Royal Tar 190th Anniversary
October 25, 1836 • October 25, 2026
Remembering the people aboard, those lost, and those who came to their aid.
EXPLORE THE 190TH ANNIVERSARY divequestexploration.com/royal-tar-190SJ23 Totality of the Circumstances
The Burning of the Royal Tar, 1836
Signed First-Run Hardcover
$64.95
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An evidence-based reconstruction of the Royal Tar disaster, testing the surviving record against witness accounts, vessel history, geography, chronology and maritime evidence.
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For nearly two centuries, the Royal Tar disaster has been repeated through newspaper accounts, local tradition, secondary histories, and popular retellings. This book reexamines the story through surviving records, geography, vessel history, passenger and crew research, and maritime evidence.
What Readers Are Saying
“I am so familiar with the story of the Royal Tar, having grown up with it. This book changed my whole perspective. This is definitely not a simple paperback telling another story. With the hardcover and information inside, it was more like a reference book that you can keep going back to for more.”
— Colleen Polley, Portland, Maine
Review copy provided
“Surprise after surprise with this book. Where do I even begin? And to find information on most every passenger and crew member is astonishing. I now look at this tragedy in a different light.”
— Jen Harrison, Lewiston, Maine
Review copy provided
“You know I was interested in the treasure part of the Royal Tar story. Overall, I am glad I read this book. It definitely took me to a place back in time and brought me forward. I know the investigation had to be enormous on your part. A couple areas, and I mean only a couple, were more on the technical side than I would have thought, but I can see where they were important to the overall book flow.”
— Justin Burrill, Boston, Massachusetts
Review copy provided
Preview selected pages from this extensively researched first-run hardcover
The Royal Tar Disaster of 1836
The Royal Tar was a British side-wheel passenger steamer built at Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1835. Operating between Saint John, Eastport, Campobello, and Portland, she combined steam propulsion with traditional sail during an important transitional period in maritime transportation.
On October 25, 1836, the Royal Tar caught fire during her final voyage along the coast of Maine. Passengers, crew, cargo, and animals from a traveling exhibition were aboard. The United States Revenue Cutter Veto became involved in the effort to save those who remained on the burning vessel.
For nearly two centuries, the disaster has been repeated through newspaper accounts, local tradition, secondary histories, and popular retellings. Over time, conflicting claims about the vessel, voyage, people aboard, rescue, losses, and final location became accepted as fact.
SJ23 Totality of the Circumstances is the result of Dennis Dorsey’s 18-year investigation into the Royal Tar. The book examines original records, witness accounts, vessel documentation, geography, engineering evidence, and underwater research to test the familiar story against the surviving evidence.
The 342-page hardcover reconstructs the Royal Tar’s history and final voyage while separating documented facts from later error, assumption, and folklore. It also connects the historical investigation with the continuing SJ23 Project and the search for the vessel’s final resting place.
“A great read. I read this from cover to cover, and it blew my mind. I can see where this book probably could have been at least twice its size. You did well packing as much information in as reasonable. I gave the book to my brother to read.”
— Brian Kreel, Tampa, FL
Ready to order your first-run hardcover copy? Order directly through DiveQuest Exploration.
Re-examines the Royal Tar disaster through historical records, witness accounts, route evidence, and maritime context.
Separates documented facts from later legend, folklore, and repeated errors.
Reconstructs the vessel, voyage, fire, rescue, losses, and aftermath as one connected historical investigation.
Connects the book to the continuing SJ23 Project of the Royal Tar’s final resting place.
Offered as a signed first-run hardcover edition directly through DiveQuest Exploration.
What Makes This Book Different
About Dennis Dorsey
Dennis Dorsey brings more than four decades of maritime and diving experience, together with a 25-year law-enforcement investigative career. His background includes forensic investigation, evidence recovery, vessel operations, historical research, and technical diving.
Over 18 years, he applied that experience to the Royal Tar, combining archival sources, witness accounts, vessel and route reconstruction, field investigation, and underwater research to test long-repeated claims against the surviving evidence.