TAE WOONG #603 (1987) The 227 foot South Korean fish processing vessel Tae Woong #603 stranded and was lost on Uliaga Island in the Aleutian Islands May 5, 1987. All 49 crewmembers were rescued. At least 16,000 gallons of the vessels fuel supply leaked onto area beaches. The remaining fuel from the 100,000 gallons capacity onboard was “explosively vented” and burned by a team from Underwater Construction and Aleutian Explosives. They were overseen by officials from NOAA and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 53 04 N 169 05 30 W Chart 16011
Sources: 1. Shipwrecks on Alaska National Maritime Wildlife Refuge (2010), 2. Sitka Daily Sentinel (May 8, 1987) “CG Can’t Reach Grounded Ship” Pg 6
TAHOMA (1914) The 1,215 ton 191 foot U S Revenue Cutter steam ship Tahoma hit an uncharted reef and was lost in the western Aleutian Islands September 20, 1914. A total of 87 officers, crewmembers and passengers aboard escaped in seven small boats. Richard O. Crisp was captain of the Tahoma. The vessels included the captain’s gig, a sailing launch and five whale boats. The location of the wreck was in a remote area of the western Aleutian Islands 800 miles west of the mainland of Alaska. The cutter was steaming from Attu to the east when she struck an unknown reef in an area that showed 1,000 fathoms on the marine chart. It was agreed before the Tahoma was abandoned that all seven small vessels would attempt to reach Agattu Island, 60 miles away. The five life boats reached Agattu Island in just over three days. They had become separated in contrary weather and subsequently each landed on a different part of the island. The sailing launch passed Agattu Island and beached on Alaid Island. It was five days before ships arrived responding to the wireless distress call that had been broadcast September 20th. The Alaska Steamship Company freighter Cordova was first on scene five days after the wreck and was able to find three lifeboats at different locations on Agattu Island. The Cordova also came across the captain’s gig September 26th with 11 men aboard who had suffered four days and five nights in rough weather in an open boat on the open ocean. The sailing launch from the Tahoma was found on Alaid Island by the Cordova. The passengers aboard the launch had suffered little compared to many of the others. They had made landfall in two and a half days coincidentally beaching the launch near an earlier shipwreck that contained supplies and sustenance. This was fortuitous as the launch contained a widow and her four small children among others. The Cordova was credited with rescuing 58 marooned mariners. The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey ship Patterson was next to arrive in the area and found two more whale boats and their occupants on Agattu Island and was able to rescue all 29. Between the Cordova and Patterson, all 87 officers, crewmembers and passengers of the wrecked Tahoma were accounted for. The Tahoma had a value of $360,000 and was a total loss. The reef that was struck now bears the name Tahoma Reef.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 51 48 N 175 47 E Chart 16012
Additional Information: Total Displacement 1,215 tons, Length 191.7, Breadth 32.5, Depth 17.5, Guns 4, SL GVHQ, Officers 8, Crew 60, Headquarters Seattle, Built 1908 at Camden NJ
Sources: 1. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 247, 2. Safeguard the Gateways of Alaska (1918) Pgs 19-20, 3. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1914) “Vessels of the Revenue Cutter Service, Treasury Department”, 4. The Seattle Daily Times (October 17, 1914) “Woman Shares Perils of Deep” Pg 12, 5. The Seattle Daily Times (October 16, 1914) “Suffered for Days in Boat” Pgs 1&3, 6. USCGS Report (October 4, 1914), 7. Log of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer Patterson (September 28, 1914)
TERMINATOR (1989) The fishing vessel Terminator stranded and was lost March 26, 1989 on Saint Paul Island. The vessel was cut up and salvaged by Magone Marine. Evidence of wreck may still be on site and of interest.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 57 10 N 170 15 W Chart 16011
Source: BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011)
TERRIGAIL (2011) The 58 foot steel longline fishing vessel Terrigail stranded and was lost February 8, 2011 in Alimuda Bay on Unalaska Island. The following is an excerpt from the USCG Incident Brief:
“While engaged in fishing operations the vessel Terrigail experienced an electrical power failure resulting from an electrical short. While making coffee, the engineer spilled water on the electric stove in the galley, which tripped a circuit breaker on the generator. This in turn led to the shut failure of the generator. The crew was unable to restart the generator and began to manually steer the vessel back to Dutch Harbor for repairs. In route the main diesel engine shut down causing the vessel to be dead in the water. After several unsuccessful attempts by the USCG to place the vessel under tow, the crew was evacuated from the vessel. Shortly after the crew was removed the vessel grounded on the rocks.”
