, including archaeology and paleontology. Heres How To Explore It Yourself. : Pictured here, the Petrel was once a key whale-catching vessel. They were about to fall apart. Photo courtesy: South Portland Historical Society. Most of the 42 people who died 30 of whom are buried in South Portland cemeteries were poor immigrants from Ireland seeking better lives in the U.S. or Canada. Down East: An Illustrated History of Maritime Maine, Great Shipwrecks of the Maine Coast (Maritime). So if people were to find objects, it would be important for folks to get in touch with the museum. In the 1990s, Riess was part of a team that looked for any remaining evidence of the ship around the island, which now boasts New Englands tallest lighthouse, visible from Nubble Light and other areas of York. Check out This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. Photo courtesy: Wreckhunter.net; Paul Sherman collection, The wreck of the Wandby, a British freighter that ran aground near Walkers Point in Kennebunkport in 1921, was a tourist attraction for years until a storm knocked it back into the ocean. The highly visible wreck of the Sweepstakes is one of the best-preserved nineteenth century schooners ever located, and one of the most picturesque shipwrecks in the world. Both ships went down in the same storm on New Years Day, 1920. Last summer, New York-based Threadbare Theater Workshop turned the Royal Tars story into a theatrical production in Deer Isle that engaged the local community in crafting the story line. Below is a partial list of the wrecks located in the coastal and inland waters of Maine. Here is a look at some of the famous, dramatic or intriguing shipwrecks from Maines history, pulled together from historic sources, newspaper accounts and books on the states rich and, at times, tragic maritime history. These immigrants were hoping for a new life in America, but that dream was to be dashed quickly. Its a clich to say that disasters bring out the best and worst in people, but its also absolutely true. After the war, the SS Maheno became a passenger ship again, and was later sold to an Osaka ship-breaker company for scrap metal in 1935. Cape Elizabeth's rocky coastline, combined with storms, has a history of shipwrecks, dating from earliest navigation of the coast to the present. Below is a partial list of the wrecks located in the coastal Bearing a nickname given to King William IV during his Royal Navy service, the Royal Tar was a sidewheel passenger steamship that was near Vinalhaven while transiting from St. John to Portland in October 1836 when flames erupted from the ships boiler. Check out our lighthouse road trip to check out the best that Maine has to offer! Please try again. Shipwrecks and Other Maritime Disasters of the Maine Coast. Shipwrecks like this can also be thought of as living organisms, or environmental warehouses, that store and can reveal information about regional climate variations through study of tree rings. Twenty-five years ago they were a novelty. Photo courtesy: Brick Store Museum Collection, Kennebunk, Maine, The Canadian freighter Cornwallis was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat southwest of Mount Desert Rock on Dec. 3, 1944, while nearing the end of a cargo run from Barbados to St. John, N.B. Great Shipwrecks of the Maine Coast (Maritime) . Shipwrecks & Salvage Wrecks and abandoned hulks of historic vessels dot the coast of Maine. The crew abandoned the ship, and because the ship's owners never came forward, the ship was left in the lake, where it is now home to birds, including cormorants and gulls. Maines coastline has its share of wartime-related shipwrecks. In July 1779, American forces suffered a double humiliation after they failed to recapture the village of Castine from the British and then lost or scuttled more than a dozen ships while fleeing upriver. Is the item digitized? Robert Borland was in charge of The Royal Mail Ship Bohemian as it headed for Portland Harbor. The SS Point Reyes, pictured here, can be found on a sandbar in nearby Inverness. Why was it made out of concrete? Boon Island, about six miles off the coast of York, has been the site of numerous shipwrecks, some of which remain part of Maines seagoing folklore centuries later. The amount exposed depends on the amount of beach sand from tides and ocean storms. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Dozens of fishing vessels were sunk in the Bay of Fundy around Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick by a German U-boat during the final stages of World War I. Cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket (if applicable) is included for hard covers. But whats the attraction for the rest of us? Jeremy DEntremontPortsmouth, New HampshireVisit Jeremy's WEB SITEVisit Jeremy's Lighthouse Section on SeacoastNH.com, (c) 2010 Published by Commonwealth Editions, an imprint of Applewood Books, Carlisle, MA. Today, were pretty well-equipped to ensure that boats navigate safely. A federal database of navigational wrecks and obstructions lists hundreds of known and suspected wreckage sites along Maines coastline. At low tide, visitors can still see the bottom timbers of what was once a regal, 209-foot boat hailing from an era when Maine-built schooners plied the worlds oceans. . editor@wreckhunter.net, Copyright 2001 by Dave Many of the best-known wrecks in Maine history are still recalled today because of the shock they caused at the time of their sinking. Maine Memory Network is a project of the Maine Historical Society. (Photo: Alberto Perdomo). It would be great to have a chance to conduct a more detailed archaeological investigation to understand how the ship was designed and built, and confirm the identification as Defiance, he said. Rather, the water receded beneath them when two rivers that fed the sea were diverted for irrigation. (Photo: Orin Zebest), One of the most famous shipwrecks still in existence, the American Star can be found off the coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.