List of shipwrecks in 1988
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
January
8 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Madre |  United States |
The 58-foot (17.7 m) fishing vessel sank off Cape Decision (56°00′10″N 134°08′00″W) on Kuiu Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. The fishing vessel Rachael Pauline ( United States) rescued all three people on board.[1] |
12 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Karluk |  United States |
The 32-foot (9.8 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by a storm in Geese Island Channel (56°45′N 153°53′W) at the southern end of Alaska′s Kodiak Island with the loss of all three men on board.[2] |
15 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Icy Queen | United States |
The 55-foot (16.8 m) fishing vessel capsized in Meares Passage and washed ashore on the west coast of Suemez Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. Her crew of six survived. She later was salvaged.[3] |
17 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Exodus | United States |
The 86-foot (26.2 m) crab-fishing vessel was destroyed by fire in the Bering Sea approximately 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) north of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.[4] |
18 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wayward Wind | United States |
The 86-foot (26.2 m) crab fishing vessel flooded and sank in the Gulf of Alaska 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi) south of Tugidak Island in the Kodiak Archipelago, probably due to an improperly dogged hatch on a crab pumping tank. Four of her six crewmen died.[5] |
19 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| La Dieppoise |  French Navy |
The decommissioned Bay-class minesweeper was sunk as an artificial reef in the lagoon at Nouméa.[6] |
29 January
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rolandia |  Cyprus |
The cargo ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean 820 nautical miles (1,520 km) south west of Land's End, Cornwall, United Kingdom with the loss of all twelve crew.[7] |
February
8 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ITL Anna B |  United Kingdom |
The anchor handling tug supply vessel foundered in heavy seas in a position 53.01.45N 01.32.06E, 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) from Haisboro’ light vessel, off the coast of Norfolk, England, on a voyage from Great Yarmouth to Norway. All 13 aboard were taken off liferafts by helicopter.[8] |
| Simone Marguerite |  Belgium |
The trawler ran ashore on the Cressars Rock, Penzance, Cornwall in a SW gale after steering the wrong side of the pole. Refloated by the Penlee Lifeboat.[9] |
10 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Car Float No. 52 | United States |
The retired 270-foot (82.3 m) car float 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, at 40°07.135′N 073°56.919′W.[10] |
12 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Yorktown | United States Navy |
The guided missile cruiser was deliberately rammed by the frigate Bezzavetnyy ( Soviet Navy) in the Black Sea. |
16 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sol Phryne |  Greece |
Sunk by a limpet mine at Limassol, Cyprus. Later raised and taken to Bijela, Yugoslavia. |
17 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Billy | United States |
The 83-foot (25.3 m) fishing trawler was wrecked on rocks on the southeast coast of Yunaska Island in the Aleutian Islands during a gale. All six members of her crew reached the beach, from which the United States Coast Guard rescued them.[2] |
28 February
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Star | United States |
The 153-foot (46.6 m) processing vessel was wrecked during a blizzard on a rock in Nikolski Bay (52°57′30″N 168°54′00″W) 100 yards (91 m) off the coast of Umnak Island in the Aleutian Islands. The fishing vessel Neahkahnie ( United States) rescued her entire crew of 15. Alaska Star rolled over and sank on 29 February.[11] |
29 February
March
14 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HQ-505 |  Vietnam People's Navy |
Sino-Vietnamese War: Johnson South Reef Skirmish: The tank landing ship was shelled and damaged by Yingtan ( People's Liberation Army Navy), later sinking.[13] |
| HQ-604 | Vietnam People's Navy |
Sino-Vietnamese War: Johnson South Reef Skirmish: The tank landing ship was shelled and sunk by Nanchang ( People's Liberation Army Navy).[13] |
| HQ-605 | Vietnam People's Navy |
Sino-Vietnamese War: Johnson South Reef Skirmish: The tank landing ship was shelled and sunk by Xiantan ( People's Liberation Army Navy).[13] |
17 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| George W | United States |
The 58-foot (17.7 m) fishing trawler was sighted for the last time in Uyak Bay (57°48′N 154°04′W) on the coast of Kodiak Island in Alaska′s Kodiak Archipelago. She subsequently disappeared with the loss of all three men on board. The fishing vessel Nomad ( United States) found the bodies of two of them in a life raft near Sutwik Island 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) east of Chignik, Alaska, on 19 March.[14] |
31 March
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Haven | Cyprus |
Iran–Iraq War: The supertanker was hit by an Iranian missile in the Strait of Hormuz and set on fire.[15] Subsequently repaired and returned to service. |
April
4 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Hope | United States |
