# List of shipwrecks in May 1878

The list of shipwrecks in May 1878 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during May 1878.

## 1 May

List of shipwrecks: 1 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Medillon | United States of Colombia | The sternwheeler exploded at Honda with the loss of 27 lives. She was on a voyage from Honda to "Caracoli". She was refloated on 4 May but grounded again. Subsequently refloated. |
| Norden | Sweden | The ship ran aground in the River Nene. She was on a voyage from Gothenburg to Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. She was refloated the next day and found to be severely leaky. |
| Sontag | United States | The barque was sighted off "Bouka Island" whilst on a voyage from Sydney, New South Wales to Hong Kong. She may have been the vessel wrecked before 11 June on "Namayonne", in the "Halls Group" whose crew were murdered and eaten by the local inhabitants. |

## 2 May

List of shipwrecks: 2 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Alexander | United Kingdom | The brig was wrecked by ice. Her crew survived. She was on a voyage from Runcorn, Cheshire to Akureyri, Iceland. |
| Bernita | United Kingdom | The brigantine was driven ashore in Dunraven Bay, Glamorgan. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Bilbao, Spain to Newport, Monmouthshire. |
| Fawn | United Kingdom | The fishing smack collided with another vessel and sank in the North Sea with the loss of all seven crew. |
| Henrietta | Germany | The brig was driven ashore on Læsø, Denmark and was severely damaged. She was on a voyage from Dordrecht, South Holland, Netherlands to Riga, Russia. She was refloated and taken in to Fredrikshavn, Denmark. |
| Union | United Kingdom | The schooner foundered in the North Sea off the Mouse Lightship ( Trinity House) with the loss of one of her three crew. Survivors were rescued by Sherburn ( United Kingdom). Union was on a voyage from London to Blakeney, Norfolk. |
| Unnamed | Board of Customs | The tender collided with the tug Toiler ( United Kingdom) in the River Mersey and was beached at Tranmere, Cheshire. |

## 3 May

List of shipwrecks: 3 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Abstainer | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground at Carrickfergus, County Antrim. She was on a voyage from Carrickfergus to a Baltic port. |
| Active | Norway | The barque ran aground on the Vestr Fingrunddel and was wrecked. Her crew were rescued. |
| Ada Elizabeth | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore at Kingsdown, Kent. She was on a voyage from Harwich, Essex to Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. She was refloated and taken in to The Downs. |
| Escape | United Kingdom | The ketch was driven ashore at Cowes, Isle of Wight. She was on a voyage from Plymouth, Devon to Cowes. She was refloated and taken in to Cowes. |
| Fria | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore at "Ellekalde", north of Helsingør, Denmark. She was refloated with the assistance of a steamship and towed in to Helsingør. |

## 4 May

List of shipwrecks: 4 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Bonita | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore at the Dunraven Castle, Glamorgan. She was on a voyage from Bilbao, Spain to Newport, Monmouthshire. |
| B1185 | France | The fishing lugger was driven ashore at Aberdeen, United Kingdom. She was refloated and taken in to Aberdeen. |
| City of Aberdeen | United Kingdom | The barque ran aground on the Roan Bank, in the English Channel off New Romney, Kent. She was on a voyage from London to Cleveland Bay, Queensland. She was refloated and taken in to The Downs. |
| Genie | United Kingdom | The barque ran aground at Leith, Lothian. She was on a voyage from Sfax, Beylik of Tunis, or from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to Leith. She was refloated on 6 May and taken in to Leith. |
| Hagelik | Norway | The schooner ran aground on the Lillegrunden, in the Baltic Sea. She was on a voyage from Drontheim to Gävle, Sweden. |
| Jorgen | Flag unknown | The barque ran aground in the River Mersey off the Runcorn Lightship and was severely damaged. She was refloated. |
| Lady Clarendon | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground in the North Sea. She was on a voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States to Bremen, Germany. |
| Leveret | United Kingdom | The schooner ran aground at Ballyness, County Donegal. She was on a voyage from Londonderry to Ballyness. |

