Two Brothers
Whaling Ship · United States · Lost 1823 · The Hawaiian Islands
The Nantucket whaleship of Essex captain George Pollard Jr., wrecked on a reef at French Frigate Shoals with her entire crew surviving.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Two Brothers was a Nantucket whaling ship commanded by George Pollard Jr., who had survived the sinking of the whaleship Essex two years earlier. On the night of February 11, 1823, she struck a reef near French Frigate Shoals in a storm and was lost, though every crew member survived and was rescued by the consort whaleship Martha. The wreck lay undiscovered for nearly two centuries until NOAA archaeologists identified whaling tools and ship's fittings on the reef in 2008, confirming the site in following years.
Vessel
- Not established
- Not established
- Nantucket, Massachusetts
- Wood
- Not established
- Not established
- 222
- Sail
- Nantucket whaling merchants
Loss
- February 11, 1823
- Storm
- Reef near Shark Island, French Frigate Shoals
- Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, North Pacific Ocean
- Nantucket, Massachusetts → Pacific whaling grounds
- Not established
- Not established
- 0
- George Pollard Jr.
The Wreck Today
- 15 ft
- Scattered wreckage including anchors, trypots, and whalecraft identified on the reef.
- Not established
- 2008
- Within Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument; listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Position
- 23.87° N 166.28° W
- Approximate position
- French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii
Reflects the general area of French Frigate Shoals near Shark Island; not a precise public coordinate.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
Loss narrative, captain, crew survival, discovery.
National Register listing, site significance.
