SS Princess Sophia
Passenger Steamer · Canada · Lost 1918 · The Inside Passage & Alaska
A Canadian Pacific liner that grounded on Vanderbilt Reef and, two days later, sank in a storm with everyone aboard lost.
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The Vessel and Her Loss
Princess Sophia was carrying the season's last northern passengers south from Skagway when she ran aground on Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal during a snowstorm on October 24, 1918. Rescue vessels stood by but heavy seas prevented evacuation. On October 25 the ship slipped off the reef and sank, and all 364 people aboard died. It remains the worst maritime disaster in the history of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
Vessel
- 1911
- Bow, McLachlan & Co
- Paisley, Scotland
- Steel
- 245 ft
- 44 ft
- 2320
- Steam, twin screw
- Canadian Pacific Railway (coastal steamship service)
Loss
- October 25, 1918
- Grounding
- Vanderbilt Reef, Lynn Canal, Alaska
- Lynn Canal
- Skagway, Alaska → Vancouver, British Columbia
- Not established
- 364
- 364
- Leonard P. Locke
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 58.65° N 135.03° W
- Approximate position
- Vanderbilt Reef, Lynn Canal, near Juneau, Alaska
Position reflects the general location of Vanderbilt Reef; not a surveyed wreck-site coordinate.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (88/100)
Loss narrative, casualty total, historical context.
Build details, ownership, loss investigation.
