Mayday!

From valiant rescues to sorrowful disasters, the eastern shore of Long Island is home to a riveting collection of maritime lore. 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. In MAYDAY!, author Van R. Field painstakingly assembles a compendium of Long Island's most harrowing, amazing and notorious shipwrecks and ocean-going incidents.

Van R. Field is a local historian and writer who has also been a police officer, electronics engineer, teacher, and a member of the US Coast Guard. He received his BS in physics from Stetson University on DeLand, Florida. His previous books include Illustrated History of the Moriches Bay Area, Wrecks and Rescues Off Long Island, and New Jersey Coast Guard Stations and Rumrunners.