Unknown or Uncharted Alaska Shipwrecks ( D )

DANNY BOY (1985)     The fishing vessel Danny Boy burned from an engine fire and sank January 1, 1985 off of Smith Island.

Mapping and Location: Alaska   Unknown

Comment: Multiple Smith Islands.  WG

Source: BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011)

 

DASHING WAVE (1920)     The 1,054 ton wood barge Dashing Wave stranded and was lost at Shelter Point, Vancouver Island, British Columbia at 3:39 a.m. Tuesday March 16, 1920.  She was carrying a cargo of general cannery supplies valued at $69,599.99 half of which was lost.  The Dashing Wave was valued at $15,000 and was a total loss.  What was left of her was towed ashore by the S S San Juan.  The Dashing Wave had left Seattle March 14, 1920 bound for Taku via Ketchikan with nine crew who all survived the casualty.

Mapping and Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Additional Information: Tonnage 1054 Gross 941 Net, Built 1853, Registered Port Townsend Washington, ON 6533, Master Ed Hilde of Taku, Owner Libby McNeil Libby of Seattle, Vessel Insurance none, Cargo Insurance $76,560.00

Source: U S Coast Guard Report of Casualty filed at Seattle

DEL NORTE (1868)     The 601 ton stern wheeler Del Norte was lost October 21, 1868 at Valdez according to the Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks.  Other records have this casualty at Porlier Pass, British Columbia.  A Boston news account mentions the steamer Del Norte was wrecked in the fog about 50 miles north of Victoria while traveling south from Sitka. There was no loss of life and most of the cargo and furniture were salvaged. The vessel was built in 1865 with an official number of 6515.

Mapping and Location: Unknown

Sources: 1. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks (1972) “Del Norte”, 2. Boston Daily Advertiser (October 27, 1868) “Disasters, etc.”

DIAMOND L (1915)     The small power schooner Diamond L was crushed in the ice and lost September 21, 1915 along the Siberian Coast.  The vessel had departed Nome for trading along the Siberian Coast.  The cargo had been confiscated by Russian authorities along with one of the crew.  The ice was unusually early and very heavy.

Mapping and Location: Siberian Coast

Source: The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg257

DISCOVERY (1991)     The 97 foot crab fishing vessel Discovery developed a starboard list, capsized and sank October 8, 1991 southwest of the Queen Charlotte Islands.  The vessel was on her way from Washington State to the Bering Sea with 130 crab pots on deck and five crewmembers on board.  Two of the three crab tanks of the Discovery were being kept pumped out during the trip north. Instability caused by the flooding of one or both of the empty tanks was thought to be the cause of the disaster. When the Discovery rolled to starboard and began to capsize, the crew abandoned ship in survival suits. The life raft self deployed and they swam to it. The entire crew was rescued October 19, 1991 by the fishing vessel Ocean Viking after surviving 11 days in the life raft. The May-Day broadcast by the crew of the Discovery was not heard and the EPIRB did not function after it was deployed. The crew was fortunate to have been discovered.

Mapping and Location: British Columbia

Additional Information: ON 596816

Sources: 1. Unofficial Shipwreck List (Kodiak), 2. BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011), 3. USCG MISLE Case # 934091

 

DOLCE VITA (2005)     The fishing vessel Dolce Vita was consumed by a fire that resulted from a shorted out coffee maker. The one person aboard made it to safety.

Mapping and Location: Alaska   Unknown

Source: Michael Burwell BOEM Shipwreck List additions (2013)

 

DOLPHIN (1914)     The 16 ton 45 foot gas screw fishing steamer Dolphin foundered at Active Pass on February 12, 1914.  The three persons aboard made it to safety.

Mapping and Location: Unknown probably British Columbia

Comment: The wreck location given in the 1914 Merchant Vessel Losses is Active Pass, Alaska.  The only Active Pass I am aware of is the narrow passage separating Mayne Island and Galiano Island in British Columbia.  WG

Additional Information: Tonnage 16 Gross 11 Net, Length 45, Breadth 12.1, Depth 4.1, Built 1907 at Tacoma WA, Registered Tacoma, ON 204794

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1914) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 428, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1913) Pg 154

DORA (1920)     The 320 ton wood steamer Dora stranded at Noble Island, British Columbia December 20, 1920 and was lost.  The crew of 29 survived the accident but the Dora, valued at $20,000 and her $30,000 cargo of general merchandise was lost.  The Dora had departed Seattle December 17 bound for Unga and way ports.

Mapping and Location: British Columbia

Additional Information: Tonnage 320 Gross 217 Net, Built 1880, Registration Port Townsend Washington, ON 157000, Master Fred A Hovick of Seattle, Owner Bering Sea Fisheries Co

Source: U S Coast Guard Report of Casualty filed at Seattle by Novick December 28, 1920

2 Replies to “Unknown or Uncharted Alaska Shipwrecks ( D )”

  1. I pulled up a plate from the Alaska steamship company off kayak island and was wondering if there was a shipwreck in the area

    1. There have been many wrecks around Kayak Island over the years, but I expect the plate you found was from a passing steamer not a sinking one. Some of the vessels from the steamer period that sank off Kayak are as follows: The bark Sea Ranger 1893, seal schooner Walter A Earl 1895, schooner William and John 1905, launch Meteor 1907, sloop barge Washington 1915, New England 1924 (carrying barrels of herring), barge Berg #1 1925 and fishing vessel Kanatak in 1929. There were also quite a few vessels lost off the south end of Wingham Island just below the now abandoned village of Kayak. There were many lives lost with these wrecks, 32 with the Walter A Earl alone. The wreck sites should be treated like accident scenes, accordingly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *