AH-WR-1845

Neptune

Fishing Dragger · Lost 1945 · Boston Harbor & Massachusetts Bay

A wooden Gloucester dragger sank in heavy seas off Boston Lightship in October 1945; all six aboard survived in a dory.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Neptune was a 62-foot wooden auxiliary fishing dragger owned and commanded by Salvatore Santuccio. The account describes her as launched at Saint Augustine, Florida, two years before the loss. Returning to Gloucester with scrod hake on October 16, 1945, she opened up in heavy seas off Boston Lightship. All six men abandoned in a dory and were rescued by a Navy patrol vessel about four hours later.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: 62 ft
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: 25 gross tons
Propulsion: Not established
Owners: Captain Salvatore Santuccio

Loss

Date: October 16, 1945
Cause: Storm
Location: Reported seven miles off Boston Lightship, Massachusetts
Water: Massachusetts Bay
Voyage: Gloucester, Massachusetts
Cargo: 65,000 pounds of scrod hake
Aboard: 6
Lives lost: 0
Master: Salvatore Santuccio

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Boston Lightship approaches, Massachusetts
Region: Boston Harbor & Massachusetts Bay

Distance from Boston Lightship with no bearing or published coordinates; regional approach locality only, no position calculated.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (73/100)

Exact construction year, surveyed position, depth and present remains are unverified; the original newspaper and rescuing vessel identity were not independently inspected.

R. Sheedy, Down to Sea — The Neptune
Full October 17 1945 private transcription: wooden 62-foot auxiliary dragger, 25 gross tons, Salvatore Santuccio, 65,000 lb scrod hake, seven miles off Boston Lightship, repeated yesterday-morning sinking references after hull opened in heavy seas; all six rescued after four hours in dory. Relative launch age not converted to exact year. Original newspaper and rescuing vessel identity not independently inspected.