List of shipwrecks in 2003

The list of shipwrecks in 2003 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 2003.

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

←  2002 2003 2004  →
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
May	Jun	Jul	Aug
Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Unknown date
References

January

1 January

List of shipwrecks: 1 January 2003

Ship	State	Description
Vicky	Turkey	The cargo ship ran aground on the wreck of Tricolor (  Norway) in the English Channel off Dunquerque, Nord, France. Later refloated. [1]

3 January

List of shipwrecks: 3 January 2003

Ship	State	Description
Vermontborg	Romania	This new ship, under tow from Romania to Germany, broke free and came aground on the Guernsey, Channel Islands coast. [2] [3]

5 January

List of shipwrecks: 5 January 2003

Ship	State	Description
Pioneer	United States	In disrepair and in danger of sinking in the boat harbor at Kodiak, Alaska, the 80-foot (24.4 m) halibut schooner was scuttled by her owner in 260 feet (79 meters) of water in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) off Cape Chiniak ( 57°37′N152°10′W / 57.617°N 152.167°W / 57.617; -152.167 (Cape Chiniak) ) on Kodiak Island. [4]

11 January

List of shipwrecks: 11 January 2003

Ship	State	Description
Sunrunner	United States	The 58-foot (17.7 m) longline cod-fishing vessel sank off Twoheaded Island ( 56°54′N153°35′W / 56.900°N 153.583°W / 56.900; -153.583 (Twoheaded Island) ) in the Kodiak Archipelago. A United States Coast Guard helicopter and the fishing vessel Heritage (  United States) rescued her entire crew of five. [5]

24 January

List of shipwrecks: 24 January 2003

Ship	State	Description
Combine	United States	The 41-foot (12.5 m) longline cod-fishing vessel struck a pinnacle off Popof Island ( 57°46′00″N152°24′10″W / 57.76667°N 152.40278°W / 57.76667; -152.40278 (Popof Island) ) in the Kodiak Archipelago about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) east of Kodiak, Alaska. The fishing vessel Highliner (  United States) rescued her crew of three. [6]

February

17 February

List of shipwrecks: 17 February 2003

Ship	State	Description
Tor I	Tonga	The cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Sicily, Italy with the loss of all eight crew. [7]

18 February

List of shipwrecks: 18 February 2003

Ship	State	Description
Myra Jean	United States	The 42-foot (12.8 m) Alaska pollock trawler struck a rock, capsized and sank at the head of Wells Bay ( 60°53′30″N147°28′30″W / 60.89167°N 147.47500°W / 60.89167; -147.47500 (Wells Bay) ) in Prince William Sound on the south-central coast of Alaska. The fishing vessel Anna Lee (  United States) rescued her crew of two. [8]

March

16 March

List of shipwrecks: 16 March 2003

Ship	State	Description
Copa Casino	flag unknown	The cruise ship sank off the coast of Dominican Republic while on her last voyage to Alang, India for scrapping.

21 March

List of shipwrecks: 21 March 2003

Ship	State	Description
Bering Sea	United States	The 45-foot (13.7 m) longline halibut-fishing vessel was wrecked on the northwest coast of Yakobi Island in the Alexander Archipelago near Cape Bingham ( 58°05′30″N136°31′00″W / 58.09167°N 136.51667°W / 58.09167; -136.51667 (Cape Bingham) ) in Southeast Alaska. All three people and a dog on board abandoned ship in a life raft and were rescued by a United States Coast Guard helicopter. [9]

22 March

List of shipwrecks: 22 March 2003

Ship	State	Description
RMS Mulheim	Antigua and Barbuda	RMS Mulheim, September 2003. The cargo ship ran aground at Sennen Cove, United Kingdom. She was declared a constructive total loss on 24 March.

