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Stranded: Alaska’s Worst Maritime Disaster Nearly Happened Twice
The sinking of the Canadian Pacific steamship Princess Sophia was Alaska’s worst maritime disaster ― until it nearly happened again.
In 1918, the Canadian Pacific steamship Princess Sophia left Skagway, Alaska, on her last trip of the season to Vancouver. She never made it. Battered by a raging snowstorm and sent dangerously off course, she ran aground on Vanderbilt Reef, a rocky shoal in Lynn Canal, North America’s deepest and longest fjord. She would spend two days high and dry on the reef, with rescue ships standing by, unable to help, before she finally slid to her watery grave.
Seventy-six years later, another ship ― the modern Star Princess ― finds herself off course in Lynn Canal, and history nearly repeats itself. Weaving together events past and present, Aaron Saunders tells the story of two very different ships that set sail from Skagway at opposite ends of the century. Their common bond ― the unassuming and often treacherous stretch of water known as Lynn Canal.
In 1918, the Canadian Pacific steamship Princess Sophia left Skagway, Alaska, on her last trip of the season to Vancouver. She never made it. Battered by a raging snowstorm and sent dangerously off course, she ran aground on Vanderbilt Reef, a rocky shoal in Lynn Canal, North America’s deepest and longest fjord. She would spend two days high and dry on the reef, with rescue ships standing by, unable to help, before she finally slid to her watery grave.
Seventy-six years later, another ship ― the modern Star Princess ― finds herself off course in Lynn Canal, and history nearly repeats itself. Weaving together events past and present, Aaron Saunders tells the story of two very different ships that set sail from Skagway at opposite ends of the century. Their common bond ― the unassuming and often treacherous stretch of water known as Lynn Canal.
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 8, 2021
I really like the story of the Empress of Ireland, the big sister ship to Princess Sophia, who sank in the St. Lawrence in the early morning of May 29, 1914. So I was pretty sure I would enjoy this book and I was not disappointed.
I was certainly more interested in Princess Sophia than Princess Cruise's Star Princess, but both stories were well written. The author did a good job of balancing the two stories and keeping them interesting, as the two were woven together. One chapter would be Princess Sophia and then the second would be the Star Princess' journey to roughly the same point in her chronology. For example, the first chapters take you to the journey to the reefs in Lynn Canal and the second chapters are about how the ships hit the reefs.
As details of the Princess Sophia are scant and, as with the Empress of Ireland, World War 1 knocked them out of the papers quickly, this is not a long book. But I am glad I picked it up.
Interestingly, the CP had three ships sink in peacetime (the company lost 12 in total between the two world wars), the Empress of Ireland, which became Canada's worst peacetime naval disaster, the Princess Sophia, and the Princess Kathleen. The last one also sank in the Lynn Canal, but there was no loss of lives. Aaron Saunders - how about a book about all three?
I was certainly more interested in Princess Sophia than Princess Cruise's Star Princess, but both stories were well written. The author did a good job of balancing the two stories and keeping them interesting, as the two were woven together. One chapter would be Princess Sophia and then the second would be the Star Princess' journey to roughly the same point in her chronology. For example, the first chapters take you to the journey to the reefs in Lynn Canal and the second chapters are about how the ships hit the reefs.
As details of the Princess Sophia are scant and, as with the Empress of Ireland, World War 1 knocked them out of the papers quickly, this is not a long book. But I am glad I picked it up.
Interestingly, the CP had three ships sink in peacetime (the company lost 12 in total between the two world wars), the Empress of Ireland, which became Canada's worst peacetime naval disaster, the Princess Sophia, and the Princess Kathleen. The last one also sank in the Lynn Canal, but there was no loss of lives. Aaron Saunders - how about a book about all three?
February 28, 2020
Very Interesting and different than I'd heard on tv!
I chose my rating on the facts presented and the interest that I had in the story itself. The characters were interesting and the action captivating. I would still like to get and read the original book by Ken Coates and Bill Morrison's masterpiece "The Sinking of the Princess Sophia" . I hope I can get my hands on it! It may answer more of my questions on what really happened? But I really enjoyed this book as it compared to both ship mishaps. Glad I was able to get this book to read. Thanks.
I chose my rating on the facts presented and the interest that I had in the story itself. The characters were interesting and the action captivating. I would still like to get and read the original book by Ken Coates and Bill Morrison's masterpiece "The Sinking of the Princess Sophia" . I hope I can get my hands on it! It may answer more of my questions on what really happened? But I really enjoyed this book as it compared to both ship mishaps. Glad I was able to get this book to read. Thanks.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews