List of shipwrecks in 1998

The list of shipwrecks in 1998 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 1998.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

table of contents

1998
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
May	Jun	Jul	Aug
Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Unknown date
References

January

1 January

List of shipwrecks: 1 January 1998

Ship	State	Description
Santa Anna	Panama	The tanker ran aground on Thatcher Rock, Torquay, Devon, United Kingdom.

3 January

List of shipwrecks: 3 January 1998

Ship	State	Description
Legasea	United States	A large catch of herring in the 51-foot (15.5 m) seiner′s nets sank, breaking her boom and causing her to capsize and sink in Eastern Channel near Sitka, Alaska. Her crew of five survived.

16 January

List of shipwrecks: 16 January 1998

Ship	State	Description
Flare	Cyprus	The bulk carrier broke in two in severe weather and sank off Saint Pierre and Miquelon with the loss of 21 crew.

26 January

List of shipwrecks: 26 January 1998

Ship	State	Description
Dominion	United States	The 66-foot (20.1 m) salmon seiner capsized and sank in the Shelikof Strait off Cape Karluk (57°35′10″N 154°30′50″W) on the coast of Alaska's Kodiak Island after her catch shifted. Her crew of three survived.

30 January

List of shipwrecks: 30 January 1998

Ship	State	Description
La Conte	United States	The 66-gross ton, 77.1-foot (23.5 m) longline fishing vessel sank in rough weather in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) west of Cape Spencer, Alaska, with the loss of two lives. A United States Coast Guard helicopter rescued her three survivors.

February

15 February

List of shipwrecks: 15 February 1998

Ship	State	Description
Evangeline	United States	While trying to anchor southwest of Montague Island off the south-central coast of Alaska, the 46-foot (14.0 m) longline cod-fishing vessel struck rocks and capsized in the surf. Her crew of three survived.
Oaxaca	United States	The 36-foot (11.0 m) crab-fishing vessel was wrecked in Glacier Bay in Southeast Alaska. Her crew of two survived.

16 February

List of shipwrecks: 16 February 1998

Ship	State	Description
Emma Arline	United States	The 38-foot (11.6 m) salmon troller was wrecked in Southeast Alaska approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) north of Petersburg, Alaska. The two people aboard survived.

17 February

List of shipwrecks: 17 February 1998

Ship	State	Description
Marie Bouanga	Democratic Republic of the Congo	The cargo ship collided with Zircone (Italy) near Borkum Riff, Germany (53°48′N 6°21′E). She was declared a constructive total loss and subsequently scrapped.

22 February

List of shipwrecks: 22 February 1998

Ship	State	Description
SLNS Pabbatha	Sri Lanka Navy	Sri Lankan Civil War: The landing ship was sunk by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

March

23 March

List of shipwrecks: 23 March 1998

Ship	State	Description
Demetrios II	Honduras	Demetrios II aground The cargo ship ran aground off Paphos, Greece in bad weather. All eight crew were rescued by helicopter.

27 March

List of shipwrecks: 27 March 1998

Ship	State	Description
Loretta C	United States	The 36-foot (11.0 m) longline halibut-fishing vessel was destroyed in the harbor at Petersburg, Alaska, by a fire that began in a stove.

April

7 April

List of shipwrecks: 7 April 1998

Ship	State	Description
USS Hull	United States Navy	The decommissioned Forrest Sherman-class destroyer was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean off the United States West Coast at 32°35′00.9″N 120°32′00.3″W.

9 April

List of shipwrecks: 9 April 1998

Ship	State	Description
Cathy	United States	The 38-foot (11.6 m) salmon troller was destroyed by fire in Sitka Sound in Southeast Alaska. Her crew of two survived.

16 April

List of shipwrecks: 16 April 1998

Ship	State	Description
Sumaqu	United States	The 105-foot (32 m) fish tender burned and sank in Chatham Strait in the Alexander Archipelago near Tenakee Springs in Southeast Alaska. Her crew of two survived.

26 April

List of shipwrecks: 26 April 1998

Ship	State	Description
Evanick	United States	After the 36-gross ton, 50-foot (15.2 m) fishing vessel's EPIRB sent a distress signal, a United States Coast Guard helicopter found her capsized south of the Shelikof Strait near the south coast of the Alaska Peninsula in Alaska 17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi) east-southeast of Cape Providence (54°47′N 156°17′W). She later sank in 612 feet (187 m) of water. The bodies of the four men aboard were never found.

