List of shipwrecks in 1977
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
January
3 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Salu |  United States |
The shrimp-fishing vessel was swamped and sank in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Cape Chiniak (57°37′N 152°10′W) on Kodiak Island.[1] |
10 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chester A. Poling | United States |
Carrying a cargo of oil, the 282-foot (86 m), 1,546-gross register ton tanker broke in half in a storm off Eastern Point at the entrance to the harbor at Gloucester, Massachusetts. Her stern section sank 800 yards (730 m) southwest of Eastern Point Light in up to 95 feet (29 m) of water at 42°34′25″N 070°40′15″W. Her bow section sank 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) east of Eastern Point in 190 feet (58 m) of water at 42°33.9′N 070°37.1′W. One crew member perished.[2][3] |
13 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Sechenov |  Soviet Union |
The cargo ship collided in foggy weather with Praktikolas Maris ( Liberia) in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey and sank with the loss of twenty-two crew.[4] |
| Turnu Severin |  Romania |
The cargo ship collided in fog with Admiral Zmejavic ( Yugoslavia) and sank in the Dardanelles with the loss of fifteen crew.[4] |
17 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Irenes Challenger | Liberia |
The oil tanker broke up in the Pacific Ocean with the loss of three crewmembers.[5] |
20 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ukola |  Panama |
The Panamanian freighter Ukola broke in half and sank in the Gulf of Mexico during a gale while en route to Galveston, Texas from the Dominican Republic with a cargo of sugar. Only three of the ship's 23 crew members were rescued.[6] |
23 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lucona | Panama |
The cargo ship was sunk in the Indian Ocean by a time bomb planted as part of an insurance fraud scheme masterminded by Austrian businessman Udo Proksch. Six of the ship′s 12 crew members died. |
25 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bertram I | United States |
Adrift after losing power, the Alaska Department of Public Safety patrol boat sank in heavy seas in Portage Bay (57°00′N 133°20′W) in Southeast Alaska, 21 nautical miles (39 km; 24 mi) west of Petersburg, Alaska.[7] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kilsyth |  United Kingdom |
The out of service 103-foot (31 m), 166-ton trawler was being towed to the breakers when she ran aground in Whitley Bay. Later refloated, and scrapped.[8] |
| Success Star | Panama |
The Shelt-type coaster ran aground off Tumpat, Malaysia and abandoned.[9] |
February
2 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Vasso M. |  Greece |
The cargo ship caught fire and sank in the Mediterranean Sea 2 nautical miles (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) off Borolos Lighthouse, Damietta, Egypt. |
7 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Spyros G |  Cyprus |
The cargo ship sprang a leak and sank in the Mediterranean Sea east of Malta (35°46′N 20°05′E). She was on a voyage from Piraeus, Greece to Tripoli, Libya.[10] |
13 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enfant du Bretagne |  France |
The St Malo trawler was lost on Pednathise, within the Western Rocks, Isles of Scilly. The lifeboat came within hearing distance of the crew, but all drowned in the heavy seas before they could be brought aboard.[11] |
14 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Internos | Panama |
Sprang a leak and sank 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north of Gijón (44°20′N 05°50′W).[12][13] |
17 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Stockham | United States Navy |
The decommissioned Fletcher-class destroyer was sunk as a target off the coast of Puerto Rico. |
18 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Duke |  West Germany |
Ran aground 20 nautical miles (37 km) off Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom. All seven crew rescued.[14] |
19 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hongkong Surety |  Republic of China |
Ran aground on the Angelica Shoal (7°46′S 122°17′E) and declared a constructive total loss.[12] |
24 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Patriot | Liberia |
The oil tanker caught fire and sank in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii.[15] |
March
1 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Viking Rover |  United States |
The 180-ton motor vessel lost steerage 43 nautical miles (80 km) south of Cape Sarichef, Unimak Island, Alaska, became disabled, and sank without loss of life in 40-to-50-knot (74 to 93 km/h) winds and 16-foot (4.9 m) seas in the North Pacific Ocean near Rootok Island east of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, at 54°01.79′N 165°31.02′W. A United States Coast Guard helicopter based at Kodiak, Alaska, rescued her four-man crew.[16] |
6 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| St. George |  Trinidad and Tobago |
The tug foundered at Port of Spain, Trinidad.[17] |
9 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Peter | United States |
The 81-gross register ton, 62.6-foot (19.1 m) motor vessel sank in Orca Inlet off the coast of Alaska.[1] |
