Balboa
Cargo Ship · Lost November 1932 hurricane · Cuba & the Greater Antilles
A lumber-laden cargo ship sunk by a hurricane in George Town harbor in 1932 and later dynamited to keep the port clear.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Balboa was a 375-foot cargo vessel carrying lumber when a hurricane sank her in George Town's main harbor in November 1932. Because her wreck obstructed the busy port, it was later blown apart with explosives to allow larger ships to pass over the site. The scattered remains today lie within the working harbor and require Port Security permission to dive.
Vessel
- Not established
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- Steel
- 375 ft
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- Steam or diesel, single screw
- Not established
Loss
- November 1932 hurricane
- Storm
- George Town harbor, Grand Cayman
- Caribbean Sea
- Not established
- Lumber
- Not established
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The Wreck Today
- 25 ft
- Shattered and scattered; hull remains broken apart following post-sinking demolition
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Position
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- Position not established
- George Town, Grand Cayman
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (55/100)
Builder, owner, and exact tonnage are not established in the sources reviewed.
Sinking date, cargo, dimensions, and post-sinking demolition.
General Cayman wreck history context.
