Young Teazer
Privateer Schooner · United States · Lost 1813 · Nova Scotia & Sable Island
A War of 1812 privateer blew herself up in Mahone Bay rather than surrender, giving Nova Scotia its most famous ghost-ship legend.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Young Teazer was an American privateer schooner that raided British shipping off Nova Scotia during the War of 1812. Cornered in Mahone Bay on 27 June 1813 by HMS Hogue and HMS Orpheus, she was destroyed when a member of her own crew set fire to the powder magazine rather than allow her capture. Most of her crew died in the blast; only a handful survived. The event gave rise to the enduring local legend of the 'Teazer Light,' a phantom glow said to appear over the bay.
Vessel
- 1813
- Not established
- New York City
- Wood
- 60 ft
- Not established
- 124
- Sail, schooner rig, with sweeps
- Samuel Adams
Loss
- June 27, 1813
- Intentional sinking
- Mahone Bay, between Mason Island and Rafuse Island, Nova Scotia
- Mahone Bay
- Portland, Maine
- Not established
- 38
- 28
- William D. Dobson
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
General location within Mahone Bay is documented; a precise wreck position is not established in sources reviewed.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (75/100)
The exact wreck site and depth are not established in the sources reviewed; the loss location is known only to the general area of Mahone Bay.
Nova Scotia Museum, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Marine Heritage Database
Loss narrative, crew details, and salvage of wreckage.
Wikipedia: Capture of the Young Teazer
Chronology of the pursuit, ships involved, and casualty figures.
