Raising the S.S. Catalina Association
The Raising of the S.S. Catalina Association, is a not-for-profit corporation, established to return the S.S. Catalina to California, in order to restore and preserve her as the last ship of her kind on the West Coast. To achieve these goals we offer public presentations as educational programs of her great history.
History
The S.S. Catalina is a unique ship, the only one of her kind on the West Coast. Commissioned by William Wrigley, Jr., she was the last in a line of steamships that served Santa Catalina Island since the 1860’s. She was built at the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in San Pedro, California, at a cost of over one million dollars. On December 26, 1923, her keel was laid in a ceremony hosted by William Wrigley, Jr., and officials of both the Santa Catalina Island Company and the Wilmington Steamship Company. She was launched 17 weeks later on May 3, 1924. Marcia Patrick, the sister of the Wilmington Steamship Co. president, was given the honor of christening the new ship.
From 1924 to 1975, S.S. Catalina sailed daily during the summer months. Through the years, she carried over 20 million passengers in comfort and safety, more than any other ship in history. These passengers enjoyed the ships amenities, which included such features as a ballroom and a live band. During the heyday of the Big Bands, passengers on special evening cruises would dance all the way to Catalina Island. After dancing in the Avalon Casino Ballroom, they would continue to dance on the return trip aboard the S.S. Catalina, arriving back at the mainland at 2:30 in the morning.
During World War II, S.S. Catalina served with honor, transporting a total of 820,199 troops across San Francisco Bay and down river from Camp Stoneman, Pittsburgh CA to waiting troop ships in the San Francisco Port Of Embarkation for service in the Pacific war zones, this was more than any other military transport carried during the entire course of the war. Commissioned by the United States Army as USAT Catalina, FS 99 during her War service, she served from August 25, 1942 to April 15, 1946. She has now been recognized by Veterans and the United States Army as an honored War Veteran.
After the War, S.S. Catalina returned to passenger service along with her running mate, S.S. Avalon. The two ships became affectionately known as the “Great White Steamers.” S.S. Avalon was retired from service in 1975, and after three fires was converted into a salvage barge. The S.S. Avalon sunk during a storm in 1961.
S.S. Catalina was retired from service in 1975.
National Register of Historic Places & California State Historical Landmark
On September 1, 1976, the S.S. Catalina (The Great White Steamer) was bestowed the honor of being placed on the National Register of Historic Places, Reference No. 76000495. She is also registered as California State Historical Landmark No. 894, and as the City of Los Angeles Historical Cultural Monument No. 213.
Today
The Los Angeles Harbor Commission has expressed an interest in using the S.S. Catalina as a possible part of their waterfront restoration.
Retired from passenger service in 1975, and towed to Ensenada, Mexico in 1985, she began the first of several failed business ventures. Eventually after being abandoned, the S.S. Catalina settled to the bottom of the harbor, resting half-submerged in about 30 feet of water.
The Port of Ensenada finished their new World Cruise Port, and the S.S. Catalina has become a navigational hazard. A new marina is ready to begin on the very site where the S.S. Catalina now rests. In spite of these challenges, the State of Baja, City of Ensenada Port of Ensenada is working with us in order to save this important part of our mutual maritime heritage. However, if we are unable to raise the funding necessary to have the S.S. Catalina raised, bottom of the hull repaired and coated, and then towed to safety in California, the Mexican government will have no choice, but to destroy the ship.
There is talk of using the S.S. Catalina in an upcoming movie to portray the USAT Dorchester, in the motion picture “Sea of Glory,” a World War II historical drama based on the novel of the same name. Set aboard an East Coast coastal steamer of the same vintage as the S.S. Catalina. The true story chronicles the famous Four Chaplains, Army Clergymen of different faiths, who ultimately sacrificed their lives in order to save their fellow man. If that comes to pass, the funds will be used to restore the S.S. Catalina.
The Raising the S.S. Catalina Association, is about to embark on Phase One, which is to re-float the S.S. Catalina and safely moor her in Ensenada away from the area where the new marina is being constructed. As part of Phase Two, the S.S. Catalina will have its hull repaired in one of the two dry docks in Ensenada, where a coating system will be applied for hull preservation and anti-fouling in preparations for a tow to California.
The next few steps for the S.S. Catalina’s life will be known as the Four “R’s”… • Refloat her and make her safe from scrapping • Repair her hull to make her safe for towing • Return her to California • Restore her to her days of glory
A recently published report by Lt. Cmdr. (ret.) Richard McPherson, specialist in Salvaging and Diving and Chairman of the Raising the Catalina Association is as follows: “On January 22, 1924, the American Bureau of Shipping approved the design for Hull Number 42, which had been designed for William Wrigley, Jr. Hull Number 42, became the S.S. Catalina, built by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at a cost of about $1.0 million. Mr. Wrigley was the owner of Santa Catalina Island. Decades later, the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was purchased by Todd Shipyards.
The S.S. Catalina is 301 feet long, with a length between perpendiculars of 285 feet, and a beam of 52 feet. Her normally loaded draft is 16 feet. Her gross tonnage is 1,766 tons, with a net tonnage of 1,161 tons. The hull is riveted generally with 1-inch plate onto 128 frames. There is varying frame spacing, but generally either 24 inches or 27 inches between frames. She was built with six watertight bulkheads. The hull is in relatively good shape, except for small holes and a few larger openings; all of which will be sealed before dewatering commences. External corrosion protects the core metal from corrosion.
The S.S. Catalina’s main engines were built by Hoover-Owens & Rentschler, of Hamilton, Ohio. The main engine plate reads, “Main Engines 20 ˝” – 35” - 60” X 36” S.S. Catalina -1924”, indicating the cylinder diameters with 36”stroke of her triple expansion steam engines. Each engine produced around 2,000 horsepower driving propeller shafts up to 110 revolutions per minute. Steam for the main engines was generated by four Babcock & Wilcox boilers, placed in pairs, amidships located ahead of the main engines in a separate water tight compartment. Boiler design steam pressure was over 200 pounds per square in gauge (PSIG). The S.S. Catalina’s transit speed during sea trials was established at about 15.5 knots.
The S.S. Catalina was last dry-docked in a floating dry-dock during 1987, in Ensenada, Mexico. Thanks to the assistance from the Port Director and others in Ensenada, the S.S. Catalina is planned to enter the same dry-dock as soon as she is Re-floated.
In her partially submerged condition, the S.S. Catalina sits on the bottom of Ensenada Harbor. She is down by the bow, with approximately a 14 degree port list. If floating at her design draft of about 16 feet, the S.S. Catalina would displace around 400,000 gallons of Sea Water. Pumping at a rate of 5,000 gallons per minute, the S.S. Catalina will be floating, and will be ready to be moved into dry-dock in around 5 hours.
The greatest amount of time, will be in mobilizing the resources, and then sealing the hull and other opening before de-watering the hull. In order to accomplish these tasks, as soon as possible, qualified Diving & Salvage organizations have been asked to submit budget quotes, and dates for planning purposes when they would be prepared to complete the re-floating.
The S.S. Catalina is a historical vessel that is unique in design and history and the only one of its kind on the West Coast. The 1,766-ton ship was driven by steam triple expansion reciprocating power plants. She used oil, rather than coal as fuel and has a large sing funnel aft of her pilothouse and a distinctive rounded stern.
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