National Marine Sanctuaries

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Shipwreck Database

Vessel
*Not A Total Loss

Sir John Franklin
  
Name (former)
Official Number
Propulsion
 Sail
Nationality
 US
Masts
  
Age
 11
Decks
  
Value
  
Type
 Ship - Medium Clipper
Call Sign
  
Use
 Commercial
Home Port
 MD, Baltimore
Tonnage (gross)
  
Built When
 1854
Tonnage (net)
Built Where
 MD, Baltimore
Tonnage
999
Built by
 John J. Abraham
Displacement
  
Hull Material
 Wood
Length (ft)
 170' 8"
Cargo
 Dry goods, lumber, pianos, 300 barrels spirits
Beam
 35' 8"
Owner
  
Depth of Hold
 17' 10"
 
CASUALTY
   
Latitude
37°09N
Longitude
121°21W
WHERE
Franklin Point
STATE
CA
YEAR
1865
LAST PORT
MD, Baltimore
MONTH
01
DESTINATION
CA, San Francisco
DAY
17
People on Board
16
TIME
FATALITIES
13
CAUSE
Navigation
NATURE OF CASUALTY

Sailing in dense fog for 24 hours, they saw breakers. Every effort was made to gain open water, but three times in succession the pounding waves caught the ship and threw her on the rocks.
The cape appears as Middle Point on early charts of the Coast Survey. It was changed after the ship Sir John Franklin was wrecked there on January 17, 1865. Gudde