USS Ferret
Schooner · United States · Lost 1825 · Cuba & the Greater Antilles
A U.S. Navy pirate-hunting schooner of Commodore Porter's Mosquito Fleet, capsized in a gale off Cuba with the loss of five crew.
The Vessel and Her Loss
USS Ferret was one of the small schooners purchased for the West Indies Squadron's campaign against Caribbean piracy in the early 1820s. She spent more than two years patrolling Cuban waters, raiding pirate strongholds and escorting merchant convoys. On 4 February 1825, while on patrol off Cuba's north coast, she capsized in a sudden gale. Survivors lashed themselves to the wreck for nearly a day before USS Jackal arrived and rescued them; five crew members drowned.
Vessel
- 1822
- Not established
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Wood
- Not established
- Not established
- 51
- Sail
- United States Navy, West Indies Squadron
Loss
- February 4, 1825
- Storm
- About 8 miles off the port of Canasí, north coast of Cuba
- Straits of Florida, off Cuba
- Not established
- Not established
- 31
- 5
- Lieutenant R. Henley (commanding officer at commissioning; commander at time of loss not confirmed in sources reviewed)
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Canasí, Cuba
Sources note only a distance of about 8 miles off Canasí; no coordinates have been published.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
The exact wreck position has not been established or surveyed.
Naval History and Heritage Command (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships)
Construction, service history, and loss circumstances of USS Ferret.
NavSource Online Naval History
Detail on the capsizing, rescue, and casualties.
