Famous Ships and Boats

In history, movies, books, on exhibit

War ships, ship tragedies, steam ships, yachts, and more

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München, MS — German LASH carrier (cargo ship)
Sank with with 28 crew in a severe storm, probably due to rogue waves and featured in several television documentaries. A court case regarding the loss of cargo in this tragedy set a legal precedent used in many legal textbooks illustrating the administration of the Uniform Commercial Code. LAUNCHED: 1972, May 18 → FATE: Sank in the North Atlantic December 1978.

Maersk Alabama, MV — American container ship
Its hijacking by pirates near Somalia in 2009 was followed by the rescue of its crew. A second unsuccessful hijacking that year and several in 2011 were attempted. The hijacking was the subject of the movie Captain Phillips starring Tom Hanks. LAUNCHED: 1998, launched as Alva Maersk → FATE: Still in service.

Maggie — British Clyde puffer cargo ship
Appeared in the movie The Maggie which was released in the U.S. titled High and Dry. The story is about a clash of cultures between a hard-driving American businessman and a wily Scottish captain. LAUNCHED: 1954, movie release; boat origin unknown → FATE: Inconclusive.

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Maine, USS — American battleship
Its sinking precipitated the Spanish-American War. Sent to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt against Spain, she exploded without warning and sank, killing 274 men. LAUNCHED: 1889, November 18 → FATE: Sank in the Havana Harbor February 15, 1898.

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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.

Maltese Falcon — American full-rigged luxury yacht; now owned by a Englishman
The largest full-rigged luxury yacht in the world. She has 5 square sails on each of 3 masts that can be fully unfurled in 6 minutes. Some claim the Eos is larger. LAUNCHED: 2006 → FATE: Still in service.

Marine Electric — American bulk carrier
Her sinking resulted in some of the most important maritime reforms in the 20th century. The tragedy, with the loss of 34 crew, resulted in better inspection standards, mandatory survival suits for winter North Atlantic runs, and creation of the Coast Guard's Aviation Survival Technician program. LAUNCHED: 1944, May 2 → FATE: Sank February 12, 1983 about 30 miles off the coast of Virginia.

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Mars — Swedish three masted warship
One of the largest warships at the time and the first ship to sink another ship with gunfire. The shipwreck was found by a team of divers north of the island Oland August 19, 2011. LAUNCHED: 1564 → FATE: Caught fire and exploded during the First Battle of Oland, May 31, 1564.

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.

Mary Deare — American steamship; actually a 28 foot model.
A fictional ship in the movie The Wreck of the Mary Deare. The movie was based upon the novel of the same name written by Hammond Innes. LAUNCHED: 1959, November 6, film release → FATE: Inconclusive.

Mary Rose — English carrack-type warship
One of the earliest ships built for war sporting the innovation of gun ports. The wreck of the Mary Rose was rediscovered in 1971 and salvaged in 1982. LAUNCHED: 1512 → FATE: Sank in the straits north of the Isle of Wight, 1545.

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.

Massachusetts, USS — American South Dakota class battleship
Has the distinction of having fired the US Navy's first and last 16-in shells of the World War II. Despite being used as a parts cache to get the Iowa-class battleships back in service, Massachusetts was designated a National Historical Landmark a 14 January 1986. LAUNCHED: 1941, June 18 → FATE: Became a in museum ship at Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts June, 1965.

Matthew — English caravel
Sailed by John Cabot, first European to reach North America. Apparently, she was a small ship of fifty tons carrying twenty men and food for seven or eight months. LAUNCHED: 1496, or earlier; replica launched 1996 → FATE: Original ship, unknown; replica on display at M Shed Museum, Bristol, England.

Mauretania, RMS — British ocean liner
At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world. She made an eastbound transatlantic crossing with a long-standing record average speed of 23.7 knots. She served as a hospital ship and troop ship in World War I. LAUNCHED: 1906, September 18 → FATE: Scrapped in 1934.

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Maxim Gorky — Russian cruise ship
Portrayed the fictional SS Britannic in the filming of Juggernaut in 1974. She was sold to a Russian company in 1974. The hard luck ship hit an ice floe while on a cruise and nearly sank in 1989. LAUNCHED: 1968, February 18 → FATE: Beached and scrapped in India February of 2009.

