Kate
Iron-Hulled Steamer · United Kingdom · Lost 1878 · Bermuda
A British iron steamer bound for France with over 3,600 bales of cotton that struck a reef off Bermuda in 1878 and now lies broken on the south shore.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Kate was an iron-hulled English steamer, built in Whitby in 1874, en route from Galveston, Texas to Le Havre, France with a cargo of cotton when she struck an unmapped reef northwest of Bermuda on 30 November 1878. She was towed and deliberately grounded on the south shore to protect her cargo and crew, all of whom survived, along with most of the cotton. A gale on 10 December 1878 broke the wreck up further and pushed it into deeper water, where it lies today near Natural Arches beach.
Vessel
- 1874
- Not established
- Whitby, England
- Iron
- 200 ft
- Not established
- 1413
- Steam, single screw, barquentine auxiliary rig
- Not established
Loss
- November 30, 1878
- Grounding
- 22 miles northwest of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, Bermuda; broke up further and drifted into deeper water on December 10, 1878
- Atlantic Ocean off Bermuda
- Galveston, Texas → Le Havre, France
- Over 3,600 bales of cotton
- Not established
- 0
- James Simpson
The Wreck Today
- 20-45
- Broken up; boilers, engine, propeller shaft, and deck winches remain visible; propeller lies separately on the reef.
- Not established
- Not established
- Protected historic wreck site with a 300m no-fishing limitation, Bermuda Dive Sites program
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Natural Arches beach, south shore of Bermuda
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
Precise wreck coordinates are not established in the sources reviewed.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda
Loss date, cargo, rescue, and wreck condition.
Build details, captain, and cargo salvage.
