AH-WR-0835

Carrier Pigeon

Clipper Ship · United States · Lost 1853 · San Francisco & the Northern California Coast

A gold-rush-era clipper wrecked within sight of shore when fog and a captain's misjudged bearings drove her onto a rock ledge in 1853.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Carrier Pigeon was sighted off Santa Cruz on the morning of June 6, 1853, then vanished into a thick fog bank. Believing he had cleared the coastline, Captain Azariah Doane turned toward shore hoping to sight land, and instead drove the clipper onto a rock ledge just 500 feet from the beach. All aboard reached shore safely, but salvage efforts strained further when the steamer sent to help, Sea Bird, also ran aground nearby. The clipper broke up within weeks.

Vessel

Built: 1852
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: 162 ft
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: June 6, 1853
Cause: Navigational error
Location: Near Pescadero, San Mateo County, California
Water: Pacific Ocean
Voyage: San Francisco, California
Cargo: General merchandise
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 0
Master: Azariah Doane

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Broke up on the rocks within weeks of grounding; only scattered remains likely persist
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Site history documented by Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary maritime heritage program

Position

Coordinates: 37.18° N 122.39° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Pescadero, San Mateo County, California
Region: San Francisco & the Northern California Coast

State and NOAA sanctuary histories place the wreck about 500 feet offshore at what is now Pigeon Point, San Mateo County (the point and lighthouse were named for the wreck); coordinate approximates the Pigeon Point Light location.