## 5 May

List of shipwrecks: 5 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Johanne | Denmark | The schooner collided with the steamship Calypso ( United Kingdom) in the Øresund and sank. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Riga, Russia to a Danish port. |
| Silver Craig | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore at Dungeness, Kent. She was on a voyage from London to Callao, Peru. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |

## 6 May

List of shipwrecks: 6 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Arrange | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore on Seal Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was on a voyage from Boston, Massachusetts, United States to Cork. |
| Beaconsfield | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. She was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to Odessa, Russia. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |
| Duna | Russia | The steamship ran aground off Osmussaar. she was on a voyage from Reval to Riga and Saint Petersburg. She was refloated. |
| Eastern Queen | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the Pluckington Bank, in Liverpool Bay. She was on a voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States to Liverpool, Lancashire. She was refloated and taken in to Liverpool. |
| Peter der Grosse | Germany | The steamship was driven ashore on Seskar, Russia. |
| Sofala | United Kingdom | The barque ran aground in the Rock Channel. She was on a voyage from Liverpool to Bahía Limón. She was refloated and put back to Liverpool in a leaky condition. |
| W. H. Harkness | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground in the River Thames at Barking, Essex. She was on a voyage from London to Callao, Peru. She was refloated and taken in to Gravesend, Kent. |

## 7 May

List of shipwrecks: 7 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Clara | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore at Ballyferris Point, County Down. She was on a voyage from Glasgow, Renfrewshire to Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine, France. |
| Commodore | United Kingdom | The steamship collided with the steamship Wimbledon ( United Kingdom) and sank in the Yenikale Strait. Commodore was on a voyage from Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France to Kertch, Russia. She had been refloated and taken in to Sebastopol, Russia by 28 May. |
| John Clarke | United States | The ship was driven ashore at "Cutter". She was on a voyage from Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure to Calais, Maine. She was a total loss. |
| Lizzie Gardner | United Kingdom | The steamship was beached at Cairnryan, Wigtownshire. She was on a voyage from Glasgow to Belfast, County Antrim. |
| Maindee Park | United Kingdom | The steamship was damaged by fire at Königsberg, Germany. |
| Orvar Odd | Flag unknown | The steamship was damaged by fire at Königsberg. |
| River Plate | Cape Colony | The ship was wrecked near Guion Point. |
| Rosa | France | The brig collided with the steamship Denia ( United Kingdom) and sank in the North Sea. Her crew were rescued by Denia. |

## 8 May

List of shipwrecks: 8 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Eliza | United Kingdom | The fishing boat was abandoned off Whitby, Yorkshire. Her crew were rescued by the Whitby Lifeboat, which later took in to Whitby. |
| Inheritance | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the Joachim Bank, off Shantou, China. She was on a voyage from Niuzhuang to Shantou. She was refloated and taken in to Shantou. |
| James and Sarah | United Kingdom | The fishing boat was abandoned off Whitby. Her crew were rescued by the Whitby Lifeboat. She subsequently sank. |

## 9 May

List of shipwrecks: 9 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Britannia | Norway | The schooner was driven ashore at Nidingen, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Libava, Courland Governorate to Schiedam, South Holland, Netherlands. |
| Confidence | United Kingdom | The ship sank after being hit by a tidal wave off the coast of Peru. |
| Esther and Mary | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore "near the Fane Lane", County Dublin. She was on a voyage from Bangor to Dundalk, County Louth. |
| Fayal | Norway | The barque sank at Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands. |
| Maria | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore at Filey, Yorkshire. |
| Sisters | United Kingdom | The brig ran aground and was wrecked on the Holm Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Suffolk. Her eight crew were rescued by a yawl. She was on a voyage from South Shields, County Durham to Sheerness, Kent. |
| W. J. Lewis | Canada | The ship was destroyed by fire in the Atlantic Ocean. Her crew were rescued by the barques Oasis and Titania (both United Kingdom). W. J. Lewis was on a voyage from Buenos Aires to Hamburg, Germany. |

## 10 May

List of shipwrecks: 10 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Alarm | United Kingdom | The pilot cutter was run down and sunk in the Bristol Channel by the steamship Foyle ( United Kingdom). Her crew were rescued by Foyle. |
| China | United Kingdom | The steamship suffered an onboard explosion and caught fire at Bombay, India and was scuttled with the loss of three lives. |
| Hinemoa | New Zealand | The 75-ton schooner left Auckland for Samoa with a crew of six and one passenger, and was not sighted again. |
| Sardinian | United Kingdom | The steamship was damaged by an onboard explosion and caught fire off Moville, County Donegal. She was scuttled. Four of the 518 people on board were killed. Sardinian was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Quebec City, Canada. She was later refloated and taken in to Birkenhead, Cheshire. |

## 11 May

List of shipwrecks: 11 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Esther and Mary | United Kingdom | The smack was driven ashore and wrecked at Gormanstown, County Meath. She was on a voyage from Bangor to Dundalk, County Louth. |
| Lily of the Wave | New Zealand | The 10-ton ketch stranded on a beach near the mouth of Nelson Harbour, during a gale and subsequently broke up. |
| Mermaid | New Zealand | The 9-ton ketch stranded and was wrecked on North Tata Island during a gale. |
| Tom of Chester | United Kingdom | The smack sprang a leak and foundered 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Drogheda, County Louth. Both crew were rescued by a lifeboat. |

## 12 May

List of shipwrecks: 12 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Edward John | United Kingdom | The barquentine was run into by the steamship Lady Downshire ( United Kingdom) and sank in the Crosby Channel. |
| Gipsy | United Kingdom | The schooner-rigged steamship struck rocks and sank in the River Avon at Bristol, Gloucestershire, lying across the river. She was on a voyage from Bristol to Waterford. She broke in two during salvage efforts, blocking the river until 17 May. Her remains were later blown up to clear the river. |
| Lloyd's Herald | New Zealand | The 48-ton schooner was holed while off the coast of The Catlins during a gale. She was deliberately run ashore at Wiltshire (Wilsher) Bay near Kaka Point to save the lives of the crew. |

## 13 May

List of shipwrecks: 13 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Pfeil | Germany | The schooner was wrecked on Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde Islands. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Hamburg to Lagos, Lagos Colony. |

## 14 May

List of shipwrecks: 14 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Leopold Auguste | France | The brig sprang a leak and sank off the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom with the loss of four of her nine crew. |
| Noord Holland | Netherlands | The ship was driven ashore at Narva, Russia. Her crew were rescued. |
| Winifred | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the Haisborough Sands, in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk. She was on a voyage from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire to Naples, Italy. She was refloated and taken in to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. |

## 15 May

List of shipwrecks: 15 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Corsair | United Kingdom | The steamship foundered off Browndown, Hampshire with the loss of three of her crew. She was on a voyage from Portsmouth, Hampshire to Cowes, Isle of Wight. |
| Dolphin | United Kingdom | The ship sprung a leak at latitude 49°00′N 70°10′W﻿ / ﻿49.000°N 70.167°W﻿ / 49.000; -70.167. A bottle containing the ships position was found at Padstow Cornwall, along with the following message: Water gaining. Crew taking to boats. |
| Medina | United Kingdom | The steamship foundered in Stokes Bay with the loss of three of the four people on board. She was on a voyage from Portsmouth, Hampshire to Newport, Isle of Wight. |
| Remoleader | Venezuela | The tug exploded and sank off Coro with the loss of thirteen of the sixteen people on board. |

## 16 May

List of shipwrecks: 16 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Ann Gambles | United Kingdom | The 424-ton barque was driven onto rocks at Tiwai Point, New Zealand during a strong gale and was while trying to enter Bluff Harbour. Her aft bulkhead gave way and the vessel was swamped. All crew survived, but the vessel and cargo were lost. She was on a voyage from Gravesend, Kent to Bluff Harbour. |
| Unnamed | United States | The schooner was wrecked on São Miguel Island, Azores. |

