Shipwrecks Archives https://coralheads.com/category/shipwrecks/ Living An Island Lifestyle Thu, 21 Apr 2022 03:43:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://i0.wp.com/coralheads.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cropped-Favicon-512-x-512-Coral-Heads1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Shipwrecks Archives https://coralheads.com/category/shipwrecks/ 32 32 175970070 Shipwrecks – Amaryllis – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive https://coralheads.com/shipwrecks-amaryllis-palm-beach-county-wreck-dive/ Fri, 01 Oct 2021 19:53:22 +0000 https://coralheads.com/?p=3985 Shipwrecks - Amaryllis - Palm Beach County - Wreck Dive 26° 47.30' N 80° 00.960' W The Amaryllis Wreck Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA Shipwreck Amaryllis Snippet Depth: 80 Feet Relief: ? Feet Difficulty:  Advanced Divers Amaryllis was a cargo ship

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Shipwrecks – Amaryllis – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive

26° 47.30′ N 80° 00.960′ W

The Amaryllis Wreck
Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA

Shipwreck Amaryllis Snippet

  • Depth: 80 Feet
  • Relief: ? Feet
  • Difficulty:  Advanced Divers
Shipwrecks

Amaryllis was a cargo ship built in 1945 at Burrard Dry Dock in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She was 441.6 feet long and measured 7,147 gross register tons. Originally named Cromwell Park, she was built for the government of Canada to be used in World War II. The Amaryllis lies just north of the Palm Beach Inlet, it is best to dive it during flood tide, as an outgoing tide will pull murky water from the inlet directly over this area.

Trimoot's Weblog - The Amaryllis
  • Date Sunk: On August 22, 1968, her remains were “towed three-fourths of a mile out to sea and sunk in 85 feet (26 m) of water” to create an artificial reef.
  • Size: 441.6 feet (134.6 m) long and measured 7,147 gross register tons.
  • Location access: It was sunk in 100 feet of water off the Palm Beach Inlet to serve as an artificial reef.
  • Status: Only the ship’s hull and lower deck remain at the artificial reef site. Amaryllis is part of a string of four wrecks, another of which is the Mizpah, and two rock piles north of the Palm Beach Inlet known today as The Corridors, all of which are classified as “advanced dive sites.” Local knowledge is required.
  • Marine Life: Its age and the prevailing strong currents have made this ship favourite for many larger pelagic species and sport fish such as barracuda, cobia, snook, grunts and jacks. Its hull is covered in coral which has attracted resident Atlantic spadefish, huge green moray eels and sailfish.

Amaryllis was used as a backdrop in the 1967–1968 daytime game show Treasure Isle hosted by John Bartholomew Tucker. The show was actually shot a mile or so south of the ship at John D. MacArthur’s Colonnades Beach Hotel in Palm Beach Shores.

Wikipedia

Shipwrecks – Amaryllis – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive

As Hurricane Betsy approached the east coast of Florida on September 7, 1965, Amaryllis, bound from Manchester, England to Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a Greek crew of 30, sought refuge in the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, Florida. As she approached the Palm Beach Inlet from the Atlantic Ocean into the port, she suffered steering problems in addition to the high winds and seas, which resulted in her being forced into the shallow waters laced with coral reefs north of the inlet. Sometime during the night of September 7–8, she ran aground on the Singer Island beach in front of the Rutledge Motel, later known as the Rutledge Inn, in Riviera Beach. During the next day the winds and seas increased as Hurricane Betsy made her landfall to the south in Key Largo; this pounding wedged the ship farther onto the beach.

The ship almost immediately became an attraction for sightseers and locals, who came to view her and listen to her Greek crew strum their musical instruments. She soon became a magnet for surfers. Since none of the Greek crewmen spoke English, a local interpreter was required for the Coast Guard to communicate with them. All of the crew except for two who jumped ship, and were later picked up in Memphis, remained on the ship until November when her owners made arrangements for them to leave the country.

After several unsuccessful salvage attempts by the original owners and a Miami man who bought her from them, the ship was abandoned and became a menace to those people daring enough to board and wander through her, as well as a concern for the motel owner whose guests were annoyed by the sightseers and kept awake at night by clanging noises from the ship. Oil seepage fouled the water and beach and one fire broke out on the ship. Local residents and officials became concerned about the danger of further damage to the coral reef by the ship as well as the discharge of large quantities of bunker oil from the ship if she broke up.

