Wreck of the Samoa
On January 28, 1913, the steam schooner Samoa was en route from Eureka to San Francisco with a heavy cargo of redwood lumber when she became disoriented in a blinding fog off the Marin Coast. The vessel ran violently aground in the heavy breakers just 600 yards south of the Chimney Rock Life-Saving Station. The shipwreck triggered one of the most celebrated and heroic rescue operations in the history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, during which surfmen successfully deployed a breeches buoy to rescue all twenty-one crew members amidst pounding waves and drifting timber. While the crew survived, the vessel was completely pounded to pieces by the relentless surf.
Field Research Notes
The remnants of the Samoa are highly fragmented and scattered across a treacherous, rocky intertidal zone beneath steep granite cliffs. Accessing the area is extremely dangerous due to unpredictable swells, high tides, and loose cliffs, and all artifact collection is strictly forbidden by the National Park Service.
Recommended Gear
Drysuit, Fins & Mask, Underwater Camera, Safety rope
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The Frolic was a fast Baltimore clipper ship engaged in the illicit opium trade between China and California. In July 1850, carrying a cargo of Chinese silks, porcelain, and household goods, she ran aground on the.
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The SS Brother Jonathan was a luxurious paddle steamer carrying passengers and a cargo of gold coins from San Francisco to Portland. In July 1865, it struck an uncharted rock (now called Jonathan Rock) off Crescent.
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