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Hunting New England Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks of Massachusetts

massachu.gif (65236 bytes)The state of Massachusetts has over 1,500 miles of undulating coastline. The main features of the Massachusetts coast are Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod, and the large islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Due to its extensive coastline and rich maritime heritage, Massachusetts has a large number of  shipwrecks. To view a map of Massachusetts, click on the thumbnail image at right.

The Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (BUAR) is the state agency responsible for protecting the historical value of Massachusetts shipwrecks. The Board issues permits for the excavation of some wrecks under the supervision of a nautical archaeologist.

Several years ago the Massachusetts BUAR created an "Exempt Shipwreck List." The purpose of creating this list was to reserve certain wreck sites for the continued enjoyment of recreational divers. The wrecks on this list are exempted from the permit process. Recreational diving activities on these sites, including casual artifact collection, does not require a permit from the Board, however, any major disruption of the sites is prohibited. The wrecks on the "Exempt Shipwreck List" are marked with an asterisk (*) in the table below. For more information on these wrecks and the Massachusetts BUAR, see the notes and links at the bottom of this page.

Below is a partial list of the wrecks located in the coastal and inland waters of Massachusetts. Clicking on a Vessel Name link will take you to a wreck data page, where you'll find the wreck's history, specifications and pictures. Use the Back arrow to return here.

