John McKeon (pilot Boat) on:
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The ''John McKeon'' was a 19th-century
''John McKeon'' or ''John McKean'' was a two-masted New Jersey Pilot Boat, launched on November 24, 1838, for a company of New Jersey pilots who were licensed with the New Jersey Pilots' Association. She was valued at $9,000 and had no insurance. Her builders were the Webb & Allen
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
pilot boat
A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting. Pilot boats were once sailing boats that had to be fast because the first pilot to reach the incoming ship ...
built in 1838 by Webb & Allen for the New Jersey Pilots Association. She helped transport maritime pilot
A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots are regarded as skilled professionals ...
s between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor
New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...
. Her short career ended in 1839, when the ''John McKeon'' was shipwreck
A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...
ed in a hurricane that swept the New York coast. The pilot boat ''Gratitude'' was lost in the same storm.
Construction and service
''John McKeon'' or ''John McKean'' was a two-masted New Jersey Pilot Boat, launched on November 24, 1838, for a company of New Jersey pilots who were licensed with the New Jersey Pilots' Association. She was valued at $9,000 and had no insurance. Her builders were the Webb & Allen shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
located at the foot of 6th Street, New York (East River
The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Queens ...
).
The ''John McKeans dimensions were 78.0 ft. in length; 21.0 ft. breadth of beam; 7.0 ft. depth of hold; and 104-tons.
End of service
On August 28, 1839, the ''John McKeon'' was lost in a severe storm with four crewmen; the rest of the pilots were put on board ships. The four were: Lawrence Jackson, boatkeeper, age 20; Lawrence Keech, boatkeeper, age 20; John Rogers,Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,4 ...
, age 28; Enon Russell, New York, cook, age 23. The ''John McKeon'' was last seen on the 20th off Montauk Point Light
The Montauk Point Light, or Montauk Point Lighthouse, is a lighthouse located adjacent to Montauk Point State Park, at the easternmost point of Long Island, in the hamlet of Montauk in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York. The ...
. Captain John B. H. Ward was last the pilot that left the ''John McKeon'' to board the outgoing brig ''Aladdin''.
The New York pilot boat ''Gratitude,'' No. 3, was lost in the same storm.
See also
* List of Northeastern U. S. Pilot BoatsReferences