This talk will focus primarily on historic shipwrecks that have occurred south and east of Massachusetts. The region has been called the Graveyard of the North Atlantic with over 3,000 wrecks here since European sailors first began exploring the shores of the western Atlantic. Because of the hazards experienced by early coastal and trans-Atlantic shipping while sailing these waters, Massachusetts was the 18th century birthplace of the modern United States Coast Guard. Advances in navigation, weather forecasting, response resources, and vessel technology over the past two centuries may have reduced the risks but have not eliminated them. The presentation will include an overview of shipwrecks, their causes, and the evolution of response resources and programs.

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Greg Ketchen is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain living in Osterville, MA. He is a volunteer at the Coast Guard Heritage Museum located in Barnstable’s Old Customs House and has served as its president for the past six years. Before moving to the Cape thirteen years ago, Greg’s career included providing support to Massachusetts’ commercial ports as a development consultant, heading operations at the New England Aquarium, and filling a wide variety of Coast Guard jobs. 

Sponsored by Ashland Public Library