The list of shipwrecks in 1961 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 1961.

January

1 January

List of shipwrecks: 1 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Sadie	United States	The 10-gross register ton, 34.8-foot (10.6 m) fishing vessel sank at Tee Harbor (also known as "The Harbor"), Alaska.[1]

3 January

List of shipwrecks: 3 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Indian Navigator	India	The cargo ship sank 60 nautical miles (110 km) off the Isles of Scilly.[2] Thirteen crew of Indian Success ( India) that were put on board to salvage the ship after it caught fire were lost. One of her 67 crew was also reported lost.[3]

5 January

List of shipwrecks: 5 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Arcadia	United Kingdom	The ocean liner ran aground off Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Refloated after two hours.[4]
Harry R. Jones	United States	The cargo ship ran aground off Ardrossan, Ayrshire, Scotland whilst under tow to Troon for scrapping.[5]

9 January

List of shipwrecks: 9 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
El Pensativo	Cuba	The motor sailer was intercepted and sunk at sea by an armed boat. Four Cuban intelligence agents were killed.[6]

10 January

List of shipwrecks: 10 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Egoz	Israel	The passenger ship foundered in the Mediterranean Sea with the loss of 46 of the 49 people on board. She was on a voyage from Al Hoceima, Morocco to Gibraltar.

11 January

List of shipwrecks: 12 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
HDMS Egenæs	Royal Danish Navy	The patrol vessel ran aground off Odden. She was consequently scrapped.[7]
Vega	United States	While under tow from New York City to Jacksonville, Florida, the 75-foot (22.9 m) motor automobile ferry capsized and sank without loss of life in 55 feet (17 m) of water in the North Atlantic Ocean off Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey, at 40°11.646′N 073°56.787′W / 40.194100°N 73.946450°W / 40.194100; -73.946450 (Vega) after her tow line parted during a storm.[8]

12 January

List of shipwrecks: 12 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
HMS Oberon	Royal Navy	The Oberon-class submarine ran aground at Rothesay Bay in the Firth of Clyde.[9] Refloated the next day with the assistance of three tugs and two boom defence vessels.[10]

18 January

List of shipwrecks: 18 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Oco	United Kingdom	The TID-class tug collided with Henfield ( United Kingdom) in the River Ouse at Swinefleet, Yorkshire. Oco capsized and sank. She was towing barges from Hull to Selby. She was refloated on 1 February and beached, the refloated on 14 February and taken in to Goole. Subsequently repaired and returned to service as Selby Olympia.[11]

20 January

List of shipwrecks: 20 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Caribbean Queen	United Kingdom	The cargo ship sank between Cuba and Florida, United States. All crew rescued.[12]

21 January

List of shipwrecks: 21 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Yewmount	United Kingdom	The coaster collided with Stamatios M. Embiricos ( Greece) and sank. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Glasgow, Renfrewshire. Yewmount was refloated on 30 March 1961 and was scrapped in 1964.[13]

25 January

List of shipwrecks: 25 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Yarasli	Turkey	The cargo ship was sighted off Cephalonia, Greece whilst on a voyage from Istanbul to Bagnoli, Italy. No further trace, presumed foundered with the loss of all hands.[14]

26 January

List of shipwrecks: 26 January 1961

Ship	State	Description
S-80	Soviet Navy	The Whiskey-class submarine sank in the Barents Sea with the loss of her entire crew of 68. Her wreck remained undiscovered until 23 June 1968.
Vrmac	Yugoslavia	The cargo ship capsized and sank off Venice, Italy with the loss of five of her 22 crew.[15]

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date January 1961

Ship	State	Description
Yarasli	Turkey	The coaster foundered in the Ionian Sea. She was last heard from on 25 January.

February

3 February

List of shipwrecks: 3 February 1961

Ship	State	Description
De Vilhena	Malta	The tug foundered 40 nautical miles (74 km) north west of Calvi, Corsica, France.[16]

5 February

List of shipwrecks: 5 February 1961

Ship	State	Description
Kupreanoff	United States	The 10-gross register ton motor vessel sank at Port Williams (58°29′30″N 152°35′00″W / 58.49167°N 152.58333°W / 58.49167; -152.58333 (Port Williams)) on the southern coast of Afognak Island in Alaska's Kodiak Archipelago.[17]

8 February

List of shipwrecks: 8 February 1961

Ship	State	Description
Braga	Norway	The cargo ship foundered in the English Channel. All 27 crew and both passengers rescued by the tug Rennes and cargo ship Banora (both  France) and landed at Newhaven, Sussex or Dieppe, France respectively.[18]

