Shipwrecks of Point Arena

Report by Karnel Hillscan

Point Arena began around 1850. Before this time the Central Pomo were the only people living in this area. Rafael Garcia got a land grant from the Mexican Government, and was running cattle on it. Many others started coming to the area, soon after. In 1861 the Garcia land grant was invalidated, due to Mexico losing the north coast to the United States.

With the new people came new livelihoods. Farming and lumber soon partially replaced many of the ranches. A local Creamery, producing butter, became famous in Japan, Alaska, and San Francisco. In 1862 they began shipping out of Arena Cove. Increased shipping along this hazardous coast meant more shipwrecks. However the first ship recorded to have wrecked at Point Arena was the pilot boat "Fannie" in 1852. This was followed by several others as follows:

• 1-10-1858 Charles and Edward, total loss
• 1859 North America, wrecked
• 1-1862 Rosalie, wrecked
• 12-1862 C.W. Gunnel, total loss
• 1-30-1863 Cochief, wrecked
• 7-10-1864 E. Buckley, total loss, one dead
• 11-17-1865 Helen, went ashore
• 4-18-1869 Amazone, went ashore *
• 12-23-1869 Ajax, total lose
• 11-7-1870 Robert E. Lee, wrecked
• 1871 B.F. Lee, wrecked *
• 3-7-1871 Emily Schroeder, wrecked
• 1872 Elsie Iverson #1, wrecked
• 3-9-1872 Speedwell, went ashore
• 12-10-1873 Annie Iverson, went ashore, total lose- wreck sold for $60
• 1874 Annie, wrecked
• 1-20-1875 Curlew, abandoned
• 7-22-1875 Eastport, wrecked
• 1880's Zulu, wrecked
• 1880 Barbara Fritchie, wrecked
• 10-5-1880 Eliza Miller, wrecked at Wash Rock
• 1881 Mary Zephyr, wrecked
• 3-27-1883 Olivia Schultz, total loss on the rocks
• 9-1883 Alviso, wrecked
• 1-22-1885 Reliance #1, wrecked
• 1886 Fannie A. Hyde, wrecked
• 1886 Verson, wrecked
• 12-7-1886 Elsie Iverson #2, total loss
• 12-14-1888 H Bendel, went ashore
• 3-30-1889 Cochief, wrecked
• 12-6-1889 Albert Walter, abandoned
• 12-21-1891 West Coast, wrecked, ten dead
• 8-8-1895 James Townsend, went ashore
• 11-24-1896 San Benito, struck rock, broke in two, six dead *
• 3-2-1899 Charlotte #2, wrecked
• 1900 Jeanie, wrecked *
• 1904 Pt. Arena, wrecked *
• 1905 Prentiss, stranded *
• 1-11-1906 W.H. Kreugher, floundered, turned turtle, total loss
• 1908 Shna Yak, wrecked
• 7-31-1909 Winnebago, stranded
• 8-13-1910 Phoenix, boiler exploded, three dead, towed by Sea Foam to S.F. *
• 1912 G.C. Lindauer, wrecked
• 1913 Iaqua, wrecked *
• 1916 Brooklyn, gold rush trader, wrecked *
• 4-27-1917 Coronado, floundered
• 7-29-1917 Del Norte #2, stranded
• 1918 Dunkerque, wrecked
• 2-25-1918 Noyo, towed in *
• 1919 Daisy Putnam, wrecked *
• 1920 Horace Templeton, wrecked
• 2-4-1921 Klamath, total loss, including cat, Snookums
• 1922 H.F.Harper, wrecked
• 12-11-1922 Oteric, total loss
• 1930's Vangaurd, wrecked
• 6-10-1935 Noyo, stranded *
• 1937 Lebec, wrecked *
• 9-17-1938 Dorothy Wintermote, floundered
• 9-1941 Nordic Pride, wrecked, ten dead
• 9-9-1949 Pacific Enterprise, aground in heavy fog, sank in 60 feet of water
• 1953 Georgene M. , wrecked
• Year unknown, Rio Rey, wrecked

In spite of the construction of the Point Arena Lighthouse by the Federal Government in 1869, approximately 54 ships have been wrecked or damaged in the Pt. Arena area. Another, more famous, wreck was the wooden steam schooner, the "Sea Foam". Wrecked in Arena Cove on February 21, 1931, she weighed 205 tons net, was 127 feet long, 32 feet wide, and 16 feet deep when fully loaded. She was owned by Nelson S.S. Line, her Captain was Capt. Simonson. Enroute from Eureka to San Francisco, she was carrying 105, 000 board feet of lumber, 250 cases of eggs, and one automobile. Only part of the lumber was saved. The crew was saved by a surf boat from the Coast Guard Station at Arena Cove. The ships boiler is still visible at low tide.

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