27 March
April
14 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Heyward | United States |
The Liberty ship was scuttled off Destin, Florida.[19] |
28 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Blue | United States Navy |
The decommissioned Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California during a missile exercise. |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| P-11 |  Ethiopian Navy |
Eritrean War of Independence: The patrol boat was lost, with reports variously blaming the loss on a storm and on an attack by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, or the patrol boat was sunk by the Ethiopian Air Force while trying to defect to the Eritrean People's Liberation Front.[20][21] |
May
4 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Foremost | United States |
The 166-gross register ton, 86.6-foot (26.4 m) crab-fishing vessel capsized and sank in the Bering Sea approximately 75 nautical miles (139 km; 86 mi) east-southeast of St. George Island in the direction of Cape Sarichef (54.5983°N 164.9222°W) on Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands. The fishing vessel Sea Venture ( United States) rescued her entire crew of five.[22] |
5 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Niels John | United Kingdom |
The fishing vessel sank off Maughold Head, Isle of Man.[23][24] |
6 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Beauty | United States |
The 44-foot (13.4 m) fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska south of Marmot Island in the Kodiak Archipelago.[25] |
9 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | Greece |
The tanker ran aground at Wilhelmshaven, West Germany.[26] |
13 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Edgar E. Clark | United States |
The Liberty ship was scuttled off the Virginia Capes.[27] |
18 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kadina | Panama |
The cargo ship foundered in a typhoon at Singapore. She was refloated on 2 September 1978 and consequently scrapped.[28] |
19 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mar del Plata | United States |
The 156-gross register ton, 79.9-foot (24.4 m) shrimp-fishing vessel sank in the Shelikof Strait between the Kodiak Archipelago and the mainland of Alaska. The fishing vessel Heidi J ( United States) rescued her entire crew.[29] |
June
1 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rose |  United States |
The tug sank while moored at Petersburg, Alaska. She later was abandoned on the beach at Kupreanof, Alaska.[30] |
| Seaspeed Dora | Greece |
The roll-on/roll-off ferry capsized and sank at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She was refloated on 17 September and towed to Gothenburg, Sweden for repairs. She re-entered service in 1978.[12] |
3 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| William Carson |  Canada |
The passenger/vehicle icebreaker ferry sank off the coast of Labrador after striking heavy ice. |
5 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bijou | West Germany |
The coaster sank off Anglesey, Wales. All four crew were rescued.[31] |
29 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ahaliq | United States |
Bound for Kwigillingok, Alaska, carrying materials and equipment for the construction of a sewage treatment plant, the 187-gross register ton, 99.9-foot (30.4 m) tug/barge sank in heavy seas with the loss of her captain in Bristol Bay, 118 nautical miles (219 km; 136 mi) southwest of Dillingham, Alaska. The high endurance cutter USCGC Boutwell ( United States Coast Guard) rescued her survivors – four men and a border collie – from a life raft on 3 July.[32] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Butternut | United States Navy |
The decommissioned netlayer was destroyed as a target. |
July
4 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kola Silat X |  Indonesia |
The VIC-type lighter foundered in the Strait of Sunda.[33] |
11 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Surf | United States |
The 134-gross register ton fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 260 nautical miles (480 km; 300 mi) west of Cape Spencer, Alaska. Her crew of five abandoned ship in a life raft, where one died of a heart attack and was cast adrift. The oil tanker Overseas Chicago ( United States) rescued the four remaining survivors from the raft 65 nautical miles (120 km; 75 mi) south of Cordova, Alaska.[34] |
22 July
25 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol | United States |
The fishing vessel was swamped and sank on Long Sands Bar (58°44′N 158°32′W) in Nushagak Bay off the coast of Alaska.[7] |
| Gaines Mill | United States |
The T2 tanker capsized at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The wreck was scrapped in situ.[36] |
29 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Oswego Tarmac | Panama |
The T2 tanker was struck by Elektra (flag unknown) at Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles and was severely damaged. Declared a constructive total loss, she was scrapped at Santander, Spain.[37][38] |
August
16 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fisher | United States |
The 8-gross register ton motor vessel was destroyed by fire in Southeast Alaska between Ketchikan, Alaska, and Tree Point (54°48′15″N 130°55′45″W).[22] |