24 March

List of shipwrecks: 24 March 2003

Ship	State	Description
New Viking	United States	The 52-foot (15.8 m) crab-fishing vessel sank in Southeast Alaska near Sullivan Island State Marine Park ( 58°57′48″N135°19′21″W / 58.9633°N 135.3224°W / 58.9633; -135.3224 (Sullivan Island State Marine Park) ) 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) southwest of Eldred Rock. The only person aboard abandoned ship in a skiff and was rescued by the United States Coast Guard. [10]

April

2 April

List of shipwrecks: 2 April 2003

Ship	State	Description
USS Bigelow	United States Navy	The decommissioned Forrest Sherman-class destroyer was sunk as a target.

11 April

List of shipwrecks: 11 April 2003

Ship	State	Description
ROCS Lai Yang	Republic of China Navy	The decommissioned Gearing-class destroyer was sunk as an artificial reef. (Formerly USS Leonard F. Mason (  United States Navy) the ship's name in Republic of China Navy service also is reported as ROCS Shuei Yang.)

16 April

List of shipwrecks: 16 April 2003

Ship	State	Description
361	People's Liberation Army Navy	The Ming-class submarine was lost due to an engine run-on accident in the Bohai Sea. All seventy crew suffocated.

22 April

List of shipwrecks: 22 April 2003

Ship	State	Description
Al Munassir	Royal Navy of Oman	Vessel sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Muscat.

29 April

List of shipwrecks: 29 April 2003

Ship	State	Description
Brittany Kaye	United States	The 29-foot (8.8 m) herring gillnetter struck a rock and sank in Kulukak Bay ( 58°49′N159°44′W / 58.817°N 159.733°W / 58.817; -159.733 (Kulukak Bay) ) on the south-central coast of Alaska, 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) southeast of Togiak. Her crew of two survived. At low tide she was seen to be sitting on mud but was deemed too badly damaged to be refloated. [9]

May

13 May

List of shipwrecks: 13 May 2003

Ship	State	Description
HMS Tireless	Royal Navy	The Trafalgar-class submarine collided underwater with an iceberg in the Arctic Ocean and was damaged.

30 May

List of shipwrecks: 30 May 2003

Ship	State	Description
Racona II	United States	The 72-foot (22 m) vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) off Spruce Cape ( 57°49′15″N152°20′00″W / 57.82083°N 152.33333°W / 57.82083; -152.33333 (Spruce Cape) ) near Kodiak, Alaska. The fishing vessel Compromise (  United States) rescued her two-man crew. [11]

31 May

List of shipwrecks: 31 May 2003

Ship	State	Description
Fu Shan Hai	China	The bulk carrier collided with Gdynia (  Cyprus) off Bornholm, Denmark and sank. [12]

June

12 June

List of shipwrecks: 12 June 2003

Ship	State	Description
Al-Mansur	Iraqi Navy	Saddam Hussein's presidential yacht was bombed and damaged at Basra by Grumman F-14 Tomcat aircraft of the United States Navy in March, 2003 during the Iraq War. Capsized and sank at dock at Basrah, Iraq after being looted. [13] [14]

14 June

List of shipwrecks: 14 June 2003

Ship	State	Description
Taki-Tooo	United States	The 32-foot (9.8 m) chartered fishing boat capsized off the Oregon Coast near Tillamook Bay while crossing the bar. Eleven people, including the skipper, perished. [15] [16]

19 June

List of shipwrecks: 19 June 2003

Ship	State	Description
ex-USS Richard E. Byrd	Hellenic Navy	The decommissioned Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyer was sunk as a target by Greek forces after sale to Greece and cannibalization for spare parts.

27 June

List of shipwrecks: 27 June 2003

Ship	State	Description
Unidentified barge	United States	The retired 75-foot (22.9 m) barge was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) off Mantoloking, New Jersey, in 80 feet (24 m) of water at 40°03.560′N073°59.300′W / 40.059333°N 73.988333°W / 40.059333; -73.988333 ("Barbar Ann") . Her wreck is known as "Barbara Ann." [17]
Unidentified barge	United States	The retired 50-foot (15.2 m) barge was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) off Mantoloking, New Jersey, in 80 feet (24 m) of water at 40°03.585′N073°59.391′W / 40.059750°N 73.989850°W / 40.059750; -73.989850 (Swensen Barge) . Her wreck is known as the "Swensen Barge." [18]

