WORLD SHIP SOCIETY

Of 552 people aboard for a weekend roundtrip between Miami and Nassau, on November 13, 1965, a total of 94 would perish when the cruise liner SS YARMOUTH CASTLE caught fire and sank near Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Although the survival of over 450 people from the inferno was nothing short of a miracle, this tragedy marks the deadliest passenger ship disaster off the coast of the United States since the burning of the liner SS MORRO CASTLE off New Jersey in 1934.

In his presentation, Eric will review details of the tragedy and the subsequent accident investigation that eventually changed U.S. and international standards for the construction and operations of passenger ships, and what became of the Yarmouth Steamship Company and its leadership.

Eric Takakjian is the master of the CHINCOTEAGUE, a 504-foot, oceangoing articulated tug and barge engaged in the coastwide petroleum transportation trade. He has been sailing ships and oceangoing tugboats to various corners of the world since 1978. Eric and his wife, Lori, owned and operated the oceanographic research vessel QUEST for 17 years, conducting oceanographic and shipwreck research in the northeastern United States. He has conducted extensive historical research on the naval history of the region. A diver since 1972 and an avid shipwreck diver since 1975, he has been a National Fellow of the Explorers Club since 1997. Eric also has been a member of the Steamship Historical Society of America since 1989, now serving on its board of directors.

If you missed Eric’s presentation at our November virtual membership meeting, or would like to see it again, we encourage you to join us for this encore showing at 10:00 AM (ET) on Saturday, January 10, 2026.