May

7 May

List of shipwrecks: 7 May 1998

Ship	State	Description
Riptide	United States	The 8-gross ton, 32-foot (9.8 m) longline cod-fishing vessel burned and sank in Amee Bay (57°12′30″N 153°11′30″W) near Old Harbor, Alaska. The fishing vessel Sarah M (United States) rescued all three members of her crew.

16 May

List of shipwrecks: 16 May 1998

Ship	State	Description
Lorvon	United States	The 50-foot (15.2 m) longline halibut-fishing vessel sank in the Bering Sea northeast of Umnak Island in the Aleutian Islands 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) east of Cape Tanak (53°33′50″N 168°00′00″W). The fishing vessel Heritage (United States) rescued her three-member crew from a life raft.
St. Michael	Malta	The tug was scuttled in the Mediterranean Sea off Marsaskala as an artificial reef.
Tug No. 10	Malta	The tug was scuttled in the Mediterranean Sea off Marsaskala as an artificial reef.

18 May

List of shipwrecks: 18 May 1998

Ship	State	Description
Bonnie Gale	United States	The 33-foot (10.1 m) gillnet salmon-fishing vessel sank at the mouth of the Copper River on the south-central coast of Alaska during a gale. The only person aboard survived.
Christopher A	United States	The 30-foot (9.1 m) gillnet salmon-fishing vessel was wrecked at the mouth of the Copper River on the south-central coast of Alaska during a gale. Her crew of two survived.

28 May

List of shipwrecks: 28 May 1998

Ship	State	Description
Merit	United States	The 32-foot (9.8 m) salmon gillnet fishing vessel was destroyed by fire in Prince William Sound on the south-central coast of Alaska near Port Nellie Juan (60°33′00″N 148°09′45″W). Her crew of two survived.

June

2 June

List of shipwrecks: 2 June 1998

Ship	State	Description
Dove	United States	The 30-foot (9.1 m) salmon gillnetter capsized in the surf and was lost off the Kokinhenik Bar (60°18′30″N 145°05′00″W) in the Copper River Flats on the south-central coast of Alaska. The only person aboard perished.

4 June

List of shipwrecks: 4 June 1998

Ship	State	Description
Cheechako	United States	The 36-foot (11.0 m) longline halibut-fishing vessel burned and sank approximately 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) southwest of Ninilchik, Alaska.

9 June

List of shipwrecks: 9 June 1998

Ship	State	Description
Hualien Express	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	The cargo ship ran aground at Kandla, India. She was refloated on 8 August; the salvage was completed on 18 August and she was then sold for scrapping.
Pearl	United States	The 26-foot (7.9 m) gillnet salmon-fishing vessel capsized and sank in the Copper River Flats in Southcentral Alaska. The only person aboard perished.

16 June

List of shipwrecks: 16 June 1998

Ship	State	Description
Angela B	United States	The 30-foot (9.1 m) gillnet salmon-fishing vessel was destroyed in Bristol Bay off the coast of Alaska by a fire that started in her engine room. Her crew of three survived.

23 June

List of shipwrecks: 23 June 1998

Ship	State	Description
Unidentified submarine	Korean People's Navy	The Yugo-class submarine became entangled in the nets of a South Korean fishing trawler and was subsequently taken in tow by Republic of Korea Navy vessels. The submarine sank with the loss of all eight crew.

25 June

List of shipwrecks: 25 June 1998

Ship	State	Description
Yenducer	United States	The 32-foot (9.8 m) gillnet salmon-fishing vessel was destroyed by an engine room fire in Bristol Bay off Alaska. Her entire crew of three survived.

July

9 July

List of shipwrecks: 9 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
Tadoussac	Canada	The lake freighter ran aground in the St. Clair River. The vessel was carrying a load of coal and required five tugboats to free the ship.

10 July

List of shipwrecks: 10 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
Rothenbach II	United States	The retired 165-foot (50.3 m) gasoline barge was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean 7.2 nautical miles (13.3 km; 8.3 mi) off Atlantic City, New Jersey, at 39°14.498′N 074°21.483′W.