July

8 July

List of shipwrecks: 8 July 2003

Ship	State	Description
Miss Everett	United States	The 34-foot (10.4 m) troller sank near Kruzof Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska, approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) north of Sitka, Alaska. The only person aboard perished. [8]
Nazreen-1	Bangladesh	The ferry sank in the Meghna River near Chandpur, Bangladesh, causing the deaths of 400 people. [19]

17 July

List of shipwrecks: 17 July 2003

Ship	State	Description
Four Daughters	United States	The 86-foot (26.2 m) fishing trawler and clam dredger sank on her maiden voyage in 130 feet (40 m) of water in the North Atlantic Ocean 52 nautical miles (96 km; 60 mi) southeast of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, at 39°59.46′N073°11.25′W / 39.99100°N 73.18750°W / 39.99100; -73.18750 (Lady Gertrude) . [20]

21 July

List of shipwrecks: 21 July 2003

Ship	State	Description
USS Dixon	United States Navy	The decommissioned L. Y. Spear-class submarine tender was sunk as a target in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, at 31°16′17.9″N073°57′46.2″W / 31.271639°N 73.962833°W / 31.271639; -73.962833 ("USS Dixon (AS-37)) .
USS Seneca	United States Navy	The decommissioned Navajo-class fleet tug was sunk as a target in the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina.

22 July

List of shipwrecks: 22 July 2003

Ship	State	Description
HMCS Nipigon	Maritime Command	The decommissioned Mackenzie-class destroyer was sunk in the St. Lawrence River north-east of Rimouski as an artificial reef. [21]
USS Samuel Gompers	United States Navy	The decommissioned Samuel Gompers-class destroyer tender sank in the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina at 31°17′N073°51′W / 31.283°N 73.850°W / 31.283; -73.850 ("USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37)) after being used as a target for Harpoon missiles and aerial bombs the previous day.

28 July

List of shipwrecks: 28 July 2003

Ship	State	Description
Tasman Spirit	Greece	The tanker ran aground in the Arabian Sea off Karachi, Pakistan. She broke up and sank on 14 August. [22]

29 July

List of shipwrecks: 29 July 2003

Ship	State	Description
USS Ingersoll	United States Navy	The decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer was sunk as a target.

30 July

List of shipwrecks: 30 July 2003

Ship	State	Description
Neptun	Germany	The 16.11-metre (52 ft 10 in) fishing cutter ran aground, heeled over and sank on its side in shallow water in the channel at Norddeich. Later salvaged. [23]

August

1 August

List of shipwrecks: 1 August 2003

Ship	State	Description
USS Leftwich	United States Navy	The decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean northwest of Hawaii at 22°48′47″N160°34′00″W / 22.81306°N 160.56667°W / 22.81306; -160.56667 ("USS Leftwich (DD-984)") .
USS Merrill	United States Navy	The decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean northwest of Hawaii at 22°43′53″N160°29′23″W / 22.73139°N 160.48972°W / 22.73139; -160.48972 ("USS Merrill (DD-976)") .

4 August

List of shipwrecks: 4 August 2003

Ship	State	Description
United Malika	Morocco	United Malika The reefer ship ran aground near Ras Nouadhibou in Mauritania. Its crew were rescued by the Mauritanian Navy.

15 August

List of shipwrecks: 15 August 2003

Ship	State	Description
USS Downes	United States Navy	The decommissioned Knox-class frigate was sunk as a target near Mare Island, California, at 31°10′01″N119°48′03″W / 31.16694°N 119.80083°W / 31.16694; -119.80083 ("USS Downes (FF-1070)") .
USS Henry B. Wilson	United States Navy	The decommissioned Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyer was sunk as a target.