## 17 May

List of shipwrecks: 17 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Beaver | United States | During a voyage from Glenora, British Columbia, Canada, to Wrangell, Department of Alaska, the steamer was wrecked on a reef while passing the Stikine River in Southeast Alaska. Her machinery was salvaged, but otherwise she was a total loss. |
| Emily | United Kingdom | The brig was driven ashore at Estância, Brazil. She was a total loss. |
| Madala | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground on the Lappen, in the Baltic Sea. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to Cronstadt, Russia. |
| Pride of the Taff | United Kingdom | The pilot boat was run down and sunk off Lundy Island, Devon by the schooner H. R. Tilton ( United States) with the loss of three lives. |
| Water Hen | United Kingdom | The brig was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean 112 nautical miles (207 km) east of Flores Island, Azores. Her crew were rescued by the full-rigged ship Cairnsmore ( United Kingdom). Water Hen was on a voyage from Maceió, Brazil to the English Channel. |
| No. 3 | United Kingdom | The pilot boat foundered 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) off Aberdeen. All three people on board were rescued by the pilot boat No. 4 ( United Kingdom). |

## 18 May

List of shipwrecks: 18 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Herbert | United Kingdom | The smack struck a sunken wreck and foundered in the North Sea off the coast of Lincolnshire. Her crew were rescued by a smack. |
| Kedar | United Kingdom | The barque was abandoned off the Friendly Islands. One of her crew died in the 50 days they spent on a raft. She was on a voyage from the Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, Canada to Melbourne, Australia. |
| Onega | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore on Anholt, Denmark. She was on a voyage from Saint Petersburg, Russia to London. She was refloated with assistance and towed in to Copenhagen, Denmark the next day. |
| Shon Quilt | United Kingdom | The barque was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. Her nine crew were rescued by Innisfail ( United Kingdom) and she subsequently foundered. Shon Quilt was on a voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States to Bristol, Gloucestershire. |
| Zephyr | Sweden | The schooner was driven ashore and damaged at Marstrand. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Hull, Yorkshire, United Kingdom to Cronstadt, Russia. She was later refloated with the assistance of two steamships and towed in to Gothenburg. |

## 19 May

List of shipwrecks: 19 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Abelone | Denmark | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked at Hasle, Bornholm. She was on a voyage from Leith, Lothian, United Kingdom to Saint Petersburg, Russia. |
| Cyrus | Canada | The barque was driven ashore and wrecked on the Towzer Sands, off "Landlos", Glamorgan, United Kingdom. Her eleven crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Swansea, Glamorgan to Santos, Brazil. |
| Midias | United Kingdom | The ship capsized in the River Dee near Chester, Cheshire. Her crew were rescued. |
| Witch | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore at Hasle. She was on a voyage from London to Riga, Russia. She was refloated with assistance. |
| Unnamed | United Kingdom | The smack sank off Warden Point, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. |

## 20 May

List of shipwrecks: 20 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Ægean | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore on Amager, Denmark. She was on a voyage from London to Luleå, Sweden. She was refloated with assistance and taken in to Copenhagen, Denmark. |
| Ariel | United Kingdom | The schooner collided with the schooner Goddess ( United Kingdom) and was abandoned in the North Sea. Her crew were rescued by Goddess. Ariel was towed in to Grimsby, Lincolnshire in a derelict condition. |
| Cassandra | United Kingdom | The brig ran aground off Goeree, Zeeland, Netherlands and was wrecked. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland to Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands. She was a total loss. |
| Johann Sverdrup | Flag unknown | The barque capsized at Burntisland, Fife, United Kingdom and was wrecked. |
| Laura | Portugal | The brig was wrecked at Salinas, Brazil with the loss of 170 lives. |
| Leander | Germany | The brig ran aground on the Spijker Plaat, in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. She was on a voyage from Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Antwerp, Belgium. She was refloated and towed in to Antwerp. |
| Northumberland | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground in the Weilingen Channel. |

## 21 May

List of shipwrecks: 21 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| HMS Cormorant | Royal Navy | The Osprey-class sloop ran into another vessel in the River Medway and was severely damaged. |
| North Carolina | United States | The ship was driven ashore "at Big Island". She was on a voyage from Wilmington, North Carolina to Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom. |
| Viking | United Kingdom | The smack sank at Ballywater, County Down. |