Mayflower — English galleon
Transported the English Pilgrims from England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. The ocean crossing took 66 days. A second ship called the Mayflower made a voyage from London to Plymouth Colony in 1629. LAUNCHED: 1607, about → FATE: Sold and taken apart in May of 1624.

Mayflower, USS (PY-1) — American yacht
She served as a private yacht, merchant ship, presidential yacht, and warship in 3 wars. She had many owners, as well serving as a presidential yacht 1905-1929. She was finally purchased by Israel in 1950 and renamed INS Ma'oz. LAUNCHED: 1896 → FATE: Broken up in 1955.

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Medusa — French frigate
Most famous sea disaster of the nineteenth century. After hitting a shoal, most of the 400 passengers were evacuated while 151 men took refuge on an improvised raft. After 13 days at sea, the raft was discovered with only 15 men still alive. The raft carrying people was the subject of a famous painting, The Raft of the Medusa by French artist Théodore Géricault. LAUNCHED: 1810 → FATE: Beached on Bank of Arguin in 1817.

Medusa, HMS — British Harbour defence motor launch
She served at D-Day as a Navigation Leader, marking German minefields to be cleared by minesweepers, and then staying at the entrance of the cleared channel to direct parts of the invasion force. For more, see Museum Ships. LAUNCHED: 1943 → FATE: On exhibit at Gosport in England.

Merchant Royal — English merchant ship
Lost at sea with 18 men off Land's End, Cornwall, England, the ship is one of the richest sunken treasures. Lost were more than half million Spanish silver pesos, 500 bars of gold and ingots of silver, and hundreds of pieces of jewelry. LAUNCHED: 1627 → FATE: Sank in bad weather September 23, 1641.

Meredith Victory, SS — American cargo ship, freighter
The "Ship of Miracles" saved more than 14,000 refugees during the Korean War, the largest humanitarian rescue operation by a single ship. The ship was built to transport supplies and equipment overseas during World War II. LAUNCHED: 1945, June 18 → FATE: Broken up for scrap in China in 1993.

Mighty Servant 2 — American heavy lift ship, semi-submersible
Hauled the USS Samuel B. Roberts from Dubai to Newport, RI after the frigate struck a mine in the Persian Gulf. Along with sister ships Mighty Servant 1 and Mighty Servant 3, used mainly for moving oil drilling rigs. LAUNCHED: 1983 → FATE: Capsized near the Indonesian island of Singkep with loss of 5 crew November 2, 1999.

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Mikasa — Japanese pre-dreadnought battleship (British built)
The last remaining example of a pre-dreadnought battleship anywhere in the world. After the Russo-Japanese War, her magazine accidentally exploded and sank the ship. She was salvaged and repaired and then served in World War I. LAUNCHED: 1900, November 18 → FATE: She was preserved as a museum ship and later refurbished and is on exhibit in Mikasa Park, Yokosuka.

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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Mirny — Russian sloop-of-war
First to discover the continent of Antarctica and circumnavigated it twice. A medal was issued by the Russian Admiralty to commemorate the expedition as seen in "Another IMAGE". LAUNCHED: 1819 → FATE: Unknown.

Missouri, USS — American battleship
The site of the surrender of Japan which ended World War II. She was the last battleship built by the United States. LAUNCHED: 1944, January 18 → FATE: On exhibit near the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Monitor, USS — American ironclad warship
With CSS Virginia, first naval battle between two ironclad warships at the Battle of Hampton Roads. She had a rotating gun turret. LAUNCHED: 1862, January 18 → FATE: Sank on December 31, 1862.

Mont Blanc, SS — French cargo ship, freighter
The worst human-made disaster in Canadian history and was the world's largest human-made blast until the detonation of an atomic bomb in 1945, and known as Halifax Harbor. The collision with the Norwegian steamship SS Imo caused her ammunition cargo to exploded in Halifax Harbor, resulting ing 2000 killed, 9000 injuried, 13,630 homes wrecked, and 6000 left homeless LAUNCHED: 1899 → FATE: Blown to pieces December 6, 1917, after the collision.

Monte Carlo, SS — American concrete ship
She became a gambling and prostitution ship operating in international waters off the coast of Long Beach, California. In the 1930s, she was the largest of a fleet of ships making up Gambling Ship Row off the southern California. LAUNCHED: 1921, December → FATE: Wrecked during a storm in 1937, ending up on a San Diego beach where it remains.