16 July

List of shipwrecks: 16 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
USS YW-127	United States Navy	The decommissioned 165-foot (50.3 m) water barge was scuttled as an artificial reef in 125 feet (38 m) of water in the North Atlantic Ocean off New Jersey at 40°06.419′N 073°41.460′W. Her wreck was named "Mako Mania."

19 July

List of shipwrecks: 19 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
Nerka II	United States	The 32-foot (9.8 m) gillnet salmon-fishing vessel was destroyed by fire at Naknek, Alaska. The only person on board survived.

22 July

List of shipwrecks: 22 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
USS Badger	United States Navy	The decommissioned Knox-class frigate was sunk as a target by units of the United States Third Fleet (United States Navy) during the RIMPAC 98 exercise.
USS Somers	United States Navy	After use as a target for two AGM-142 Have Nap missiles fired by two United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses the previous day during the RIMPAC 98 exercise, the decommissioned Forrest Sherman-class destroyer was sunk in the Pacific Ocean northwest of Kauai, Hawaii, at 22°21′N 160°58′W by explosive charges placed by an explosive ordnance disposal team.

27 July

List of shipwrecks: 27 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
Courtesan	United States	The retired 34-foot (10.4 m) sailboat was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean off Fire Island south of Long Island, New York.

28 July

List of shipwrecks: 28 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
Tadoussac	Canada	The lake freighter ran aground on a sandbank in Lake Erie near Detroit, Michigan.

30 July

List of shipwrecks: 30 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
Rachel Colleen	United States	The 59-foot (18 m) salmon seiner was destroyed by fire in Cordova Bay in Southeast Alaska. Her entire crew of six survived.

31 July

List of shipwrecks: 31 July 1998

Ship	State	Description
Argo	United States	Wearing survival suits, the two-person crew of the 50-foot (15 m) halibut-fishing vessel abandoned ship after she caught fire in the Bering Sea 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) off Dutch Harbor, Alaska. They survived. After arriving on the scene and witnessing an explosion blow Argo's deck off, the medium endurance cutter USCGC Storis ( United States Coast Guard) deemed Argo a hazard to navigation and sank her.

August

7 August

List of shipwrecks: 7 August 1998

Ship	State	Description
Night Rider	United States	The 31-foot (9.4 m) gillnet salmon-fishing vessel was destroyed by fire in Stepovak Bay on the Gulf of Alaska coast of the Alaska Peninsula. The only person aboard survived.

8 August

List of shipwrecks: 8 August 1998

Ship	State	Description
Unnamed tanker	United States	The 85-foot (25.9 m) bow section of the incomplete tanker was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean 3.6 nautical miles (6.7 km; 4.1 mi) off Sea Girt, New Jersey, in 70 feet (21 m) of water at 40°07.750′N 073°56.345′W. The wreck is nicknamed "Ocean Wreck Divers IV" and "The Bow."

9 August

List of shipwrecks: 9 August 1998

Ship	State	Description
USS Richmond K. Turner	United States Navy	The decommissioned Leahy-class guided-missile cruiser was sunk as a target off Puerto Rico by ships and aircraft of the USS Enterprise carrier battle group (United States Navy).

18 August

List of shipwrecks: 18 August 1998

Ship	State	Description
Jackie-R	United States	The 49-foot (14.9 m) salmon seiner capsized and sank in Square Cove (57°58′40″N 134°45′45″W) on the west coast of Admiralty Island in Chatham Strait in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska when fish on her deck shifted during a haul. Her crew of five abandoned ship in a skiff and was rescued.

19 August

List of shipwrecks: 19 August 1998

Ship	State	Description
ARA Comodoro Somellera	Argentine Navy	The Sotoyomo-class rescue tug sank after colliding during a storm with the patrol tug ARA Suboficial Castillo (Argentine Navy) in port at Ushuaia, Argentina. She later was refloated and scrapped.

September

2 September

List of shipwrecks: 2 September 1998

Ship	State	Description
Um El Faroud	Libya	The wreck of Um El Faroud on 21 June 2014 The oil tanker was scuttled in the Mediterranean Sea off Wied iż-Żurrieq, Malta, as an artificial reef. She had been laid up in Grand Harbour, Malta, since 1995, when she had suffered an explosion that killed nine Maltese dockyard workers.