20 August

List of shipwrecks: 20 August 2003

Ship	State	Description
Donna Ann	United States	The 47-gross ton, 49.7-or-58-foot (15.1 or 17.7 m) fishing vessel dragged her anchor and was stranded on the beach in Tanglefoot Bay ( 57°34′30″N154°29′30″W / 57.57500°N 154.49167°W / 57.57500; -154.49167 (Tanglefoot Bay) ) near Karluk, Alaska. Her crew survived. [24]

28 August

List of shipwrecks: 28 August 2003

Ship	State	Description
North Star	United States	The 55-foot (17 m) scallop trawler capsized and sank in the Atlantic Ocean in 100 feet (30 m) of water in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary ( 42°23′N70°21′W / 42.383°N 70.350°W / 42.383; -70.350 ). The two crew members were picked up by Half Fast. [25]

30 August

List of shipwrecks: 30 August 2003

Ship	State	Description
K-159	Russian Navy	The November-class submarine sank in the Barents Sea while under tow to a scrapyard. Nine of her ten crew were killed.

September

11 September

List of shipwrecks: 11 September 2003

Ship	State	Description
Moby Magic	Italy	The ferry ran aground in the Mediterranean Sea off Porto Cervo, Sardinia. All 160 people on board were rescued. [26]

25 September

List of shipwrecks: 25 September 2003

Ship	State	Description
A. J. McAllister	United States	The retired 106-foot (32.3 m), 263-gross register ton tug was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean east of Cape May, New Jersey, at 38°58.004′N074°10.721′W / 38.966733°N 74.178683°W / 38.966733; -74.178683 (A. J. McAllister) . [27] [28]
Diver′s Abyss	United States	The retired 104-foot (31.7 m) tug was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean east of Cape May, New Jersey, at 38°57.984′N074°10.771′W / 38.966400°N 74.179517°W / 38.966400; -74.179517 (Diver′s Abyss) . [28] [29]

October

8 October

List of shipwrecks: 8 October 2003

Ship	State	Description
ROCS Fu Yang	Republic of China Navy	The decommissioned Gearing-class destroyer was sunk as a target.

14 October

List of shipwrecks: 14 October 2003

Ship	State	Description
ROCS An Yang	Republic of China Navy	The decommissioned Fletcher-class destroyer was sunk as a target.
ROCS Huei Yang	Republic of China Navy	The decommissioned Allen M. Sumner-class guided-missile destroyer was sunk as a target.

15 October

List of shipwrecks: 15 October 2003

Ship	State	Description
Andrew J. Barberi	United States	The ferry collided at full speed with a pier at Staten Island, New York. Eleven people were killed and seventy-one were injured. The ship was later repaired and returned to service.

25 October

List of shipwrecks: 25 October 2003

Ship	State	Description
USS Hartford	United States Navy	USS Hartford. USS Hartford grounding: The Los Angeles-class submarine ran aground at La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy. She was subsequently repaired and returned to service

November

7 November

List of shipwrecks: 7 November 2003

Ship	State	Description
Jay Jay	United States	The retired 90-foot (27.4 m) tug 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. [30]

18 November

List of shipwrecks: 18 November 2003

Ship	State	Description
USS Yosemite	United States Navy	The decommissioned destroyer tender was sunk as a target.

25 November

List of shipwrecks: 25 November 2003

Ship	State	Description
Dieu Merci	Democratic Republic of the Congo	The ferry capsized and sank in Lake Mai-Ndombe, killing 163 people on board. Over 200 people were rescued. [31]

December

1 December

List of shipwrecks: 24 December 2003

Ship	State	Description
Jassim	Bolivia	The vessel sank while anchored at Wingate reef, Sudan about 1,113.11 metres (3,651.9 ft) away from the wreck of Umbria. [32]

9 December

List of shipwrecks: 24 December 2003

Ship	State	Description
Stellamare	Netherlands	The Dutch heavy-lift vessel capsized while loading power generator components at the Port of Albany with the loss of three crew members. [33] A United States Coast Guard investigation found that capsize occurred because of the inexperience of the officers and crew in conducting heavy-lift loading operations in fresh water and miscommunications between the Russian crew and Dutch officers over ballasting requirements. [34] The ship was salvaged but declared a constructive total loss. [33]