The Army Corps of Engineers became involved in dismantling the ship and removing the oil. On August 22, 1968, her remains were “towed three-fourths of a mile out to sea and sunk in 85 feet (26 m) of water” to create an artificial reef. Cleanup of the beach and removal of debris from the ship took over a year.  Wikipedia

Amaryllis Shipwreck Coordinates

26° 47.30′ N 80° 00.960′ W

Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA

Our Experience at Amaryllis in Palm Beach County

The Amaryllis was my very first wreck dive around 1991. We dove several wrecks that day doing The Corridor Wreck Trek. To bad we didn’t have GoPro cameras back then. Looks like we need to do an updated dive covering the entire trek on one video from one end to the other. I can’t wait to drop a Deep Trekker Pivot NAV on the wreck the next time out. Have you dove on the Amaryllis?

Have a Good Morning,
Mark Laymon

Video and Photos of the Amaryllis Shipwreck

Underwater Drone / Diver / Quadcopter – Aerial / Action Camera

Underwater Drone / Diver / Quadcopter – Aerial / Action Camera

Underwater Drone / Diver / Quadcopter – Aerial / Action Camera

Underwater Drone / Diver / Quadcopter – Aerial / Action Camera

Shipwrecks – Lofthus – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive
Shipwrecks – Lofthus – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive

More resources of Shipwreck Amaryllis

Coral Heads Internal Links of Interest: These are the related posts and articles we have created.

Top Stories: Reviews on blogs, podcasts, websites, wikis, and a few YouTube videos.

list of blog posts

References: All data collected. Wiki / Website / Blog / Newspaper / Video-YouTube / Podcast

Once the expense of saving the ship exceeded its value, Lloyd’s of London paid off the insurance claim and the freighter w a s abandoned where she rested. In December 1965, Samuel McIntosh of Miami paid $25,000 for the beached ship. He, too, gave up efforts to refloat the ship and abandoned the project.

The Army Corps of Engineers became involved in dismantling the ship and removing the oil. On August 22, 1968, her remains were “towed three-fourths of a mile out to sea and sunk in 85 feet (26 m) of water” to create an artificial reef. Cleanup of the beach and removal of debris from the ship took over a year.




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]]> 3985 Shipwrecks – Lofthus – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive https://coralheads.com/shipwrecks-lofthus-palm-beach-county-wreck-dive/ Tue, 21 Sep 2021 11:24:04 +0000 https://coralheads.com/?p=3981 Shipwrecks – Lofthus – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive 26°33′46″N 80°02′18″W Lofthus Underwater Archaeological Preserve Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA Shipwreck Lofthus Snippet Depth: 20 Feet Relief: 6 Feet Difficulty:  Snorkel On February 4, 1898, the Lofthus wrecked in a

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Shipwrecks – Lofthus – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive

26°33′46″N 80°02′18″W

Lofthus Underwater Archaeological Preserve
Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA

Shipwreck Lofthus Snippet

  • Depth: 20 Feet
  • Relief: 6 Feet
  • Difficulty:  Snorkel
Shipwrecks

On February 4, 1898, the Lofthus wrecked in a storm en route to Buenos Aires, Argentina from Pensacola, Florida.

  • Date Sunk: February 4, 1898. The Lofthus wrecked in a storm.
  • Size: 222-foot iron-hulled vessel. Scattered across an area approximately 290 feet long by 50 feet wide
  • Location access: The wreck of the Lofthus is located approximately three-quarters of a mile north of the Boynton Inlet and 175 yards offshore from Manalapan, Florida.
  • Status: On January 6, 2004, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and was officially designated as the eighth Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve.
  • Marine Life: Native marine flora and fauna, including the Caribbean spiny lobster, grunts, jacks, porcupine fish, porkfish, snapper, stingrays, and wrasse.

The Lofthus is a Norwegian shipwreck near Boynton Beach, Florida, United States. Built in 1868 in Sunderland, England by T.R. Oswald, the 222-foot iron-hulled vessel was originally christened Cashmere and rigged as a three masted barque. She was painted with false gunports to ward off Sumatran and Javanese pirates.

