AH-WR-0881

Thomas Hayward

Liberty Ship · United States · Lost 1977 · The Gulf of Mexico

A WWII Liberty ship built by women workers in Mobile, later sunk off Destin as one of Florida's earliest artificial reef wrecks.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Built in 1942 at Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding, this Liberty ship ferried Allied troops across the Atlantic during World War II. After WWII and Korean War service, the Florida Department of Natural Resources acquired the vessel and sank it south of Okaloosa Island in 1977 to create an artificial reef. Known locally as the Destin Liberty Ship, it remains a popular dive site nearly 90 feet down.

Vessel

Built: 1942
Builder: Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company
Yard: Mobile, Alabama
Material: Steel
Length: 360 ft
Beam: 57 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: War Shipping Administration; later Florida Department of Natural Resources

Loss

Date: April 14, 1977
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: South of the Okaloosa Island pier, Destin, Florida
Water: Gulf of Mexico
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 90 ft
Condition: Rises about 25 feet off the seafloor with substantial superstructure remaining.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established