AH-WR-0328

Alva

Steam Yacht · United States · Lost 1892 · Cape Cod & Nantucket Shoals

The most luxurious steam yacht of its day, built for William K. Vanderbilt, sank in fog off Chatham after a freighter rammed her at anchor.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Alva was a steel, barque-rigged steam yacht built in 1886 for William K. Vanderbilt at a cost of roughly $500,000. On 24 July 1892, while anchored in fog in Pollock Rip off Chatham, she was struck and sunk by the steamer H.F. Dimock. Vanderbilt, his guests, and the crew all escaped safely aboard the Dimock's boats.

Vessel

Built: 1886
Builder: Not established
Yard: Wilmington, Delaware
Material: Steel
Length: 285 ft
Beam: 32 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam and sail, single screw
Owners: William K. Vanderbilt

Loss

Date: July 24, 1892
Cause: Collision
Location: Pollock Rip, off Chatham, Massachusetts
Water: Nantucket Sound
Voyage: Bar Harbor, Maine → Newport, Rhode Island
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: No deaths were reported; all aboard, including owner William K. Vanderbilt, were rescued.
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 50 ft
Condition: Partly intact and mostly buried in sand
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 41.63° N 69.95° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Chatham, Massachusetts
Region: Cape Cod & Nantucket Shoals

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)

Chatham Historical Society, Atwood House Museum
Vessel history, dimensions, and narrative of the collision.
The New York Times (1892 archives)
Contemporary account of the collision and rescue.