The 35-foot (10.7 m) fishing vessel′s crew of two abandoned her in the Gulf of Alaska off the Alaska Peninsula 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) north of Sutwik Island after she lost power and flooded. A United States Coast Guard helicopter rescued both crewmen. New Hope disappeared and was presumed to have sunk.[16] |
8 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Cleare | United States |
The 51-foot (15.5 m) longline fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 35 nautical miles (65 km; 40 mi) south of Kodiak, Alaska. Her entire crew of six survived, five of them abandoning ship in a life raft and the sixth being rescued from the water by a United States Coast Guard helicopter.[2] |
10 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Emerald Sea | United States |
The hull of the 47-gross register ton, 48.5-foot (14.8 m) troller and longliner was found washed up on the beach in Icy Bay on the south-central coast of Alaska. She had not been heard from since she departed Yakutat, Alaska, on 7 April. Her entire crew of five men was lost.[4] |
11 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Linda’s Draw | United States |
The 47-foot (14.3 m) longline fishing vessel capsized and sank in Icy Bay on the south-central coast of Alaska during a storm. A nearby vessel filmed the event and rescued her crew.[17] |
14 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Samuel B. Roberts | United States Navy |
 |
16 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unimak | United States |
The 56-foot (17 m) longline fishing vessel capsized and sank in Icy Bay in Alaska. All four people aboard escaped in a life raft and were rescued.[18] |
18 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown speed boat |  Eritrean Liberation Front |
Eritrean War of Independence: The speed boat was sunk by the Ethiopian Navy during an attack at Assab, Ethiopia.[19] |
19 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sahand |  Islamic Republic of Iran Navy |
 United States Navy) 10 nautical miles (19 km) in the Persian Gulf off Larak Island. Her crew abandoned ship and she burned for several hours before an explosion sank her in 660 feet (200 m) of water. |
24 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Bonefish | United States Navy |
The submarine had an on-board fire while submerged 160 nautical miles (300 km) off the coast of Florida. She surfaced and her crew abandoned with the loss of three crew members. She was towed to Charleston, South Carolina, where she was declared a constructive total loss. She was scrapped in August 1989. |
26 April
29 April
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Sam Houston | United States Navy |
The ballistic missile submarine ran aground on Fox Island in Washington. She later was refloated and returned to service. |
May
14 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Seawise Giant |  Liberia |
Iran–Iraq War: The tanker was struck by air-launched Iraqi Exocet missiles in the Strait of Hormuz and sank off Larak Island, Iran. Raised and repaired post-war. |
20 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Korean Star |  Panama |
The bulk carrier dragged her anchors off Cape Cuvier, Western Australia, during a tropical cyclone and was wrecked. She broke in two shortly after grounding. |
24 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sandra J | United States |
The halibut-fishing vessel sank near Cape Junken (59°55′N 148°38′W) off south-central Alaska. Another fishing vessel rescued her crew.[1] |
27 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Broere |  Netherlands |
The chemical carrier transporting toxic Acrylonitrile was in collision with Atlantic Compass ( Sweden) in the North Sea and sank with the loss of one of her twelve crew.[21] |
| Rhino | United States |
The retired 50-foot (15.2 m) crew boat was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean 5.1 nautical miles (9.4 km; 5.9 mi) off Spray Beach, New Jersey, in 65 feet (20 m) of water at 39°33.693′N 074°06.123′W.[22] |
30 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Venture | United States |
The 85-foot (25.9 m) fishing trawler capsized and sank in the Bering Sea 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) north of Yunaska Island in the Aleutian Islands while making a turn with her trawl gear out. Her captain perished. The fishing vessel Hazel Lorain ( United States) rescued her other three crew members from a life raft.[14] |
31 May
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown speed boat | Eritrean Liberation Front |
Eritrean War of Independence: The speed boat was sunk by an Ethiopian Navy frigate.[23] |
June
2 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4th of February |  Angolan Navy |
Angolan Civil War: The Project 205 (NATO reporting name Osa-class) missile boat was lost due either to sabotage or UNITA action.[24] |
6 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Morania 180 | United States |
The retired 230-foot (70.1 m) 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 75 feet (23 m) of water at 40°06.301′N 073°57.424′W.[25] |
16 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Swiftsure | United States |
The 133-foot (40.5 m) former USCG lightship sank while being towed from Newport, Oregon to Ketchikan, Alaska in 590 feet (180 m) of water.[26] |
23 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Trish | United States |
