The Cement Ship was a fixture of my youth. In the early 60’s I would make the walk from the Rio Del Mar beach to the boat, buy a quarter pound of shrimp from the bait shop and fish for surfperch and flounders.
The 434-foot ship was commissioned as the Steamship Palo Alto in 1919. WW I was at its height and steel was in short supply so the experimental hull was made of concrete. However, the war ended just before the ship was commissioned and the it was never was deployed. Ultimately it was sold to the Seacliff Amusement Corporation and towed to Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, CA. A 500-foot pier was built to connect the ship to beach tourists. For the next couple of years it hosted some of the biggest dance bands in the world. Like Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. But the depression was settling in and the boat was shuttered after just two years. Ultimately the the State of California took over ownership of the ship and it has since been enjoyed by generations of beach visitors. The ship broke in half and 1932. Then the winter storm of 2017 flipped the shore-side half of the ship and changed the character of the ship forever. Mother Nature remains undefeated.
The Cement Ship remains a daily destination for most visitors of The Cabin. It is a leisurely 10-minute walk from the brick wall at the Rio Del Mar beach prominade. Enjoy.
The Cement Ship 1930