SS Palo Alto

The Palo Alto was a tanker which was built as a concrete ship towards the end of the First World War in the United States.

History

The ship was built by the San Francisco Shipbuilding Company in Oakland and was launched from the dock on 29 May 1919. Since it was completed for use in the war too late, there remained ten years in the dock.

In 1929 it was purchased by the Seacliff Amusement Company and towed to the coast of Monterey Bay off Aptos, where it was converted into a pleasure boat. A specially erected Pier joined the now equipped with a swimming pool, dining and dance hall Palo Alto to the beach.

After the bankruptcy of the operator company two years later they broke apart in a winter storm in the middle. The ship was gutted and will subsequently be used as a fishing spot. Over time, the damage to the ship was too large, so that the wreck was closed to the public and remains as an artificial reef in the sea.

In spring 2005 oiled birds were found in the vicinity, whose pollution could be attributed to the Palo Alto. A discharge of oil into the sea could not be determined, however, some parts of the ship were still dirty. Then the ship was cleaned in September 2006, so that it no longer represents a hazard to the environment.