Famous Ships and Boats in History

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American Passenger Ships and Boats

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Albert M. Boe — American liberty ship
Last Liberty ship built. Though currently landlocked, she is still in use as the home of Trident Seafoods. The ship was withdrawn from the reserve fleet on 19 August 1964 and converted for use as the fish cannery ship Star of Kodiak. LAUNCHED: 1945, September 18 → FATE: Converted to a fish cannery ship in 1964.

American Queen — American river paddle steamboat; stern-wheeler
Largest steamboat ever built, as of 2012. In 2012 she participated for the first time in the Great Steamboat Race and came in second. LAUNCHED: 1995 → FATE: Still in operation on the Mississippi River.

Ancon, SS — American steamship
First ship to officially transit the Panama Canal on August, 15 1914. (Sister ship Cristobal made the first unofficial transit on August 3, 1914). She was acquired by the US Navy from the US Army for troop transport just after the end of World War I. LAUNCHED: 1902 → FATE: As the USS Ancon (ID-1467), she was decommissioned on July 25, 1919.

Ariel — English clipper ship
Famous for almost winning The Great Tea Race of 1866, an unofficial race between Fuzhou, China and London. On September 6, 1866, the Taeping docked twenty minutes ahead of Ariel. LAUNCHED: 1865 → FATE: Went missing in early 1872.

Belle of Louisville — American steamboat, paddle, stern-wheeler
Oldest continually operating river steamboat in the United States. She competes every year in the Kentucky Derby Festival event The Great Steamboat Race. LAUNCHED: 1914 → FATE: Restored in 1964, still in use at Louisville, Kentucky.

Buford, USAT — American cargo/passenger ship
Used to deport 249 non-citizens of the U.S. to Russia because of their alleged anarchist political beliefs; nicknamed the Soviet Ark.. In 1906, rescued over 600 passengers and crew from the SS Mongolia. In 1921, rescued 65 passengers and crew from the inferno of the Japanese steam freighter Tokuyo Maru. Used by Buster Keaton for his film The Navigator. LAUNCHED: 1890, August 29 → FATE: Scrapped in late 1929.

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Central America, SS — American paddle steamboat, stern-wheeler; three-masted
Sank in a hurricane in 1857, along with 400 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds of gold. She operated between Central America and the eastern coast of the United States during the 1850s. LAUNCHED: 1852, October 18 → FATE: Sank on September 12, 1857 about 160 miles east of Cape Hattera.

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Clermont — American river steamboat
First enduring and financially successful steamboat, running on the Hudson River. She was never known as Clermont at the time, but North River Steamboat. After it was lengthened and refitted in 1808 at Clermont, NY, it was named the North River. LAUNCHED: 1807, August 18 → FATE: Retired in 1814, then scrapped.

Constitution, SS — American ocean liner
Because of her post-war modernity, the ship was featured in the 1957 movie An Affair to Remember and in several TV series, such as the situation comedy I Love Lucy. She and her sister-ship, SS Independence, were innovative ocean liners with an informal, yet luxurious, atmosphere uncommon in passenger ships prior to World War II. LAUNCHED: 1950, September 18 → FATE: Sank November 17, 1997 while under tow to be scrapped north of the Hawaiian Islands. Sister-ship, SS Indepedence, suffered a worst demise.

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Eastland, SS — American steamship, passenger
Largest loss of life from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes. On the morning of July 24, 1915, the ship, being top-heavy, rolled over while docked in the Chicago River, killing 844 passengers and crew. LAUNCHED: 1903, May 18 → FATE: Sunk on July 24, 1915; raised, converted to a gunboat, renamed USS Wilmette February, 1918; sold for scrap in October of 1946.

Eureka — American paddle steamboat, stern-wheeler, ferry
The largest wooden passenger ferry ever built, certified to carry 3,500 people. She was the last example of the fleet of ferry boats carrying passengers and vehicles across the San Francisco Bay. LAUNCHED: 1890 → FATE: Preserved at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

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Exodus 1947 — American packet steamer
The ship carried 4,500 Jewish immigrants from France to British Mandatory Palestine on July 11, 1947. The incident was the topic of the 1960 movie Exodus.. Until 1942, she carried passengers and freight between Norfolk, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland. LAUNCHED: 1928 → FATE: After efforts to restore her, a fire destroyed her in 1952 while tied up in Haifa. The wreck was towed out past the ship lanes and scuttled. Two later attempts to raise her for salvage failed.

