List of Famous Ships that Sunk While Sailing – As many of us know that nowadays more and more people are using ships to be able to sail and also enjoy the beautiful sea.
Who doesn’t know about the RMS Titanic? Completed on April 2, 1912, this British-made cruise ship sank even though it was only the maiden voyage. On April 10, 1912, or just a week sailing to New York City, United States (US), Titanic hit the tip of the iceberg and killed more than 1,500 people.
However, did you know that the RMS Titanic is not the first to experience it? Before and after the Titanic, this is the famous ship that sank even though it was the first time to sail. Unexpected and sad at the same time!
1. Batavia (1628)
Built in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, by the Vereenigde Oost Indische Compagnie (VOC) and completed in 1628, Batavia sailed from the Netherlands to Batavia (present-day Jakarta), the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). Headed by Francisco Pelsaert, the ship was carrying 340 passengers and gold and silver.
However, the skipper Ariaen Jacobsz and the merchant Jeronimus Cornelisz plotted to hijack Batavia. So Jacobsz deliberately halukboga steered Batavia off the beaten track and planned various incidents to trigger riots. On June 4, 1629, Batavia crashed into Morning Reef, Australia, and sank, taking 40 lives with it.
When Pelsaert went to seek help, Jacobsz established himself as leader and slaughtered 125 souls and held several women as sex slaves. Pelsaert returned and upon hearing about the incident, arrested and executed Cornelisz along with six of his accomplices.
2. Amazon RMS (1851)
Built in 1850 and completed in 1851, the RMS Amazon was sent from London to Southampton to serve the Caribbean Islands. On January 2, 1852, the Amazon sailed for the first time carrying valuable cargo, mail, and 50 passengers. In the first 24 hours, the steamer did not move because the engine was too hot.
On arriving at the Bay of Biscay (the border of France and Spain) on January 4, 1852, the Amazon suddenly caught fire. Because it could not be extinguished and the engine could not be turned off, the passengers were even thrown into the water. Looking fiery red, the Amazon finally sank 30 minutes later.
3. RMS Tayleur (1854)
Nicknamed the “First Titanic”, the RMS Tayleur was a clipper ship manufactured by White Star Line, the Titanic manufacturer for the gold trade route in Australia. Completed in 6 months, Tayleur sailed from Liverpool, England to Melbourne, Australia in 1854.
Within 48 hours, the crew believed they were sailing south in the Irish Sea, when the ship was sailing west for Ireland. Apparently, the ship’s compass didn’t work because the ship’s hull was made of iron. Due to heavy fog and storms, the ship was tossed and ran aground on the east coast of Lambay Island, Ireland.
Unable to lower the lifeboats, the crew knocked down the mast so the passengers could crawl on it. Of the 650 passengers onboard the Tayleur, only 280 survived.