Mayday‪!‬

From dramatic rescues to coastal catastrophes, a riveting collection of maritime lore from the eastern shore of Long Island.

Since the mid-1600s, eastern Long Island’s shoals, sandbars, and assorted submerged hazards have caused many an unlucky vessel to become shipwrecked. The frequency of wrecks rose to a grim crescendo during the mid-nineteenth century, as New York and New England peaked as shipping centers.

Then came the dawn of the twentieth century and the arrival of advanced navigational aids. Although the number of wrecks declined, the high drama persisted—as rumrunners and German submarines kept the coast humming with rumors and anticipation. This book painstakingly assembles a compendium of Long Island’s most harrowing, amazing, and notorious shipwrecks and ocean-going incidents for a thrilling and sometimes terrifying read.