BajaNomad - Ensenada: S.S. Catalina status?

Ensenada: S.S. Catalina status?

BajaNomad - 11-25-2007 at 01:30 AM

Can anyone in Ensenada give me a current status as of today (essentially) of the S.S. Catalina in the harbor?

Is she still there? Anything obvious activity going on around her - or anything obvious removed from her (smokestack, pilothouse, etc)?

Thanks for any specific info you may have at this time.

Regards,
--
Doug Means

Loboron - 11-25-2007 at 08:56 AM

The Catalina sits in about 10 feet of water just south of the south jetty wall of the Cruise Port marina, same place since she sank

She's become a tourist attraction for all the local tour boats, large and small. The attraction is not the Catalina, but the hundreds of sea lions that now call it home.

It's really a shame, it was once a beautiful steamer and the most popular ride from San Pedro to Avalon, on the island of Catalina.

I used to be a weekend regular, paying $11 for a round trip ticket in the late 50's.

[Edited on 11-25-2007 by Loboron]

BajaNomad - 11-25-2007 at 11:35 AM

Thank you for your reply.

The verbage you've used leaves me concerned, as it seems to be a general description of how the ship has sat for the past (I can't believe it's been this long now) ten years. You did not specifically state that this was the case for the ship today (or in the past couple of days anyway would be fine).

I'm concerned, as I'm aware of a current situation, and wish to confirm that what you've described is accurate right now.

Confirmation that the pilothouse and smokestack are still intact, and that there's no apparent activity (other than sea lions) on or around the ship would be valuable to myself and others.

Thank you again for your input (really!) - and your understanding of my concern to confirm the information you described is still accurate at the present moment.

Regards,
--
Doug Means

For those not aware of the background of the ship, visit:
http://www.sscatalina.com
http://www.sscatalina.org
(two different sites)

Also, this still-active mailing list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sscatalina

Picture from 01 Jan, '06:

[Edited on 11-25-2007 by BajaNomad]

sscatalina-jan01-06.jpg - 48kB

Loboron - 11-25-2007 at 01:40 PM

Doug,

As of this date, 11-25-07 11;30 AM

The SS Catalina looks much like your attached photograph. The stack and pilot house are still intact. The only obvious missing items are the deck vents aft.

Above the pilot house are the stanchions for the missing radar and antennas.

There is no apparent dismantling taking place and no barges or boats tied too or anchored up near by.

Once again, it looks much like your photograph except for the large deck vents missing aft.

Hope this helps.

Halboo - 11-25-2007 at 04:25 PM

Such fond memories.....

bajamigo - 11-26-2007 at 11:45 AM

I'm not sure the Catalina will suffer the same fate, but Ensenada harbor wants to make room for the "90-day yacht club" and has been towing larger boats to the other side of the bay, off Rancho Packard, to recently-installed moorings. Our latest "guests" are two of the three boats that carried a bunch of Chinese refugees in 1993 and became the focus of an incident between the US and Mexico. The commercial rice-cookers have been removed from the decks, but they look pretty much as they did 13 years ago, except for the effects of lack of maintenance. The original plan for these tubs was to sink them in Todos Santos bay, but the authorities backed off when the landowners and other interested parties around the bay raised some pretty noisy objections.

BajaNomad - 11-28-2007 at 12:33 PM

It does help. Thank you very much!

--
Doug

Quote:

Originally posted by Loboron
Doug,

As of this date, 11-25-07 11;30 AM

The SS Catalina looks much like your attached photograph. The stack and pilot house are still intact. The only obvious missing items are the deck vents aft.

Above the pilot house are the stanchions for the missing radar and antennas.

There is no apparent dismantling taking place and no barges or boats tied too or anchored up near by.

Once again, it looks much like your photograph except for the large deck vents missing aft.

Hope this helps.

This in El Vigia (Ensenada newspaper) today

fdt - 5-5-2008 at 08:31 PM

Catalina to be scrapped

http://elvigia.net/noticias/?seccion=generales&id=43168&...

fandango - 5-5-2008 at 08:39 PM

i drove by the ss catalina this past friday. i always look at it between the buildings and there is something at the bow. maybe 2 cranes? didn't stop to take photos, now i wish i had investigated a bit more.

CaboRon - 5-5-2008 at 08:56 PM

What a shame ..