24 December

List of shipwrecks: 24 December 2003

Ship	State	Description
Elizabeth	flag unknown	The cargo ship sank in the Aegean Sea off Santorini, Greece. Eight crew were rescued. [35]

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date 2003

Ship	State	Description
Alec N	United States	The retired 45-foot (13.7 m) fishing trawler was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean off Fire Island south of Long Island, New York sometime in 2003. [36]
Mary N	United States	The retired 50-foot (15.2 m) fishing trawler and clam dredger was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean off Fire Island south of Long Island, New York sometime in 2003. [36]
SLNS P-413	Sri Lanka Navy	Sri Lankan Civil War: The patrol boat was sunk by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam sometime in 2003. [37]
SLNS P-416	Sri Lanka Navy	Sri Lankan Civil War: The patrol boat was sunk by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam sometime in 2003. [37]
SLNS P-495	Sri Lanka Navy	Sri Lankan Civil War: The patrol boat was sunk by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam sometime in 2003. [37]

References

1. Charles Bremner and Ben Webster (3 January 2003). "Fuel leaks from second ship that hit wreckage". The Times. No. 67650. London. col A-D, p. 12.
2. "SMIT Salvage awarded LOF contract for the grounded Vermont Borg" (PDF). towingline.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
3. "Wagenborg 'Vermontborg' Shipwreck in Guernsey 3/1/03". dragtimes.com. 27 November 2017.
4. alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (P)
5. alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (S)
6. alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (C)
7. "Crew missing". The Times. No. 67689. London. 18 February 2003. col H, p. 16.
8. alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (M)
9. alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (B)
10. alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (N)
11. alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (R)
12. "Oil leak threat". The Times. No. 67779. London. 3 June 2003. col H, p. 13.
13. Ian Cobain, additional material by Tim Butcher ( Daily Telegraph ) and Tom Newton Dunn ( Daily Mirror ) (11 April 2003). "Saddam's ship of state, dead in the water". The Times. No. 67734. London. col A-H, p. 5.
14. "MV Al Mansur (+2003)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
15. Cole, Michelle; Hunsberger, Brent; Larabee, Mark (15 June 2003). "Wave flips boat, killing 9 in accident; two others missing". The Oregonian . Retrieved 7 April 2020.
16. Dooris, Pat (10 January 2019). "'It was immediate': Taki-Tooo survivor remembers 2003 sinking that claimed 11 lives on Oregon coast". KGW . Retrieved 7 April 2020.
17. njscuba.net "Barbara Ann"
18. njscuba.net Swensen Barge
19. "Ferry disaster claims hundreds". BBC. 9 July 2003. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
20. njscuba.net Four Daughters
21. "HMCS NIPIGON 266". forposterityssake.ca. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
22. "Oil tanker spill". The Times. No. 67842. London. 15 August 2003. col H, p. 17.
23. "Investigation Report 226/03" (PDF). bsu-bund.de. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
24. alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (D)
25. "North Star". NOAA.gov. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
26. "Ferry abandoned". The Times. No. 67866. London. 12 September 2003. col H, p. 22.
27. njscuba.net A. J. McAllister
28. nj.gov Deepwater Reef
29. njscuba.net Diver′s Abyss
30. njscuba.net Moriches Artificial Reef
31. "163 die as ferry capsizes". The Times. No. 67932. London. 28 November 2003. col H, p. 27.
32. "M/S KATTEGAT". faktaomfartyg. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
33. Aichele, Richard O. (28 February 2007). "Three dead as heavy-lift ship capsizes while loading generator". Professional Mariner. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
34. "Capsizing of the M/V Stellemare" (PDF). Investigating Officer's Report of Investigation. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
35. "Crew arrested". The Times. No. 67956. London. 27 December 2003. col H, p. 25.
36. "njscuba.net Fire Island Artificial Reef". Archived from the original on 2020-02-15. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
37. "Naval Battles of the Sri Lanka Civil War". Soviet-Empire. Retrieved 8 May 2020.