Flying Cloud — American clipper ship
The most famous clipper ship, she set a world record (until 1989) for the fastest passage from New York to San Francisco in 89 days, more than 16,000 miles. The ship's navigator was a woman, Eleanor Creesy wife of Josiah Perkins Creesy who skippered Flying Cloud. LAUNCHED: 1851 → FATE: Went aground at Saint John, New Brunswick June 19, 1874.

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General Slocum — American river paddle steamboat, side-wheeler
Caught fire and burned to the water line in New York's East River on June 15, 1904 killing 1,021 people. She was named after Major General Henry Warner Slocum, 1827-94. LAUNCHED: 1891, April 18 → FATE: The remains were recovered and converted into a barge, which sank in a storm in 1911.

Great Republic — American clipper, four-masted
The largest wooden clipper ship ever constructed, requiring 1,500,000 feet of pine, 336½ tons of iron, and 56 tons of copper. In 1853, fire sank her; but she was salvaged and rebuilt as a three deck vessel and went on to set transatlantic speed records. LAUNCHED: 1853, October 18 → FATE: Abandoned during a hurricane off Bermuda March 5, 1872.

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Kalakala — American ferry
The first streamlined ferry with Art Deco styling and luxurious amenities served in Puget Sound from 1935 to 1967. From 1926 to 1933, she sailed as the ferry Peralta; after a fire, the superstructure was rebuilt in modern style. LAUNCHED: 1926, April as Peralta; relaunch 1934 → FATE: Moored at Tacoma, Washington.

Liberté, SS — German ocean liner; then American war prize; then French owned
Featured prominently in the movie The French Line, starring Jane Russell. She was taken as a US war prize at the end of World War II, then used to transport US servicemen back to the states, and finally turned over to the French as war reparations. LAUNCHED: 1928, August 18 → FATE: Retired in 1961 and scrapped in 1962.

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Majestic — American paddle steamboat, stern-wheeler showboat
The last of the original traveling showboats. Now the riverboat is a venue for comedies and musicals. LAUNCHED: 1920 → FATE: Currently docked at the Cincinnati Public Landing in Ohio.

Mary Celeste — American brigantine
The "ghost ship" found near the Strait of Gibraltar abandoned by its seven crew members in 1872. The popular mystery of the ship began with Arthur Conan Doyle's story in 1884, about a derelict ship which he called Marie Celeste. LAUNCHED: 1860 → FATE: Intentionally scuttled in January of 1885.

Maryland Dove — American merchant vessel
Replica of the Dove, one of two early 17th-century English ship that, in 1634, brought the first settlers to what is now Maryland. The original Dove was the smaller of the two ship, used in shallow waterways along the coast. The accompanied ship with 140 passengers was the Ark. LAUNCHED: 1978, August 18 → FATE: On exhibit at Historic St. Mary's City and occasionally other ports.

Minnow, S.S. — American express cruiser
A fictional charter boat on the hit 1960s television sitcom Gilligan's Island. There were actually four different boats used on the show. (See Original S.S. Minnow Found for more.) LAUNCHED: 1964, for the TV series → FATE: Series ended in 1967.

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Morro Castle, SS — American cruise ship
A devastating fire aboard ship that killed 137 resulted in greater fire safety on newer ships. The burnt ship ended up at Asbury Park, NJ, where it became a tourist attraction. The tragedy resulted in the establishment of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. LAUNCHED: 1930, August 18 → FATE: Beached on September 8, 1934, scrapped March 29, 1935.

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Normac, MS — American fire tug, later a ferry
Used as Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant, a floating restaurant in Toronto Harbour, from 1969-1981. She sank after being severely damaged when the ferry Trillium struck her in 1981. She was raised in 1986 and again refurbished as a restaurant as seen in "Another IMAGE". LAUNCHED: 1902 → FATE: Currently a floating restaurant in Toronto, Ontario.