CaboRon

Sharksbaja - 5-5-2008 at 10:13 PM

sob :no:

I loved that vessel

Gadget - 5-6-2008 at 01:56 PM

Rather than dismanteling / scrapping her why doesn't someone drag her out and sink her for a wreck dive location?

Looks like she would be a spectacular reef one day.

[Edited on 5-6-2008 by Gadget]

mtgoat666 - 5-6-2008 at 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gadget
Rather than dismanteling / scrapping her why doesn't someone drag her out and sink her for a wreck dive location?

Looks like she would be a spectacular reef one day.

[Edited on 5-6-2008 by Gadget]

hard to float/tow a boat that hasn't floated in 10+ years. hull has probably rotted to swiss cheese.

Don Alley - 5-6-2008 at 04:18 PM

I visited Catalina in March, first visit since the 60s. Just over an hour from San Pedro in the new boats.

At Avalon, the tour boat Blanche W was still in service; we traveled from summer camp near the Isthmus (now called Two Harbors or something) to Avalon 1958-1960. The boat was built in 1924.

Gadget - 5-6-2008 at 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote:

hard to float/tow a boat that hasn't floated in 10+ years. hull has probably rotted to swiss cheese.

Yeah copy that, thoughts of pulling it up on a barge or something is way beyond the financial scope of the idea I'm sure.

BajaNomad - 5-8-2008 at 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666
hard to float/tow a boat that hasn't floated in 10+ years. hull has probably rotted to swiss cheese.

To the best of my knowledge, the hull is in repairable shape - rivets need replacing, etc. Certainly not stellar, but not swiss cheese either.... afaik.

--
Doug

DENNIS - 5-8-2008 at 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaNomad
To the best of my knowledge, the hull is in repairable shape - rivets need replacing, etc. Certainly not stellar, but not swiss cheese either.... afaik.

I thought she had a wood hull. No?

Nope...Riveted one inch steel plate.

[Edited on 5-8-2008 by DENNIS]

jeans - 5-8-2008 at 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Alley
I visited Catalina in March, first visit since the 60s. Just over an hour from San Pedro in the new boats.

At Avalon, the tour boat Blanche W was still in service; we traveled from summer camp near the Isthmus (now called Two Harbors or something) to Avalon 1958-1960. The boat was built in 1924.

I remember the Blanche W!!! I used to spend my summers there...we had a morring at Channel Heights. ..the south side of the Isthmus...our "yacht club" (more like a drinking club with a boating problem) held cookouts on that hill.

In one of my "How I spent my Summer Vacation" essays I talked about that boat and the ruse that was sometimes played on the tourists. The boat would be pulling away and a guy would come racing down the dock with a suitcase yelling for the boat to wait...he would keep on running right off the end of the pier...suitcase and all....and the Blanche W would keep on going.

This was about '59 to '61. I still remember the songs on the jukebox!

Santiago - 5-8-2008 at 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jeans
This was about '59 to '61. I still remember the songs on the jukebox!

Wow! -you're older than I thought...... :tumble:

stanburn - 5-8-2008 at 07:52 PM

It is amazing how many people think that something should be saved, yet if enough money can't be raised, then the majority doesn't think it is worth saving. Next subject.....I assume that will be flaming me.

Don Alley - 5-8-2008 at 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jeans

I remember the Blanche W!!! I used to spend my summers there...we had a morring at Channel Heights. ..the south side of the Isthmus...our "yacht club" (more like a drinking club with a boating problem) held cookouts on that hill.

In one of my "How I spent my Summer Vacation" essays I talked about that boat and the ruse that was sometimes played on the tourists. The boat would be pulling away and a guy would come racing down the dock with a suitcase yelling for the boat to wait...he would keep on running right off the end of the pier...suitcase and all....and the Blanche W would keep on going.

This was about '59 to '61. I still remember the songs on the jukebox!

I was a camper at Catalina Marineros Camp at Fourth of July Cove then, and my dad had a mooring at Cherry Cove. I remember the cheesy songs we sang at the campfire (Michael Row The Boat Ashore, Kumbaya, Sloop John B, etc). And Dion and the Belmonts on my transistor radio.

Russ - 5-9-2008 at 05:21 AM

I have fond memories of Catalina too: But going to school for two years there at is no part of them.

[Edited on 5-9-2008 by Russ]