Ships Lost 1526 to 1825

Discover Our Maritime Past

Unearth the Stories Beneath

Every sunken ship has a story, full of adventure, tragedy, and mystery. Join us to explore the rich history of the Outer Banks’ treasures. From the USS Monitor to the hidden wrecks, uncover how these vessels shaped our maritime heritage and their links to the land above.

The Beginning Point

As the research began to discover the history of sunken ships, the earliest recorded sinking occurred in 1526. But the question arises, Why has this been such an active point when it comes to sunken ships? The thing to know is that on Cape Point at Hatteras, an event occurs that is not visible to the eye. This is the place where the northbound Gulf Stream and the cold currents from the Arctic collide. This area is known as the Diamond Shoals. Seafaring men came to call this area the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Important to Remember:

Pirates were known to roam the coastal waters off the Outer Banks

At one point there were houses in just about every community built wholly or partially from lumber salvaged from wrecked ships

Areas of the Outer Banks that still today have descendants of shipwrecked mariners

Shipwrecks not only populated the island but also provided income

The Ships Lost and The Beginning of Life on the Outer Banks

Many vessels lost were engaged in trade routes that went back and forth between the north and south. Many transatlantic ships were lost traveling through this area. Why pass through this area when traveling from a Caribbean island to a destination in Europe? The answer was the Gulf Stream. Early navigators discovered that by traveling along the Gulf Stream current, they could save considerable time.

And the beginning history of the Outer Banks can be attributed to these wrecks. Many shipwrecked sailors began to set up their homes here. Others began to settle on the island as a result of shipping and shipwrecks. Some served as pilots for the larger cargo vessels, while others became customs inspectors or militia sent by the Colonial government.

And of course, there were pirates, too. Such well-known pirates as Blackbeard, Stede Bonnet, Anne Bonny, and Calico Jack Rackham were known to sail out of the Outer Banks to attack merchant vessels. During their time, there was a debate as to which was more dangerous: the storms off the coast or the raids conducted by the pirates.

The first shipwreck off the coast of the Outer Banks, according to most historians, was a Spanish brigantine that sank off Cape Fear in June 1526. The ship was a part of the Spanish nobleman Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón’s attempt to establish a colony in South Carolina.

The book Graveyard of the Atlantic: Shipwrecks of the North Carolina Coast indicates the loss of the ship Tiger. Under the command of Sir Richard Greenville, a fleet of boats entered the sound surrounding Roanoke Island. However, in researching information on this ship, it seems that it ran aground but was salvaged and repaired. Although the ship was saved, it appears that most of its provisions were lost. Almost two weeks after being repaired, the Tiger sailed across the Pamlico Sound to explore the mainland coast around July 21. It eventually left the area on August 31 and headed back to England.

The next ship to be sunk off the coast of North Carolina, not off the Outer Banks, was part of a three-ship fleet directed by Sir John Yeamans, a knight and governor of the region, then called Clarendon County. Some reports indicate that it was sunk on Frying Pan Shoals, and another shows it is south of Old Baldy Lighthouse. An article from stateportpilot.com, dated September 15, 2017, indicates that Denny Breese, who has found famous shipwrecks, including the Atocha, Fortuna, and La Rosa de Bilbeo, believes he has discovered a ship south of Old Baldy Lighthouse.