After taking a large wave over her stern, the 40-foot (12.2 m) troller-gillnetter-longliner capsized off Tolstoi Point (55°40′10″N 132°23′10″W) in Clarence Strait in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. All three crew members abandoned ship in a life raft and were rescued by the fishing vessel Harvey-O ( United States). The cutter USCGC Cape Hatteras ( United States Coast Guard) attempted to tow Trish to shallower water, but the towline parted and Trish sank in deeper water.[27] |
27 June
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Vagrant |  United States |
The 70-foot (21.3 m) longline fishing vessel was destroyed by an engine room fire and sank in the North Pacific Ocean about 90 nautical miles (170 km) west of Sitka, Alaska.[28] |
July
1 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Princess | United States |
The catcher processor was abandoned in the Bering Sea approximately 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) northwest of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The fishing vessel Bering Sea ( United States) rescued her crew of seven from a life raft. A United States Coast Guard vessel sank Hawaiian Princess′s burned-out hulk with 800 rounds of machine gun fire.[29] |
2 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dalriada |  United Kingdom |
The Army Sail Training Association yacht sank after a collision with the nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror ( Royal Navy) 11 miles south of the Mull of Kintyre. Her four crewmembers were rescued by the frigate HMS Battleaxe ( Royal Navy).[30] |
3 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kitti Wake | United States |
The 32-foot (9.8 m) gillnet fishing vessel was destroyed by fire in Cook Inlet on the south-central coast of Alaska.[31] |
4 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Maid | United States |
The 32-foot (9.8 m) gillnet fishing vessel sank in Cook Inlet off Ninilchik, Alaska.[32] |
| Singa Sea |  Philippines |
The bulk carrier broke in two and sank in the Indian Ocean, position approximately 35°00′S 106°00′E, with the loss of 19 crew. |
11 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| City of Poros | Greece |
The cruise ship was attacked by Abu Nidal Organisation terrorists in the Saronic Gulf between Aegina and Faliro, Greece. Nine passengers were killed and 98 injured. |
23 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fujimaru |  Japan |
The fishing vessel was in collision with the submarine Nadashio ( Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) and sank in Tokyo Bay with the loss of 29 of the 48 people on board.[33][34] |
| USS Jonas Ingram | United States Navy |
The decommissioned Forrest Sherman-class destroyer was sunk as a target by a Mark 48 ADCAP torpedo. |
24 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Rankin | United States Navy |
The decommissioned Tolland-class attack cargo ship was sunk as an artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean 6 nautical miles (11 km) off Stuart, Florida. |
25 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mojo | United States |
The 28-foot (8.5 m) fishing vessel sank in Cameron Bay (56°43′00″N 135°16′30″W) in Southeast Alaska south of Sitka, Alaska. Her owner and operator died after the fishing vessel Sefora ( United States) pulled him from the water; a United States Coast Guard helicopter rescued two other crew members.[32] |
29 July
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USNS Aeolus | United States Navy |
The inactivated Artemis-class cable repair ship was sunk as an artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 22 nautical miles (25 mi; 41 km) off Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina.[35] |
August
1 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Diane | United States |
The 56-foot (17.1 m) fishing vessel capsized off the west coast of Dall Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska after transferring her catch to a fish processing vessel. Her crew of six abandoned ship in a life raft and was rescued by another fishing vessel.[31] |
| Yermon | United States |
The 40-foot (12.2 m) gillnet fishing vessel sank in Cook Inlet about 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) west of Ninilchik. Alaska. Both of her crew members lost their lives.[36] |
6 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unidentified ferry |  India |
An overcrowded ferry capsized in the Ganges River near Manihari, India, killing over 400 people. |
8 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Windy Sea | United States |
The 32-foot (9.8 m) vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska off Spruce Island in the Kodiak Archipelago.[5] |
24 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USS Vermilion | United States Navy |
The decommissioned attack cargo ship was sunk as an artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean 40 nautical miles (46 mi; 74 km) off Georgetown, South Carolina.[37] |
26 August
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BAP Pacocha |  Peruvian Navy |
The submarine was rammed by the fishing vessel Kiowa Maru ( Japan) off Callao, Peru, and sank with the loss of five members of her crew. |
September
8 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Loraine | United States |
The 45-foot (13.7 m) fishing vessel was wrecked near Yakutat, Alaska. A United States Coast Guard helicopter rescued her crew of two.[17] |
11 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Freda | United States |
The fishing vessel capsized and sank in Dixon Entrance on the border between Alaska, United States, and British Columbia, Canada.[38] |
