AH-WR-1428

HMS Swan

Sixth-Rate Warship · England · Lost 1692 · Cuba & the Greater Antilles

A Royal Navy warship undergoing repairs at pirate-haven Port Royal that was swept over the sinking town by the catastrophic 1692 earthquake wave.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

HMS Swan was a Royal Navy vessel stationed at Port Royal, Jamaica, then a key English base against Spanish shipping and a notorious harbor for privateers and pirates. She was careened for repairs near Queen and Lime streets when the 7 June 1692 earthquake struck, liquefying much of the town's foundations. The seiche wave that followed carried Swan over the collapsing buildings; survivors reportedly clung to her rigging to escape the flood. Her remains have since been studied as part of the long-running Port Royal underwater excavation.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Royal Navy, stationed at Port Royal, Jamaica, for defense against pirates and enemy privateers

Loss

Date: June 7, 1692
Cause: Not established
Location: Careening wharf near Queen and Lime streets, Port Royal, Jamaica
Water: Kingston Harbour, Jamaica
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Losses aboard Swan specifically are not established; the earthquake and following wave killed an estimated 2,000 Port Royal residents overall.
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Ship's remains identified in association with submerged Port Royal building sites during excavation
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 1980s (Port Royal Project excavations, 1981-1990)
Protection: Part of the Port Royal submerged town site, protected by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust; Port Royal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2025

Position

Coordinates: 17.94° N 76.84° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Port Royal, Jamaica
Region: Cuba & the Greater Antilles

Coordinates mark the general Port Royal submerged town site; a precise position for the Swan wreck specifically is not published in the sources reviewed.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (68/100)

Swan's precise build year, dimensions, and armament are not established in the sources reviewed; her documented history centers on her position and fate during the 1692 earthquake.

Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Port Royal Harbor Excavation
Excavation history, earthquake context, submerged town description
Historical Archaeology journal (Dostal, 2026, wax jack study)
Location of Swan's careening site near Queen and Lime streets