## 22 May

List of shipwrecks: 22 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Aberystwyth | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at Dunaverty Castle, Argyllshire. She was on a voyage from Londonderry to Troon, Ayrshire. She was refloated and taken in to Troon. |
| Lottie | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at Cap Haïtien, Haiti. She was refloated with assistance. |
| Roath | United Kingdom | The ship struck the Mearns Blackhead. She was on a voyage from Caen, Calvados, France to Cardiff, Glamorgan. She put in to Falmouth, Cornwall in a leaky condition. |

## 23 May

List of shipwrecks: 23 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Abeona | United Kingdom | The schooner foundered in the Bristol Channel south west of Ilfracombe, Devon. Her crew were rescued by the tug Hazard ( United Kingdom). Abeona was on a voyage from Cardiff, Glamorgan to Penzance, Cornwall. |
| Garland | United Kingdom | The brig was wrecked on the Gunfleet Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Essex. Her nine crew were rescued by the Clacton Lifeboat Albert Edward ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution). Garland was on a voyage from the River Tyne to London. |
| Khedive, and Voorwarts | United Kingdom Netherlands | The steamship Voorwarts was run into by the steamship Khedive and was beached at Muka Head, Malaya, where she was wrecked. Her 130 passengers and 81 crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Batavia, Netherlands East Indies to Amsterdam, North Holland. Khedive was on a voyage from Bombay, India to China. She was taken in to Penang, Malaya in a severely damaged condition. |
| Soskummeren | Norway | The ship was driven ashore and wrecked on Saaremaa, Russia. She was on a voyage from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland. |
| Unnamed | Flag unknown | The brig ran aground on the Gunfleet Sand, in the North Sea off the coast of Essex, United Kingdom. |

## 24 May

List of shipwrecks: 24 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Elseina Geertruida | Netherlands | The ship ran aground and sank in the Zuyder Zee. She was on a voyage from Kampen, Overijssel to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom. |

## 25 May

List of shipwrecks: 25 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Italian Hero | United Kingdom | The ship ran aground at La Atunara, Spain. She was on a voyage from Genoa, Italy to Liverpool, Lancashire. She was refloated. |
| Secret | Jersey | The ketch ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent. She was on a voyage from Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands to Jersey. She was refloated. |
| William and Susannah | United Kingdom | The ketch sprang a leak and sank in the North Sea off Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Her three crew and the ship's dog were rescued. She was on a voyage from London to Spalding, Lincolnshire. |

## 27 May

List of shipwrecks: 27 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Othere | United Kingdom | The barque was driven ashore at Barnegat, New Jersey, United States. She was on a voyage from Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure, France to New York, United States. |
| Stanley | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground at Kertch, Russia. She was refloated and resumed her voyage. |

## 28 May

List of shipwrecks: 28 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Charlotte | Germany | The ship was driven ashore in the River Avon. She was on a voyage from Bristol, Gloucestershire to New York, United States. |
| Ganger Rolf | Sweden | The ship ran aground on the Langgrogrunden. She was on a voyage from Stockholm to Nordmaling. |

## 29 May

List of shipwrecks: 29 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Muriel | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore. She was on a voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States to Liverpool, Lancashire. She was refloated. |
| Nojet | Russia | The schooner ran aground on the Middlegrund. She was on a voyage from Loviisa, Grand Duchy of Finland to Montrose, Forfarshire, United Kingdom. She was refloated with assistance. |
| Nonsuch | United Kingdom | The schooner capsized at Wapping, Middlesex. She was righted. |
| United | United Kingdom | The brig ran aground at Saltholm, Denmark. She was refloated on 1 June and taken in to Helsingør, Denmark. |

## 30 May

List of shipwrecks: 30 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Avona | United Kingdom | The ship was damaged by fire in the West India Docks, London. |
| Stornoway | United Kingdom | The steamship ran aground on a reef in Loch Carron and sank. She was on her maiden voyage, from Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides to Stromeferry, Ross-shire. Although declared a total loss, she was refloated in mid-June. Subsequently repaired and returned to service. |

