visible shipwrecks oregon coast

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The following day, Captain George H. Hopkins, his wife, eight crew members and a dog were rescued from the ship. The Garibaldi Lifesaving Station dispatched rescue boats, while some of the crew and passengers took to the ships boats. The Mystery Shipwreck Most shipwrecks on the Oregon Coast have occurred near the river; nearly 2,000 ships have met their demise here since 1792. Many Oregon Coast shipwrecks occur at the Columbia Bar because of the rush of water that pours into the Pacific Ocean from the river (over one million cubic feet per second!). On May 18, 1910, for example, the captain and crew of the steamerJ. Marhoffer were enjoying a calm afternoon on the passage from San Francisco to Portland when a gas torch exploded, setting fire to the engine room. Soc. Columbia River Gorge Astoria, Ore.: Columbia River Maritime Museum, 2011. The G.A. New officers were assigned, as most of the 1692 officers had been imprisoned, banished, or had their maritime careers curtailed as punishment for the calamitous return to port. Did you know: Tillamook Rock Lighthouse is considered one of the most haunted places in Oregon? Thus, it is likely that the Santo Cristo de Burgos had between 1,000 and 1,500-ton capacity, which would have been a fairly common size range at the time. Unfortunately, the ships wreckage caused ecological damage to the area due to a fuel spill, which was mitigated through burning the fuel with napalm. La Follette, Cameron, Dennis Griffin, and Douglas Deur. Warren Vaughn mentioned the two traditions as separate, the latter having occurred more recently than the galleon wreck; but Samuel J. Cottons Stories of Nehalem, published in 1915, contained an account that conflated the two tales. Abandoned at sea. This page was last edited on 19 June 2022, at 02:04. A project of the Oregon Historical Society, 2020 Portland State University and the Oregon Historical Society, The Oregon Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. After it was set on fire to burn off the oil the ship split in two, and it took nine years for crews to fully remove both halves from the water. The next voyage, leaving the Philippines in the summer of 1692, ended in a return to port, due to losing all three masts in a terrible storm in the San Bernardino Straits area. Research Lib., bc002415, photo file 1192, Courtesy Oregon Hist. The Santo Cristo was overhauled and repaired over the winter of 1692-1693. Half of the ship remained beached while the other half was taken out to sea and scuttled. Courtesy Oregon Hist. Copyright 2021 One Country. Soc. That was my cue to head inland myself, lest the tide trap me out with the remains of the wreck. Peter Iredale The ship was headed for Acapulco but was never seen again. WebThe Peter Iredale, a four-masted, steel ship, ran ashore in 1906 and is now one of the most accessible shipwrecks on the West Coast. AuthorHouseUK, 2011. USS Milwaukee USS H-3's failed savior, USS Milwaukee (C-21), was a St. Louis-class protected cruiser displacing 9,700 tons. Lost in heavy fog, the ship got stuck in shallow water, turned around by breakers and finally ran ashore after trying to maneuver away at full speed. Remains are occasionally seen after storms. White Salmon: Skip your next trip to Hood River and cross the bridge to White Salmon. Research Lib., Journal, photo file 2511, Courtesy Oregon Hist. For years, these Pacific Northwest shipwrecks have inspired coastal legends, movies, and even TV shows that are set in the Pacific Northwest! Carla Rahn Philipps, trans. The most renowned is probably the British sailing ship Peter Iredale, which ran aground off Clatsop Beach in 1906 and instantly became a local attraction. It only comes out when the tide is especially low as it was last weekend an opportunity for treasure hunters to explore the remaining piece of one of the most spectacular shipwrecks in Oregon history. Central Oregon Drawing by M. Osbourne. Located in the Seymour Narrows of the Discovery Passage near Campbell River, Canada, Ripple Rock is an underwater mountain that creates a risky environment for ships crossing the strait. amzn_assoc_asins = "0898153883,B008ELGS9Y,0762783702,1566919630"; Visitors must not board the shipwreck due to safety concerns, Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials wrote. Kicking hard he managed to free himself. The Great Republic in San Francisco Harbor. This blog lives to inspire outdoor adventure, inspired by our home in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Soc. Wreck of the Peter Iredale 8 shipwrecks that still haunt the