King Philip's tug cast off to aid Western Shore and Don Nicolas, both being in danger of going ashore near the gate at Point Lobos. Capt. Blinn of Western Shore was casting off the tug's hawser when the wind died. He and the mate then attempted to put a few turns of the hawser around the bitts when the line surged, breaking of the bitts and striking the captain, "breaking his leg in two places, and knocking him off the forecastle to the main deck, a distance of 12 feet... he lived about four hours afterwards." Western Shore was able to anchor and hang on until the next day, when Richard Holyoke was able to put a line on her and tow the ship into San Francisco Bay.

Western Shore's third attempt to clear San Francisco was without accident. The next voyage from Seattle to San Francisco, however, was her last. Sailing from Seattle on July 2, 1878, the ship, laden with 2,040 tons of coal, made a fast passage toward San Francisco. On the evening of July 9, while under full sail at a speed of 10 nits, the ship struck Duxbury Reef. Within three hours she had sunk, lying head on, listing to port, with only the masts (all sails still set) protruding from the water. The circumstances of her loss were never fully explained. Delgado & Huller [2]