National Marine Sanctuaries |
Channel Islands National Marine SanctuaryShipwreck
Database
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|
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Vessel
|
Comet |
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Name
(former)
|
Official
Number
|
126379 | |
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Propulsion
|
Sail |
Nationality
|
US |
|
Masts
|
3 |
Age
|
25 |
|
Decks
|
1 |
Value
|
5,000 |
|
Type
|
Schooner - Lumber |
Call
Sign
|
KDML |
|
Use
|
Commercial |
Home
Port
|
CA, San Francisco |
|
Tonnage
(gross)
|
429 |
Built
When
|
1886 |
|
Tonnage
(net)
|
368 |
Built
Where
|
WA, Port Blakely |
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Tonnage
|
Built
by
|
Hall Bros. | |
|
Displacement
|
Hull
Material
|
Wood - Douglas Fir | |
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Length
(ft)
|
144.6 |
Cargo
|
Lumber, 5,000 board feet |
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Beam
|
35.2 |
Owner
|
Hooper Bros. |
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Depth
of Hold
|
11.4 | ||
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|
|||
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Latitude
|
34°03N
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Longitude
|
120°23W
|
|
WHERE
|
San
Miguel Island, Wilson Rock, Simonton Cove
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STATE
|
CA
|
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YEAR
|
1911
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LAST
PORT
|
Aberdeen,
WA (08-03-1911)
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|
MONTH
|
08
|
DESTINATION
|
CA,
San Pedro
|
|
DAY
|
30
|
People
on Board
|
8
|
|
TIME
|
2000
|
FATALITIES
|
1
|
|
CAUSE
|
Navigation,
faulty chronometer
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| NATURE OF CASUALTY | ||
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Lat. 34.06 N Lon. 120.25 W Wilson Rock California. Struck a shoal and became waterlogged. Foggy weather. Moderate Breeze, foggy weather dark at night and moderate sea. Lowered the sails to east the strain. Han Maihbom born Hamburg, Germany 24 years of age was killed . Wreck Report The Comet departed Aberdeen, Washington on 23 August 1911, with her holds full and decks covered with a cargo of 500,000 board-feet of lumber destined for San Pedro, California. On 30 August at 8:00 PM while sailing in heavy seas with a thick fog, the Comet struck Wilson Rock, 2 1/2 miles Northwest of Harris Point, San Miguel Island. Today's modern coast pilot states: this locality should not be approached in thick weather, as the dangers rise abruptly from deep water and are not marked by kelp; soundings give no positive warning of their proximity. After the vessel struck the treacherous rock, it was pulled off by the current and began drifting south towards San Miguel Island. The crew lowered the sails to ease the strain and then grounded the schooner in Simonton Cove. The Comet's master, Capt. Nicolas Boregenson, noted;
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"I thought when the Comet was freed from her first perilous position, that I would be able to bring her to Santa Barbara, but she filled rapidly and I soon found that she was badly stoved in. She became water logged and I knew the best I could do was to beach her on San Miguel. She is lying in a favorable position and unless the seas become heavy, we may be able to get her off. Her hull must be in bad shape. There was a hard wind as well as a heavy fog when she struck. The ship's chronometer must have been faulty for we were about ten miles off our course." |
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