Oregon coast 1. Oregon's Manila Galleon. Special Issue. Are There So Many Shipwrecks in Oregon Arriving, the spotted waves thrashed at the boat, and lumber and lifeboats spilled out in all directions. A post shared by Sean Titus (@yetipaws) on Mar 1, 2016 at 8:48pm PST. Officials warn against boarding recent shipwreck at The other half is at Coos Bay. Conscripted Filipinos did the toughest work of felling and stripping the trees, while other natives and Chinese craftsmen, under Spanish oversight, completed the construction and fittings. Places Along the Oregon Coast (Super Detailed If I hadnt ducked behind a tree I probably would have been smashed by all that hurling debris.. Research Lib., photo file 2540. Due to improperly manned lifeboats, none survived. Despite the efforts of the captain to free the ship from the shoreline, the Vazlav Vorovsky broke up and disappeared. Two additional carronades from the U.S.S. The Peter IredaleThe Peter Iredale, a four-masted steel barque sailing vessel, wrecked on the Oregon shore on October 25, 1906. Research Lib., Frank Abell, photographer, Orhi141, bc001879, photo file 2533, Courtesy Oregon Hist. Captain Adolph Kangiser and his engineer made a swim for shore. Research Lib., bc59364, bc001486, photo file 2540. Standing at the northern point, I trained my binoculars into the bay, scanning for some rust-colored cylinder in the surf. amzn_assoc_title = ""; Located within Fort Stevens State Park, the wreckage is considered one of the most accessible and long-lasting in the world. no. It was eventually determined to be the remains of the George L. Olson, a steam schooner built in 1917 that wrecked in 1944. a number of beaches along the Oregon Coast between Coos Bay and A solid structure is hard to break #LadiInfinite #PeterIredale #ShipWreak #WreakedShip #ExploreOregon #AbandonedShip #SunsetKiller #ChasingSunsets #pocket_family #justgoshoot #AOV #silhouette #KillerGallery #Killeveryshot #fartoodope #feedissoclean #way2ill #weekly_feature #primeshots #nyc_explorers #icapture_raw #TheVisualShare #ig_oregon #dopeshotbro #AGameOfTones #ArtOfVisual, A post shared by Laci G (@lacigphotography) on Aug 24, 2017 at 9:40am PDT. I hope youll enjoy the site as much as I enjoy photographing wrecks. The Sujameco was a 300+ foot steamship that ran aground in 1929 when it got lost in heavy fog and made its fateful crash. Touring the lighthouse costs $2 for adults and is free for anyone 15 years old or younger. Soc. Some are buried in the depths, never to be found, while the tangled remains of others are heaving from the sands. Tales of Early Wrecks on the Oregon Coast, and How the Beeswax Got There. Oregon Native Son 1 (January 1900): 443-446. Arts & Culture, Attractions, How-to, Landmarks, Wildlife. Griffin, Dennis. Haglund, Michael E. Worlds Most Dangerous: A History of the Columbia River Bar its Pilots and their Equipment. Condemned for passenger use, the Potter was left abandoned on the northeast side of Youngs Bay near Astoria. Jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River. The Galleon Cargo: Accounts in the Colonial Archives. Special Issue. No one was able to remove the boat, so it just stayed there. Several shipwreck sites can be found in the waters off the coast of Punta Cana and are popular dive spots for tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of some Caribbean sea critters. On the afternoon of May 19, 1910, the J. Marhoffer, a 174-foot steam-powered schooner, was powering its way north along the Oregon coast. After losing their captain early in the voyage, the shipmates were left to make their way north to the mouth of the Columbia River. Its rusty hull rises from the sands at Fort Stevens State Park. After running ashore, it was refloated and renamed the. The wreckage is still visible, making it a popular tourist attraction as one of the most accessible shipwrecks of the Graveyard of the Pacific. While Native Americans knew not to confront the forces of the Columbia Bar and instead lived inland or launched their canoes far from the rivers mouth, mariners faced the Graveyard of the Pacific and often met their end at its wild outlet. Pearson said that some shipwrecks, like the always-visible Peter Iredale that wrecked in 1906 at Fort Stevens State Park, symbolize the worst that Mother Nature will do when things dont go as planned. This one ship, out of approximately three thousand shipwrecks on the Oregon Coast, has seized the imaginations of Oregonians. Some dug trenches or deep pits, and others used hydraulic hoses in their search for treasure. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Boston, Mass. Southern Oregon In 1916 the T.J. Potter was condemned for passenger use, spending its last years as a barracks boat for construction crews until 1920, when it was burned, scrapped and abandoned in Youngs Bay. The details of the wreck on the Oregon Coast will never be precisely known, but it most likely took place in the winter season, between November 1693 and February 1694. Went ashore on north spit of Tillamook Bar. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; The wreck of the Santo Cristo, if it is ultimately determined to be the ship that wrecked on Nehalem Spit, remains an object of Oregonians fascination in the twenty-first century. The Barge // Monterey Bay, CaliforniaNot much is known about this barge which blew ashore on a remote beach in Monterey Bay, California, during a storm in 1983. However, abandoned due to the ship being waterlogged. The captain steered toward the rocky shore as fire engulfed the ship, and the steamer went onto the rocks just north of Depoe Bay. Found ran aground the next day. The ship slit in two pieces, killing one 19-year-old seaman and sparing the other 32 on board. Boiler Bay (then known as Briggs Landing) was named after the discarded boiler from the J. Marhoffer that washed ashore! The flow of fresh water from rivers into the Pacific Ocean can cause intense and unpredictable sea conditions. It is likely that the ship encountered several gales in the North Pacific and then storms closer to the Oregon Coast. Spanish authorities conducted an investigation of the disaster, and Captain del Bayo was cleared of responsibility for the mishap. WebAmerican oral traditions of shipwrecks in Tillamook County, increasingly focusing the stories on buried treasure. Wreck of the Great Republic on Sand Island, Columbia River, 1879. Two fuel tanks leaked about 70,000 gallons of oil into the water, making it one of the worst environmental disasters in Oregon history. Legend has it that Florence takes its name from a shipwreck; as the story goes, the moniker stuck when the nameplate from the Florence, an 1875 offshore wreck, was found and nailed up over the post office. Upon reaching shore, he found part of his boot missing, though he himself was not injured. Struck the revetment on the eastern shore of Coon Island. Soc. His relationships with state and local officials were prickly, however, and the state refused to grant him a permit. Milwaukee was overhauled in 1916 to prepare her for extended future service. Rent a fire lookout: Have you ever wanted to live like a forest fire lookout? You can see the boiler from the J. Marhoffer at low tide in Boiler Bay! Shipwreck The owners of the barge unsuccessfully tried to remove it, but since it didnt contain any fuel and wasnt considered an environmental hazard, it was left to rust. Easily one of the most notable haunting shipwrecks of the Oregon Coast is the Peter Iredale. Soc. With over 2,000 tons of coal loaded onto the Emily Reed, the ship nearly broke apart when it hit the shore! WebIt was abandoned on Clatsop Spit near Fort Stevens in Warrenton about four miles (6 km) south of the Columbia River channel. Research Lib., photo file 267. The Potter has extremely deteriorated over the years and all that remains are parts of the ribs as well as the keel. The captain of the Santo Cristo was Don Bernardo Iiguez del Bayo y de Pradilla, a Basque nobleman from Tudela, Spain, who was baptized in December 1646. Were Berty and Emily Mandagie, husband and wife travelers, photographers, and journalists! Visitors to Horsfall Beach in North Bend may be able to see the iron skeleton of the Sujameco, a 324-foot steamship that ran aground in 1929. WebNPS Remains of Shipwrecks That Are Sometimes Visible Though the vast majority of area wrecks have broken up and are lost to the sea forever, divers have access to a variety of sunken vessels offshore. #wreckedwednesday #ussmilwaukee #c21 #stlouisclass #milwaukee #cruiser #usn #usnavy #warship #navalwarfare #navalhistory #shipwreck #abandoned #wreck #hazegrey, A post shared by Battleships and Navy History (@haze_grey_history) on Sep 28, 2016 at 8:27pm PDT. WebApproximately three thousand ships have met their fate in Oregon waters. This half was beached before being towed off and sunk by Navy. Travel Oregon's Scenic Bikeways: Take a ride down Oregon's 15 scenic bikeways, with routes for beginners and spandex-clad experts alike. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; It seems likely that the shipwreck left many survivors who lived next to the Nehalem-Tillamook and may have been dependent on them until misunderstandings and tensions caused them to kill the castaways. He left the engine room under the watch of the first assistant engineer, who that day was laboring over a blow torch that refused to light. Formerly known as the Hattie Hansen, Sechelt the Steamboat operated along a route between Lake Washington, the Puget Sound (or Salish Sea), and the Strait of Georgia until its sinking near Race Rocks Lighthouse. The pier is marked by rotting pylons but the majority of it has collapsed or been removed. If any of the information on the website is incorrect, This website (oregondiscovery.com) may be compensated for linking to other sites or for sales of products we link to. Piledriver on the end of the jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River, c.1910. They brought with them Some Small fish, Bees Wax &ca to trade with us. A few years later, in 1813-1814, fur trader and explorer Alexander Henry also mentioned trading beeswax with Clatsop peoples where the Spanish ship was cast away some years ago. Over the decades, there was much speculation among coastal residents about the occasionally visible wreck. See artifacts at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. In thick weather in February 13, 1913, the ship ran hard onto the Nehalem Spit. Destroyed by forest fire prior to launch. Coastal currents flow northward on the Oregon Coast in winter due to the Aleutian low-pressure systems, so it is likely that the galleon would not have been able to correct course once it got too close to the coast. - Oregon Historical Quarterly", "Shipwreck emerges from sand near Coos Bay", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_shipwrecks_of_Oregon&oldid=1093830659, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. "Long-sought Spanish Wreckage Found by Fisherman," Chinook Observer, June 22, 2022. 7. Research Lib., bc001484, Courtesy Oregon Hist. Mary D. Hume. 7 INCREDIBLE SHIPWRECKS OFF THE UNITED STATES COAST THAT ARE VISIBLE FROM LAND: 1. Silas B. Smith, grandson on his mothers side of Clatsop chief Coboway and son of pioneer Solomon Smith, wrote the longest account of the Beeswax wreck, as it was called. Remains of the Emily Reed are occasionally seen after storms in the sand off the coast of Oregon. The schooner Bella lurks under the shallow waters of the Siuslaw River in Florence. Remaining half has since been scrapped. Just a quick note: All the images used are either our own, or public domain! We promise not to mention sasquatch. Prez-Mallana, Pablo. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. But with the sun glaring down over the ridge above the bay, it was all but impossible to get a good look. Without a doubt the most iconic shipwreck on the Oregon coast, the wreck of the Peter Iredale is found 2. Caught fire off Newport, and drifted north, eventually grounding at what is now, Had a history of wrecks prior to final loss at Reedsport. Walking on slippery strands of kelp, slipping on pads of sea moss and avoiding big tide pools filled with urchins and anemone, I carefully made my way into the bay, where on the other side of a long rock jutting out toward the ocean, I saw it. Soc. The only witnesses to the wreck suffered many later shocks from epidemics, conflicts with EuroAmerican settlers, violence, and forced removals. Proceedings of First Conference on Coastal Engineering, Long Beach, California, October, 1950. Visitors can see items from the wreck in regional museums: a small silver holy oil jar, an exquisite arrowhead of Chinese porcelain crafted by Nehalem-Tillamook artisans, and a block of beeswax are on permanent display at the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum. Sister ship, the Argo #2, a river steamer, went down at Dixon Entrance in Alaska. It wound up working as a tugboat for 60 years before retiring in the Gold Beach harbor. Cascade Mountains A sign at the trailhead issues warnings about collecting sea life, but makes no prohibition on public access. Unfortunately, the flood of 1993, ripped her from her mooring and grounded her a mile downstream. Problems inside a ship have led to disaster. Efforts to reduce the number of shipwrecks on the Oregon Coast include documenting hazards and changing the environment. Vazlav Vorovsky, Cape Disappointment, 1941. Oregon Shipwrecks Kohler // Rodanthe, North CarolinaThis beautiful four-masted schooner from Baltimore was pushed ashore by a hurricane in 1933. The Manila-Acapulco Galleons: The Treasure Ships of the Pacific. SS Iowa sent out a distress signal to the U.S. Coast Guard, but when they arrived for rescue, they had lost contact with the ship. Strong ebb currents pushing against the opposing forces of the ocean can build enormous swells in a very short time, threatening to overcome unprepared ships crossing the river bars. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Courtesy Oregon Hist. The grounding of USS H-3 on 14 December changed this, and Milwaukee was sent to H-3's aid on 5 January 1917. Soc. 7 INCREDIBLE SHIPWRECKS OFF THE UNITED STATES COAST THAT ARE VISIBLE FROM LAND: 1. After staring out at the bay for over a year, imagining the boiler submerged beneath the waves, I was determined to go out there and find it for myself. The hurricane-force winds reach up to 73 miles per hour, forcing the ship into dangerous territory on its voyage. It was grounded on January 13, 1917, while aiding a grounded submarine. Sechelt the Steamboat sunk 80 yards into the depths of the Pacific Ocean southwest of South Bedford Island! Courtesy Oregon Hist. Indeed, the Oregon Coast is known for its angry waters, and the exhibit takes a closer look at a few of the nearly 3,000 wrecks off its shores. Captain del Bayo left some thirty members of the crew in port, all of whom were essential on a Manila galleon. Eight days later, against the advice of the USCG, USS Milwaukee attempted to tow H-3 off the beach with the assistance of two stabilizing tugs; the current proved too strong and she herself became beached at Samoa Beach on 17 January. The ship drifted into the surf and grounded on what is now Fort Stevens State Park, and the steamer Queen of the Pacific rescued the Cairnsmores crew. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Back on the bluffs, now aware where to look, I could see the rusty boiler poking out from the rocks. In 1910, after catching fire off the coast of Newport in Depot Bay, parts of the J. Marhoffer eventually grounded at what is now known as Boiler Bay. Thousands of ships have smashed into the Oregon Coast over the last several hundred years. The boiler is still visible today, but only when the tide is extraordinarily low. This map was created by a user. Visit only if you dare, these haunting shipwrecks of the Oregon Coast. Shipwrecks map. https://www.instagram.com/p/BQBb0BDjC8O/?tagged=pointreyesshipwreck. Jetties decreased the number of ships wrecked while crossing the bar, but with rough weather and rocky coastline Oregon remains a dangerous place for ships. Enter your email address below to subscribe. However, the National Park Service is warning visitors about the ship. The remains of the boiler are still visible today when the tide is extremely low. Once EuroAmerican settlers built communities on the north coast, the cultural transmission of the tradition began to take on new facets. Most shipwrecks were either buried deep under the ocean floor or discarded soon after wrecking, but there are several that remain as a ghostly shell along Oregons coastline. The Spanish ship, the Santo Cristo de Burgos, is the earliest known shipwrecks along the coast of Oregon! YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. WebOne of the most well-known and easily accessible Oregon Coast shipwrecks is the Peter Iredale, which is still visible in Fort Stevens State Park in Astoria, Oregon! The ship ran ashore on Clatsop Spit, south of the Columbia River channel on October 25, 1906. The Oregon History Wayfinder is an interactive map that identifies significant places, people, and events in Oregon history. The schooner quickly became engulfed in an inferno, and was now hurtling out of control. Soc. Frankowicz, Katie. In June 2022, timbers located in a cove just north of Neahkahnie Mountain were removed to the Museum for further testing. Research Library, OrHi91013. National Park Service The passengers and much of the cargo were saved, but eleven members of the crew were drowned when the last lifeboat sank. The U.S.S. Refloated. The Peter Iredale was a four-masted barque sailing vessel that ran ashore in 1906 as it journeyed to the Columbia River (no surprise thereGraveyard of the Pacific, right?! Though treasure-hunting is no longer allowed on state lands, archaeologists are continuing the search for the galleons remains. Wrecked on sand spit near Tillamook Bar. From 1967 to 1999, the period when Oregons Treasure Trove law required a permit for treasure-seeking on state-owned lands, 93 percent of the applications focused on the Neahkahnie area. During WWII much of the hull was scrapped for iron. Courtesy Oregon Hist. The Galleons Final Journey: Accounts of Ship, Crew and Passengers in the Colonial Archives. Special Issue, Oregon Historical Quarterly119:2 (Summer 2018). Strong winds, heavy fog, and turbulent waters caused the Lupatia to crash into Tillamook Rock (near the incredible Crescent Beach) where construction workers were working on a lighthouse! Keeper waves from the walkway.. Formerly a Confederate blockade runner named the. Early Tillamook County settler Warren Vaughn recorded Nehalem-Tillamook oral traditions from the 1850s of the wreck on Nehalem Beach. The ships port screw snapped off and forced it onto a sandbar at the entrance to Tillamook Bay. WebThe Oregon Coast saw action on the night of June 21, 1942 from Japanese submarine I-25 during World War II when several shells were fired at Fort Stevens. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. La Follette, Cameron, and Douglas Deur. Shipwreck amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "actilivi0d5-20"; I appreciate your feedback very much. Lost in the fog and weighed down by 2,100 tons of coal, the ship broke instantly upon impact, claiming the lives of eight crewmen. Initial tests indicated they dated from the time period of the Santo Cristo de Burgos. Soc. La Follette, Cameron, and Douglas Deur. Peacock, a naval sloop of war, grounded on the north shore in 1841 near Cape Disappointment, where heavy seas broke up the ship. Tillamook Rock Lighthouse still stands proud on the jagged sea stack and can be seen from the cliffs of the Oregon Coast Trail in Ecola State Park! It was strange how peaceful it looked there now, resting where catastrophe had flung it more than a century ago. WebVisible Shipwreck Collection V 1.2.kmz. USS Inaugural wrecked on the Mississippi River just south of the MacArthur Bridge #ussinaugural, A post shared by theroyale (@theroyale) on Oct 25, 2015 at 1:06pm PDT. Research Lib., Brubaker Aerials, 11711, photo file 267. La Follette, Cameron, and Douglas Deur. The crew included more than thirty artillerymen, who commonly traveled on Manila galleons in case of attack at sea. Located near the Fort Stevens State Park, the Peter Iredale, which ran aground in 1906, remains exposed with only the steel hull still showing. Loaded with 2,100 tons of coal, the ship ran ashore and broke apart. Some argue the sinking of the SS Valencia was the worst maritime disaster in the Graveyard of the Pacific as the vessel struck a reef and was violently driven into the rocks by the waves. The American steamer Great Republic, the largest passenger ship on the Pacific Coast at the time, turned late and grounded near Sand Island at the mouth of the Columbia in April 1879. Need a good reason? Though much of the ship was scrapped, large pieces of wreckage are still visible on the beach today. Its hull was left and later scrapped for metal during WWII, so only fragments of the ship remain at Horsfall Beach. But the shipand its valuable cargonever reached its destination. shipwreck Research Lib., bc001670. All hands were saved, but the wreck remains buried on the beach or under the surf. The New Carissa may be Oregons most infamous modern-era shipwreck. Starting with a global perspective, the exhibition shows how we find, explore and conserve shipwrecks. The Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria has in its collections beeswax and a rigging pulley from the wreck found at the end of the nineteenth century. Ran aground at Horsfall Beach in heavy fog missing Coos Bay entrance by a few miles. Soc. The schooner reached the central coast in the afternoon, when the chief engineer, off duty, fell asleep in his cabin. Eight of the seventeen crew and passengers died. #Salinas #SalinasRiver #SalinasRiverNationalWildlifeRefugr #MontereyBay #LonelyBeach #RustyBoat #Shipwreck #RustyBarge, A post shared by ciderdemon (@octobersshorty) on Aug 25, 2016 at 2:13pm PDT. Lost while attempting to aid the crew of a barge caught on the Yaquina Bar. USS Milwaukee // Samoa Beach, California The USS Milwaukee was once a St. Louis-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy. To learn more about what wrecks can teach us, head to Secrets of Shipwrecks at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport and spend an afternoon playing Indiana Jones. The rocky shores of beaches in Oregon unpredictable Washington beaches, and the remoteness of Canadian western waters have made this an ominous place for seafaring adventures. Sailed into the rocks at the base of Neahkahnie Mountain, on a clear day. Tremendous seas broke the ship into pieces, and some of its carronades drifted south along the coast. Other causes of shipwrecks include mechanical failure and rough coastal weather on unforgiving rocky shores. Soc. The 639-foot freighter ran aground on its way to Coos Bay Harbor in 1999. The causes of some early shipwrecks remain unknown, including that of a Spanish Galleon which spilled its cargo along the Nehalem Spit, c. 1693-1705.