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Pacific Princess — American cruise ship
The ship featured in the TV series Love Boat from 1977 to 1986. In 1998 the Pacific Princess was impounded by police in Piraeus, Greece after 25 kg of heroin was found on board. LAUNCHED: 1970, May 18 → FATE: Sold to be scrapped in March of 2012.

Portland, PS — American sidewheel steamer
Known as the "Titanic of New England" and considered New England's worst maritime disaster, she went down with an estimated 192-245 passengers and crew. The storm that sank her, killed more than 400 persons and sank more than 150 other boats and ships. LAUNCHED: 1889 → FATE: Sank in the Portland Gale off of Cape Ann November 27, 1898.

President — American steamboat
The last original "Western Rivers" style side-wheel river excursion steamboat in the United States and the second riverboat casino in modern times. In the 1950s and 1960s, she berthed in New Orleans for many years as a popular music venue featuring concerts by national acts; in 1990 she was converted into a floating casino. LAUNCHED: 1924 → FATE: In 2007 she was disassembled and moved in pieces to St. Elmo, Illinois where she may be re-assembled as a non-floating tourist attraction and hotel.

River Queen — American sidewheel steamer
Closely associated with President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant while operating on the Potomac River during the American Civil War. In March 1865, Abraham Lincoln met with his generals aboard the River Queen to discuss strategy for the end of the Civil War. LAUNCHED: 1864 → FATE: Burn to the water line in 1911, July

Saluda — American river paddle steamboat, side-wheeler
Worst river steamboat accident in US; a tragedy for the Mormon Church. Over 100 passengers out of 175 were killed, including 28 Mormons. There were several dozen survivors. LAUNCHED: 1846, (sunk in 1847, raised and repaired) → FATE: Boilers exploded and destroyed the boat on the Missouri River near Lexington, Missouri, she sank April 9, 1852.

San Capador, SS — American cruise ship
Backdrop for the movie Captain Hates the Sea, a 1934 comedy film showing a series of intertwining stories involving the passengers on a cruise ship. The exterior footage of the ship would be seen again in the Three Stooges short Dunked in the Deep. LAUNCHED: 1934, movie release → FATE: Inconclusive.

Santana — American commuter yacht
The boat in the 1948 movie Key Largo, starring Humphrey Bogart. The boat used in the movie, with Bogart's character at the helm, was the name of Bogart's personal sailing yacht. LAUNCHED: 1926, probably → FATE: Unknown.

Sea Wing — American paddle steamer
One of the worst maritime disasters that has occurred on the upper Mississippi River with 98 passengers drowned. Shortly after leaving Lake City on the excursion return trip, a violent storm broke and capsizing the steamer. LAUNCHED: 1888 → FATE: Sunk in July 13, 1890. Later recovered and rebuilt.

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Seaborn Legend — American cruise ship
The ship in the movie Speed 2: Cruise Control; starring Sandra Bullock. The plot has a couple on vacation to the Caribbean aboard a luxury cruise ship which is hijacked by a villain. LAUNCHED: 1997, for movie relase; ship launched in 1991. → FATE: Ship is still in service as Star Legend.

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Star Princess — Italian cruise ship; American-British owned
Fire amidship produced smoke, killing one passenger and injuring 13 others. With the fire initiated, highly combustible polycarbonate partitions, polyurethane deck tiles, and the plastic furniture produced large amounts of thick black smoke. LAUNCHED: 2001, May 18 → FATE: Damage repaired and still in service.

Staten Island Ferry — American passenger ferry boats
A fleet of eight ferry boats sailing free of charge between Manhattan and Staten Island in New York. On October 15, 2003, the Andrew J. Barberi collided with a pier killing eleven people and injuring many others; NYC's deadliest mass-transit incident in 50 years. LAUNCHED: 1819 → FATE: Still in service.

Sultana, SS — American paddle steamboat, stern-wheeler
Tragically collided with the SS Narragansett. An estimated 1,800 of 2,400 passengers were killed when the ship's boilers exploded, earning her the appellation "Titanic of the Mississippi." LAUNCHED: 1863 → FATE: Sank April 27, 1865.