12 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Marie L | Belgium |
Sank at Howdendyke, England. Refloated on 28 September and beached, later broken up in situ.[39] |
15 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| P1558 |  South African Navy |
The decommissioned air-sea rescue launch was sunk as a gunnery target. |
22 September
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Odyssey | United States |
Blowout and fire in the North Sea with the loss of a crew member. Subsequently withdrawn from service, converted to a seaborne satellite launch vessel in 1997. |
26 September
October
1 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abbondanza | United States |
The 90-foot (27.4 m) fishing trawler sank without loss of life off Cape Chiniak (57°37′N 152°10′W) on the coast of Alaska′s Kodiak Island.[11] |
3 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Marie | United States |
The 42-foot (12.8 m) longline fishing vessel was wrecked on rocks in Big Branch Bay (56°20′N 134°50′W) on the southwest shore of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. Only one crewman managed to put on a survival suit; he reached shore on Beavertail Island, where a United States Coast Guard helicopter rescued him. The other three crew members died.[1] |
4 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Skylo | United States |
The 42-foot (12.8 m) longline fishing vessel sank 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) south of Cape Cross (57°55′00″N 136°33′30″W) off Southeast Alaska after a set of 42-foot (13 m) waves struck her stern and swamped her. All three members of her crew abandoned ship wearing survival suits and were rescued by a United States Coast Guard helicopter.[1] |
7 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| P1552 | South African Navy |
The air-sea rescue launch was lost when she struck a reef in Saldanha Bay off Danger Point, South Africa. |
8 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HMAS Buccaneer |  Royal Australian Navy |
The decommissioned Attack-class patrol boat was sunk as a gunnery target. |
18 October
20 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| C. Liun | United States |
The 32-foot (9.8 m) vessel was destroyed by fire at Larsen Bay on Alaska′s Kodiak Island.[2] |
21 October
24 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Doña Marilyn | Philippines |
Typhoon Ruby: The ferry sank in the Philippine Sea 300 nautical miles (560 km) south of Manila during a typhoon with the loss of 254 lives. |
27 October
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fatuk | Japan |
After the United States Customs Service confiscated her for attempting to smuggle 2,000 pounds (907 kg) of marijuana into the United States, the 90-foot (27.4 m) longline fishing vessel was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean 6.5 nautical miles (12.0 km; 7.5 mi) off Harvey Cedars, New Jersey, in 80 feet (24 m) of water at 39°37.609′N 074°01.037′W.[44] |
November
1 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| City of Seattle | United States |
The 92-foot (28.0 m) crab-fishing vessel ran aground without loss of life on the north side of the western tip of Atka Island in the Aleutian Islands after her helmsman fell asleep at her wheel.[2] |
2 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Constructor | United States |
The 113-foot (34.4 m) supply barge was destroyed by fire off Trading Bay (60°55′N 151°35′W) in upper Cook Inlet on the south-central coast of Alaska after a tank truck containing 3,000 US gallons (11,000 L; 2,500 imp gal) of gasoline on her deck caught fire and exploded. Her captain and engineer and the truck driver were killed; her first mate was her sole survivor. Her burned-out hulk later was towed into deeper water and scuttled by a demolition team.[11] |
10 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Odyssey | Liberia |
The tanker broke in two, caught fire, and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 700 nautical miles (1,300 km) off Nova Scotia, Canada. She was on a voyage from Sullom Voe, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom, to Come by Chance, Newfoundland, Canada.[45] |
14 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Boyky |  Soviet Union |
The submarine chaser was driven ashore and wrecked on Skogsøya, Norway whilst being towed from Kola Bay to Ferrol, Spain for scrapping.[46] |
17 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Voyager | United States |
The 81-foot (24.7 m) fishing vessel capsized and sank while at anchor in Ugak Bay on the coast of Alaska. Her five-person crew abandoned ship in survival suits and survived.[28] |
20 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Dynasty | United States |
The 124-foot (37.8 m) fishing trawler sank in the Bering Sea. The fish processing ship Golden Alaska ( United States) rescued her entire crew of seven.[47] |
27 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Valerie G | United States |
The fishing vessel ran aground on the southwest side of Gravina Island at the head of Nehenta Bay (55°09′25″N 131°47′45″W) in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska during a storm in the Clarence Strait with 60-knot (110 km/h) winds. She was abandoned without loss of life.[28] |
29 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Sea Producer | United States |
The 164-foot (50.0 m) fishing trawler sank approximately 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) west of Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands. The fishing vessel Royal Sea ( United States) rescued her entire crew of eight from a life raft.[48] |
