In spite of the existence of a series of lighthouses at Cape Hatteras, scores of ships have gone down in the area. For nearly 200 years, a lighthouse has warned sailors of the treacherous waters around Cape Hatteras. Yet, more than 2,000 ships have gone down in the area during the past four centuries since Europeans first arrived. They range from galleons carrying treasure back to Spain, to Civil War vessels, to ships sunk by German submarines and the U-Boats themselves. The name still sticks.
Several factors make the area difficult to navigate.
Two strong ocean currents, the cold-water Labrador Current from the north and the warm Gulf Stream from the south, converge near the cape. But to take advantage of these currents, ships must draw close to the rocky Outer Banks and Diamond Shoals, a series of shifting underwater sandbars extending out from the cape for about 14 miles. The colliding currents can produce foggy conditions, making the passage even more difficult. The first known ship to sink near the cape was the Tiger, an English ship of Sir Richard Grenville's expedition in June, 1585. A number of famous wrecks followed.