No plans to adjust or remove historic cement ship

State parks officials do not plan to remove or adjust the now overturned cement ship off Seacliff State Beach in Aptos. Nine days after the stern of the S.S. Palo Alto turned on its side, many people are still getting out to grab a look.

“Tears when I first saw it. It’s just been here forever,” said Kathie Gaylord, who’s been coming to enjoy the historic landmark for the past 70 years.

The changes to the cement ship may be a bit upsetting to some, but Kathie and her husband are trying to find the silver lining.

“It’s different and it’s nature and it’s what happens with things,” said Jeff Gaylord, “I hope that they just leave it and let it do it’s thing.”

And that’s just what state parks officials plan to do, leave it alone. Ever since the ship was anchored in place back in the 1930s, there have never been any plans to adjust it. The ship has become part of a coastline that’s forever changing.

“People don’t realize how much the coastline changes every time we have a storm and now they’re really seeing it,” said State Park Interpreter Christina Cecchettini, “but that’s happening up and down the coast all the time.”

Cecchettini says the cement ship won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. She expects it to be out there for decades more and that gives locals a sense of pride.

“Well it just goes to show you that it’s still pretty resilient,” said Don Fulkerson, “That old cement boat out there, it’s still going.”