Storm Unearths Nantucket's 1884 Schooner Wreckage

A significant nor'easter currently impacting the Northeast has brought to light a fragment of a 19th-century shipwreck on Nantucket. The storm, which is causing heavy rain and strong winds across the region, led to the discovery of wooden beams believed to be from the coastal schooner Warren Sawyer. This vessel wrecked near Miacomet Beach on the night of December 22, 1884.

This recent find occurs in the same area where pieces of the Warren Sawyer previously surfaced in 2022. Increased coastal erosion from the current nor'easter is thought to have exposed the new fragment. In 2023, state archaeologists suggested a 2022 discovery was likely part of the schooner's hull.

The Warren Sawyer was sailing from Boston to New Orleans carrying cotton and scrap iron when it was overcome by gale-force winds. Despite the severe weather, the captain and all seven crew members were safely brought to shore. Some cargo was also recovered. Researchers from the Egan Maritime Institute have cautioned that while probable, definitive identification of the wreckage as the Warren Sawyer remains pending due to historical records of other nearby wrecks and inconsistencies in hardware.