U S Coast Guard Helicopter CG6504 rescued all five crewmembers and the Terrigail broke up on the rocks.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 53 26 N 167 21 W Chart 16500
Additional Information: ON 594868, Call Sign WSX5728, Built 1978 Tacoma WA
Sources: 1. Unofficial Shipwreck List (Kodiak), 2. USCG News Release (February 9, 2011) “Coast Guard responds to grounded long-liner on Unalaska Island”, 3. USCG MISLE Case # 537130
THORNTON (1886) The 29 ton Canadian power sealing schooner Thornton went to pieces at Unalaska after 1886.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 53 52 30 N 166 32 W Charts 16011, 16520
Source: Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992)
TOMI MARU NO 52 (1980) The Japanese fishing vessel Tomi Maru No 52 sank after a collision with the Japanese fishing vessel Tomi Maru No 51 November 19, 1980 approximately 100 miles west of Adak. Three crewmembers were lost in the disaster.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 51 45 N 176 39 W Chart 16012
Source: BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011)
TRI SVIATITELIA (1790) The Russian vessel Tri Sviatitelia (Three Saints) was wrecked in Kashega Harbor, Unalaska Island in a northerly storm October 1, 1790. The vessel departed Okhotsk, Russia August 19, 1790. Much of the vessels cargo was salvaged. The Tri Sviatitelia had a value of more than 19,000 rubles.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 53 28 50 N 167 10 30 W Chart 16500
Source: Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992)
TRILBY (1914) The 12 ton 51 foot wooden schooner Trilby stranded and was lost at Semichi Island November 30, 1914. The vessel departed Unalaska August 20, 1913 bound for Attu. There were two persons aboard at the time of the disaster. The following are excerpts from the casualty report:
“Semechie Island, 21 miles from Attu” “Stranding” “Drifted on beach” “Heavy wind and heavy swell, at night” “Two anchors put out, vessel was beyond control”
The Trilby was valued at $1,000 and had two tons of general merchandise aboard worth $500. The vessel became a total loss but the cargo was saved, as were the lives of the two aboard.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 52 44 N 174 E Chart 16012
Additional Information: Tonnage 12 Gross 12 Net, Length 51.5, Breadth 12.3, Depth 4.2, Built 1901 at Anacortes WA, Registered Unalaska, ON 145688, Master and owner A B Somerville of Attu
Source: U S C G Report of Casualty February 20, 1916 by Edwin Sarsen, Agent for Master
TROIKA (1997) The 50 foot crab fishing vessel Troika flooded and sank September 22, 1997 approximately 12 nautical miles southeast of Saint Paul Island in the Pribilof Islands. Three crewmembers who had donned survival suits were rescued by the fishing vessel Gala Maureen. The fourth crewmember, captain Carl Koso (35) of King Cove was lost from hypothermia.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 57 10 N 170 15 W Chart 16011
Additional Information: ON 622020
Sources: 1. Unofficial Shipwreck List (Kodiak), 2. BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011)
TWO BROTHERS (1894) The 10.27 ton 36 foot wooden schooner Two Brothers stranded and was lost on Unalaska Island at 11 a.m. Monday August 20, 1894. The vessel departed Unalaska August 12, 1894 bound for Atka with 5 crewmen aboard. The following are excerpts from the wreck report submitted by James Ramsey, master and owner of the Two Brothers:
“Unalaska Island, SE side Constantine Bay, Alaska” “Gale, sails carried away” “About 60 miles an hour, cloudy overcast, and very heavy sea” “Carried sail and tried to beat to sea when sails carried away, drifted to lee shore” “Stranded”
The Two Brothers was valued at $1,000. She was carrying 10 tons of ships stores worth $700. The vessel was a total loss and $250 worth of the ships stores was lost. There was no loss of life and no insurance.
Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 53 57 N 166 25 W Chart 16520
Additional Information: Tonnage 10.27, Length 36.3, Breadth 12.5, Depth 5.4, Built 1881 at Kodiak, Registered Sand Point, ON 145379, Master and owner James Ramsey of Unga
Source: U S Customs Wreck Report August 25, 1894 at Unalaska