Historic cement ship deteriorating from El Nio storms

The future of the Cement Ship at Seacliff State Beach is unstable after a winter of heavy surf and storms has caused damage to the already crumbling Central Coast landmark.

“It’s been coming apart for 90 years, ever since it has been here,” said Vicky Nawa, a docent at the Seacliff State Beach Visitor Center. “Little by little it became more unsafe as the surf took its toll on it.”

Recently, locals have been finding chunks of the famous ship washed up on the beach. But it is still hard to tell how much longer the ship will last.

“It depends on the winter storms,” said Nawa, “It survived for 90 years, maybe it will be here for another 90 or more.”

Nicknamed the “Cement Ship,” the SS Palo Alto ended up at Seacliff State Beach in the late 1920s, years after it was designed as a World War I tanker.

The ship certainly does have a lot of history. When it first got to the Central Coast, it was an amusement ship, complete with a dance floor and a fine dining area.

The state later bought the ship for $1. On Thursday, it was closed off to the public.

“I remember when it was all in one piece,” said Ted Hoff, an Aptos resident, “and the pier was open, but now we are almost sitting here waiting for it to sink.”

Hoff says he misses the days when the ship was in all one piece, but he also understands and appreciates mother-nature.

“Half the fun and the excitement is coming down here and seeing it change,” said Hoff.

Another resident, Veronica Joyce-Gallart, says she has fond memories of the first time she saw the ship in 1972. She wishes more had been done to take care of it.

“I think since the state bought it for about a buck they could fork out some dough and restore it,” said Joyce-Gallart.

But, “restoration” is not what is in store for the old ship. According to State Park Officials, the plan is to let it fall apart on its own and turn into a man-made reef