14 September

List of shipwrecks: 14 September 1998

Ship	State	Description
Unidentified barge	United States	The retired 140-foot (42.7 m) barge was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean 3.6 nautical miles (6.7 km; 4.1 mi) off Sea Girt, New Jersey, in 65 feet (20 m) of water at 40°06.400′N 073°57.080′W. Her wreck is nicknamed the "Banana Barge," the "DVD Barge," and the "King Barge."

18 September

List of shipwrecks: 18 September 1998

Ship	State	Description
Hunter II	New Zealand	The 10 m (33 ft) trawler capsized and sank off Tirua Point, south of Marokopa, New Zealand, when its bow was hit by a large wave. Of the four crew, the only survivor swam 1.7 km (1.1 mi) to reach the shore. The trawler left port with an anchor missing.
Princess of the Orient	Philippines	The ferry capsized and sank in a typhoon off Fortune Island, Batangas, killing around 150 people.

20 September

List of shipwrecks: 20 September 1998

Ship	State	Description
Lucisaura	United States	The retired 78-foot (23.8 m) fishing trawler was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean south of Long Island off Hempstead, New York.

24 September

List of shipwrecks: 24 September 1998

Ship	State	Description
USS Belknap	United States Navy	The decommissioned Belknap-class guided-missile cruiser was sunk as a target in the Atlantic Ocean at 36°31′00.3″N 071°58′00.5″W.
Ocean Alley	United Kingdom	The cargo ship was wrecked at Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Renamed Adolphus Busch, she was sunk on 5 December as an artificial reef off Looe Key, Florida, United States.
Only One Express	Honduras	The cargo ship was wrecked while in port at Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Repairs were attempted, but abandoned the next month.

25 September

List of shipwrecks: 25 September 1998

Ship	State	Description
Sputnik	United States	The 32-foot (9.8 m) longline halibut-fishing vessel was destroyed by an engine room fire near Shuyak Island in the Kodiak Archipelago. Her entire crew of three survived.

October

16 October

List of shipwrecks: 16 October 1998

Ship	State	Description
Mandy Ray	United States	The retired 126-foot (38.4 m) fishing trawler was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean south of Long Island off Shinnecock Inlet, New York, at 40°48.133′N 072°28.500′W.

19 October

List of shipwrecks: 19 October 1998

Ship	State	Description
Francis W	United States	While no one was on board, the 42-foot (12.8 m) salmon troller was destroyed at Ketchikan, Alaska, by a fire that started in her galley stove.

21 October

List of shipwrecks: 21 October 1998

Ship	State	Description
Eendracht	Netherlands	The schooner ran aground at Newhaven, East Sussex, United Kingdom. All 51 people on board were rescued by helicopter. She was later refloated and returned to service.

26 October

List of shipwrecks: 26 October 1998

Ship	State	Description
Cheryl Ann	United States	With no one aboard, the 58-foot (17.7 m) salmon seiner was wrecked at Saxman, Alaska, after she broke loose from her moorings in bad weather.

27 October

List of shipwrecks: 27 October 1998

Ship	State	Description
Fantome	Flag unknown	Hurricane Mitch: The schooner sank in the Gulf of Mexico off Honduras with the loss of all 31 people on board after sending a final radio report on this date.

29 October

List of shipwrecks: 29 October 1998

Ship	State	Description
Ocean Hope I	United States	The 92-foot (28.0 m) cod trawler capsized and sank in the Shelikof Strait off Cape Karluk (57°35′10″N 154°30′50″W) on Kodiak Island. Her crew of four survived.

November

6 November

List of shipwrecks: 6 November 1998

Ship	State	Description
Captain Sam	United States	The retired 78-foot (23.8 m) fishing trawler was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean south of Long Island 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) off Moriches Inlet, New York.
Niagara Falls	United States	The retired 90-foot (27.4 m) fishing trawler was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean south of Long Island 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) off Moriches Inlet, New York.

11 November

List of shipwrecks: 11 November 1998

Ship	State	Description
Ministro Portales	Chilean Navy	The decommissioned Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer was sunk as a target off Cape Horn.

