The American Star (shipwreck):

In January 1994, during a force 11 storm, she ran aground on the 'Playa de Garsey', Fuerteventura, she broke in tow and was declared a total loss. Visit the home page to find out the history www.ssaustralishomepage.co.uk

Background and How to get there !

An interesting day out can be had by going out to see the wreck of the American Star. You probably wont be as lucky as we were with the weather conditions. The calima was blowing and this reduced the visibilty, gaving our photographs an eerie quality. The wreck of the American star is to be found at the Playa de Garcey on the weststern side of the island. To reach the playa you have to travel down, and back up, a long dirt track, which you would probably not be happy to drive along in your own new car. If you hire a car and have a mishap, the insurance will not cover you. The start of the track is about a mile (that is 1609m to you young people) south of the turn off for Ajuy. The first sign you see while on the track is the one warning against scuba fishing. The track is easy to follow, and if you are taking it slowly the geology is interesting to look at. Follow the track until you come to the sign saying you are entering a national park, then turn left. When we visited we continued straight on, ending up on the headland above playa de Salopas. More interesting geology. If you are heading in the right direction you will see one of these signs for the playa de Salopas. A little further on, just over a rise the shipwreck comes into view. Once you can see the ship you soon come to a place that you can park. It is possible to go down to the beach, or even to the next headland, but we do not recommend doing so. On some maps it looks as though you can return to the tarmaced road by carrying on in the same direction, but you cannot. The track leads to a military zone with the usual keep out and warning signs

History and chronology of its life and legend

During her lifetime of over fifty years, many important decisions had been made regarding the fate of the vessel which was once the pride of the United States maritime industry, but none as dubious as her sale to the Chaophraya Developement Transport Company. While those who sold her must have done so in good faith, there are numerous rumours insinuating that this latest chapter in the life of the old girl was nothing more than an attempt to gain profit from disaster. Now, whether this was the case or not, one crucial decision which has to be questioned was the choice to tow the vessel to Thailand via Gibralta, down the west coast of Africa and around the southern tip of the African continent. Surely it have been faster and far less hassle to take the shorter route and travel to her new home via the Suez Canal. Added to that, the new owners of the vessel must have known the ship would be making her final journey during the the major storm season for that part of the world. Though the real truth behind this ill-fated journey may never be known, these decisions led to the demise of the ship now known as the S.S. American Star.  
 

For in January 1994, while passing within a hundred miles of the Morrocan coast the convoy entered a violent storm which began to put the towing operation in jeopardy. During the storm, the American Star broke free of the tow-lines on several occasions, but eventually it was decided that it would be safer for the towing vessel if the ocean liner was to float free until the storm subsided.  After the storm was over, the vessel was left to drift, and though it was known she was heading for the Canary Islands through major shipping lanes, no successful attempt was made to take the hulk under tow again. After drifting for two days, the ship finally beached at the Playa de Garcey, on the west coast of Fuerteventura, the second biggest island in the Canaries. 
 

Once grounded, no serious effort seems to have been made to re-float the vessel, and after 48 hours of pounding by the ocean, the ship could no longer take the strain and she split in two, in much the same way the Titanic did before her final dive to the ocean floor. Her undoing was a weak part of her superstructure, in the vicinity of the engine room, main elevator shafts and stairwell. The stern section was then washed towards the shore and came to rest angled away from the bow section. From that moment on there was no hope for the vessel, and ever since she has been slowly breaking up, with the stern section succumbing to the ocean and rolling onto it's port side during 1996. Initially, before the stern section disappeared, it was very easy to gain access to all parts of the wreck of the American Star via ladders welded to the sides of the ship. The Spanish Army, which has an encampment in the gullies to the west of Playa de Garcey, is said to have many furnishings and fittings from the ship. Apparently, they are now in the armies headquarters on mainland Spain. But not only did the army profit from this tragedy, so did many of the inhabitants of Fuerteventura. All over the island houses are furnished with various goods "salvaged" from the wreck. Even a magnificent café and bar in the main port of Puerto del Rosario (Cafeteria el Naufragio on the corner of Avda de Mayo and Jesus Y Maria) is completely fitted out with windows, doors, panelling and furniture from the ship.

Unfortunately, these profits have come at quite a high price. At least eight deaths have occurred on the wreck. Some of these include a german who attempted to swim out to the wreck soon after it ran aground. He apparently was drawn into the chasm at the break and was never seen again. Two treasure seekers also met a tragic end while exploring the stern section of the wreck. They too were never seen again after a section of flooring they were walking on collapsed plunging them into the twisted innards of the vessel. A fourth reported death is rumoured to have been a suicide, who recently ended his life by jumping into the sea from the rear of the bow section. More than likely, he was just a thrill seeker who underestimated the force of the ocean around the wreck.
 

The bow section. Although the remains of the stern section can only be seen poking up through the waves at low tide, the bow section of the wreck has proved more hardy, and still stands defiantly abreast the sandy beaches at the Playa de Garcey to this day. As if at anchor, the bow section lists slightly to port and seagulls watch over the vessel, flying high on the currents and updrafts provided by the wind striking her remaining superstructure. 
 

Access to the wreck is still possible, but inadvisable, with the local authorities taking a dim view of anyone attempting to get aboard the wreck. Now, what remains of the old girl is slowly collapsing due to the endless attack of the ocean and she must surely succumb soon. While the outright fate of the vessel is already known, the final stages of this process have been increased with the appearence of a new hole in the area of the No. 1 hold which the waves broke through during the storms of 1999. Now the bow section is open to the same forces which quickly tore the port-side plating from the aft section and it's only a matter of time before nature writes the final chapter in the life of the S.S. America…

An excellent day out as the beach is superb and away from it all, well worth the trip but please take something to eat and drink as there is no facilities due to the tranquil unspoilt area.