Maritime Expert Investigates Possible 19th-Century Shipwreck in Nantucket

Inspection of Newly Exposed Shipwreck Remains

A maritime expert visited a Nantucket beach to examine wooden beams uncovered by a recent nor’easter. These weathered timbers may be part of a 19th-century shipwreck buried under the island’s southern shore. The Egan Maritime Institute’s exhibits and collections manager will survey the site and send a report to state underwater archaeologists to identify the vessel.

The timbers, held together by rusted iron, were discovered near previous remains of Warren Sawyer, a schooner that was lost in 1884. Officials from Egan Maritime Institute, which manages the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, stated that the wreckage’s identity is not yet confirmed.

Impact of Nor’easter on Northeast Coastline

The slow-moving storm battered the Northeast coast with heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous surf. It flooded communities from New Jersey to New England and left over 100,000 without power. In Massachusetts, several boats washed ashore, and there were concerns about coastal erosion due to waves crashing onto beaches and seawalls.

History of the Warren Sawyer Shipwreck

According to the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, the Warren Sawyer ran aground on December 22, 1884, while carrying cotton and scrap iron from New Orleans to Boston. The crew was rescued, and 700 bales of cotton were saved using skids and oxen teams. A subsequent storm on January 6, 1885, scattered the hull and cargo across the beach. Remains continue to surface over a century later.

Jason Graziadei, editor of the Nantucket Current, visited the beach with his son after hearing about the wreckage. They found the beams on a drive-on beach near the town’s wastewater facility, known as “Sewer Beds.” Graziadei remarked on the irony of the wreckage being beneath a popular summer beach route.

Preservation Concerns and Historical Context

State archaeologists examined a section of the hull in late 2022, believed to be from Warren Sawyer. Another section emerged in early 2023 but was buried again before documentation.

Nantucket is known as part of the “graveyards of the Atlantic,” with over 750 estimated wrecks. In 2022, a team identified a World War I-era fishing boat wreck off Nantucket’s coast. The institute advises visitors not to disturb the newly exposed remains, as Massachusetts law protects underwater archaeological resources.

The Inquirer and Mirror newspaper’s 1945 account describes the rescue from Warren Sawyer: Patrolman Eugene Clisby saw the schooner’s lights in the raging surf. Captain Veeder shot a line over the ship, aiming to avoid hitting anyone. Patrolman Williams secured a line, and sailors crossed sea-washed decks. The life savers worked tirelessly, ensuring all were safely landed by morning.