Ship Wrecks of Cape Cod, Massachusetts – Legends of America

Ship Wrecks of Cape Cod, Massachusetts – Legends of America

Cape Cod. Just the name conjures up images of sandy beaches, quaint lighthouses, and maybe a lobster roll or two. But beyond the postcard-perfect scenery, there’s a darker, more dramatic history lurking beneath the waves: shipwrecks. Lots and lots of shipwrecks.

For centuries, sailors have dreaded the waters around Cape Cod. Imagine navigating a ship back in the day, relying on little more than the stars and a good sense of direction. Then picture suddenly running aground on a hidden sandbar, the waves crashing around you as your ship slowly breaks apart. Not exactly a fun day at the beach, right?

Cape Cod’s location is both a blessing and a curse. It juts out into the Atlantic like a clenched fist, forcing ships traveling between Boston and New York to either brave its treacherous shoals or take a longer route. Add in the notorious "nor’easters" that batter the coast, and you’ve got a recipe for maritime disaster. Over 3,000 shipwrecks have been recorded in the area over the past 300 years. That’s a whole lot of lost ships and sunken treasure!

Back in the old days, when a storm hit, the alarm would go out: "Ship ashore! All hands perishing!" The townsfolk would rush to the beach, but often the surf was too wild to attempt a rescue. It was a grim reality, and sadly, many lives were lost.

But here’s where the story takes a slightly less somber turn. Even if the crew couldn’t be saved, the cargo often could. After a wreck, the locals would come out in force with their carts and horses, ready to haul away whatever the sea had coughed up. We’re talking wine, coffee, spices, cotton, tobacco – you name it. Sometimes, the ship’s owners would pay the locals to salvage the goods. But let’s be honest, sometimes it was more of a "finders keepers" situation. Hey, a little bit of shipwreck swag never hurt anyone, right?

So, let’s dive into a few of the most famous wrecks that have become part of Cape Cod lore:

The Sparrow Hawk – 1626: This one’s a real oldie. The Sparrow Hawk, originally from London, was on its way to Virginia when it ran aground near Orleans during a gale. The passengers and crew made it safely ashore, and some friendly local Native Americans even helped them get in touch with the governor of Plymouth. Attempts were made to repair the ship, but another storm finished it off. Fast forward over 200 years, and the wreck reappeared in 1863 when the sands shifted. People came from miles around to see it, grabbing souvenirs before it disappeared again. Today, you can see some of the ship’s remains at the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth. Talk about a piece of history!
The Whydah Gally – 1717: Ahoy, mateys! This shipwreck has pirates written all over it. The Whydah was originally a slave ship, but it was captured by the infamous pirate Captain Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy. Bellamy turned it into his flagship, using it to plunder ships throughout the Caribbean. Loaded with treasure (including over 4.5 tons of silver and gold!), the Whydah sailed north towards Cape Cod. But the pirates, perhaps a little too relaxed after indulging in some captured wine, were caught off guard by a fierce storm. The ship ran aground off Wellfleet, capsized, and sank, taking most of the crew and its treasure with it. For centuries, the Whydah was just a legend, but in 1984, treasure hunter Barry Clifford discovered the wreck. It’s the only fully authenticated Golden Age pirate shipwreck ever found, and over 200,000 artifacts have been recovered from the site. Who knows what other secrets it still holds?
HMS Somerset – 1778: During the American Revolution, shipwrecks weren’t just tragedies, they were potential sources of supplies for the war effort. The HMS Somerset, a massive British warship, ran aground off Provincetown during a storm. This was a huge deal for the locals, who had been suffering under the British blockade. They salvaged a ton of valuable war material from the wreck, including cannons and gunpowder, which were used to fortify Boston Harbor. Even Paul Revere got involved! The Somerset’s wreckage has only been partially exposed a few times since then, and most of it remains buried under the sand. A reminder of a time when even a shipwreck could play a role in shaping history.
USS Merrimack – 1801?: Launched in 1798, it was the first ship of the Navy to be named for the Merrimack River. It saw action in the Quasi-War, an undeclared war fought almost entirely at sea between the United States and the French Republic from 1798 to 1800. The ship captured several French vessels and exchanged fire with French troops during its service. After her service in the Navy, she was stripped of naval equipment and sold in 1801. It then became a merchant vessel known as Monticello and wrecked off the coast of Cape Cod at an unknown date.
The Frances – 1872: Sometimes, shipwrecks have a happy ending (well, at least for the crew). The wreck of the Frances, which sank in a gale in 1872, can still be seen at low tide at Head of the Meadow Beach in North Truro. The United States Life Saving Service (the Coast Guard’s predecessor) braved the storm to rescue everyone on board. Sadly, the captain died a few days later from exposure, but his crew survived. A testament to the bravery of those early lifesavers.
The Portland – 1898: Not all shipwreck stories have a silver lining. The sinking of the steamship Portland in 1898 was a major tragedy, resulting in the loss of all 175 passengers and crew. The Portland was a popular overnight passenger service between Boston and Portland, Maine. But on November 26, 1898, it ran into a massive blizzard and sank off Cape Ann. Debris and bodies washed up on the Truro beaches, a grim reminder of the power of the sea.
The Paul Palmer – 1913: The wooden, five-masted schooner had a cargo capacity of 3,500 tons. After picking up a load of coal on June 15, 1913, the Paul Palmer caught fire for an unknown reason, forcing its small crew to abandon ship close to Cape Cod on Stellwagen Bank. The entire crew of 11 and two passengers were saved by a fishing schooner soon after. Throughout its 12-year career, Paul Palmer carried an estimated 280,000 tons of coal in 80 cargos. The wreck of the Paul Palmer lies off the coast of Provincetown and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
The Port Hunter – 1918: In early November of 1918, the Port Hunter, carrying $5 million in clothing, was traveling between Martha’s Vineyard and Falmouth at the same time as the tug boat Covington. Covington collided with the Port Hunter, ripping an opening in the side of the ship that was said to be 15 feet high and 7 feet wide, immediately allowing water to gush in and flood the forward compartment. The 20 crewmates were rescued because of the quick action of the Covington’s skipper, who pushed the Port Hunter onto the Hedge Fence Shoal, allowing help to rush to the scene. The infamous Port Hunter sank within two hours. It still lays only 20 feet underwater at the location of the bow.
Navy Submarine, S-4 – 1927: In 1927, the Coast Guard destroyer Paulding collided with the Navy submarine S-4 as it prepared to surface off Wood End within sight of Provincetown, Massachusetts. The cutter’s bow sliced into the submarine’s hull, sending it to the bottom of the bay within minutes. The submarine sank with all aboard. The Coast Guard and Navy immediately dispatched rescue ships and divers who ascertained that six of the 40-man crew initially survived. However, a growing nor’easter and treacherous underwater currents thwarted their attempts to rescue the six trapped survivors. By the time divers reached them again four days after the accident, all six had died.
SS James Longstreet – 1943: This one’s a bit different. The SS James Longstreet was a cargo ship that ran aground during World War II and was deemed "structurally unfit for sea." Instead of scrapping it, the Navy decided to use it for target practice. The ship was towed to Cape Cod Bay and used as a target for experimental missiles. The bombing continued until the 1970s, leaving the ship riddled with holes. Today, parts of the wreck are still visible off the coast of Eastham, but it’s a restricted area due to unexploded ordnance. Definitely not a place for a casual swim!
SS Andrea Doria – 1956: In 1956, while the ship was approaching the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, the eastbound Stockholm of the Swedish American Line collided with her. Struck in the side, the top-heavy Andrea Doria immediately started to list severely to starboard, which left half of her lifeboats unusable. The consequent shortage of lifeboats could have resulted in significant loss of life, but the ship stayed afloat for over 11 hours after the collision. The calm, appropriate behavior of the crew, together with improvements in communications, and the rapid response of other ships, averted a disaster similar in scale to that of Titanic in 1912. While 1,660 passengers and crew were rescued and survived, 46 people on the ship died directly from the collision. The evacuated luxury liner capsized and sank the following morning. This accident remains the worst maritime disaster to occur in United States waters since the capsizing of the Eastland in Chicago, Illinois, in 1915.

These are just a few of the many shipwrecks that lie off the coast of Cape Cod. Each one has its own story to tell, a tale of adventure, tragedy, and the unforgiving power of the sea. So, the next time you’re enjoying the sun and sand on Cape Cod, take a moment to remember the ships and sailors who weren’t so lucky. Their stories are a reminder that even in the most beautiful places, danger can lurk just beneath the surface.

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