SS American Star
Monday, 8th August 2005 by James Turnbull
In 1994 the SS American Star was being towed to Thailand to become a floating hotel. Disaster struck while passing the Canary island of Fuerteventura and a strong storm beached the ship and broke her in two. Today you can still see the bow of the ship sitting on the beach and rusting away.
Make sure to visit these amazing ground level photos of the ship.
Thanks: Jonathan Hoppe, Stephen Arms, Ryan Roemmich, Fai Sheng, Quebrantahuesos
That’s super cool. I went to a shipwreck when I was in Fuerteventura a few years ago, but weirdly, this isn’t it! Anyone know where I was? 😀
Here’s a picture of the SS America Star before the stern went missing…
That is incredible.
I have been googleing around now for awhile finding more pictures. I can’t find out exactly what they did with the second half.
Apparently its not that difficult to visit, but it is a far drive on a windy dirt road. Makes me want to go check it out in person!
The second half is underwater, as stated in this page. It’s the dark area seen on Google Maps behind the main bow.
Does anyone know what this huge wave looking thing is.. is it a wave?? a LONG wave?
View Placemark
my guess caffeinejunkie, is that it’s either the wake of a fast moving boat, or the jetstream of an airplane.
Kelmer,
Considering the water depth at the wreck site, I think its highly unlikely that the stern is underwater there. Given that there are other photos around the web of this wreck in a different spot, still drifting, with its stern, I am guessing it sunk at some other random point. Then the bow floated closer to shore and is lodged there. At least thats my guess. I know ss-australis.com has a lot of info about this wreck, but I just can’t see a ship this big with a completely stern when the front half of the ship is completely above water.
I would concur, I believe the dark patch is just the shadow from the bow section.
its either s.s. american star OR s.s. america but NOT s.s. america star 😉
the stern definatley is the “shadow” you can see there.
the stern broke and tilted to port-side (left) in the following two years. wave and tide totally wrecked it down and now you can only see the rest of the stern when there is a very deep low-tide.
my best mate is watching the s.s. american star for over 10 years, he is 100% sure about that 🙂
I have been there in person and know a great deal about the ship before and after it was wrecked. The stern did indeed snap off and roll into the sea. This didn’t happen to the bow because it is stuck on a sandbar.
Do a quick google search and you soon find pics of the wreck after it had ‘snapped’ but before the stern rolled over. You’ll also find directions to the wreck – i recommend you do so if you’re going to Fuerta’, it’s a stunning thing to behold in person!!
The bay at Playa Garcey is half reletively flat volcanic rock bed and half shifting sand rip.
The flat bed of rock is to the north of the bay and the sand rip is to the south.
In the centre of the bay at the very southern tip of the rock bed is a peak of rock rising about four feet above the remainder of the rock bed.
This peak is the obtrusion which broke the back of the ship within days of her running aground.
The stern of the ship simultaneously rolled and slipped back on the sand rip eventually breaking up and sinking into the sand about three hundred metres further out than the remaining bow section.
The rock underneath the the bow section, although reletively flat, has thousands of tiny anchor points which form the ideal surface for holding the section in the position in which it has remained for the past fifteen years or so.
A tropical storm in November 2005 destroyed some more of the port side of the remaining structure, which has now lost the rest of it’s former sundeck and the funnel is also no longer attached.
The ship now lies at a 30 degree tilt and is in a much more warped state than it ever was.
I can’t see it lasting another winter, but my latest pictures suggest the bedrock has a real bite on the hull which and that there will be at least some part of the wreck visible for a long time to come, even if the remainder of the superstructure disappears tomorrow.
We have a page devoted to this wreck.
The history, location and current photos – makes interesting reading. http://www.fuerteventura.com/American_Star/index.shtml
This site has pages with recent photos as well as instructions about how to get to the wreck in several languages.
http://www.sunnyfuerteventura.com/american-star/index.html
Some recent pictures here – http://www.phooto.co.uk/galleries/20060628_americanstar.
“Norrin–” do you have any of those photos at a higher res.? They are absolutely amazing and I would love to see them in detail.
I have been intrigued by the AS since my first visit to Fuerteventura in 1998. I have been 3 times since.
