Thursday, September 8, 2011

Famous Florida Shipwrecks Along The Coast

By Antoinette Oliver


Florida shipwrecks span along the waterways around the state. Many people have crossed the waters near the Florida panhandle over the last 400 years. Most of these vessels carried cargo from the Americas to Europe. These ships sank several times through the years from weather and reefs.

Wreckers were men who would go out from Key West and try to recover items from ships as they were sinking into the water. They would save people who were passengers and or crew on board as well as the cargo the ship carried. They would then take the cargo back to land and they would resell it at auction many times back to the crew from the ships.

The most famous and prosperous account of this is the ship Isaac Allerton. The Florida shipwreck occurred in August of 1856. The ship was carrying huge slabs of marble to be used in the Customs House in New Orleans.

This ship was caught in a hurricane and wrecked in the Keys hitting a reef. Over 50,000 dollars worth of merchandise was recovered. Much of the marble was too large to be recovered and is still in the ship today still unattainable do to the weight and depth.

Other substantial ships in the area include the USS Massachusetts-BB-2, Half Moon, SS Tarpon as well as USCG Cutter Duane. Other notable sites include the City Of Hawkinsville, the USS Alligator, or the Maple Leaf site, San Pedro Lofthus and Bird Key wreck. All of these are shipwrecks that are fully accessible for viewing and have a great historical value.

These are just a few that can be seen today either by land or by sea if you dive. These great secret treasures can be seen by a day trip and are well worth the time to see. The state is full of these mini adventures across the area. Read more about: florida shipwrecks




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