17 August
22 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ex-USS Rowan | Republic of China Navy |
After transfer to the Republic of China Navy, the decommissioned Gearing-class destroyer ran aground while under tow from the United States to Taiwan and was declared a total loss. |
30 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Quasar | United States |
The 7-gross register ton motor vessel was destroyed by fire in Stephens Passage in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska 0.5 nautical miles (0.93 km; 0.58 mi) south of the Snettisham Rocks (57°57′30″N 133°52′00″W).[40] |
31 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unidentified fishing vessel |  Vietnam |
The fishing vessel was sunk by Kampuchean Navy vessels.[41] |
September
7 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Indian | United States |
While towing the riverboat tender Cowboy ( United States), the freezer boat – formerly a ferry of the Washington State Ferries fleet – was wrecked in bad weather on Egg Island in the Egg Islands on the south-central coast of Alaska south of Cordova. Cowboy rescued all nine members of her crew.[42] |
25 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gale | United States |
The 34-foot (10.4 m) vessel sank in Malina Bay (58°13′N 153°05′W) on the coast of Afognak Island in Alaska′s Kodiak Archipelago.[43] |
| Samudra Sai |  India |
The Victory ship was driven ashore at Tuticorin. She was subsequently refloated and scrapped.[44] |
29 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin H. Grierson | United States |
The Liberty ship was scuttled off Panama City, Florida.[45] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kerland | France |
The trawler sank off the Runnelstone, Cornwall, United Kingdom, and was aided by the Isles of Scilly ferry Scillonian III.[46] |
October
3 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Senneville | Canada |
The bulk carrier ran aground at Thunder Bay, Ontario. The ship was freed the next day, suffering damage to her ballast tank.[47] |
12 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Louise | United States |
The 10-gross register ton, 28.4-foot (8.7 m) fishing vessel was wrecked in Bertha Bay (57°48′N 136°21′W) in Southeast Alaska.[48] |
14 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lula J | United States |
The 11-gross register ton, 36.2-foot (11.0 m) fishing vessel was lost in Bertha Bay (57°48′N 136°21′W) in Southeast Alaska.[48] |
| Wind Dance | United States |
The sailing vessel sank in Resurrection Bay off Seward, Alaska. The Alaska Marine Highway motor ferry Tustumena ( United States) rendered assistance to the people aboard Wind Dance.[49] |
15 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Marmot Cape | United States |
The 27-gross register ton, 39.9-foot (12.2 m) fishing vessel capsized and sank with the loss of her captain in Astrolabe Bay (58°22′30″N 136°54′30″W) on the south-central coast of Alaska 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) west of Cape Spencer. A helicopter rescued the only other crewman aboard from the beach on 18 October.[29] |
16 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chryssopigi Cross | Panama |
The ship ran aground 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Galle, Sri Lanka (6°01′N 80°11′E) and sank.[50] |
22 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| U F 22 | United States |
The 34-foot (10.4 m) fishing vessel and her two-man crew disappeared in the Gulf of Alaska. The fishing vessel Columbia ( United States) discovered the wreckage of U F 22 washed up on Aiaktalik Beach near the south end of Kodiak Island on 2 March 1978.[51] |
23 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Carjie | United States |
The 31-foot (9.4 m) vessel was wrecked on rocks on the coast of Alaska.[52] |
26 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle | United States |
With two people – a man and a woman – aboard, the fishing vessel sank near Dundas Bay (58.3431°N 136.3404°W) in Icy Strait in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. The man perished. The woman drifted in a survival suit for eight to ten hours, reached shore, and walked 60 miles (97 km) before a United States Coast Guard helicopter rescued her.[53] |
November
6 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Piraeus II | Greece |
The coastal tanker caught fire and sank in Eleusis Bay. She was later refloated but was declared a total loss and scrapped.[54] |
8 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Hamilton | United States |
The retired 349-foot-5-inch (106.5 m) sidewheel paddle steamer burned and sank during a storm while moored at the Navy pier at Middletown Township, New Jersey.[55] |
11 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aristoteles | Liberia |
Ran aground at Sestrice Island (42°58′N 17°13′E) and declared a constructive total loss.[56] |
| Deepwater Bay | Liberia |
Explosion and fire while discharging cargo at Luanda, Angola. She was declared a constructive total loss and scrapped in June 1978.[56] |
| Dolphin | United States |
The 8- or 38-gross register ton, 41.6-foot (12.7 m) fishing vessel sank in Marmot Bay (58°00′N 152°06′W) on the coast of Alaska's Kodiak Island.[57] |
15 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CG 41332 |  United States Coast Guard |