From photos that appeared on a German language site Explore Magazine, you can see the wreck from the south. The stern of the ship can clearly be seen under the water in roughly the same position that it grounded! Here is a link.
http://www.explorermagazin.de/amstar/amheck.htm
Cheers
Alex,
Other wrecks at Fuerteventura are
http://www.explorermagazin.de/fuer04/fu0402.htm
Cheers
we went to fuerteventura for new year and visited the ss american star, after a bumpy ride along the dirt track (glad it wasn’t our car) it was well worth the trek to see the remains of the ship, it was sad to see the ship broken and rusting away but would recommend anyone visiting fuerteventura to make the effort to see this wonderful sight.
Its kind of sad that this ship was left adrifed until she was washed ashore, she lived a Glorious life , used in many ways and travled many miles through the Atlantic. Now she is cursed to feel the rath of the mighty Posidon, through the waves that batter her until she is no more.
If the liner was “beached”, how come it’s anchor is down on the right hand side facing the bow…?
Do you have any new May pictures of it..?
Anchor down? Hm, I have never seen that in any pictures. Does anyone know how shallow the water is surrounding the wreck? Any new pictures of its most current state? (2007)?
Wow! I traveled to South Hampton, England on this ship in November, 1962! Our room must have been pretty close to where the ship ripped apart! We were close tothe elevators………..Bill
I sailed on this beautiful ship with my family in January 1956; my Army officer father was returning from a tour of duty in Germany. That trip, which took about a week, is one of my most treasured memories of my entire life. The ship was in her prime; she was stunningly beautiful, and every effort was made to coddle the passengers in the utmost of luxury. I was horrified when I first learned of her fate, and have had nightmares about her ghostly appearance at present. On the other hand, she had been in storage and allowed to deteriorate for many years prior to the fateful last voyage, and who knows what fate awaited her in Thailand? I prefer to believe that she decided on her own to break free and live out her final years resting on the beach. I am so grateful to have had the classic luxury liner experience–now a thing of the past. I keep checking the various websites for the latest pictures, and will breathe a sigh of relief when she finally slips entirely under the water.
It amazes how the tide, waves and current can slowly destroy a 40,000 ton machine over time. My guess is that it was in 15 – 20 feet of water. Deep enough to be very dangerous to swim to. One site said 30 people died trying. It was a great tourist attraction. I am very surprized no one built a cofferdamn around it. It would have been the PERFECT backdrop for a James Bond film. Too late now. Oh yes- this wreck interests me because I build ocean liners out of toothpicks. Go to http://www.WayneKusy.com or http://www.YouTube.com and use WAYNE KUSY for your search words.
The wreck has since collapsed in on itself, in May 07 all that was standing was the portside bow and in July 07 that finally let go as well.
we have just flown back from fuerte and we went to see the American star. Unfortunately there is not a lot left now and when it s really blowy you can hardly see any of it, as soon as i have transfered the photo’s to my com then i will post them but there is not a lot to see. i suggest if you want to see any of his amazing boat that was left to break up then go now because it will not be there in 6 weeks time.
just returned from fuerte and went to see AS still a small section visable, and still worth a visit
I am with Lorna. I sailed on this beautiful ship from LaHavre, France to New York in 1961 as an immigrant from Holland. I met my first love then. I too cannot look at the “after (ghostly) pictures”. And, I too, am feel sooo blessed having experienced what many cannot even phathom. They think a voyage is the same as a cruise.
I’d like to add: Can anyone direct me, or, furnish me with a photo or print or painting of the SS America as the America? I’d sure like to have picture on my wall. The bigger, the better. Thanks anyone.
I have a painting of the s.s.america it is 23 1/2″x32″ with frame i have had it for over 40 years i had it appraised for $500.00 now he keeps calling me to sell it to him how do i find out what it is really worth. This is real paint not a print.
I think that i may have the same painting? It has a sort of whitewash oak frame. I bought it at auction20 years ago. I did have a dealer offer me 300.00 for it last year. When i bought it he said that it had hung in an old travel agency. I have no idea of it,s exact worth.
I have never seen a shipwreck look this bad before.