Katie J. Barrett

Four-masted wooden schooner built in 1887, Bath, Maine. Dimensions 191'×??×?? and tonnage 967 tons.

1887: Launched at the shipyard of William T. Donnell, Bath, Maine.
1890 February 24: Stranded at Nauset Beach, Cape Cod.
1911 October 26: Lost at Islamorada in the middle Florida Keys. Star of the Sea, previous name Katie J. Barrett, lost October 26, 1911. Schooner of 967 tons,191 ft. length, built 1887, at Bath, England. concerning the following vessel, said to have been stranded near Islamorada in the middle Florida Keys In Paul C. Morris's book FOUR MASTED SCHOONERS OF THE EAST COAST, page 147, the STAR OF THE SEA is listed as Off. No: 014465 Signal letters: KDWF Prev. Name: KATIE J. BARRETT (1887-1890) Description: 4-masted wooden schooner Tons: 964 GTon /893 NTon Dimensions: 191.2 x 38.0 x 19.0 Built: 1887 at Bath, Maine (not UK.) by William T. Donnell Owners: Crowell & Thurlow Capt: possibly Angus McLeod. Lost: 1911.10.26 by stranding at Florida Reefs Reference: FOUR MASTED SCHOONERS OF THE EAST COAST by Paul C. Morris page 147 Call No: 387.2 M877f (at Halifax Regional Library) Publisher: Lower Cape Publishing (1975) Box 901, Orleans, MA. 02653 - lists 562 4-masters includes 8 on Great Lakes 36 on West Coast 7 in foreign waters Printer: Knowlton & McLeary Co., Farmington, ME. Also noted in Lloyd's Register:1899-1900. To add a little to her history, she was almost a total loss when she stranded as the KATIE J. BARRETT on 02/24/1890 at Nauset Beach, Cape Cod. After nearly a year of being pounded by the seas, she was sold to a man named Green, hauled off and towed to Boston and repaired (Morris). She was originally constructed with oak - hardwood Žas beech, birch, elm - Hackmatack - yellow or hard or pitch pine and iron & copper Žcomposit'n fastenings with 2 decks (ABS 1889). Gardiner G. Deering and William T. Donnell, who specialized and concentrated their energies in the building of fore-and-afters for the coastwise trade. From 1866 to 1886, Deering & Donnell built 70 schooners -- mostly small ones. Separating, each of the former partners operated a shipyard on his own account. Together and separately, the two men built 109 vessels -- practically all schooners -- ranging up to 2,114 tons and aggregating 58,000 tons register. From 1866 to 1901, W. T. Donnell was connected with the building of 79 wood vessels and G. G. Deering, from 1866 -- 1919, with an even 100. (Fairburn). William Donnell built the BARRETT on his own account, and may have been her owner when stranded on Nauset Beach Žthis Wreck Report should be available from the Archives..see below. Lloyd's 1909/10 gives her owner as Crowell & Thurlow of 33 Broad St, Boston Žowned 67 schooners over the course of their career and 13 additional vessels in 1909/10 and lists her master as F. D. Mckown, may be the same at the time of her loss in 1911. MVUS 1912 indicates there were 11 on board with no loss of life. Since the STAR OF THE SEA was still homeported in Boston according to the List of Merchant Vessels of the US-1911 and Lloyd's Register of Shipping-1909/10, I would suggest you contact the regional office of the National Archives; New England Region at Waltham, MA - Žarchives™waltham.nara.gov. They should retain a copy of the Wreck Report(s) and latest Enrollment or Registry. They should also have her Master's Carpenter's Certificate, Tonnage Admeasurement, Bills of Sale for Maine, Entrance/Departures for the port of Boston etc... If not, you will need to contact DC at Žinquire™arch2.nara.gov.

Updated 1996-09-02 by Lars Bruzelius

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