Wikipedia

We are very excited to get back on the water and start filming some more amazing underwater videos. Both by Underwater Drone and by jumping in and diving down with a camera. South Florida and the East Coast from Martin County all the way down to the Florida Keys have great opportunities to share Coral Reefs, Artificial Reefs, and Shipwrecks. Some are very easy to access, especially those near shore like the Lofthus can even be reached by paddle board or kayak. Subscribe to our Coral Heads YouTube Channel to see our newest videos as they are released. One great feature of this location is we are able to also use our waterproof drones and quadcopters to record aerial footage from above as well. While I am writing this, I see the sky is clearing, so it’s time for me to go jump in and click record on another shipwreck I have found. While I am doing that, it’s your turn to jump all in and share with us your experience, with this location, and many more on our Coral Heads Community Forum!

Lofthus – Shipwrecks – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive

The Lofthus (also known as the Cashmere) is a Norwegian shipwreck (which sank in 1898) near Boynton Beach, Florida, United States. Built in 1868 in Sunderland, England by T.R. Oswald, the 222-foot iron-hulled vessel was originally christened Cashmere and rigged as a three masted barque. She was painted with false gunports to ward off Sumatran and Javanese pirates. After a career in the East Indian trade Cashmere was sold to a Norwegian firm, renamed Lofthus, and used in the American trade. On February 4, 1898, the Lofthus wrecked in a storm en route to Buenos Aires, Argentina from Pensacola, Florida. The crew of 16 men, as well as the ship’s cat and dog were rescued by the passing vessel Three Friends, which was smuggling guns to Cuba. The ship, however, was declared a loss as it could not be removed from the shallow reef. The cargo, primarily lumber, was salvaged and brought ashore by locals and reportedly used to build homes in the Boynton Beach area.

The wreck of the Lofthus is located approximately three-quarters of a mile north of the Boynton Inlet and 175 yards offshore from Manalapan. According to the National Park Service, the remnants of the ship rest in 15 to 20 feet of water, with “wreckage rising as much as six feet off the sea floor depending on sand movement.” This often means large sections of the wreck may be entirely covered or completely exposed contingent on waves, currents, and storm conditions. After salvagers dynamited the hull, the wreck site became scattered across an area approximately 290 feet long by 50 feet wide, with the bow, midships, and stern separated into three distinct areas. The wreck is also now home to a number of native marine flora and fauna, including the Caribbean spiny lobster, grunts, jacks, porcupine fish, porkfish, snapper, stingrays, and wrasse.

On January 6, 2004, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and was officially designated as the eighth Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve (and Palm Beach County’s first) during a ceremony at Boynton Beach Intracoastal Park. During the ceremony, former Historical Society of Palm Beach County president, Harvey Oyer, presented a brief history of the ship and the wreck. According to the historical society, Oyer’s great-great grandparents were “among the first to board the grounded ship and help salvage its cargo before it sank.” Wikipedia

Lofthus Shipwreck Coordinates 26°33′46″N 80°02′18″W

Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA

Wreck #133 on NOAA chart 11466

Our Experience at Lofthus in Palm Beach County

Over the past 30 years I have snorkeled and fished for bait over the Lofthus. Not knowing the history of the ship while spending so much time in and around it now disappoints me. There is so much more I could have looked for, especially when I first started snorkeling there. It also would have been a place I could have dived more, had I known. It has always been one of the first places I would go to in the early mornings to find bait, either on a rod or cast net. NOTE: Nothing can be taken from the shipwreck now because it became Florida’s eighth Underwater Archaeological Preserve and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. We need to get some more drone video of the Lofthus, maybe find our other drone there as well, oops…

Have a Good Morning,
Mark Laymon

Video and Photos of the Lofthus Shipwreck

Underwater Drone / Diver / Quadcopter – Aerial / Action Camera

Underwater Drone / Diver / Quadcopter – Aerial / Action Camera

Shipwrecks – Lofthus – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive
Shipwrecks – Lofthus – Palm Beach County – Wreck Dive

More resources of Shipwreck Lofthus

Coral Heads Internal Links of Interest: These are the related posts and articles we have created.

Top Stories: Reviews on blogs, podcasts, websites, wikis, and a few YouTube videos.

References: All data collected. Wiki / Website / Blog / Newspaper / Video-YouTube / Podcast

As with all other historical or archaeological sites on public uplands or submerged bottomlands, Lofthus is protected by Florida laws forbidding unauthorized disturbance, excavation, or removal of artifacts. Please help keep the site intact for others by not disturbing or harvesting marine life. To avoid anchor loss or damage to the shipwreck, please anchor in the sand, and remember to display a “diver down” flag.




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