Famous Ships and Boats

In history, movies, books, on exhibit

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

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Valbanera, SS — Scotish, then Spanish passenger steamship
Notable because of the mystery surrounding her disappearance during a hurricane. More than 480 passengers and crew were lost. Two empty lifeboats and the ships mast marked the spot where the ship sank. LAUNCHED: 1906 → FATE: Sank in a hurricane off Key West September of 1919.

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.

Vanguard, HMS — English ship of the line, 74-gun third-rate
The flag ship of Horatio Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, 1798. Prince Alberto of Naples and Sicily, part of a royal entourage on board fleeing from Naples and the French, died on board. LAUNCHED: 1787, March 18 → FATE: Broken up in 1821.

Vasa — Swedish wooden warship
One of Sweden's most popular tourist attractions and a widely recognized symbol of the Swedish 'great power period'. During the 1961 recovery, thousands of artifacts and the remains of at least 15 people were found in and around the hull of the Vasa by marine archaeologists. LAUNCHED: 1627 → FATE: Sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 near Södermalm; salvaged in 1961 and now on display in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm.

Venturer, HMS — British V-class submarine
First time in naval warfare that one submarine stalked and sank another while both were submerged. Based on Enigma decrypts, she sought out and destroyed the German submarine U-864 in the Fedje area, February 9, 1945. LAUNCHED: 1943, May 4 → FATE: She was sold to Norway and renamed HNoMS Utstein. She was scrapped and broken up in 1964.

Vestris, SS — British passenger steamship
The ship sank taking more passengers to their death than crew. 60 of 128 passengers survived, 155 of 198 crew survived. None of 13 children and only 8 of 33 women survived. LAUNCHED: 1912, May → FATE: Sank November 12, 1928.

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Victoria — Spanish carrack or nao
First ship to circumnavigate the world — August, 1519 to September of 1522; a total of 42,000 miles. Captain Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Phillipines; another four ships were lost along the way. LAUNCHED: 1518, about → FATE: 1522 or soon after.

Victoria and Albert, HMY — British royal yacht; twin-paddle steamer
First steam powered royal yacht built in Britain. The Queen and Prince Albert loved cruising around the coast of England. The yacht was renamed Osborne after the launch of HMY Victoria and Albert II January 16, 1855. LAUNCHED: 1843, April 25 → FATE: Scrapped, 1868.

Victory, HMS — English first-rate ship of the line (Galleon)
Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. She was refitted and repainted in 1800-1803, almost broken up in 1831, fitted up as a Naval School 1889, retired in 1904, and eventually restored. LAUNCHED: 1765, May 18 → FATE: Being restored at the HMNB, Portsmouth, England.

Ville de Nancy — American sloop of war
Fictious ship in the movie Passageto Marseille, set during World War II and starring Humphrey Bogart. For the movie, Warner Bros. built a full-scale Merchant Marine ship modeled after the French ship Ville de Nancy. LAUNCHED: 1940 → FATE: Inconclusive.

Ville de Paris — French ship of the line, large three-decker
The flagship of the Comte de Grasse during the American Revolutionary War and the Siege of Yorktown. A ship of the line of the Royal Navy was named after her, HMS Ville de Paris, and launched in 1795. LAUNCHED: 1764 → FATE: Sank in September 1782 with other ships in a Central Atlantic hurricane.

Vincennes, USS — American sloop of war
First U.S. ship to circumnavigate the globe. She was the flagship for the U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838. LAUNCHED: 1826 → FATE: Sold in October of 1867 at Boston, Massachusetts; fate unknown.

Virginia, CSS — Americant Confederat ironclad warship
With USS Monitor, first naval battle between ironclad warships at the Battle of Hampton Roads. She was converted to an ironclad from a steam frigate. LAUNCHED: 1862, February → FATE: Destroyed by crew May 11, 1862.

(Another )

Vital Spark — British Clyde puffer cargo ship
Star of the book series and British TV comedy series, The Vital Spark about the adventures of the boat captain and his crew. The BBC Scotland TV program The Vital Spark (1959-1974 series) was set in the western isles of Scotland in the 1930s, based on the books by Neil Munro LAUNCHED: 1931, book published; 1959 for the start of TV series; boat built in 1943 → FATE: The boat is to be restored as a tourist attraction with the Inveraray Maritime Museum.

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(Another )

Vrouw Maria — Dutch merchant ship, wooden two-masted
Treasure ship that went down with great artworks and jewelry for Catherine the Great. After its discovery in 1999, a Vrouw Maria Maritime Museum was established in Helsinki, Finland. LAUNCHED: 1770, circa → FATE: Sank October 3, 1771.

Vulcan — Scottish barge
The original barge was the first all iron-hulled vessel to be built; the replica was the last Scottish vessel built using traditional riveting techniques. The iron canal boat named Trial, built by John Wilkinson in 1787, was not all iron. In 1988, a replica of the Vulcan was constructed. LAUNCHED: 1819, original ship; replica, 1985 → FATE: The original was sold for scrap 1873; the replica now sits decaying at Coatbridge, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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.

Wanderer — American whaling ship
Last American whaling ship. The mast of the Wanderer stands as a flagpole in Boston Navy Yard, a few feet from where it was built. LAUNCHED: 1878 → FATE: Lost in a storm near Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, on August 26, 1924.

Wanderer — American yacht
The boat in the 1992 comedy movie Captain Ron; starring Kurt Russell and Martin Short. The movie received mostly negative reviews. LAUNCHED: 1992 → FATE: Inconclusive.

Waratah, SS — Australian steamship
Known as the Australia's Titanic, she disappeared en route with 211 passengers and crew aboard. To this day, no trace of the ship has been found. LAUNCHED: 1908, October → FATE: Disappeared without trace south of Durban, July of 1909.

Warrior, HMS — British warship
First British iron-hulled, armour-plated warship. She was the largest, fastest, most heavily armed and armored warship up to that time. LAUNCHED: 1860, December 18 → FATE: Currently berthed in Portsmouth, England as a museum.

We're Here — American Schooner
The fictional ship in the book and movie Captain Couraeous. Based on the 1897 book by Rudyard Kipling, it's a story of a boy and his adventures aboard a the ship. LAUNCHED: 1937 → FATE: Inconclusive.

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(Another )

Western Flyer — American fishing boat
Known for its use by John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts in their 1940 expedition to the Gulf of California.. After Steinbeck's voyage, the ship was returned to commercial fishing, harvesting sardines, perch, and crab. Twice in 2012 the boat sprang leaks and sank and refloated each time. LAUNCHED: 1937, July 3 → FATE: Being restored to its historic glory by the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op.

Whydah Gally — British sailing ship, square rigged three-masted
Flagship of the pirate "Black Sam" Bellamy. The wreck was found in 1984. Artifacts from the wreck are on display at The Whydah Pirate Museum in Provincetown, Massachusetts. LAUNCHED: 1715 → FATE: Sank in a violent storm April 26, 1717.

Wilhelm Bauer — German submarine, Type XXI
One of several captured World War II Type XXI U-boats designed to operate primarily submerged. She is the only floating example of a this type of U-boat. LAUNCHED: 1945, January → FATE: Scuttled May 4, 1945; raised, June 1957; museum ship as of April 1984 at Bremerhaven, Germany.

Wilhelm Gustloff, MV — German purpose-built cruise ship used as a hospital ship and troop ship in World War II
Greatest ship disaster in recorded maritime history with an estimated 9,400 people were killed in the sinking. It was sunk by a Soviet submarine while participating in the evacuation of civilians, military personnel, and Nazi officials who were surrounded by the Red Army in East Prussia. LAUNCHED: 1937, May → FATE: Torpedoed in the Baltic Sea January 30, 1945.

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.

Wolf, SMS — German merchant raider
Armed merchant raider of the German Navy in World War I and World War II. Not a fast ship, Wolf's advantage was deception, such as changing her appearance with fake funnels and masts, and false sides which kept her weapons hidden. LAUNCHED: 1913, March 18 → FATE: Out of service February, 1918; scrapped in 1931.

World is not Enough — American super yacht
Fastest yacht in the world. She cruises at 50 knots and can reach speeds of up to 70 knots. LAUNCHED: 2005 → FATE: Still in use.

Wyoming — American six-masted schooner
The largest known wooden ship ever built. Because of her length she tended to flex in heavy seas causing the long planks to twist and buckle, allowing water to seep into the hold. LAUNCHED: 1909, December 15 → FATE: Foundered in a storm in 1924 and sank off the coast of Cape Cod with the loss of all 14 crewmen.

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X-craft submarine — American miniature submarine
Deployed September, 1943 against German warships based in Norway. These midget subs would be towed to their target area by a full-size submarine. Of the 20 built, seven were lost, 12 scuttled or scrapped. LAUNCHED: 1943 → FATE: Only one has survive and is on display at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum.

Yamato — Japanese battleship
The largest, heaviest, and most powerful battleships ever constructed. She was the flagship of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto during World War II. LAUNCHED: 1940, August 18 → FATE: Sunk north of Okinawa April 7, 1945.

Yamato 1 — Japanese experimental ship
She used magnetohydrodynamic drive s (MHDDs) driven by liquid helium-cooled superconductors . The ship, which had no moving parts, was successfully operated in Kobe harbor in June 1992. LAUNCHED: 1991 → FATE: She was on display at the Kobe Maritime Museum but was demolished in 2016.

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.

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Zheng He's fleet — Chinese treasure ship
The fleet's voyages came before most of the famous European voyages of discovery. Zheng He's seven expeditions were designed to establish a Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean and control trade. The ships dwarfed European ships of that century. LAUNCHED: 1405, first voyage → FATE: Last voyage, 1430.

Zong — British square rigger slave ship
Infamous for the 1781 massacre of 132 sick and dying slaves thrown overboard so the ship's owners could collect on their cargo insurance. The Zong had been a Dutch vessel the Zorgue seized by the British in 1781 off West Africa, along with 244 Africans on board. LAUNCHED: 1776, or ealier → FATE: Unknown.

Zoroaster — Swedish oil tanker
The first successful oil tanker, carrying the kerosene cargo in two iron tanks in her hull instead of many separate wooden casks. She was built by Ludwig Nobel, brother of Alfred who created The Nobel Prize. LAUNCHED: 1878 → FATE: Unknown.

Zumwalt, USS — American guided missile destroyer
Designed with stealth capabilities, having a radar cross-section akin to a fishing boat. Commanding officer is Captain James A. Kirk, coincidentially the same as the Star Trek captain. LAUNCHED: 2013, October → FATE: Currently at sea.

The number of All Countries All Ships and Boats listed is 39

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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.	Valencia, SS (American passenger steamboat)
2.	Victoria (Spanish carrack or nao)
3.	Vrouw Maria (Dutch merchant ship)
4.	Western Flyer (American fishing boat)
5.	X-craft submarine (American miniature submarine)

All Countries All Ships and Boats
1.	Valencia, SS American passenger steamboat
2.	Vandenberg, USAFS American transport ship
3.	Vanguard, HMS English ship of the line
4.	Vasa Swedish wooden warship
5.	Venturer, HMS British V-class submarine
6.	Vestris, SS British passenger steamship
7.	Victoria Spanish carrack or nao
8.	Victoria and Albert, HMY British royal yacht
9.	Victory, HMS English first-rate
10.	Ville de Nancy American sloop of war
11.	Ville de Paris French ship of the line
12.	Vincennes, USS American sloop of war
13.	Virginia, CSS Americant Confederat ironclad warship
14.	Vital Spark British Clyde puffer
15.	Vrouw Maria Dutch merchant ship
16.	Vulcan Scottish barge
17.	Walk-in-the-Water American paddle steamboat
18.	Wanderer American whaling ship
19.	Wanderer American yacht
20.	Waratah, SS Australian steamship
21.	Warrior, HMS British warship
22.	We're Here American Schooner
23.	Western Flyer American fishing boat
24.	Whydah Gally British sailing ship
25.	Wilhelm Bauer German submarine
26.	Wilhelm Gustloff, MV German purpose-built cruise ship
27.	Winfield Scott, SS American paddle steamer
28.	Wolf, SMS German merchant raider
29.	World is not Enough American super yacht
30.	Wyoming American six-masted schooner
31.	X-craft submarine American miniature submarine
32.	Yamato Japanese battleship
33.	Yamato 1 Japanese experimental ship
34.	Yarmouth Castle, SS American cruise ship
35.	Zheng He's fleet Chinese treasure ship
36.	Zong British square rigger
37.	Zoroaster Swedish oil tanker
38.	Zumwalt, USS American guided missile destroyer