ON THE WATER -- Running aground

John Blaich

The Newport Harbor has been the temporary home to a number of large

vessels over the years, and not always without some trouble. Among them

was the steamship Catalina.

In the spring of 1978, Duncan McIntosh, sponsor of the annual

“In-Water Boat Show” at the Lido Marina Village, chartered the S.S.

Catalina as a boat show attraction. However, she did not come under her

own power, and getting the ship into the harbor had its problems.

The Catalina’s bottom was so fouled with marine growth that the

planned speed through the water was not obtained. Thus Catalina arrived

at the harbor entrance behind schedule. She entered Newport Harbor after

the morning high tide. Here, she was towed in with two tugboats, one

pulling and one tugboat attached to her stern to help guide the large

steamship and to hold her back if necessary. Temporary pilings were put

down in deep water off the Newport Balboa Savings and Loan building to

moor Catalina parallel to the shore.

But even with the extensive planning for her visit, the Catalina ran

aground off the Balboa Bay Club. The main ship channel narrows at this

point. And with her 16-foot draft, she went aground shortly after noon.

There may be a charted sand bar or shallow place at this location.

She remained aground until the next high tide at about 10 o’clock.

With three tugs pulling, the S.S. Catalina was freed from the muddy

bottom of Newport Harbor and moved to her temporary mooring in front of

the Newport Balboa Savings and Loan Building.

Following the “In-Water Boat Show,” the Catalina was kept here for an

extra week. A very successful fund-raiser party was held on board for

then-Sen. Pete Wilson. The Catalina was towed, at high tide, out of

Newport Harbor without incident. She was taken to San Diego.

The S.S. Catalina was built by the Los Angeles ship building company

at Wilmington, Calif. in 1924 for P.K. Wrigley. She was designed to

transport passengers and freight between Wilmington and Avalon on Santa

Catalina Island. This daily service began in 1924 and continued until

1976, except for the war years.

During the war, the Catalina was acquired by the U.S. Army. She was

used to transport army troops from an overseas staging base -- Camp

Stoneman on the Sacramento River -- to anchored troop transport at San

Francisco Bay. Painted dark gray, she would, at night, silently come down

the Sacramento River to the anchored troop transports. After receiving

their passengers, the troop transport ships would sail out underneath the

Golden Gate before dawn.

The S.S. Catalina is 302 feet in length over all with a length on the

water line of 285 feet. Her beam is 52 feet, with a draft of 16 feet. She

is powered by two 2,000 horsepower triple-expansion steam engines. Her

normal cruising speed is 15.5 knots.

Since leaving Newport Harbor in 1978, the Catalina has had several

owners. She was anchored off Santa Monica for a time. Catalina

eventually was towed to Ensenada, Mexico, where she still rests on the

muddy bottom of Ensenada harbor.

EDITOR’S NOTE: John Blaich is a Corona del Mar resident who, about

once a month, will write histories of interesting boats that graced

Newport Harbor.