Bow Mariner

On Saturday, February 28, 2004 the Bow Mariner, a 570 foot tanker was southbound off the coast of Virginia when it caught fire, exploded and sank. The tanker was carrying 3.5 million gallons of ethanol, 48,000 gallons of stored diesel fuel and 193,000 gallons of fuel oil. The vessel was roughly 50 miles east of Chincoteague, Virginia in about 240 feet of water when it sank. Water temperature was around 44 degrees at the time.

The Marine Electric

The Marine Electric was a coal carrier She was originally built in 1944 and then refitted in 1962 to be 607 feet long. The vessel left Norfolk, VA on February 10, 1983 carrying a cargo of 25,000 tons of coal. Seas were rough and skies were overcast. The air and water temperature was cold and the wind was blowing in excess of 40 knots. The ship carried a crew of 34.

As the ship cruised off Virginia's east shore, the weather deteriorated. By the next morning, the seas were between 20 and 40 feet, with winds up at 60 knots. By the nightfall, the ship began to founder. An inspection revealed that the holds were filling with sea water. Around 4PM a distress call was sent and acknowledged by the Coast Guard. A rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, was immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival the helicopter found that the ship had sunk and 34 people were in the water.

The wreck is in two major pieces in about 125 feet of water at roughly 37 52.896N 74 46.558W. It sits on the 20 fathom line about 30 miles east of Chincoteague Inlet. The wreck is heavily visited by divers, commercial fishermen and recreational anglers. It holds sea bass and is visited by shark fishermen often. Occasionally a bite of bluefin tuna develops there.

Tangier Island Target Ships

The target ships near Tangier are popular fishing spots. There are 2 ships above water in the area. Both ships have been virtually obliterated from bombing activity. The eastern ship also holds a barge, submerged just below the water level nearby. The obstruction is a hazard and has damaged and even sunk several boats.

The western ship sits in about 15 feet of water. The wreck can hold a variety of fish including trout, rockfish, croaker, sea bass, red drum, cobia and sheepshead. Fishing either wreck is somewhat hazardous as the area is a maze of jagged metal and subsurface obstructions. To make matters worse, live ammunition is on the bottom.

La Galga (circa 1750) and Juno (circa 1802) were Spanish vessels that sank along Assateague Island.
Local Legend claims that Chincoteague ponies are descendants of Spanish ponies that escaped onto the island from shipwrecks.