United States, SS — American ocean liner (steamship)
The fastest liner ever built; virtually no wood used in her construction. On her maiden voyage she captured the Blue Riband with the fastest transatlantic crossing on record in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 knots. LAUNCHED: 1951, June 18 → FATE: As of February 7, 2012, work has begun on the restoration project to prepare the ship for her eventual rebuild.

Valencia, SS — American passenger steamboat (steamship)
Consider the worst maritime disaster in the Graveyard of the Pacific, a treacherous area off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 27 years after her sinking, one of her life rafts was found floating peacefully in nearby Barkley Sound. LAUNCHED: 1882, May → FATE: Wrecked January 22, 1906.

Vandenberg, USAFS — American transport ship
Second-largest artificial reef in the world, after the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. She transported troops in World War II. In 1998, she was featured in the film Virus as the Russian research ship Akademik Vladislav Volkov. LAUNCHED: 1943, October → FATE: Sank May 27, 2009, six miles off the Florida Keys.

Walk-in-the-Water — American paddle steamboat, stern-wheeler with two masts
First steamboat on Lake Erie and the eastern Great Lakes. Two large paddle boxes amidship housed her paddle wheels. LAUNCHED: 1818, August 23, first voyage → FATE: Grounded on the beach south of Buffalo, NY, October 31, 1821.

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Winfield Scott, SS — American paddle steamer
A sidewheel steamer that transported passengers and cargo between San Francisco and Panama in the early 1850s, during the California Gold Rush. She has been the object of numerous salvage operations since the crash and currently rests underwater as part of the Channel Islands National Park. LAUNCHED: 1850, October 5 → FATE: During a foggy night, crashed on Anacapa Island December 2, 1853.

Yarmouth Castle, SS — American cruise ship
Fire left 90 of 552 on board died. Her loss lead to the Safety of Life at Sea law. During World War II, she served as a troop ship and hospital ship in the Pacific. LAUNCHED: 1927 → FATE: Sunk in a blaze on the way to Nassau November 13, 1965.

The number of American Passenger Ships and Boats listed is 41

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For a full list of all ships, select HERE

First Ship on each page
Page	Ship Name (Country and Type)
1.	American Queen (American river paddle steamboat)
2.	Clermont (American steamboat)
3.	Kalakala (American ferry)
4.	Pacific Princess (American cruise ship)
5.	Seaborn Legend (American cruise ship)
6.	Winfield Scott, SS (American paddle steamer)

American Passenger Ships and Boats
1.	American Queen American river paddle steamboat
2.	Ancon, SS American steamship
3.	Ariel English clipper ship
4.	Belle of Louisville American steamboat
5.	Buford, USAT American cargo
6.	Central America, SS American paddle steamboat
7.	Clermont American steamboat
8.	Constitution, SS American ocean liner
9.	Eastland, SS American steamship
10.	Eureka American paddle steamboat
11.	Exodus 1947 American packet steamer
12.	Flying Cloud American clipper
13.	General Slocum American river paddle steamboat
14.	Great Republic American clipper
15.	Kalakala American ferry
16.	Liberté, SS German ocean liner
17.	Majestic American paddle steamboat
18.	Mary Celeste American brigantine
19.	Maryland Dove American merchant vessel
20.	Minnow, S.S. American express cruiser
21.	Morro Castle, SS American cruise ship
22.	Normac, MS American ferry
23.	Pacific Princess American cruise ship
24.	Portland, PS American sidewheel steamer
25.	President American steamboat
26.	River Queen American sidewheel steamer
27.	Saluda American river paddle steamboat
28.	San Capador, SS American cruise ship
29.	Santana American commuter yacht
30.	Sea Wing American paddle steamer
31.	Seaborn Legend American cruise ship
32.	Star Princess Italian cruise ship
33.	Staten Island Ferry American passenger ferry
34.	Sultana, SS American paddle steamboat
35.	United States, SS American ocean liner
36.	Valencia, SS American passenger steamboat
37.	Vandenberg, USAFS American transport ship
38.	Walk-in-the-Water American paddle steamboat
39.	Winfield Scott, SS American paddle steamer
40.	Yarmouth Castle, SS American cruise ship

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American Passenger Ships and Boats