Diving on an old anchor

[Pacificcoast101]

We made a dive yesterday in the Santa Monica Bay on an old Navy stockless anchor. I've dived on lost anchors before but never with so much marine life attached to it.
There is a rockpile three hundred feet east of the anchor and a friend told me he knows of an anchor that is east of the rockpile. It's possible that the anchor could have come from the Star of Scotland, which sank 2,000 feet north of the anchor in 1942. There is no ground tackle on the wreck and no chain on the anchor. The rockpile near the anchor is the only one within a mile.

[thataway]

Interesting photos:

Here is a dive Which I believe that Phil videoed on the Star of Scotland a few years back.

I would think that any anchor holding the "star" would have been buried on the bottom as it would have been holding her at the time of her sinking.

Although the anchor appears to be "stockless" many of the large earlier anchors had a wooden stock--which of course didn't survive. It would be most interesting to see the real outline and what iron metal is left. Hopefully that will never happen, and it will always remain a mystery of the sea.

This anchorage was the primary place where ships anchored when they came South from San Francisco to bring cargo and passengers to Los Angeles in the 1800's. My great grandfather's diary documents his disembarking at the Santa Monica Pier in 1869 for the first time--and using this point several other times that he took the ships to San Francisco, rather than going on the stage coach. Rail service to San Francisco was not established until 1876.

Although most of the gambling ships were shut down in 1939, One of the crime bosses briefly operated the "Lux" off Long Beach in 1946. I do remember her. I was too young to remember the "Rex" which was anchored off Santa Monica in 1939.

As always, Thanks for the fantastic photos!

[Pacificcoast101]

There is no ground tackle on the Star, so I think divers trying to retrieve the chain and anchors may have raised it off the bottom before losing it, which would explain it sitting upright in the sand. Of course it could be from any ship that lost and anchor there.

[hardee]

Cool pix. Great talent. Enjoyed and Thanks.

Harvey
SleepyC