Breese stated that he discovered a debris field standing two to three feet above the bottom of the Cape Fear River at a spot where visibility is usually zero or inches at best. The size indicates that it seems to fit the profile of the 150-ton vessel. Apparently, a witness indicated that the crew of the flyboat was saved by the “neighborhood of the shore,” which was the first reference to permanent inhabitants to the area now known as Southport or Oak Island. All of the boat’s cargo, including cannons, powder, matchlocks, and bullets were abandoned and could still be with the wreck. The indication of a witness came from the book, The Story of Cape Fear and Bald Head Island, by Kevin P. Duffus.Breese reported that he discovered a debris field rising two to three feet above the bottom of the Cape Fear River, in an area where visibility is usually zero or just a few inches at best. The size of the debris suggests that it likely comes from a 150-ton vessel. A witness indicated that the crew of the flyboat was rescued near the shore, which is the first mention of permanent residents in the area now known as Southport or Oak Island. All of the boat’s cargo, including cannons, gunpowder, matchlocks, and bullets, was abandoned and may still be located with the wreck. This information was drawn from the book “The Story of Cape Fear and Bald Head Island” by Kevin P. Duffus.Breese reported that he discovered a debris field rising two to three feet above the bottom of the Cape Fear River, in an area where visibility is usually zero or just a few inches at best. The size of the debris suggests that it likely comes from a 150-ton vessel. A witness indicated that the crew of the flyboat was rescued near the shore, which is the first mention of permanent residents in the area now known as Southport or Oak Island. All of the boat’s cargo, including cannons, gunpowder, matchlocks, and bullets, was abandoned and may still be located with the wreck. This information was drawn from the book “The Story of Cape Fear and Bald Head Island” by Kevin P. Duffus.Breese reported that he discovered a debris field rising two to three feet above the bottom of the Cape Fear River, in an area where visibility is usually zero or just a few inches at best. The size of the debris suggests that it likely comes from a 150-ton vessel. A witness indicated that the crew of the flyboat was rescued near the shore, which is the first mention of permanent residents in the area now known as Southport or Oak Island. All of the boat’s cargo, including cannons, gunpowder, matchlocks, and bullets, was abandoned and may still be located with the wreck. This information was drawn from the book “The Story of Cape Fear and Bald Head Island” by Kevin P. Duffus.

1750 - Spanish Treasure Fleet Encounter a Hurricane

Moving Ahead Into The 1800s

Up until the end of the War of 1812, very little information was recorded or given regarding shipwrecks. However, after this time newspapers began to record stories about shipwrecks off the coast of North Carolina. An interesting article appeared in the Norfolk Beacon and Portsmouth Advertiser on January 15, 1820, regarding the sinking of the Henry.

