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Star of Scotland Shipwreck
 Santa Monica, CA
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Max Depth: 71-80ft/22-24m
Average Viz: 5-10ft/2-3m
Entry Type: Boat
Bottom Composition: Sand
Aquatic Life: Big Animals
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Rating: 4.25 by 4 divers
Spring: 56-60°F/13-16°C
Summer: 56-60°F/13-16°C
Fall: 50-55°F/10-13°C
Winter: 50-55°F/10-13°C
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Star of Scotland Shipwreck is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in Santa Monica, CA. This dive site has an average rating of 4.25 out of 5 from 4 scuba divers. The maximum depth is 71-80ft/22-24m. The average visibility is 5-10ft/2-3m.
Launched in March 1887 as four-masted steel ship
Kenilworth for the Waverley Line (Williamson & Milligam), Liverpool. On 26 Aug, 1889, she was damaged by a fire at Port Costa, San Franciso and was declared a constructional loss. 1889 the wreck was sold to A. Sewall & Co, New York and repaired at the Union Iron Works. 1908 the barque was sold to Alaska Packers´ Association, San Francisco and renamed
Star of Scotland. Taken over by the US Shipping Board in 1917, used between California and Hawaii during the war and thereafter returned to the owner. 1930 the vessel was sold to Arnold Pearce & Lew Lockhart, Los Angeles and used as a fishing barge. 1938 sold to A.C. Stralla, renamed
Rex and used as a gambling ship off Santa Monica, California. 1941 the ship was bought by Frank A. Hellenthal, Santa Monica, re-rigged as a six-masted schooner and upon completion in 1942 renamed
Star of Scotland.
Originally the Star of Scotland was a 262-foot-long steamer cargo ship built in 1887. In the 1920s it was converted to a gambling ship. After leaving port and canchoring 3 miles or more off the coast (outside the states jurisdiction), these ships could legally proceed with the gambling. The era of the gambling ships came to a close in 1931 by the passage of new, more restrictive laws. The Star of Scotland was retired as a luxury gambling ship and converted to a fishing barge, anchored off the coast and its fisherman ferried back and forth to its decks. It sank in 1942.
GPS : 33 D 59’ 52”N x 118 D 31’ 27”W
Located 3.4 nautical miles from marina del rey.
Story of attack by U Boat:
At 09.05 hours on 13 Nov, 1942,
U-159 began shelling the unescorted and unarmed
Star of Scotland (Master Constantin Flink) from two miles abaft the port beam about 900 miles west of LüderitzBay, Southwest Africa. The first shot went over the ship, the second fell short and the third hit the vessel and started a fire. The sails were struck immediately and the crew began to abandon ship in a lifeboat while the U-boat continued shelling the ship for 50 minutes with about 30 shells. The master remained behind to save the papers, a sextant, a chronometer and binoculars and then abandoned ship in a second boat.
The chief mate fell overboard when launching the first boat and the U-boat assisted in searching him by towing a lifeboat around the area for two hours but he apparently drowned. While the survivors in the first boat were questioned, two men in a rubber boat from the U-boat boarded the burning ship for provisions (cigarettes, fruit, orange juice and soap) and also took clothing, accounts and instruments from the boat of the master, who was first taken prisoner but was allowed to return to his men after he explained that he was the only one able to navigate. The master was asked to promise he would not command another ship sailing against Germany and the survivors were given four cans with black bread and cigarettes.
The ship settled on even keel and sank by the bow at 15.40 hours, after the U-boat had again fired some shells into the ship. The survivors set sail for Angola in one lifeboat and made landfall at Santa Maria Lighthouse on 1 December, having made a voyage of 1040 miles.
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Location: Off Santa Monica
Depth: 75’
Visibility: 5’-20’ ft (very silty bottom)
YouTube;
youtube.com/watch?v=DaI-gW-GjWEThe Star of Scotland in 1931
