Famous Ships and Boats

In history, movies, books, on exhibit

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

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American Steamboats

A. J. Goddard — American paddle steamer
A Klondike Gold Rush era sternwheeler built for transporting men and supplies on the Upper Yukon River in Canada. She was not suited for the larger sections of the turbulent Yukon River, so instead she carried passengers and equipment across Lake Laberge. LAUNCHED: 1898 → FATE: Sank October 22, 1901.

(Another )

Admiral, SS — American river steamboat (cruise ship; converted to diesel in 1974)
Was the largest river cruise ship in the world, sailing the Mississippi River from St. Louis. In 1979 she was converted to a land-based casino. She started out as the side-wheeled steel hulled steamboat, the Albatross, then became the Admiral in the 1940s. LAUNCHED: 1907 → FATE: Dismantled and sold for scrap in 2011.

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African Queen — American steamboat
Boat used in the 1951 movie The African Queen, an adventure set during World War I, starring Humprey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. From 1912 to 1968, she shuttled cargo and passengers across Lake Albert in Africa. The steam engine in the movie was a prop and its original diesel engine was hidden under crates of gin and other cargo. LAUNCHED: 1912 → FATE: Refurbished to service as a tourist boat in Key Largo, Florida.

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.

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.

Cairo, USS — American ironclad gunboat
First ship sunk by a naval mine and first vessel of the City class ironclads. Served with the Army's Western Gunboat Fleet during the American Civil War. Remnants of the gunboat are in a museum in the Vicksburg National Military Park. LAUNCHED: 1861 → FATE: Sunk by a naval mine in the Yazoo Riveron December 12, 1862.

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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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Claremore Queen — American steamboat
A movie about a con man enters his steamboat in race in the 1890s. Other boat seen in "Another IMAGE". . The movie was Will Roger's last and was released after he was killed in an airplane crash 1935. LAUNCHED: 1933, movie release → FATE: Inconclusive.

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.

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Demologos — American paddle steamers with a catamaran hull
First warship to be propelled by a steam engine. Designed by Robert Fulton, with the steam engine between a double hull, no other ship like her was ever built. (See "Another IMAGE" for cross view of her structure.) LAUNCHED: 1815 → FATE: Accidentally blown up in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on June 4, 1829.

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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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Floating Theater — American caravel
The first deliberately-planned showboat, created by British-born actor William Chapman, Sr.; replaced by a new steamboat with a stage and named Steamboat Theatre. In 1914, circus actors James Adams and his wife launched the James Adams Floating Theatre, a showboat that would tour the Chesapeake Bay. LAUNCHED: 1831, and 1836 → FATE: Both unknown.

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Flying Enterprise — American cargo ship in World War II, then a tramp steamer
Subject of intense deep-sea diving and salvage. In 1960, a portion of the cargo was salvaged by an Italian company. In 2001, a team of Danish and British divers re-discovered the lost shipwreck almost 50 years after she had sunk. LAUNCHED: 1944, March → FATE: Sank south of Cornwall, England January 10, 1952.

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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.

(Another )

Lexington — American steamboat, paddlewheel
Fastest steamer on Long Island Sound that sunk after an on-board fire sweep through the cargo. The ship's overcrowded lifeboats sank almost immediately with all but 4 people drowning in the freezing water. LAUNCHED: 1834 → FATE: Sunk January 13, 1840.

(Another )

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 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.

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.

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.

Perserverance — American steam boat
First steam boat that operated using a series of vertical paddles. Invented by John Fitch, an improved model carried passengers on round-trips between Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey, summer of 1790. LAUNCHED: 1787 → FATE: Unknown.

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Pewabic, SS — American lake steamship; cargo ship
Worst shipwreck on the Great Lakes with the loss of an estimated 125 lives, hundreds of tons of copper, silver, and iron ore. Over the years five divers died attempting to salvage the cargo. Some of the copper was recovered during World War I, the rest in 1974. LAUNCHED: 1863 → FATE: Collided with SS Meteor in Michigan's Thunder Bay and sank August 9, 1865.