Ships Sunk Off The Coast - 1526 to 1825

NAME	TYPE	DATE	PLACE	LOST
Spanish brigantine	Brigantine	June 1526	Cape Fear	?
Tiger	English ship	June 29, 1585	Ocracoke Inlet	?
(?)	Fly-boat	1665	Cape Fear	0
(?)	Sloop	1666	Cape Lookout	2
HMS Hady	Ship	1696	Inlet between Roanoke and Currituck
HMS Garland	English Warship	Nov. 29, 1710	South of Currituck Inlet
Unknown	English ship	1728	6 miles seaward from Ocracoke Inlet
Adriatick	English merchantman	1739	Cape Hatteras
Hoylin	English merchantman	1741	Cape Hatteras
Woolford	English merchantman	1741	Cape Hatteras
George	American coastal trader	1743	Oregon Inlet
Katherine & Elizabeth	English merchantman	1744	Diamond Shoals
Neptune	English merchantman	1744	Diamond Shoals
Seven Unknown	English merchantman	Oct. 7/8, 1749	Ocracoke
Two Unknown	English merchantman	Oct. 7/8, 1749	5 miles north of the inlet
Unknown	Unknown	Aug. 18, 1750	Cape Hatteras
Nuestra de Solidad	Brigantine	Aug. 18, 1750	Drum Inlet	0
El Salvador	Packet Boat	Aug. 18, 1750	Topsail Inlet	?
La Galga	Frigate	Aug. 18, 1750	Cape Hatteras	?
Unknown	English merchantman	Aug. 18, 1750	Cape Hatteras
La Merced	Schooner	Aug. 31, 1750	Currituck Inlet	?
Two Unknown	Schooners-merchantmen	1752	Ocracoke Bar
Union	American merchantman	January 1757	Cape Hatteras
Virginia Packet	English packet boat	1757	Cape Hatteras
Unknown	American schooner	1757	Cape Hatteras
Friendship	English merchantman	1758	Cape Hatteras
Peggy	English merchantman	1758	Cape Hatteras
Princess Amelia	English merchantman	1758	Cape Hatteras
Tyrrel	Brigantine	July 3, 1759	Off Hatteras	16
Nancy	English merchantman	1760	Cape Hatteras
Charming Betsey	Scottish merchantman	1760	Cape Hatteras
Shannon	Scottish merchantman	1764	Currituck Inlet
Revenge	English merchantman	June 1765	two miles north of Currituck Inlet
Good Intent	English slaver	1767	Cape Hatteras
Charming Polly	English merchantman	1770	Cape Hatteras
Lively	English merchantman	1771	Cape Hatteras
Betsey	English merchantman	Before September 1772	Ocracoke bar
(14/15) Unknown	Large merchantmen	Early September 1772	Ocracoke Inlet bar
Charming Betsey	English merchantman	1774	Ocracoke Island
Sally	English merchantman	1774	Cape Hatteras
Clementina	English merchantman	1775	Cape Hatteras
Austin	English merchantman	1775	Cape Hatteras
Aurora	English troop-transport	Nov. 11, 1777	Cape Hatteras
Peggy	American merchantman	1783	Cape Hatteras
(17) Unknown	Ships	July 23/24, 1788	Ocracoke Inlet
(?)	(?)	1778	Roanoke Inlet
Molly	English merchantman	1789	Cape Hatteras
Pitt	English merchantman	1789	Cape Hatteras
Experiment	American merchantman	792	Cape Hatteras
(6) Unknown	Ships	Aug, 2, 1795	Ocracoke Inlet bar
Multiple Unknown	Spanish flota ships	Aug, 2, 1795	Cape Hatteras
Betsey (Betsy)	Sloop	Sept. 6, 1797	Currituck Inlet	?
Industry	American merchantman	1798	Cape Hatteras
Expectation	English merchantman	1802	Cape Hatteras
Brunshill	English merchantman	1802	Cape Hatteras
Lydia	English ship	1804	Cape Hatteras
Molly	American merchantman	1804	Cape Hatteras
Fortura	Portuguese merchantman	1805	Cape Hatteras
Maria	French ship	1810	Cape Hatteras
Lively Lass	American ship	Late September 1810	Ocracoke Island
Patriot	Pilot boat	Jan. 1813	Nags Head	?
# 140	Gunboat	Sept.23, 1814	Ocracoke	?
(20+) Unknown	Ships	Early September 1815	Ocracoke Inlet and on Ocracoke Island
Superior	American merchantman	Oct. 3, 1815	Cape Hatteras
Sero	English merchantman	Sept. 26, 1816	Cape Hatteras
Atlanta	American brig	Nov. 8, 1815	Diamond Shoals
Mary	Ship	Apr. 15, 1816	Currituck Beach
Eliza	American merchantman	1816	Ocracoke Island
Bolina	American merchantman	Sept. 26, 1816	Boddy Island
Mary & Francis	American ship	March 1817	Cape Hatteras
Rosetta	Ship	Mar. 4, 1817	Ocracoke Inlet bar
Emperor of Russia	Ship	Mar. 18, 1817	Currituck Inlet
John Adams	American merchantman	May 19, 1817	Cape Hatteras
Voucher	Ship	Nov. 19, 1817	Chicamacomico	0
William Carlton	Ship	May 15, 1818	Kill Devil Hills	0
Georgia	Brig	July 15, 1818	Currituck Inlet	0
(2) Unknown	American merchantmen	Oct. 3, 1818	Cape Hatteras
Revenue	Sloop	Dec. 1818	Currituck Inlet	0
Revenge	American sloop	Jan. 1819	Currituck Inlet
Phoenix	American schooner	May 13, 1819	Cape Hatteras
Henry	Sloop	Dec. 5, 1819	Ocracoke	6
Islington	Ship/American merchantman	Mar. 16, 1820	Cape Hatteras	0
Horatio	American Ship	Apr. 2, 1820	Diamond Shoals	8
Unknown	125-ton English merchantman	Sept. 1821	Cape Hatteras
Charles K. Mallory	American merchantman	Sept. 10, 1821	Cape Hatteras
Martha	English merchantman	1821	Currituck Sands
Nereus	Ship	Jan. 1, 1822	Cape Hatteras
Enterprise	Schooner	Oct. 27, 1822	New Inlet	0
Peter Francisco	American ship	Oct. 7, 1823	Bodies Island
Caroline du Nord	French merchantman	Jan. 19, 1824	Ocracoke Inlet bar
Susan	American schooner	June 1, 1824	Ocracoke Inlet bar
Emulous	Schooner	Jan. 22, 1825	Kitty Hawk	0
Diomede	Schooner	Jan 3, 1825	Kitty Hawk	?
Washington	American ship	Jan. 24, 1825	Ocracoke Island
Nancy	American ship	Feb. 21, 1825	Ocracoke Inlet Bar
Horam	American merchantman	Apr. 6, 1825	Ocracoke Inlet Bar
(25+) Unknown	Ships	June 4, 1825	North of Ocracoke Inlet
Harvest	Schooner	Nov. 18, 1825	Boche Island	?
Victory	Schooner	Dec. 1825	Kitty Hawk	?