AH-WR-0796

St. Jacques

Coastal Freighter · United States · Lost 2002 · Florida's Atlantic Coast

A coastal freighter seized in a drug-smuggling sting became the centerpiece wreck of Palm Beach's Governor's Riverwalk Reef.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built in 1955 as the Klaus Block, this coastal freighter was later seized by federal authorities as part of Operation Riverwalk, a drug-interdiction case. Renamed St. Jacques, she was sunk in 2002 off Palm Beach to form part of the Governor's Riverwalk Reef, alongside the Sha Sha Boekanier. Hurricane damage has since tilted her bow and stern sections at pronounced angles.

Vessel

Built: 1955
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Steel
Length: 180 ft
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Diesel, single screw
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: January 1, 2002
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Governor's Riverwalk Reef, off Palm Beach, Florida
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 0
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 80
Condition: Bow and stern sections list at angles, attributed to hurricane damage; boilers and a drive shaft remain visible.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established