December

5 December

List of shipwrecks: 5 December 1998

Ship	State	Description
Adolphus Busch	United Kingdom	The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Big Pine Key, Florida, to create an artificial reef.

11 December

List of shipwrecks: 11 December 1998

Ship	State	Description
Linda E	United States	The 39.8-foot (12.1 m) 29-gross register ton steel-hulled fish tug disappeared on Lake Michigan near Port Washington, Wisconsin, with the loss of her entire crew of three men. On 18 June 2000, the mine countermeasures ship USS Defender (United States Navy) discovered her wreck in 260 feet (79 m) of water 7 miles (11 km) off the coast of Wisconsin, and a subsequent investigation concluded that she sank within a few seconds of colliding with an integrated tug and barge on the day she disappeared. Her wreck was included in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary in 2021.

15 December

List of shipwrecks: 15 December 1998

Ship	State	Description
Monarch of the Seas	Norway	The cruise ship struck a reef off St. Maartan. Water started coming in, resulting in grounding the ship.

17 December

List of shipwrecks: 17 December 1998

Ship	State	Description
I-SILC-class semi-submersible infiltration vessel	Korean People's Navy	Battle of Yeosu: The infiltration vessel became entangled in a fishing net off Yeosu, South Korea, while attempting to land North Koream commandos in South Korea, was intercepted by Republic of Korea Navy vessels, and sank with the loss of all nine of her passengers and crew while being pursued by South Korean ships and aircraft.

22 December

List of shipwrecks: 22 December 1998

Ship	State	Description
Andrea Marie	United States	The 39-foot (11.9 m) vessel was abandoned near Kodiak, Alaska, after she caught fire.

26 December

List of shipwrecks: 26 December 1998

Ship	State	Description
Emily Brooke	United States	With no one on board, the 36-foot (11.0 m) sea cucumber and sea urchin dive boat was destroyed at Bar Harbor (55.3444356°N 131.6546628°W / 55.3444356; -131.6546628 (Bar Harbor)) at Ketchikan, Alaska, by a fire that began in her galley stove.

27 December

List of shipwrecks: 27 December 1998

Ship	State	Description
VC Offshore Stand Aside	Australia	1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race: The badly damaged sailing yacht was abandoned without loss of life in the Tasman Sea in the vicinity of the Bass Strait during a storm. She was not seen again and presumably sank.
Winston Churchill	Australia	1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race: The sailing yacht sank in a storm in the Tasman Sea in the vicinity of the Bass Strait. Her crew of nine abandoned ship in a life raft, but three died before rescue.

28 December

List of shipwrecks: 28 December 1998

Ship	State	Description
Midnight Special		1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race: The badly damaged sailing yacht was abandoned without loss of life in the Tasman Sea in the vicinity of the Bass Strait during a storm, with helicopters rescuing her crew of nine. She was not seen again and presumably sank.
Miintinta		1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race: The badly damaged sailing yacht's crew abandoned ship in a life raft in the Tasman Sea in the vicinity of Bass Strait during a storm and were rescued without loss of life by the fishing trawler Josephine Jean. Josephine Jean took Miintinta under tow, but Miintinta sank shortly afterwards in the Tasman Sea off New South Wales, Australia, at 36°57′S 150°42′E.
Sword of Orion	Australia	1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race: After one crew member was swept overboard and presumed drowned in a storm on 27 December, a Royal Australian Navy helicopter rescued the remaining six crew members from the badly damaged sailing yacht in the Tasman Sea in the vicinity of the Bass Strait. Sword of Orion was not seen again and presumably sank.

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date December 1998

Ship	State	Description
Arco Arun	United Kingdom	The coaster capsized in the Thames Estuary at Northfleet Hope. She was later raised and refloated.

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 1998

Ship	State	Description
Brown Bear	United States	The motor vessel, a former research ship, was scuttled in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, California, in late 1997 or in January 1998.
Mr. J	United States	The crab processor – a former PCE-842-class patrol craft and auxiliary minelayer – was towed out into the Pacific Ocean and scuttled sometime in the 1990s.
HMS Sirius	Royal Navy	The decommissioned Leander-class frigate was sunk as a target in the Atlantic Ocean by the submarine HMS Spartan (Royal Navy).