About
A semicircle of 10 concrete war ships forms a breakwater in the Malaspina Strait, near the shore of the city of Powell River, Canada. Nine of the ships are remainders from World War II.
The S. S. Peralta was launched in February of 1921 by the San Fransisco Shipbuilding Company, to be used as an oil tanker. In 1924, the Peralta was bought and used to can sardines in Alaska.
In 1958, the Peralta was purchased by Pacifica Papers. They used the ship as part of a massive, floating breakwater on the Powell River, put there to protect the company's log storage pond. It floats aside several concrete ships built during World War II.
In 2002, Pacifica paper merged with NorskeCanada, and no longer needed to keep the logs as raw materials. The company considered sinking the Peralta and creating an artificial reef, but decided against it. The S.S. Peralta remains floating in peaceful retirement in the Malaspina Strait.
Other ships include: YOGN 82, S.S. Henri Le Chatelier, Quartz, S.S. P. M. Anderson, S.S. Emile N. Vidal, S.S. John Smeaton, S.S. Thaddeus Merriman, S.S. L. J. Vicat, and S.S. Armand Considere.
Update: The YOGN 82 was sunk in 2018.
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Published
June 10, 2013
