ELWHA (I)

CLASS: Wood Electric

BUILT: 1927 by General Engineering & Drydock Co., Alameda, CA.

PREVIOUS/LATER NAMES: a. Golden Shore, b. Elwha, c. Silver Strand

OFFICIAL NUMBER: 226767 CALL SIGN: WK4146

L/B/D: 227 x 44 x 16 GROSS/NET TONS: 779/479 PASSENGERS/AUTOS: 500/55 cars

NAME TRANSLATION: Elk

FINAL DISPOSITION: Wrecked on Los Angeles breakwater, 30 November 1970.

HISTORY

While the Silver Strand ended her days in San Diego, she had extensive history with two other companies hundreds of miles apart before she went to work for the San Diego-Coronado Ferry Company.

Originally built for the Golden Gate Ferry Company as the Golden Shore, she served the San Francisco Bay area from the time of her construction in 1927 until the Bay bridges put her out of work.  She was sold in 1937 to the Puget Sound Navigation Company and brought to Puget Sound where she was renamed Elwha and placed on the Seattle-Winslow route.

By 1944 Captain Alexander Peabody, owner of PSN Co., felt he had enough vessels in the fleet   to sell the Elwha to the San Diego-Coronado Ferry Company when they went searching for a vessel to expand service.

The Silver Strand sailed until 1969. After being sold, she was towed up to Los Angeles to be converted into a diving platform but ended up being driven onto Los Angeles breakwater on 30 November, 1970.   For a number of years until the mid 1970’s the hulk of the vessel lay partially submerged on the breakwater, being picked apart.  Finally, she was broken up and all but forgotten about.