Kershaw
Freighter · United States · Lost 1928 · Buzzards Bay & Vineyard Sound
A steel freighter carrying general cargo sank with seven of her crew after colliding with the liner President Garfield off Martha's Vineyard in 1928.
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The Vessel and Her Loss
The Merchants and Miners freighter Kershaw was steaming through Nantucket Sound on June 1, 1928, when she collided with the passenger liner President Garfield off East Chop, Martha's Vineyard. Kershaw sank quickly, taking seven of her crew down with her. The wreck now lies broken and largely buried in sand in about 85 feet of water. It remains a popular, if challenging, dive site owing to strong currents and heavy vessel traffic in the area.
Vessel
- 1899
- US registry no. 161119
- Not established
- Wilmington, Delaware
- Steel
- 282 ft
- 42 ft
- 2741
- Steam, single screw, triple expansion engine
- Merchants and Miners Transportation Company
Loss
- June 1, 1928
- Collision
- Nantucket Sound off East Chop, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
- Nantucket Sound
- Not established
- General freight
- Not established
- 7
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 85 ft
- Large wreck, mostly flattened and buried in sand.
- Not established
- Not established
- Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources exempted shipwreck site
Position
- 41.48° N 70.53° W
- Approximate position
- East Chop, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Position as compiled by Hunting New England Shipwrecks from period sources.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (74/100)
The names of those lost and the full circumstances of the collision are not established in the sources reviewed.
Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources
Build specifications, dimensions, and vessel description.
Hunting New England Shipwrecks (wreckhunter.net)
Collision cause, casualties, position, depth and wreck condition.
New York Times, June 1, 1928
Contemporary reporting of the sinking.