## 31 May

List of shipwrecks: 31 May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Adela | Nicaragua | The ship was driven ashore and wrecked in a gale at Valparaíso, Chile with the loss of two of her crew. |
| Anita | Nicaragua | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Avelina Sanchez | Guatemala | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Bella Vista | Nicaragua | The barque was damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Bride | United Kingdom | The barque was damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Colleen | United Kingdom | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Deva | United Kingdom | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Elisa | Nicaragua | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Elsa | Germany | The barque was abandoned off Valparaíso in a hurricane. Her twelve crew survived. |
| Elvira Alvarez | Nicaragua | The barque was damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Esta | Nicaragua | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Estela | Chile | The schooner was driven ashore and wrecked in gale at Valparaíso. |
| Freia | Chile | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| George Reynes | Chile | The hulk was driven ashore and wrecked in a gale at Valparaíso . |
| Glenmore | United Kingdom | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| SMS Großer Kurfürst, and SMS König Wilhelm | Imperial German Navy | Großer Kurfürst sinking The Preussen-class ironclad Großer Kurfürst was accidentally rammed by the ironclad König Wilhelm and sank off Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom, with the loss of 284 lives. Survivors were rescued by boats from SMS König Wilhelm and SMS Preussen ( Imperial German Navy), and by three fishing vessels:- 27 by Emily, 18 by Susannah, and 17 by Six Brothers (all United Kingdom). König Wilhelm was severely damaged. She was taken in to Portsmouth, Hampshire, United Kingdom for temporary repairs. |
| Guatemala | France | The barque was damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Halcon | Nicaragua | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore and wrecked in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Herminia Alvarez | Chile | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore and wrecked in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Isabel Clarisa | Chile | The hulk sank in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Kent | United Kingdom | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso with the loss of a crew member. |
| Lotina | United Kingdom | The schooner was damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Maffeo | Chile | The hulk was driven ashore and wrecked in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Olga | Nicaragua | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore and wrecked in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Portena | Nicaragua | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Quillota | United Kingdom | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Rinsonor | Guatemala | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaísp. |
| San Fernando | Nicaragua | The barque was damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Sarah Julia | Chile | The barque sank in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Taltal | Chile | The schooner sank in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Tam O'Shanter | Chile | The launch sank in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Tavanda | Chile | The hulk was driven ashore and wrecked in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Tranisto Alvarez | Nicaragua | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Valparaíso | Chile | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Washington | Chile | The brig was damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |

