Name and

Claim to Fame

Image

Cursor on image enlarges

Type of Vessel

Dates: (Origin .... Demise)

Note

Maine, USS

—

Its sinking precipitated the Spanish-American War

American battleship

—

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

Explosion on board sank her in Cuba's Havana Harbor.

Maltese Falcon

—

The largest yacht in the world

American yacht

(now owned by a Englishman)

—

(2006 .... Still in service)

Some claim the Eos is larger.

Majestic

—

The last of the original traveling showboats

American river steamboat

—

(1920 .... Currently docked at the Cincinnati Public Landing in Ohio)

Now the riverboat is a venue for comedies and musicals.

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

(originally named Amazon)

—

(1860 .... Intentionally scuttled on January, 1885)

The popular mystery of the ship began when Arthur Conan Doyle published a story, J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement, 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 gun ports

English carrack-type warship

—

(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.

Mauretania, RMS

—

At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world

British ocean liner

—

(September 20, 1906 .... Scrapped in 1934)

Served as a hospital ship and troop ship in World War I.

Mayflower

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

English galleon

—

(About 1608 .... About 1624)

Ocean crossing took 66 days.

Merchant Royal

(known as Eldorado of the Seas)

—

Lost at sea off Land's End, Cornwall, England, the ship is one of the richest sunken treasures

English merchant ship

—

(1627 .... Sank in bad weather September 23, 1641)

Lost were more than half million Spanish silver pesos, 500 bars of gold and ingots of silver, and hundreds of pieces of jewelry.

Meredith Victory, SS

—

The "Ship of Miracles" saved more than 14,000 refugees 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.

Mighty Servant 2

—

Hauled the USS Samuel B. Roberts from Dubai to Newport, RI after the frigate struck a mine in the Persian Gulf

American semi-submersible heavy lift ship

—

(1983 .... Capsized and lost with 5 crew members on November 2, 1999)

Along with sister ships Mighty Servant 1 and Mighty Servant 3, used mainly for moving oil drilling rigs.

Missouri, USS

("Mighty Mo" or "Big Mo")

—

The site of the surrender of Japan which ended World War II

American battleship

—

(January 29, 1944 .... On exhibit near the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii)

She was the last battleship built by the United States.

Monitor, USS

—

With CSS Virginia, first-ever naval battle between two ironclad warships at the Battle of Hampton Roads

American ironclad warship

—

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

Had a rotating gun turret.

Moshulu

(originally named Kurt)

—

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

Scottish 4-masted barque

—

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

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

Myron, SS

(originally named Mark Hopkins)

—

The wreck is protected as part of an underwater museum in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve

American wooden steamship,

built as a lumber hooker

—

(1888 .... sank to the bottom of Lake Superior during a storm on November 23, 1919)

Defied the adage "Lake Superior seldom gives up her dead" when all 17 crew drifted ashore found frozen to death. The captain survived.

Nautilus, USS

(SSN-571)

—

World's first nuclear-powered submarine

American submarine

—

(January 21, 1954 .... In a museum, Groton, Connecticut)

The first vessel to cross under the North Pole.  Also the namesake of another U.S. submarine that served in World War II.

New Jersey, USS

(BB-62)

—

Earned more battle stars for combat actions than the other American battleship

American battleship

—

(December, 1942 .... In a museum, Camden, New Jersey)

The only U.S. battleship to provide gunfire support during the Vietnam War.

Nina

("The Girl"; officially Santa Clara)

—

One of Columbus' ships of discovery

Spanish four masted caravel

—

(1492 .... last heard of in 1501; fate unknown)

Columbus' flag ship after loss of Santa Maria.

Ning Po

(originally Kin Tai Foong)

—

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

Chinese 3-masted, 291 ton junk

—

(1753 .... Burned in Catalina Harbor in 1938)

During the 1920s and 1930s she sat in Catalina Harbor, Santa Catalina Island, California and was used as a backdrop for movies filmed there.

Normac, MS

—

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 Toronto, 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.

Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

—

Thought to be the wreck discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration

Spanish frigate

—

(1786 .... Sunk by the British on October 5, 1804)

Returning to Spain from South America with tons of gold, silver and jewels, she was blown up by the British off Cabo de Santa Maria, Portugal.

Oceanos, MTS

Realizing the ship was doomed, the crew fled in panic, neglecting their duties and the passengers

Greek cruise ship

—

(July, 1952 .... Sank off South Africa's eastern coast on August 4, 1991)

All 571 people on board were saved following one of the most dramatic and successful rescue operations of its kind.

