AH-WR-1818

USS R. B. Forbes

Naval Steam Tug · United States · Lost 1862 · The Outer Banks

An iron twin-screw towboat built by Otis Tufts entered Union naval service before its final North Carolina grounding in 1862.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

R. B. Forbes was built in Boston by Otis Tufts for the Boston Board of Marine Underwriters. The iron-hulled towboat had two screw propellers driven by separate condensing engines. It chiefly towed newly built sailing ships from New England yards to New York for fitting out, but unprofitable operations led to changes in ownership. It was sold to the United States Navy in 1861. On February 25, 1862, it grounded on the North Carolina coast and became a total loss.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Otis Tufts
Yard: Boston, Massachusetts
Material: Iron
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam; twin screw propellers driven by two condensing engines
Owners: Boston Board of Marine Underwriters; subsequent private owners; United States Navy (1861–1862)

Loss

Date: February 25, 1862
Cause: Grounding
Location: North Carolina coast; precise inlet not independently established
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: North Carolina Outer Banks
Region: The Outer Banks

Historical casualty locality only; no verified modern wreck position supplied.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (83/100)

Construction year, casualty figures, verified wreck position and present condition are not established in the museum narrative; the precise inlet locality has not been independently confirmed.

Cape Ann Museum — Fitz Henry Lane Online, Tow Boat (inv. 187), commentary by Erik Ronnberg
Full saved institutional text: builder, building port, owner, iron hull, twin engines and propellers, coastwise towing service, Navy sale in 1861 and final grounding/total loss on February 25, 1862. Museum 320-ton figure omitted because tonnage basis is unspecified.