Pinthis
Coastal Tanker · United States · Lost 1930 · Cape Ann & the Gulf of Maine
A coastal tanker exploded and capsized after a fogbound collision off Scituate in 1930, killing all 19 aboard.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
The steel tanker Pinthis, carrying oil from Norfolk, collided in fog with the steamer Fairfax off Scituate, Massachusetts, on June 10, 1930. An explosion followed and Pinthis capsized within minutes, killing all 19 of her crew; burning oil covered the sea for days. Fairfax survived despite heavy damage and casualties among her own crew and passengers. The wreck today lies capsized in about 100 feet of water and is a well-known Massachusetts Bay dive site.
Vessel
- 1919
- Not established
- Newburgh, New York
- Steel
- 206.8 ft
- 35.6 ft
- 1111
- Oil-fired steam, single screw
- Lake Tankers Corporation
Loss
- June 10, 1930
- Collision
- About 6 miles east of Fourth Cliff, Scituate, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Bay
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Approximately 12,000 barrels of oil
- 19
- 19
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 100-105
- Largely intact, capsized (turtled) on the bottom; some collapsed hull plating.
- Not established
- Not established
- Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources exempted shipwreck site.
Position
- 42.16° N 70.56° W
- Approximate position
- Scituate, Massachusetts
Position converted from a degrees-minutes coordinate published by wreckhunter.net (42-09-18N/70-33-48W).
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources
Vessel dimensions, construction, and dive site status.
wreckhunter.net (Hunting New England Shipwrecks)
Loss coordinates, casualty count, and collision narrative.