Orion, RMS

Launched in England by the Duke of Gloucester from Brisbane, Australia by wireless remote,

British ocean liner

—

(December 7, 1934 .... Broken for scrap at Antwerp, Belgium, 1963)

Served as a troop ship in World War II, then converted to a passenger liner in 1946.

Oriskany, USS

(CV-34)

—

The world's largest, and the U.S.'s first, artificial reef

American aircraft carrier, Essex class

—

(October 13, 1945 .... Sunk as a reef May 17, 2006)

Mighty O was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers completed during or shortly after World War II for the US Navy.

Ostfriesland, SMS

—

Sunk by bombs dropped from aircraft by General Billy Mitchell to demonstrate air power

German battleship

—

(September 22, 1911 .... Sunk July 21, 1921)

After having seen action in World War I, the ship was ceded to the United States as war reparations

Pacific Princess

(named Sea Venture before 1976)

—

The ship featured in the TV series Love Boat from 1977 to 1986

American cruise ship

—

(May, 1971 .... sold to be scrapped in March, 2012)

In 1998 the Pacific Princess was impounded by police in Piraeus, Greece after 25 kg of heroin was found on board.

Patrick Henry, SS

—

First of 2,751 liberty ships built during World War II

American cargo ship

—

(September 27, 1941 .... went aground off the coast of Florida, July 1946, scrapped in 1960)

Liberty ships were built in a mass production method, each typically in 70 days or less. SS Patrick Henry made 12 voyages across the Atlantic Ocean.

Pewabic, SS

("Ghost Ship of Thunder Bay")

—

Worst shipwreck on the Great Lakes with the loss of an estimated 125 lives, hundreds of tons of copper, silver, and iron ore

American lake steamboat; cargo ship

—

(1863 .... Collided with SS Meteor in Thunder Bay, Michigan and sank August 9, 1865)

Over the years five divers died attempting to salvage the cargo. Some of the copper was recovered during World War I, the rest in 1974.

Pilot

—

World's first steam-powered and metal-ship icebreaker

Russian icebreaker

—

(1864 .... Unknown)

Originally been built as a steam-powered propeller tug.

Pinta

(The Painted One)

—

One of Columbus' ships of discovery

Spanish three masted caravel

—

(Unknown .... Unknown)

The fastest of Columbus'three ships to America in 1492.

Potemkin

(Prince Potemkin of Tauris)

—

A rebellion of the crew against their cruel officers in 1905 signaled the coming of the Russian Revolution of 1917

Russian battleship

—

(1904 .... 1919)

Following the mutiny, the name was changed to Panteleimon after Saint Pantaleon, later restored to Boretz za Svobodu (Fighter for Freedom).

Preußen

(Preussen in English)

—

Only five-masted, full-rigged, ship built until the 21st century

German five-masted windjammer

—

(July 31, 1902 .... Swept onto rocks and sank near the white cliffs of Dover November 6, 1910.)

Used in the saltpeter trade with Chile, setting speed records in the process.

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

—

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

—

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, California as a museum ship and hotel; once dominated transatlantic passenger service with sister ship Queen Elizabeth

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.

Reuben James, USS

—

First US ship to be sunk in World War II

American destroyer

—

(October, 1919 .... Sunk October 31, 1941)

Torpedoed while escorting an Atlantic convoy of supply ships to Britain; 159 crew lost, 44 survived.

Rhone, RMS

—

Sunk during a hurricane with the loss of approximately 123 lives, it is now a popular diving site.

British packet ship

—

(1865 .... Wrecked in the British Virgin Islands on October 29, 1867)

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 side-wheeler steamboat

—

(September 16, 1924 .... Caught fire and lost north of New Orleans September 30, 1882)

The speed record still stands. A replica of the ship was built but it also burned in 2010

Rochambeau

(originally the USS Dunderberg)

—

The longest wooden ship ever built

American ironclad frigate

—

(May 10, 1862 .... The French scrapped her in 1874)

When the French thought Otto von Bismarck might be interested in the ship, they hurriedly bought her from the Americans and commission her in 1867 .

Royal Clipper

—

The largest and only five-masted full-rigged sailing ship in service

German designed, steel-hulled five masted fully rigged tall ship

—

(2001 .... Still in service)

Her design was based on Preussen, but was configured for passenger comfort rather than cargo carrying.

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