AH-WR-0895

Blue Magpie

Cargo Ship · Panama · Lost 1983 · The Columbia River Bar & Oregon Coast

A Panamanian freighter ignored Coast Guard warnings and grounded on Newport's north jetty in 1983, breaking apart and causing one of Oregon's worst oil spills.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Documented Likeness. Drawn from surviving builder's plans or clear photographs of this vessel. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Blue Magpie was a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship built in Japan in 1982. On November 19, 1983, arriving empty at Yaquina Bay to load lumber, her captain proceeded into the bay despite Coast Guard warnings about rough seas and struck the north jetty rocks. All 19 crew were airlifted to safety, but the ship broke apart over the following days, spilling tens of thousands of gallons of bunker and diesel fuel in one of Oregon's worst oil spills. Wreckage remains on the jetty.

Vessel

Built: 1982
Registry: IMO 8217673
Builder: Shin Kurushima Dockyard
Yard: Hiroshima, Japan
Material: Steel
Length: 361 ft
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: 3801
Propulsion: Diesel, single screw
Owners: Jinyu Shipping Company

Loss

Date: November 19, 1983
Cause: Grounding
Location: North jetty, Yaquina Bay, Newport, Oregon
Water: Pacific Ocean / Yaquina Bay entrance
Voyage: Yaquina Bay, Newport, Oregon, to load lumber
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 19
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Broke into three pieces on the jetty rocks; remains were left in place as salvage was not pursued.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established