17 February

List of shipwrecks: 17 February 1961

Ship	State	Description
BP Explorer	United Kingdom	The coastal tanker capsized and sank in the River Severn at Awre, Gloucestershire with the loss of all five crew.[19]
C 632	Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service	The auxiliary vessel ran aground at Dungeness, Kent and was holed. A pump was put on board and the ship was escorted to Dover.[20]
Eminence	United Kingdom	The coaster collided with American Farmer ( United States) off Thames Haven, Essex and was holed, with her steering gear destroyed.[20]
ex-USS Huron	Canada	The floating breakwater, formerly the armored cruiser USS South Dakota (later renamed USS Huron) ( United States Navy), sank at Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, due to flooding of her hull during a storm.
Parcorali	Liberia	The cargo ship ran aground on the Rosslyn Rock whilst on a voyage from Bangkok, Thailand to Japan. She was refloated the next day but was consequently declared a constructive total loss and scrapped.[21]

19 February

List of shipwrecks: 19 February 1961

Ship	State	Description
Petromar Buenos Aires	Argentina	The tanker collided with Pennsylvania ( Denmark) in the Paraná River 217 kilometres (135 mi) from river mouth. The ship and caught fire and was declared a constructive total loss.[22]
Lapwing	United Kingdom	The coastal tanker capsized in the River Humber with the loss of three lives.[23]
Runic	United Kingdom	The cargo ship ran aground on Middleton Rock, 400 nautical miles (740 km) north west of Sydney, Australia. Her crew were rescued by Arabic ( United Kingdom).[24][25] Declared a constructive total loss in March 1961.[26]
Scaldis	Belgium	The tug capsized and sank at the mouth of the Scheldt. Two of the fourteen crew were reported missing.[24]

20 February

List of shipwrecks: 20 February 1961

Ship	State	Description
Hilda Garston	United States	The 86-foot (26 m), 159-gross register ton scallop-fishing dragger struck a reef and sank without loss of life in up to 45 feet (14 m) of water in Buzzards Bay off Gooseberry Neck, Westport, Massachusetts, 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) south of Old Cock Rock at 41°16.4′N 071°02.1′W / 41.2733°N 71.0350°W / 41.2733; -71.0350 (Hilda Garston).[27]

26 February

List of shipwrecks: 26 February 1961

Ship	State	Description
Yoshiura Maru No. 5	Japan	The cargo ship sank southeast of Hong Kong. All 15 crew were rescued.[28]

Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date

Ship	State	Description
Parks No. 11	United States	The 12-gross register ton, 31.2-foot (9.5 m) fishing vessel was wrecked on Sitkalidak Island in the Kodiak Archipelago.[29]

March

1 Marchedit

List of shipwrecks: 1 March 1961

Ship	State	Description
Western	United States	The 25-gross register ton, 41.5-foot (12.6 m) fishing vessel sank near Russian Harbor (56°44′N 154°05′W / 56.733°N 154.083°W / 56.733; -154.083 (Russian Harbor)) at the southern end of Kodiak Island, Alaska.[30]

11 Marchedit

List of shipwrecks: 11 March 1961

Ship	State	Description
Newfoundland	United Kingdom	The ocean liner ran aground off Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Refloated after six hours.[31]
Tundra	United States	The 13-gross register ton, 36.9-foot (11.2 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire at Seward, Alaska.[32]

16 Marchedit

List of shipwrecks: 16 March 1961

Ship	State	Description
Dominator	Panama	The Greek-owned, Panamanian-flagged Liberty ship ran aground off California, United States in dense fog and was wrecked, breaking in half. All 31 crew were rescued.[33][34]
Lizzonia	United Kingdom	The Channel tanker collided with Arctic Ocean ( Sweden) and sank in the English Channel 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) west north west of the Varne Lightvessel ( Trinity House). Lizzonia was on a voyage from Antwerp, Belgium to Plymouth, Devon.[35]
Martin Lutjens	West Germany	The coaster collided with Schelde Lloyd ( Netherlands) off the coast of the Netherlands and sank. All crew were rescued.[36]

17 Marchedit

List of shipwrecks: 17 March 1961

Ship	State	Description
Arietta	Greece	The cargo ship ran aground near Novorossiysk, Soviet Union. She was on a voyage from Novorossiysk to Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom. She was refloated on 1 April and towed in to Novorossiysk, where she was declared a constructive total loss.[37]

19 Marchedit

List of shipwrecks: 19 March 1961

Ship	State	Description
Verao	Fiji	The cargo ship foundered off the coast of Queensland, Australia. All fifteen crew rescued by Iron Flinders ( Australia).[38]

21 Marchedit

List of shipwrecks: 21 March 1961

Ship	State	Description
Mary P Cooper	United Kingdom	The cargo ship collided with the coaster Foamville and sank in the Manchester Ship Canal, blocking it completely. All eight crew were rescued.[39]

22 Marchedit

List of shipwrecks: 22 March 1961

Ship	State	Description
Chresten	Denmark	The CHANT struck a submerged object and sank near Stubbekøbing. She was on a voyage from Nyborg to Copenhagen. She was refloated on 16 May and taken in to Copenhagen, but was declared a constructive total loss and consequently scrapped.[40]
Mary P. Cooper	United Kingdom	The sand hopper collided with another vessel and sank in the Manchester Ship Canal.[41]