Shipwrecks of Massachusetts
Vessel Name Type Lost Location Depth
Albert Gallatin E *  Rev. Cutter 1892 Off Manchester, MA 10-50'
Alert III Tug 1953 Buzzard's Bay, MA 50'
Alexander Macomb * Freighter 1942 200 miles E of Boston, MA 270'
Alice M. Colburn E *  Schooner 1923 Off Manchester, MA 30'
Alice M. Lawrence E *  Schooner 1914 Nantucket Sound, MA  
Alma A. E. Holmes * Schooner 1914 Off Marblehead, MA 160'
Alva *  Yacht 1892 Off Chatham, MA 50'
Andrea Doria *  Passenger 1956 Off Nantucket, MA 235'
Angela *  Barge 1971 Off Westport, MA 30'
Aransas *  Passenger 1905 Off Chatham, MA 65'
Ardandhu E Freighter 1900 Vineyard Sound, MA 60'
Argo Merchant *  Tanker 1976 Off Nantucket, MA 60'
Baleen *  Tug 1975 Boston Harbor, MA 170'
Barge and Crane E Barge 1963 Nantucket Sound, MA  
California E Fishing 1955 Off Rockport, MA 50'
Can Do *  Pilot Boat 1978 Off Marblehead, MA R
Canonbury * Freighter 1888 Off Nantucket, MA  
Charles S. Haight E *  Freighter 1946 Off Rockport, MA 30'
Chelsea E *  Tanker 1957 Off Rockport, MA 60'
Chester A. Poling (Stern) E *  Tanker 1977 Off Gloucester, MA 95'
Chester A. Poling (Bow) *  Tanker 1977 Off Gloucester, MA 190'
City of Columbus *  Passenger 1884 Martha's Vineyard, MA 50'
City of Rockland * Passenger 1923 Off Beverly, MA 10'
City of Salisbury E *  Freighter 1938 Boston Harbor, MA 90'
City of Taunton *  Passenger 1930s Somerset, MA 10'
Colonel William B. Cowin *  Ferry 1941 Buzzards Bay, MA 75'
Columbia *  Schooner 1898 Scituate, MA  
Connaught *  Steamer 1860 East of Boston 500'+
Corvan E Freighter 1940s Buzzards Bay, MA 100'
Coyote *  Freighter 1932 Off Boston Harbor, MA 170'
Cross Rip Lightship *  Lightship 1918 Off Nantucket, MA  
Davis Palmer * Schooner 1909 Boston Harbor, MA 40'
Delaware *  Sch. Barge 1898 Off Scituate, MA 60'
Dixie Sword E *  Freighter 1942 Off Chatham, MA 50'
Dynafuel *  Tanker 1963 Buzzards Bay, MA 60'
Eagle Boat (PE-42) *  Patrol Boat   Boston Harbor, MA 240'
Edward E. Briry *  Schooner 1917 Off Nantucket, MA 50'
Edward Rich E Schooner   Off Rockport, MA 65'
Eldia *  Freighter 1984 Cape Cod, MA  
Ellenora Van Dusen *  Schooner 1900 Gloucester Harbor, MA 40'
Etrusco *  Freighter 1956 Scituate, MA  
Fairfax * Freighter 1898 Off Cuttyhunk, MA  
Forest Queen *  Ship 1853 Off Scituate, MA 30'
Fort Mercer *  Tanker 1952 Off Chatham, MA 100'
Frank A. Palmer * Schooner 1902 Massachusetts Bay, MA 360'
French Van Gilder E Schooner 1885 Nantucket Sound, MA  
General Greene *  CG Cutter 1960 Sandwich, MA  
USS Grouse E *  Mine Sw. 1963 Off Rockport, MA 20'
Henry Endicott E Sch. Barge 1939 Off Plymouth, MA 80'
Herbert E *  Lighter 1924 Off Nahant, MA 100'
Herman Winter E * Freighter 1944 Martha's Vineyard, MA 20'
Hilda Garston E Fishing 1961 Off Westport, MA 45'
Horatio Hall *  Passenger 1909 Off Chatham, MA 35'
James E. Longstreet E *  Freighter 1944 Cape Cod Bay, MA 20'
Jennie French Potter *  Schooner 1909 Nantucket Sound, MA 20'
John S. Dwight E Rum Runner 1923 Vineyard Sound, MA 85'
Josephine Marie* Fishing 1992 Off Cape Cod, MA 105'
Kate Harding *  Bark 1892 Cape Cod, MA  
Kenwood *  Schooner 1926 Off Scituate, MA 20'
Kershaw E *  Freighter 1928 Nantucket Sound, MA 85'
King Philip * Excursion 1935 Boston Harbor, MA 230'
Kiowa E *  Freighter 1903 Boston Harbor, MA 45'
Lackawanna E *  Tug 1915 Nantucket Sound, MA 50'
Lightship LV-58 * Lightship 1905 South of Nantucket, MA 150'
Louise B. Crary * Schooner 1902 Massachusetts Bay, MA 360'
Lunet E * Schooner 1898 Naushon Island, MA 60'
Magnifique Man-of-War 1782 Boston Harbor, MA  
Maritana * Bark or Brig 1861 Outer Boston Harbor, MA  
Mars E *  Tug 1942 Off Plymouth, MA 125'
Mary E. O'Hara Fishing 1941 Boston Harbor, MA 50'
Mertie B. Crowley *  Schooner 1910 Martha's Vineyard, MA  
Mohave *  Tug 1928 Boston Harbor, MA 25'
Montclair Schooner 1927 Off Cape Cod, MA  
Moritz * Freighter 1930 Off Marblehead, MA 200'
Nancy *  Schooner 1927 Nantasket Beach, Hull, MA  
Nantucket Lightship *  Lightship 1934 Off Nantucket, MA 180'
USS New Hampshire E *  Frigate 1922 Off Manchester, MA 40'
USS Nezinscot * Tug 1909 Off Rockport MA 300'
Nina T * Fishing 1997 Off Gloucester, MA 100'
North American * Passenger 1967 East of Nantucket, MA 250'
Northern Voyager Fishing 1997 Off Gloucester, MA 175'
Pan Pennsylvania * Tanker 1944 70 mi S of Nantucket, MA 250'
Paul Palmer * Schooner 1913 Off Provincetown, MA 85'
Pemberton E Sch. Barge 1907 Nantucket Sound, MA  
Pendleton E *  Tanker 1952 Off Chatham, MA 30'
Pentagoet * Steamer 1898 Off Cape Cod, MA 170'
Peter Stuyvesant * Passenger 1978 Boston Harbor, MA R
Pinthis E *  Tanker 1930 Off Scituate, MA 100'
Port Hunter E *  Freighter 1918 Nantucket Sound, MA 85'
Portland *  Passenger 1898 Off Cape Cod, MA 460'
Pottstown E Sch.  Barge 1944 Off Sandwich, MA 60'
Regal Sword **  Freighter 1979 Off Chatham, MA 275'
Reliance * Lighter 1933 Off Boston, MA 120'
Republic *  Passenger 1909 Off Nantucket, MA 250'
Romance E *  Passenger 1936 Boston Harbor, MA 80'
Ruth E. Merrill *  Schooner 1924 Vineyard Sound, MA 20'
USS S-4 *  Submarine 1927 Off Provincetown, MA 100'
Sagamore * Schooner 1907 Nantucket Sound, MA 80'
HMCS Saint Francis E *  Destroyer 1945 Off Westport, MA 60'
Saint John *  Brig 1849 Off Cohasset, MA 20'
Sankaty Head * Fishing 1967 Off Plymouth, MA 120'
Seaconnet E *  Collier 1923 Vineyard Sound, MA 100'
Silvia * Freighter 1908 Off Cuttyhunk, MA  
Somerset * Frigate 1778 Cape Cod, MA  
Southland * Steamer 1930 Off Scituate, MA 160'
USS Tallapoosa * Gunboat 1884 Vineyard Sound, MA  
USS Thresher (SSN-593) * Submarine 1963 East of Cape Cod, MA 8,400'
USS Triana E *  Tug 1891 Cuttyhunk, MA 20'
Trojan E *  Freighter 1906 Vineyard Sound, MA 110'
U-215 *  German Sub 1942 200 miles E of Boston, MA 270'
U-550 * German Sub 1944 70 mi S of Nantucket, MA 300'
USS Valor *  Mine Sw. 1944 Buzzards Bay, MA  
Vineyard Lightship E *  Lightship 1944 Buzzards Bay, MA 65'
Wanderer *  Whale Ship 1924 Off Cuttyhunk, MA 20'
Whydah *  Pirate Ship 1717 Off Wellfleet, MA 40'
Winifred Sheridan Barge 1941 Boston Harbor, MA 50'
Wyoming *  Schooner 1924 Off Chatham, MA  
USS Yankee E *  Cruiser 1908 Off New Bedford, MA 55'
USS YF-415 * Lighter 1944 Boston Harbor, MA 240'
USS YMS-14 * Minesweeper 1945 Boston Harbor, MA 60'
USS YSD E Salvage 1957 Martha's Vineyard, MA 30'

* Data page includes pictures

R - Wreck removed

E - These wrecks are included on the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources "Exempt Shipwrecks List" and are accessible to all divers for exploration. Diver/Historian Chris Hugo has created an excellent Web listing of these exempt wrecks, complete with histories and pictures. To check out this Website, click here.

For more information on the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (BUAR) and detailed descriptions of the wrecks on the  Exempt Shipwreck List, click here to go to their informative Website.

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