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GRACE OF SAN FRANCISCO - IMO 6410556

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Photo
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Photographer:
George.Schneider [ View profile ]
Captured:
Jul 9, 2017
Photo Category:
Wrecks & Relics
Added:
Aug 21, 2017
Views:
2,137
Image Resolution:
1,152 x 768

Description:

There is presently no name on this hulk, and no evidence that any has ever been permanently marked. I first saw her in good condition at Long Beach CA in February 1987, and at that time the name on her bow was "GRACE OF SAN FRANCISCO". The stern had that full name, and for a home port, showed "Road..." which I presume would be Road Harbor or Roadtown in the British Virgin Islands. She was flying no flag.
In May of 1994, she was in a nest of laid up vessels at Alameda CA, with the same name on her bow, and no markings on her stern. For a few years now she's been at the tiny port of Bay Point CA, on the Sacramento Delta inland from San Francisco. Although it's a sleepy port now, during World War I the Pacific Coast Shipbuilding Company built 10 steel freighters there for the U. S. Shipping Board.

Vessel
particulars

Current name:
CAPE ELIZABETH

Former name(s):

 -  Saint Fergus (Until 1981)

Status:
Dead
Build year:
1964
Vessel Type:
General Cargo
Gross tonnage:
306 tons
Summer DWT:
439 tons

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Photo
Categories

This ship exists in the following categories:

Wrecks & Relics - 2 photos

General cargo ships built 1960-1969 (Under 3000gt) - 3 photos

Photographers
of this ship

(3)

NeilB

1 photos

Jeff Cameron

1 photos

COMMENT THIS PHOTO(15)

Newest First
person
I'm impressed with all of you, with your knowledge and your willingness to share it. ...And especially with the creativity of Mr. Holedriller and his iDENTification of her.
And isn't it ironic that a vessel sold for scrap when less than 20 years old remains afloat more than 30 years after that -- undoubtedly without a drydocking during that time.
Per Davidship's request I'll post a couple more shots of her over the years. Thank you all for your comments.

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person
Any other angles on this "relic", George?

Here's an overhead: http://tinyurl.com/y8mo8mo3

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comment

person
Indeed looks like SAINT FERGUS, minus all of her cargo gear with which she was completed.
The last I heard of her was that she was sold for demolition to LA breakers in 1983, looks like my book on Gardners is wrong !
So does she hold the record for dodging the breakers torch ?
Regards
Graham Atkinson
Author : J & AGardners

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person
Those dents are the forensic evidence we need !, no 2 dents are the same !

So mystery solved I suppose, IMO 6410556

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person
Still got the same dents to the plating on the bow (plus a few new ones!
Holedriller

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person
Have posted a shot of her as SAINT FERGUS http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2722965
many thanks George for your most interesting post.

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person
The "arrest" comment rings a bell,, but the name does not come back to me. But I remember I read a story about a coaster arrested in the drug trade and laid up and ever since is there, moved around now and then in California. She looks to me as a UK built vessels. The bridge and the boards aft around are typical british type construction signs.

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person
When it is Saint Fergus her imo nr is 6410556

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person
The SAINT FERGUS for comparison: https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/SHIPS/British-Coastal-and-Short-Sea/JA-GARDNER/i-8B9ZwRt/A

Looks a good match. My only query is that there is a record of SAINT FERGUS being scrapped in 1983 as CAPE ELIZABETH. Though this of course might be incorrect.

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person
Looks like a typical Clelands Shipbuilding or Ardrossan shipyard hull. The first ships I sailed on as a very young child were the Zulu Coast and Swazi Coast built for the Thesen Steamship Company. Launched 1957 and 1963 respectively.
http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/S-Ships/swazicoast1963.html
The Swazi was still in service as recent as 2003

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person
I would agree with PWR Saint Fergus-Jonn Lewis Aberdeen-Gardner are the photographers who's website you were looking at

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person
Hull shape, anchor, rubbing bands, small wheelhouse with three windows, British built.

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person
I would say SAINT FERGUS (GARDNERS-GLASGOW)

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person
I recognized her as European, but your mention of "Dutch" reminds me that there was a Dutch coaster that was seized in Los Angeles for some kind of legal violation in the early 1970's, named KEMPHAAN or something similar. Does that help with any connections?

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person
Look very much like a Dutch diesel coaster of the 1950's. Hard to believe she is still in one piece despite having lost her masts and cargo booms.

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