The 41-foot Coast Guard utility boat (UTB) capsized and sank in heavy surf on the Columbia River Bar at night with ten students from the Motor Lifeboat School aboard. Three of the students died.[58] |
16 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Union Crystal |  Malaysia |
The coaster sank 20 nautical miles (37 km) off St Abbs Head, United Kingdom with the loss of five of her six crew.[59] |
22 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VIC 99 | United Kingdom |
The floating restaurant, a converted VIC-type lighter, was severely damaged by fire at Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire.[60] |
24 November
25 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Newark | Liberia |
The cargo ship was wrecked at Tripoli, Libya.[63] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bornrif, Meeuw, Stentor, Moray |  Ireland |
Three tugs and the fishing vessel Moray (all bought from Netherlands, but later abandoned at Kilmacalogue harbour, Kenmare River, County Kerry, Ireland) broke their moorings in a storm and were wrecked.[64] |
| Hero | United Kingdom |
The roll-on/roll-off cargo ferry sank in the North Sea with the loss of one crew member when her stern door lost watertight integrity. |
| Sea Breeze | United States |
The 83-foot (25 m) dragger sank off the coast of Maine after striking something in heavy seas. Two crewmen were rescued from her life raft by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, and one by USCGC Duane ( United States Coast Guard) from her skiff. Two crewmen died.[65][66] |
December
2 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Bell |  Saudi Arabia |
A Saudi Arabian general cargo vessel was sailing from Jeddah to Port Sudan with her cargo of Toyota vehicles and spare parts when she struck the reef about 75 kilometres (47 mi) north of Port Sudan.[67] |
3 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Baron | United States |
The fishing vessel grounded and was lost in the Bering Sea off Cape Cheerful (54°00′50″N 166°40′20″W) on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Islands. The Alaska State Trooper patrol vessel Vigilant ( United States) rescued the eight people – four men, three women, and an infant – on board.[7] |
| Empire Rosa |  United Kingdom |
The Nodified-Sttella type tug was driven ashore in Luce Bay. She was refloated but declared a constructive total loss and consequently scrapped.[68] |
4 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rainer | United States |
The fishing vessel grounded and was wrecked in the Bering Sea approximately 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) off Cape Cheerful (54°00′50″N 166°40′20″W) on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Islands.[30] |
6 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Empire Rosa | United Kingdom |
Ran aground at Luce Bay, Galloway, became a constructive total loss and later scrapped. |
7 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Sea Ranger | United Kingdom |
A Lowestoft trawler foundered off Gwennap Head, Cornwall during a southerly gale.[46] |
9 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Elinor Viking | United Kingdom |
An Aberdeen trawler wrecked on the Ve Skerries, Shetland in adverse weather conditions. A volunteer helicopter crew was assembled at Sumburgh Airport which rescued all 8 crew.[69] |
20 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Emmanuel C | Greece |
Ran aground on the Île d'Orléans, Quebec, Canada, refloated but declared damaged beyond economical repair and Scrapped in October 1978.[12] |
25 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lady Camilla |  Denmark |
The coaster sank off Cornwall, United Kingdom with loss of life including two children.[70] |
27 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Conqueror | United Kingdom |
The Grimsby trawler, on her first voyage after a major refit, went ashore at Penzer Point, south of Mousehole, Cornwall. It is believed the crew were down below having breakfast and the trawler was on automatic pilot. The Penlee Lifeboat had insufficient power to tow Conqueror off the rocks and she assumed a 35° list and broke up on the rocks.[71] |
31 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tiran |  Spain |
![](#/media/File:Wreck_of_"Tiran",_Senegal_-_2.jpg) The cargo ship, on a voyage from Banjul, Gambia to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain, foundered 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) off Joal, Senegal and became a wreck on Palmarin Beach.[72][73] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Banshee | United States |
The 11-gross register ton, 28.9-foot (8.8 m) fishing vessel was wrecked on the coast of Kodiak Island in Alaska.[7] |
| Himma |  Australia |
The Near-Warrior type tug was scuttled in the Tasman Sea off New South Wales.[74] |
| Transport |  Norway |
The cargo ship ran aground at Godøystraumen. She was refloated. |
| Unidentified railroad barge | United States |
The retired 200-foot (61.0 m) railroad barge was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean 3.6 nautical miles (6.7 km; 4.1 mi) off Sea Girt, New Jersey, in 70 feet (21 m) of water at 40°06.986′N 073°56.868′W.[75] |
| Webster | United States |
The Liberty ship was scuttled off Cape Henry, Virginia.[76] |