Name and

Claim to Fame

Image

Type of Vessel

(Service Dates)

Note

Intrepid, USS

—

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

American Essex-class aircraft carrier

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

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

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

Invincible, HMS

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

British battlecruiser

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(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

—

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

American ferry

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(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

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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

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(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

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Used by Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl to cross the Pacific

Norwegian built raft

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

On display in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo.

La Amistad (Friendship)

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

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

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(Before 1838 - No record after 1844)

Primary cargo was sugar-industry products.

La Belle

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Explorer Robert De La Salle’s ship

French barque  (2) 

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(Probably 1683 - wrecked in Matagorda Bay in 1686)

The wreckage was discovered by a team of archaeologists in 1995.

Lusitania, RMS

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Torpedoed by the German submarine killing 1,198 people

British luxury ocean liner

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

Sinking turned public opinion against Germany in WW I.

Maine, USS

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Sinking precipitated the Spanish-American War

American battleship

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

Explosion on board in the Havana Harbor sank her.

Mary Celeste

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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.

Mary Rose

—

One of the earliest ships built for war sporting the innovation of gunports.

English carrack-type warship

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(1512 - sank in the straits north of the Isle of Wight, 1545)

The wreck of the Mary Rose was rediscovered in 1971 and salvaged in 1982.

Mayflower

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

British galleon

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(About 1608 - About 1624)

Ocean crossing took 66 days.

Meredith Victory, SS

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The "Ship of Miracles" saved the lives of more than 14,000 refugees in a single mission during the Korean War, the largest humanitarian rescue operation by a single ship,

American cargo freighter

—

(June 23, 1945 - Broken up for scrap in China, 1993)

The ship was built to transport supplies and equipment overseas during World War II.

Monitor, USS

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

American ironclad warship

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

Had a rotating gun turret.

Moshulu

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Famous through the books of Eric Newby such as The Last Grain Race (1956)

Scotish 4-masted barque

—

(April 18, 1904 - Currently a floating restaurant docked in Penn's Landing, Philadelphia.)

Between 1904 and 1914, under German ownership, Kurt shipped coal, nitrate, coal, and coke around the world.

Nautilus, USS (SSN-571)

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World’s first nuclear-powered submarine

American submarine

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

Now an tourist attraction in Groton, CT.

Nina (Santa Clara)

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One of Columbus’ ships of discovery

Spanish caravel with four masts

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(1492 - 1501)

Columbus’ flag ship after loss of Santa Maria.

Normac, MS

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Used as Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant, a floating restaurant in Toronto Harbour, from 1969-1981

American fire tug, later a passenger ferry

—

(1902 - Currently a floating restaurant in Ontario)

Sank after being severely damaged when the ferry Trillium struck her in 1981. She was raised in 1986 and again refurbished as a restaurant, Tokyo Joe’s.

Ning Po (originally Kin Tai Foong)

—

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

Chinese 3-masted, 291 ton junk

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(1753 - Burned in Catalina Harbor in 1938)

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

Pinta  

—

One of Columbus’ ships of discovery

Spanish caravel with three masts

—

(Unknown - Unknown)

The fastest of the three ships.

PT 109  

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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

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Flagship of pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach)

English sloop

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(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

—

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

—

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

—

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)

—

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

—

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)

—

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

—

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.

Seraph, HMS

—

Known as "the ship with two captains," briefly became the "USS Seraph"

British submarine

—

(June 27, 1942 - Scrapped in December, 1962)

During WWII, released a corpse ("The Man Who Never Was") onto the shores off Gilbraltar carrying decoy papers to fool the Nazis as part of "Operation Mincemeat."

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.

Stockholm, MS

—

Collided with the Andrea Doria in the Atlantic

Swedish luxury ocean liner

—

(1948 - Still in use)

Sailed under dozens of other names.

Thresher, USS

—

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

—

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

—

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.

Vasa (or Wasa)

—

The ship was salvaged with a largely intact hull in 1961 and now is in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm.

Swedish wooden warship

—

(1627 - sank on her maiden voyage, 1628)

During the 1961 recovery, thousands of artifacts and the remains of at least 15 people were found in and around the hull of the Vasa by marine archaeologists.

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 - 1522 or soon after)

Captain Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Phillipines; other four ships lost along the way.

Virginia, CSS (formerly USS Merimac)

—

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

—

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.

Wanderer

—

Last American whaling ship

American whaling ship

—

(1878 - Lost in a storm near Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, on August 26, 1924)

The mast of the Wanderer stands as a flagpole in Shipyard Park , a few feet from where it was built.

Warrior, HMS

—

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

—

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)     (La Belle) A vessel that is powered by the wind; often having several masts.

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

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