Josephine Marie
![black and white photo of a ship at a dock](/media/img/20200804-josephine-marie-1-1000.jpg)
Ship Stats
![Tangled fishing nets on the sea floor](/media/img/20200804-josephine-marie-6-400.jpg)
Depth: 105 feet
Length: 80 feet feet Breadth: 20-25 feet
Depth of Hold: N/A
Tonnage: 154 gross tons
Built: 1969, steel-hulled stern trawler, Bender Welding and Machine Company, Mobile, Alabama
Port of Registry: Unknown
Owner: N/A
Date Lost: February 1, 1992
Crew: 4
Sunk By: Foundered after striking object Survivors: 4 out of 4
Data Collected on Site: Scuba diver photography and video
Significance: Mid-20th century fishing vessel type and technology; scuba diving site
Present Day
![a scan of the sea floor revealing a shipwreck](/media/img/20200804-josephine-marie-sonar-1000.jpg)
Josephine Marie rests in 105 feet of water in the sanctuary on Stellwagen Bank. It currently is upside down, or "turtled," with sand blocking once possible entries into the interior. The bow and rudder areas along with exposed piping provide habitats for marine life like sponges, anemones, and various fish. The currents are swift around the site, therefore dives need to be timed to slack water. There is also fishing gear that divers need to be aware of as possible dive hazards.
Josephine Marie (two formats provided):
Decimal Degrees = N 42.18208 W 70.22443
Degrees Minutes = N 42 10.925 W 70 13.466
Historical Background
![The deck of a shipwreck covered in marine growth and sea stars](/media/img/20200804-josephine-marie-5-1000.jpg)
Based in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Josephine Marie actively fished in Massachusetts Bay until February 1, 1992 when disaster struck. While returning from a routine fishing trip, the crew radioed the Coast Guard that Josephine Marie was taking on water and needed immediate help. The steel-hulled, fishing trawler had apparently hit an unknown submerged object and was taking in water in its holds north of Provincetown, Massachusetts. A Coast Guard helicopter lowered two pumps to the sinking vessel, but the crew was unable to get them working in the 15 to 20-foot seas. The trawler's crew abandoned ship and were rescued by the F/V Italian Gold and taken to shore. Survey dives conducted in 1992 were unable to identify obvious damage or direct cause of sinking. There was speculation that a hatch was possibly deteriorated and a potential cause, but it was impossible to inspect due to the ship's turtled positioning.
![A diver grabs a propeller of a shipwreck and poses for a photo](/media/img/20200804-josephine-marie-3a-600.jpg)
![A diver next to a propeller of a shipwreck that is covered in muscles](/media/img/20200804-josephine-marie-3b-600.jpg)
Josephine Marie's propeller makes a great photo backdrop. Left/top Photo: Doug Costa, NOAA/SBNMS; Right/bottom Photo: Matthew Lawrence, NOAA/SBNMS
![A diver looks between pieces of a shipwreck with fish all around](/media/img/20200804-josephine-marie-4-1000.jpg)