30 November
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Komoros |  Singapore |
Hurricane Joan–Miriam: The cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal.[49] |
| Miss In Soo | United States |
The 85-foot (25.9 m) fishing vessel disappeared after her crew of four abandoned her in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south-southwest of Narrow Cape (57°25′30″N 152°20′00″W) on the coast of Kodiak Island, Alaska. She presumably sank. Her crew was rescued by the fishing vessel Kristine Alaska ( United States).[32] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Boiky | Soviet Navy |
The destroyer, under tow from Murmansk to Spain for scrapping, broke her tow line and ran aground on Skogsøya in Øksnes Municipality, Norway. Work on scrapping the wreck only began in 2001,[50] and the breaking of the wreck was then further delayed by the find of live munitions on board.[51] |
| ARA Piedrabuena |  Argentine Navy |
The decommissioned Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer was sunk as a target by an MM38 Exocet fired by the corvette ARA Espora ( Argentine Navy). |
December
3 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Opty | United States |
The 139-foot (42.4 m) fishing vessel was wrecked without loss of life in bad weather on the northwest point of Alcan Harbor (52°43′45″N 174°04′30″E) on the northwest coast of Shemya Island in the western Aleutian Islands.[47] |
5 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bowsprite | United Kingdom |
The dredger broke in two and sank in the North Sea 15 nautical miles (28 km) north west of Nieuwpoort, West Flanders, Belgium with the loss of four of her ten crew.[52] |
10 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aoyagi Maru | Japan |
The 288-foot (87.8 m) refrigerated cargo ship lost power and ran aground without loss of life on a reef in Lost Harbor (54°13′45″N 165°36′30″W) on the west coast of Akun Island in the Aleutian Islands. Her wreck was burned in January 1989 to destroy the fuel on board.[11] |
| Arctic II | United States |
The 115-foot (35.1 m) fishing trawler capsized and sank in the Bering Sea approximately 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 mi) north of Unimak Pass after a large wave struck her. Her crew of five abandoned ship on a life raft, but two of them perished when another large wave struck the raft and swept them overboard. The fishing vessel American Beauty ( United States) rescued her three surviving crew members.[11] |
11 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Progress |  Canada |
The lake freighter ran aground on Ballard's Reef while hauling a load of coal. The ship required tugboat assistance to be freed.[53] |
21 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SAS Gelderland | South African Navy |
The decommissioned Ford-class seaward defence boat was expended as a demolition target off Duiker Point, South Africa. |
22 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bon Su Mar | United States |
The 186-gross ton, 90-foot (27.4 m) fishing trawler sank in the Bering Sea off Saint Paul Island. Her crew abandoned ship in a life raft and was rescued by the fishing vessel Amber Dawn ( United States).[54] |
23 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| In the evening, the fishing trawler ran aground near Seaford, United Kingdom. The five Belgian sailors were rescued by the British coastguard.[55] |
23 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The oil tanker without engine lost its anchor due to a storm. The 34 crew members were saved after five hours. The tanker served as a collection and storage facility for oil. The production of three oil fields on the British part of the North Sea came to a standstill for a long time.[55] |
26 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Baden |  Honduras |
The Norwegian built coastal trading vessel, sailing under the flag of Honduras was on voyage from Bergen, Norway to Antwerp, Belgium with a cargo of steel. The ship sank near Texel, the Netherlands, after the ship tilted due to shifting cargo. All crew members survived by sprinting into the water. Criticism of the rescue operation followed.[56] |
| Rockey | Netherlands |
The merchant ship lost its anchors and foundered on a sandbank. All crew members were able to rescue themself.[55] |
27 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hasail |  Bangladesh |
The ferry collided with a tanker in foggy weather and sank in the Dhaleswari River at its confluence with the Sitalakhya River with the loss of over 200 of the 350 people on board.[57] |
31 December
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bateau Mouche IV |  Brazil |
The tourist boat capsized and sank in the near Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro with the loss of 55 of over 150 people on board.[58][59] |
Unknown date
| Ship | State | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USCGC Unimak |  United States Coast Guard |
The decommissioned Casco-class cutter was scuttled as an artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean off Virginia. |
| Unknown speed boats | Eritrean Liberation Front |
Eritrean War of Independence: Beginning in late 1988 through 1989 eight speed boats were sunk by Ethiopian Mi-35 attack helicopters.[60] |
| A merchant ship of Panama went missing in the Japanese Sea. After it was missing for eight days, the Japanese Coast gusts started a search operation on 24 December.[55] |