Apriledit

3 Apriledit

List of shipwrecks: 3 April 1961

Ship	State	Description
Clupea	Norway	The factory ship, a converted tank landing ship, caught fire at Port Étienne, Mauritania. The fire was extinguished.[42]

6 Apriledit

List of shipwrecks: 3 April 1961

Ship	State	Description
Clupea	Norway	The factory ship, a converted tank landing ship, caught fire at Port Étienne, Mauritania. She sank on 8 April (at 20°53′N 17°03′W / 20.883°N 17.050°W / 20.883; -17.050) with her superstructure above water. The fire was extinguished on 14 April. She was a total loss.[42]

8 Apriledit

List of shipwrecks: 8 April 1961

Ship	State	Description
Dara	United Kingdom	The passenger ship suffered an onboard explosion and fire off Dubai, with 238 of the 819 people on board killed. The ship was taken under tow, but sank on 10 April.[43]

14 Apriledit

List of shipwrecks: 14 April 1961

Ship	State	Description
Marine Merchant	Greece	The bulk carrier broke in two and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 40 nautical miles (74 km) south east of Portland, Maine.[44]
Theia Maria	Greece	The Liberty ship ran aground near Punta Galera, Mexico (15°53′N 97°46′W / 15.883°N 97.767°W / 15.883; -97.767) and broke in two. She was scrapped in situ.[45]

16 Apriledit

List of shipwrecks: 16 April 1961

Ship	State	Description
USS Baldwin	United States Navy	While under tow, the decommissioned Gleaves-class destroyer ran aground two nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest of Montauk Point, Long Island, New York, when her tow line parted. She was later refloated and scuttled.
Comedian	United States	The 12-gross register ton, 38.5-foot (11.7 m) fishing vessel sank off the coast of Mary Island in Alaska. The wreck report does not specify off which of several islands of the name the sinking took place.[46]

17 Apriledit

List of shipwrecks: 17 April 1961

Ship	State	Description
El Baire	Cuban Revolutionary Navy	Bay of Pigs Invasion: The El Baire-class submarine chaser was bombed and sunk at the Isle of Pines by Cuban Exile-operated Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft.[47]
Houston	Liberia	Bay of Pigs Invasion: The CIA-chartered N3-S-A1 type coaster was bombed and damaged by a Cuban Air Force Hawker Sea Fury and Lockheed T-33 aircraft in the Bay of Cochinas. The ship was beached and later burned out.[47][48]
Olsen	United States	The retired wooden-hulled fishing trawler and clam dredger was scuttled as an artificial reef in the North Atlantic Ocean off Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, in 65 feet (20 m) of water.[49]
Rio Escondido	Liberia	Bay of Pigs Invasion: The CIA-chartered cargo ship, a converted landing craft tank, was rocketed and damaged by Cuban Air Force Hawker Sea Fury and Lockheed T-33 aircraft 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Playa Girón. The ship blew up and sank.[47][50]
Seagarden	United States	The Liberty ship ran aground off Tobago. She was refloated but declared a constructive total loss.[51]
SV-3	Cuban Revolutionary Navy	Bay of Pigs Invasion: The auxiliary patrol ship was sunk, or damaged and grounded, by ground fire.[52]

19 Apriledit

List of shipwrecks: 19 April 1961

Ship	State	Description
Larsen Bay No. 3	United States	The 61-gross register ton, 70.2-foot (21.4 m) scow was wrecked at Swikshak Beach near Kodiak, Alaska.[53]
Tuskar	Netherlands	The coaster struck a rock and sank 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) south west of Chicken Rock, Isle of Man. All five crew saved by the cable layer Ariel ( United Kingdom).[54]

25 Apriledit

List of shipwrecks: 25 April 1961

Ship	State	Description
Ivernia	United Kingdom	The ocean liner ran aground off Southampton, Hampshire. Refloated after five hours.[55]
White Cap	United States	The 31-gross register ton, 44-foot (13.4 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire near Fox Island in the Aleutian Islands.[30]

Unknown dateedit

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date April 1961

Ship	State	Description
USS Makassar Strait	United States Navy	The Casablanca-class escort carrier ran aground on San Nicolas Island, Channel Islands, California. The wreck broke up in January 1963.

Mayedit

3 Mayedit

List of shipwrecks: 3 May 1961

Ship	State	Description
Albatross	United States	The brigantine foundered in the Gulf of Mexico during a squall. Six of the nineteen people on board were killed.[56]

7 Mayedit

List of shipwrecks: 7 May 1961

Ship	State	Description
R-43	Cuban Revolutionary Navy	The auxiliary patrol ship went missing on this date, lost with all 17 hands.[6]

25 Mayedit

List of shipwrecks: 25 May 1961

Ship	State	Description
Pinebranch	Canada	The tanker was sunk for use as a wharf at Malignant Cove, Nova Scotia.[16]

28 Mayedit

List of shipwrecks: 28 May 1961

Ship	State	Description
Madura	Liberia	Typhoon Viola: The cargo ship ran aground at Hong Kong. Refloated on 10 August but declared a constructive total loss and consequently scrapped.[57]

31 Mayedit