COLONEL WILLIAM G. BALL
By Capt. Dan Berg
Photos: Colonel William
Ball courtesy Mike Davis and Brendan Hollis.
The luxury yacht, Colonel William G. Ball was built in 1929
by George Lawley & Son, Neponset, Massachusetts. She was originally
named Sialia and later renamed Egeria. She was 119.4
feet long, had a 23 foot beam and displaced 291 gross tons. In1941,
she was re-named again when taken over by the U.S. Army
Transportation Corps and commissioned as a harbor boat.
In June, 1943, the Colonel William G. Ball, while under the
command of Captain Fred Anderson, was wrecked on Mills Breakers, a
shallow reef, while returning to port during severe weather. The
ship was a total loss.
The Army investigated the incident, and it was discovered that a
marker buoy used to warn vessels of shallow water had broken free of
its mooring.
Today, the wreck of the William G. Ball sits in 15 to 26 feet
of water on Mills Breakers beside the wreck of the
Beaumans
Castle.
The information listed
above was taken with permission from the Book:
BERMUDA SHIPWRECKS, ISBN # 0-9616167-4-1
A Vacationing Divers Guide to Bermudas Shipwrecks,
by Dan and Denise Berg, 6x9 softcover,73 pages.
Retail $14.95
Now also Available as
an instant download printable PDF eBook
 BERMUDA SHIPWRECKS ebook
A Vacationing Divers Guide to Bermudas Shipwrecks
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only $9.95
4.5 MB instant download, printable PDF file
by Dan and Denise Berg, 6x9, 73 page
downloadable ebook.
From the first quarter of the 16th century,
 Bermuda became a landmark for
Spanish ships sailing back to Spain from the New World. The desire to sight
Bermuda to confirm their position often ended their voyage as they wrecked
on Bermuda's outer reefs. To this day Bermuda's treacherous reefs have taken
their toll on shipping. The reefs have claimed vessels ranging from ocean
lines to small fishing boats. Bermuda Shipwrecks is the most comprehensive,
accurate, illustrated collection of information, photographs, sketches and
stories ever written about the legendary wrecks around Bermuda. Bermuda
Shipwrecks includes over 100 illustrations comprised of 61 sensational color
photos, 17 rare b&w historical images, 19 stamps, 4 sketches plus one
map. Bermuda Shipwrecks contains a wealth of enlightening information that
gives the readers a nostalgic glimpse into the history and present condition
of over 55 of Bermuda's most popular Shipwrecks.
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