List of shipwrecks of Humboldt County, California

The list of shipwrecks of Humboldt County, California lists the ships which sank on or near the coast of Humboldt County from the Del Norte county line to the north, the marine area around Cape Mendocino and south to the Mendocino County line to the south, as well as within Humboldt Bay itself. If survivors or casualties arrived or were immediately taken to locations in the county, the ship was added to this list. The list includes ships later refloated and repaired.

The approach to Humboldt Bay is treacherous due to currents, winds and shifting sandbars. Jetties and harbor improvements reduced shipwrecks in the late 20th century.
See also: List of shipwrecks of California

1850 - 1875
  • Sea Gull ( United States), 26 February 1852. The steamer wrecked on a beach near the Humboldt Bar after losing power in a storm. There were no fatalities; all cargo and machinery were salvaged.[1]
  • Northerner ( United States), 6 January 1860. A paddle steamer that hit a rock off Centerville Beach. Thirty-eight of the 108 aboard died; some are buried in a mass grave at the site 39°57′29.43″N 124°11′2.26″W.[2][3]
  • Mary Ann ( United States), 1863. The Mary Ann was the primary tug in Humboldt Bay for many years. She wrecked in 1863 on the south spit of Humboldt Bay and subsequently refloated.[3]
  • Merrimac ( United States), 22 February 1863. The tug flipped over while trying to cross the bar with loss of all on board, estimated to be 18. She was refloated and repaired.[3]

1875 - 1900

1900 - 1910

1911 - 1920

1921 - 1950
  • Alaska ( United States, 6 August 1921. The ocean liner crashed into Blunt's Reef. The boilers exploded and she sank after only four lifeboats were released. There were 166 survivors – many plucked from the water by rescuers – and 42 dead and missing, of which only 17 bodies were recovered.[3][6] 40°26′54″N 124°28′0″W[4]
  • Brooklyn ( United States), 8 November 1931. Built in Gray's Harbor, Washington in 1901, the schooner capsized and broke in the entrance to Humboldt Bay with loss of eighteen lives. One survivor was found floating on a hatch cover miles away from the wreck.[3][12]40°49′0″N 124°11′40″W[4]

References
  1. "Battle Rock". Oregon Statesman (Oregon City, Oregon). Talky Tina Press. March 2, 1852. p. 2. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  2. "Loss of the Northerner.; History of the Vessel--Her Value and the Insurance". New York Times. 7 February 1860. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  3. Jim Gibbs (1957). Shipwrecks of the Pacific Coast. Binfords & Mort.
  4. California State Lands Commission Shipwreck Database, search "Humboldt" in County field
  5. Collaroy paddle-steamer; 356t. (1853-1884), four-masted barkentine (1885-1889) Archived 2015-05-18 at the Wayback Machine, Ross Beattie
  6. Jim Gibbs (1971). Disaster log of ships. Superior Pub. Co.
  7. GPO (1906). Annual Report of the United States Life-Saving Service for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1906. GPO.
  8. Jehl, Francis, Menlo Park reminiscences : written in Edison's restored Menlo Park laboratory, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Whitefish, Mass, Kessinger Publishing, 1 July 2002, page 564
  9. Promoting Edison's Lamp Lighting A Revolution, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., accessed November 24, 2013
  10. Kid, Ray E., Lighting the Steamship Columbia with Edison's First Commercial Light Plant, June 11, 1936, 5 pages, accessed November 24, 2013
  11. Dalton, Anthony A long, dangerous coastline : shipwreck tales from Alaska to California Heritage House Publishing Company, 1 Feb 2011 - 128 pages
  12. Carranco, Lynwood. "The Brooklyn Tragedy." Humboldt Historian, Humboldt County Historical Society, Eureka, California. September–October 1985
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