## Unknown date

List of shipwrecks: Unknown date in May 1878 :
| Ship | State | Description |
| Adrianus | Netherlands | The full-rigged ship was driven ashore at Petten, North Holland. She was refloated with the assistance of a tug and taken in to the Nieuwe Diep. |
| Alice | United Kingdom | The ship was wrecked on the coast of America. She was on a voyage from Casablanca, Morocco to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. |
| Antonio | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore at Cape Henry, Virginia, United States. She was on a voyage from Liverpool, Lancashire to Baltimore, Maryland, United States. She was refloated on 22 May and resumed her voyage. |
| Caterina Chiazzaro | Italy | The barque was destroyed by fire in the Chincha Islands, Peru before 18 May. |
| Chicago | United Kingdom | The steamship was wrecked on the Longsand, in the North Sea off the coast of Essex on or before 10 May. Fifteen of her 23 crew were rescued by the pilot cutter Stella ( United Kingdom); the rest reached shore in a boat. Chicago was on her maiden voyage, from Hartlepool, County Durham to Boston, Massachusetts, United States. |
| Clara | United Kingdom | The brig foundered in the Atlantic Ocean before 29 May. She was on a voyage from Runcorn, Cheshire to the Natal Colony. |
| Cowburn | United Kingdom | The brigantine was wrecked on St. Paul Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her crew were rescued. |
| Deva | United Kingdom | The full-rigged ship was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso, Chile. |
| Emmanuel | United Kingdom | The steamship was driven ashore on Hveen, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham to Stettin, Germany. She was refloated with the assistance of a steamship and taken in to Copenhagen, Denmark. |
| Empress of India | United Kingdom | The ship foundered in Lake Ontario with the loss of eight of the seventeen people on board. |
| Eureka | United States | The ship was abandoned in the Indian Ocean before 16 May. She was on a voyage from New York to Yokohama, Japan. |
| Golden Plover | United Kingdom | The brig was wrecked at Horsey, Norfolk. Her ten crew were rescued by the Palling Lifeboat. She was on a voyage from Sunderland, County Durham to Bari, Italy. She was refloated on 8 June with the assistance of a tug and towed in to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk in a severely leaky condition. |
| Harriet G. | United Kingdom | The brig was driven ashore at Paraguana, Venezuela before 15 May. She was on a voyage from Puerto Cabello to Maracaibo. |
| Jane Milloy | United Kingdom | The schooner was wrecked at Tobago. Her crew were rescued. |
| Kenley | United Kingdom | The steamship was beached at Whitby, Yorkshire. She was refloated on 3 May and taken in to Whitby. |
| Lion | United Kingdom | The brig was wrecked at Caravelas, Brazil. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Rio de Janeiro to Aracaju. |
| Luiga | Italy | The ship was wrecked on Zea, Greece. |
| Luiga Madre | Italy | The ship was driven ashore at Pensacola, Florida, United States. She was on a voyage from Pensacola to Hull, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. |
| Mabel Clarke | United States | The ship was wrecked on Tristan da Cunha. There were six survivors. |
| Magnolia | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore and wrecked in the Magdalen Islands, Nova Scotia. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Lisbon, Portugal to Quebec City, Canada. |
| Mangrove | United Kingdom | The steamship collided with the steamship Rose Mary ( United Kingdom) and sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Cape Bon, Beylik of Tunis. She was on a voyage from London to Bombay, India. |
| Maréchal de Turenne | France | The ship was wrecked on Fortune Island, Bahamas. She was on a voyage from Haiti to Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure, France. |
| Maria Therese | France | The ship was driven ashore. She was on a voyage from Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône to Rio de Janeiro. She was refloated and towed in to Dénia, Spain, where she was condemned. |
| Matador | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore on Green Island. She was on a voyage from London to Quebec City She was refloated and completed her voyage. |
| Medellin | Ceylon | The steamship was damaged by a boiler explosion. Several of her crew were killed. |
| Orange | United Kingdom | The schooner was driven ashore and severely damaged on Seal Island, Nova Scotia, Canada before 7 May. She was on a voyage from Boston, Massachusetts, United States to Cork. She was later refloated and towed in to New York, where she arrived on 14 May. |
| Pride of Canada | United Kingdom | The ship was abandoned in the Indian Ocean. Some of her crew were rescued by the barque Europa ( Norway). Pride of Canada was on a voyage from Liverpool to Rangoon, Burma. |
| Quillota | United Kingdom | The barque was severely damaged in a gale at Valparaíso. |
| Scout | United Kingdom | The barque was wrecked on the coast of Patagonia, Argentina. She was on a voyage from Swansea, Glamorgan to Valparaíso. |
| Sophia Bowen | United Kingdom | The ship was damaged at sea whilst on a voyage from Cardiff, Glamorgan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. She put in to Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands on 14 May. She was condemned. |
| Stornoway | United Kingdom | The ship struck a submerged rock and sank in Loch Carron. |
| Thorn | United Kingdom | The smack was wrecked at Drogheda, County Louth. Both crew were rescued by the Drogheda Lifeboat. |
| Uranus | United Kingdom | The ship was driven ashore near Libava, Courland Governorate. Her crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland to Riga, Russia. |
| Vanguard | United Kingdom | The East Indiaman, a barque, foundered in the Indian Ocean before 22 May with the loss of all twenty crew. She was on a voyage from Colombo, Ceylon to London. Wreckage washed up on the coast of the Natal Colony. |
| Vestalinden | Norway | The ship was driven ashore and wrecked in the Saint Lawrence River at English Point, Quebec, Canada with the loss of three of her crew. She was on a voyage from Kragerø to Quebec City, Canada. |
| Yang Tsze | France | The steamship ran aground in the Suez Canal. She was on a voyage from Marseille to China. |