AH-WR-0837

Celia

Steam Schooner · United States · Lost 1906 · San Francisco & the Northern California Coast

A lumber-laden steam schooner run aground near Point Joe in 1906 after her captain mistook the foggy coastline for Monterey harbor.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Celia was carrying 160,000 feet of lumber from Santa Cruz to Monterey when fog closed in on the night of August 28, 1906. Captain Newman, thinking he was entering Monterey harbor, instead drove the schooner onto rocks near Point Joe. No lives were lost; the crew and passengers rowed safely to shore. Newman was later found guilty of negligence and had his master's license suspended.

Vessel

Built: 1884
Registry: Official number 126224
Builder: Matthew Turner
Yard: Benicia, California
Material: Wood
Length: 118 ft
Beam: 29 ft
Tonnage: 173
Propulsion: Steam schooner
Owners: Swayne & Hoyt

Loss

Date: August 28, 1906
Cause: Navigational error
Location: Point Joe, Del Monte Forest, Monterey County, California
Water: Pacific Ocean
Voyage: Santa Cruz, California → Monterey, California
Cargo: 160,000 feet of lumber
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 0
Master: Captain Newman

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Documented by Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary maritime heritage program

Position

Coordinates: 36.61° N 121.96° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Point Joe, Pebble Beach, California
Region: San Francisco & the Northern California Coast

General area only: coordinate of Point Joe from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, marking the named place of loss recorded for this vessel, not a surveyed wreck position.