A Powerful Nor’easter Just Exposed a Possible 19th-Century Shipwreck on Nantucket
A powerful nor’easter uncovered a large section of wooden shipwreck along Nantucket’s south shore on September 26. The wreckage had been buried under sand before the storm exposed it.
Experts are still trying to figure out which ship it came from. One strong possibility is the Warren Sawyer, a schooner that wrecked on Nantucket in 1884.
Pieces believed to be from the Warren Sawyer have appeared in this part of the island before. According to Nantucket Current, experts have not confirmed that the new wreckage came from the same ship but think it is likely.
Nantucket has a long history of shipwrecks. The Egan Maritime Institute says more than 750 ships have wrecked in the waters around the island.
The Sand Has Exposed Wreckage Here Before
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A large section of a wooden ship appeared on Miacomet Beach in December 2022.
Massachusetts archaeologists later determined that the roughly 42-foot section was likely part of the Warren Sawyer’s lower bow. Another piece appeared in February 2023 about 1,000 feet away.
Egan Maritime said there was a strong probability that section was also from the Warren Sawyer. That piece was about 15 feet across. Shifting sand covered it again before state archaeologists could return to document it.
The editor of the Nantucket Current, Jason Graziadei, said in a radio interview, “Where the shipwreck became exposed is right at the area where you drive on with your car. So all summer, people had been literally driving over this spot where the shipwreck became exposed.”
The Warren Sawyer Wrecked In 1884
The Warren Sawyer ran aground on December 22, 1884, while traveling from New Orleans to Boston. According to Massachusetts archaeological records, it was carrying 1,115 bales of cotton and 28 tons of scrap iron.
The captain and seven crew members survived the wreck. Crews from the Surfside Life-Saving Station helped rescue them. The schooner stayed mostly intact on the beach for about two weeks. Nantucket residents recovered around 700 bales of cotton using skids and teams of oxen.
Another storm arrived on January 6, 1885. The ship broke apart, and pieces of its hull, cargo, and cordage were scattered across more than half a mile of beach.
Experts Haven’t Named This Wreck Yet
Experts traveled to Nantucket to examine the newly exposed wreckage. The Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources is involved in determining its origin.
The Egan Maritime Institute has also asked people not to disturb old wreckage when it appears on Nantucket’s beaches. Visitors should not step on the wood, move pieces, or take anything from the site.