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.

Prineton, USS — American screw steam warship
First ship with screw propellers powered by an engine mounted entirely below the waterline. In 1844, during a pleasure cruise for dignitaries, a gun exploded killing 6 high-ranking federal officials and wounding 20 more, the worst such tragedy in American history. LAUNCHED: 1843, September 5 → FATE: Broken up at the Boston Navy Yard, October 1849.

Quaker City, USS — American paddle steamship, side-wheeler
During a trip to Europe in 1867, she was the scene of some of the tales related by Mark Twain in his book The Innocents Abroad. During the American Civil War, she one of the most active and effective ships in the Union Navy's blockade of Chesapeake Bay. LAUNCHED: 1854 → FATE: Sold to the Haitian Navy in February of 1871, renamed République, lost at sea off Bermuda in March of 1871.

Red Rover, USS — American Confederate paddle steamboat, side-wheeler
First ship fitted and staffed as a hospital ship. During the American Civil War, she was a Confederate barracks ship until the Union captured and refit her in March of 1862. LAUNCHED: 1859 → FATE: Decommissioned and sold at public auction November 29, 1865.

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

Robert E. Lee — American paddle steamboat, side-wheeler
Won a steamboat race against the Natchez VI, going from St. Louis, Missouri to New Orleans, in 3 days, 18 hours and 14 minutes. The speed record still stands. A replica of the ship was built but it also burned in 2010. LAUNCHED: 1866 → FATE: Caught fire and lost north of New Orleans September 30, 1882.

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Rochambeau — American frigate, ironclad
The longest wooden ship ever built. When the French thought Otto von Bismarck might be interested in the ship, they hurriedly bought her from the Americans and commission her in 1867. LAUNCHED: 1862, July 22 as Dunderberg → FATE: The French scrapped her in 1874.

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.

Savannah, SS — American paddle steamship, side-wheeler with sails
First steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. After ocean crossing, her steam plant was removed and she continued sailing up and down the east coast. LAUNCHED: 1819, March → FATE: Ran aground off Long Island, NY in 1823.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The number of American Steamboats listed is 40

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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.	Admiral, SS (American river steamboat)
2.	Central America, SS (American paddle steamboat)
3.	General Slocum (American river paddle steamboat)
4.	Pewabic, SS (American lake steamship)
5.	Rochambeau (American frigate)

American Steamboats
1.	Admiral, SS American river steamboat
2.	African Queen American steamboat
3.	American Queen American river paddle steamboat
4.	Ancon, SS American steamship
5.	Belle of Louisville American steamboat
6.	Cairo, USS American ironclad gunboat
7.	Central America, SS American paddle steamboat
8.	Claremore Queen American steamboat
9.	Clermont American steamboat
10.	Demologos American paddle steamers
11.	Eastland, SS American steamship
12.	Eureka American paddle steamboat
13.	Floating Theater American caravel
14.	Flying Enterprise American cargo ship
15.	General Slocum American river paddle steamboat
16.	Great Republic American clipper
17.	Lexington American steamboat
18.	Majestic American paddle steamboat
19.	Mary Deare American steamship
20.	Monitor, USS American ironclad warship
21.	Myron, SS American wooden steamship
22.	Perserverance American steam boat
23.	Pewabic, SS American lake steamship
24.	Portland, PS American sidewheel steamer
25.	President American steamboat
26.	Prineton, USS American screw steam warship
27.	Quaker City, USS American paddle steamship
28.	Red Rover, USS American Confederate paddle steamboat
29.	River Queen American sidewheel steamer
30.	Robert E. Lee American paddle steamboat
31.	Rochambeau American frigate
32.	Saluda American river paddle steamboat
33.	Savannah, SS American paddle steamship
34.	Sea Wing American paddle steamer
35.	Sultana, SS American paddle steamboat
36.	Valencia, SS American passenger steamboat
37.	Virginia, CSS Americant Confederat ironclad warship
38.	Walk-in-the-Water American paddle steamboat
39.	Winfield Scott, SS American paddle steamer