Famous Ships and Boats

I - Z

Vessels of the sea take on all sorts of designations.  Some are named after people, others cities or countries, even dog breeds.  Here is a short list of the most famous.  For more information about any of these vessels, use the Google search box at the top of this page.

Go to Famous Ships and Boats — A - H

Name

Claim to Fame

Type of Vessel

(Service Dates)

Note

Intrepid, USS

USS Intrepid

In World War II, served extensively in the Pacific; later recovered capsules in space program

American Essex-class aircraft carrier

(August 16, 1943 - Currently a museum ship docked at New York City)

Upgraded several times; first American carrier to launch aircraft with steam catapults

One of more than a dozen English and American ships and boats named Intrepid

Invincible, HMS

HMS Invincible

First battlecruiser to be built by any country in the world.

British battelcruiser

(April 13, 1907 - Sunk by the German battleship SMS Lützow at the Battle of Jutland, May 31, 1916)

One of seven ships named Invincible in the British navy from 1747 to the present

Kalakala

Kalakala

The first streamlined ferry with art deco styling and luxurious amenities served in Puget Sound from 1935 to 1967

American ferry

(1926 - moored at Tacoma, Washington)

From 1926 to 1933, sailed as the ferry Peralta; after a fire, the superstructure was rebuilt in modern style
Keying

Junk Keying

The first ship from China to visit New York where it was visited by 4,000 tourists a day paying 25 cents to board the ship and meet its crew

Chinese three-masted trading junk

(unknown - Neglected and rotted in England in 1855)

Manned by 30 Chinese and 12 Englishmen, and commanded by the British captain Kellett during her travel
Kon Tiki

Kon Tiki

Used by Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl to cross the Pacific

Norwegian built raft

(1947 - On display in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo)

On display in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo
La Amistad (Friendship)

Amistad

In 1839, Africans being transported as slaves revolted against their captors aboard

Spanish two-masted schooner, built in U.S.

(Before 1838 - No record after 1844)

Primary cargo was sugar-industry products
La Belle

La Belle

Explorer Robert De La Salle’s ship

French barque  (2) 

(Probably 1683 - wrecked in Matagorda Bay in 1686)

The wreckage was discovered by a team of archaeologists in 1995
Lusitania, RMS

RMS Lusitania

Torpedoed by the German submarine killing 1,198 people

British luxury ocean liner

(June 7, 1906 - Sank on May 7, 1915)

Sinking turned public opinion against Germany in WW I
Maine, USS

USS Maine

Sinking precipitated the Spanish-American War

American battleship

(November 18, 1889 - Sank on February 15, 1898)

Explosion on board in the Havana Harbor sank her
Mary Celests

Mary Celeste

The “ghost ship” was discovered heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar unmanned and under full sail in 1872; the fate of the crew and passengers remains a mystery

American brigantine  (3)  originally named Amazon

(1860 - intentionally scuttled on January, 1885)

The popular mystery of the Mary Celeste began when Arthur Conan Doyle published a story in 1884 about a derelict ship which he called Marie Celeste"
Mayflower

Mayflower

Transported the English Pilgrims from England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620

British galleon

(About 1608 - About 1624)

Ocean crossing took 66 days
Monitor, USS

USS Monitor

With CSS Virginia, first-ever naval battle between two ironclad warships

American ironclad warship

(January 30, 1862 - Sank on December 31, 1862)

Had a rotating gun turret
Nautilus, USS (SSN-571)

USS Nautilus

World’s first nuclear-powered submarine

American submarine

(January 21, 1954 - In use as a museum)

Now an tourist attraction in Groton, CT
Nina (Santa Clara)

Nina

One of Columbus’ ships of discovery

Spanish caravel with four masts

(1492 - 1501)

Columbus’ flag ship after loss of Santa Maria
Ning Po (originally Kin Tai Foong)

Ning Po

Spent 159 years in the Yellow Seas engaging in crimes such as smuggling, slave trading, mutiny, and piracy

Chinese 3-masted, 291 ton junk

(1753 - Burned in Catalina Harbor in 1938)

Towed to San Diego, CA, in 1915 and put on display
Pinta  

Pinta

One of Columbus’ ships of discovery

Spanish caravel with three masts

(Unknown - Unknown)

The fastest of the three ships
PT 109  

PT 109

Commanded by Lieutenant John F. Kennedy

American motor torpedo boat

(June 20, 1942 - Sunk August 2, 1943)

Rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri
Queen Anne’s Revenge

Queen Anne's Revenge

Flagship of pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach)

English sloop

(1710 - Run aground near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina in May, 1718)

Originally named La Concord, it was captured by the French in 1711 and by pirates in 1717
Queen Elizabeth, RMS

