{"id":2100,"date":"2021-11-01T12:12:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-01T16:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nelights.com\/blog\/?p=2100"},"modified":"2025-03-06T13:16:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T18:16:33","slug":"the-wreck-of-the-isadore-behind-cape-neddick-nubble-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nelights.com\/blog\/the-wreck-of-the-isadore-behind-cape-neddick-nubble-light\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wreck of the Isadore Behind Cape Neddick (Nubble) Light"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Storm<\/a>

Sun breaks through storm clouds over Cape Neddick (Nubble) lighthouse as it sits a few hundred feet from the mainland rocky shore.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Wreck of the Isadore<\/em>: One of the Catalysts for the Construction of Cape Neddick Lighthouse<\/span><\/h2>\n

Cape Neddick Lighthouse<\/a><\/strong> is one of the most photographed beacons in the nation. Located in York, Maine, near the New Hampshire and Maine border, it is also known as \u201cNubble Light,\u201d it sits atop a small rock island called a “nubble,” located a few hundred feet from shore. Due to the rocky coastal area, many local mariners have requested a lighthouse since the early 1800s. In 1837, a proposal was rejected, sighting there were “already enough lighthouses in the area.” A lighthouse was finally erected over 35 years later, years after public outcry over the famous wreck of the Isadore<\/em> in 1842 and other shipwrecks that continued after that. The Isadore<\/em> sank during a fierce gale storm on Thanksgiving in 1842, killing all aboard. The wreck became one of the catalysts for the initial construction of the Cape Neddick lighthouse. Mariners over the years still claim on quiet nights to see the ghost ship sailing near the area where it had perished.<\/p>\n

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The True Story of the Wreck of the Isadore<\/em> Behind Cape Neddick Island<\/span><\/h2>\n

The true story of the Isadore\u2019s<\/em> tragedy begins a few nights before it sets sail with a cargo load from Kennebunkport, Maine. One of the ship’s\u00a0crewmen, Thomas King, dreamed about the wreckage of a ship resembling the Isadore<\/em> and its crew washed up on the shoreline. He told the dream to the ship’s Captain, Leander Foss, and begged to be left ashore. Still, the captain threatened that he had better be on board when the boat left or face serious consequences, especially when the crew member was already paid a month\u2019s wages in advance for their trip to New Orleans.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Winter Seacoast Sunset<\/p><\/div>\n

The night before the Isadore<\/em> sailed, another crewman dreamed about seven coffins with his own body in one. He also came to Captain Foss about his dream and begged not to have the ship sail the following evening, fearing for the lives of all aboard, but Foss refused to listen. The frightened crew member and King discussed their dreams, fueling King\u2019s decision to stay behind.<\/p>\n

On Thanksgiving night in 1842, the call went out for all crew to prepare for the sail. Thomas King stayed away, deserting his post on the ship, and hid in town, fearing the captain’s wrath and the vessel’s fate. The Isadore<\/em> sailed out of Kennebunkport with a load of lumber, bound for New Orleans. As it left port, the wind picked up out of the northeast, and snow began to fall.<\/p>\n

By the time the crew had come near Boon Island Lighthouse<\/a><\/strong>, about seven miles away from the main shore of Kennebunkport, the storm had intensified to gale-force winds that started steering the Isadore<\/em> off course towards the shore. The sea made over twenty-foot swells in blinding snow, tossing the ship closer toward Bald Head Cliffs. The ship crashed on underwater rocks lurking underneath the waves and sank between Bald Head Cliffs and Cape Neddick Island.<\/p>\n

The ship’s wreckage was discovered the following day all around Cape Neddick Island, separated by a few hundred feet of ocean water from the main shoreline and six miles from Boon Island. The bodies of seven crewmen out of 14 aboard were the only ones found washed ashore. One of the bodies was the other crewman who had dreamed about the seven coffins and was too frightened of the captain’s wrath to remain ashore. The body of Captain Ross was never found.<\/p>\n


\nSightings of the Ghost Ship Isadore<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Isadore<\/em> still seems to appear as a phantom ship patrolling the bays. Since the day it perished in 1842, there have been sporadic sightings by mariners and visitors of the ship just offshore of Boon Island and Avery\u2019s Cove. Over the years, many fishermen have claimed to have seen and tried to approach it, but it always seems to disappear when they sail near the site. Many hotel guests and tourists residing along the shoreline inns in York have reported seeing a faint “phantom” ship, even though most did not even know the story about the tragedy of the Isadore<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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