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Morituri — German cargo ship
In the movie Morituri a freighter hauling rubber to Nazi Germany during WWII; starring Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner. The actual unnamed old German freighter was used for nearly all the film sequences. LAUNCHED: 1965, movie release → FATE: Inconclusive.

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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.

Moshulu — Scottish barque, four-masted
Famous through the books of Eric Newby such as The Last Grain Race, 1956. Between 1904 and 1914, under German ownership, Kurt shipped coal, nitrate, coal, and coke around the world. She appeared in several movies. LAUNCHED: 1904, April 18 → FATE: Currently a floating restaurant docked in Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Moskva — Russian guided missile cruiser
Flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and helped lead the naval assault during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defence said she sank after a fire caused a munitions explosion. LAUNCHED: 1979 → FATE: Sunk by Ukraine forces on April 14, 2022.

Mount Hood, USS — American ammunition ship
The ship and dozens of surrounding vessels were obliterated with over 370 casualties in a massive explosion. The ship's 3800 tons of ordnance produced a blast equivalent to a tactical nuclear weapon. LAUNCHED: 1943, November 28 → FATE: Exploded on November 10, 1944, at Seadler Harbor on Manus Island.

MTB 102 — British motor torpedo boat
The the fastest wartime British naval vessel in service at 48 knots and the smallest vessel to ever serve as a flagship for the Royal Navy. In 1944 she carried Winston Churchill and General Eisenhower to review the fleet for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, World War II. She appeared as herself in the 2017 war film Dunkirk. LAUNCHED: 1937 → FATE: On exhibit at Lowestlft, on the North Sea.

My AdyGil — New Zealand wave-piercing trimaran
Broke the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a motorized boat in 60 days 23 hours and 49 minutes. Participated in anti-whaling operations under the lead of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in the Southern Ocean. LAUNCHED: 2006, February 18 → FATE: Collided with a Japanese ship and sank on January 7, 2010.

Myron, SS — American wooden steamship, built as a lumber hooker
The wreck is protected as part of an underwater museum in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve. She defied the adage "Lake Superior seldom gives up her dead" when all 17 crew drifted ashore found frozen to death. The captain survived. LAUNCHED: 1888 → FATE: Sank to the end of Lake Superior during a storm on November 23, 1919.

The number of All Countries All Ships and Boats listed is 38

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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.	Maersk Alabama, MV (American container ship)
2.	Mars (Swedish three masted warship)
3.	Maxim Gorky (Russian cruise ship)
4.	Mikasa (Japanese pre-dreadnought battleship)
5.	Morro Castle, SS (American cruise ship)

All Countries All Ships and Boats
1.	Maersk Alabama, MV American container ship
2.	Maggie British Clyde puffer
3.	Maine, USS American battleship
4.	Majestic American paddle steamboat
5.	Maltese Falcon American full-rigged
6.	Marine Electric American bulk carrier
7.	Mars Swedish three masted warship
8.	Mary Celeste American brigantine
9.	Mary Deare American steamship
10.	Mary Rose English carrack-type
11.	Maryland Dove American merchant vessel
12.	Massachusetts, USS American South Dakota class battleship
13.	Matthew English caravel
14.	Mauretania, RMS British ocean liner
15.	Maxim Gorky Russian cruise ship
16.	Mayflower English galleon
17.	Mayflower, USS (PY-1) American yacht
18.	Medusa French frigate
19.	Medusa, HMS British Harbour defence motor launch
20.	Merchant Royal English merchant ship
21.	Meredith Victory, SS American cargo ship
22.	Mighty Servant 2 American heavy lift ship
23.	Mikasa Japanese pre-dreadnought battleship
24.	Minnow, S.S. American express cruiser
25.	Mirny Russian sloop-of-war
26.	Missouri, USS American battleship
27.	Monitor, USS American ironclad warship
28.	Mont Blanc, SS French cargo ship
29.	Monte Carlo, SS American concrete ship
30.	Morituri German cargo ship
31.	Morro Castle, SS American cruise ship
32.	Moshulu Scottish barque
33.	Moskva Russian guided missile cruiser
34.	Mount Hood, USS American ammunition ship
35.	MTB 102 British motor torpedo boat
36.	My AdyGil New Zealand wave-piercing
37.	Myron, SS American wooden steamship