RMS Queen Elizabeth

With sister ship Queen Mary, dominated the transatlantic passenger service

British luxury ocean liner

(September 27, 1938 - After a fire, capsized in Hong Kong harbor, January 9, 1972)

Used in World War II as troop transport
Queen Mary, RMS

RMS Queen Mary

Berthed in Long Beach, CA as a museum ship and hotel

British luxury ocean liner

(September 16, 1924 - Retired in 1967 and served as a hotel from 1974 to present)

Used in World War II as troop transport
Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Won a steamboat race against the Natchez VI, going from St. Louis, Missouri to New Orleans, in 3 days, 18 hours and 14 minutes

American river steamboat

(September 16, 1924 - Caught fire and lost September 30, 1882)

The speed record still stands
Santa Maria (La Gallega)

Santa Maria

One of Columbus’ ships of discovery

Spanish carrack (hermaphrodite, cargo ship)

(Unknown origin - Ran aground and lost, December 25, 1492)

Columbus’ flag ship westward
Savannah, SS

Savannah

First steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean

American steamship with sails

(March, 1819 - Ran aground off Long Island in 1823)

After ocean crossing, her steam plant was removed and she continued sailing up and down the east coast
Seeadler, SMS (Sea Eagle)

Seeadler

One of the last sailing ships used in war; as a German merchant raider, the disguised Norwegian wood carrier captured 15 allied ships with no casualties either side

Scottish built, American owned three-masted windjammer

(1888 - Wrecked on a reef at the island of Pacific, August 2, 1917)

Originally named Pass of Balmaha; captured by a German submarine
Sequoia, USS

USS Sequoia

Served as the U.S. presidential yacht from 1933 until it was sold in 1977

American 104-foot wooden yacht

(1926 - Refurbished many time; now privately owned)

Purchased in 1931 by the U.S. Department of Commerce for Prohibition patrol and decoy duties
Stockholm, MS

MS Stockholm

Collided with the Andrea Doria in the Atlantic

Swedish luxury ocean liner

(1948 - Still in use)

Sailed under dozens of other names
Slo-mo-shun IV

Slo-mo-shun IV

Winner of the 1950, 1952, and 1953 Gold Cup Races; also set two straightaway speed records

American hydroplane

(October, 1949 - Wrecked in a pre-race test run in 1956; rebuilt and on exhibit at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry )

Its hull was designed to lift the top of the propellers out of water at high speed, a technique called “prop riding,” which reduced drag
Thresher, USS

USS Thresher

Lost at sea during deep-diving tests in 1963 with 129 crew

American nuclear submarine

(July 9, 1960 - Sunk April 10, 1963)

The lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines
Titanic, RMS

RMS Titanic

Sank after hitting iceberg in the Atlantic, claiming over 1500 lives

British luxury ocean liner

(May 31, 1911 - Sank Apr 15, 1912)

Believed by many to be unsinkable
United States, SS

SS United States

The fastest liner ever built; virtually no wood used in her construction

American ocean liner

(July 4, 1952 - docked and deteriorating, future uncertain)

On her maiden voyage she captured the Blue Riband with the fastest transatlantic crossing on record in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 knots
Victoria (Nao Victoria)

Nao Victoria

First ship to sail around the world—August, 1519 to September of 1522; a total of 42,000 miles

Spanish carrack or nao  (4) 

(around 1518 - unknown)

Captain Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Phillipines; other four ships lost along the way
Virginia, CSS (formerly USS Merimac)

CSS Virginia

With USS Monitor, first-ever naval battle between two ironclad warships

Confederate ironclad warship

(February, 1862 - Destroyed by crew May 11, 1862)

Converted to ironclad from a steam frigate
Walk-in-the-Water

Walk-in-the-Water

First steamboat on Lake Erie and the eastern Great Lakes

American steamboat with two masts

(August 23, 1818 - Grounded on the beach October 31, 1821)

Two large paddle boxes amidship housed her paddle wheels
Warrior, HMS

HMS Warrior

First iron-hulled, armour-plated warship

British warship

(December 29, 1860 - Currently berthed in Portsmouth as a museum)

She was the largest, fastest, most heavily armed and armoured warship up to that time
Yamato

Yamato

The largest, heaviest, and most powerful battleships ever constructed

Japanese battleship

(August 16, 1940 - Sunk north of Okinawa April 7, 1945 )

The flagship of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

NOTES:    (2) A vessel that is powered by the wind; often having several masts.

    (3) Originally a small ship with sails and oars; from the Italian word brigantino, a brigand’s ship, because it was favored by Mediterranean pirates. Later “brigantine” referred to a two-masted sailing ship with a square-rigged fore-mast and fore-and-aft sails on its main mast.

    (4) Developed in the 15th century, a three- or four-masted ocean sailing ship with a high rounded stern with an aftcastle and a forecastle and bowsprit at the stem.

Go to Famous Ships and Boats — A - H